Laughter rang through the tavern as Neithotep H’Sheifa downed her third tankard of ale in as many minutes, a look of triumph on her face as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and slammed the empty cup on the table. “Did you actually doubt me, Ammon?” the young noblewoman asked her drinking partner with a look of glee, the man next to her covering his mouth with a sick look on his face. “You should know better than that by now. Don’t take a bet if you can’t follow through.”
Nia held out her hand expectantly while he coughed up her winnings, counting out the coins in her palm with a smug grin. As many times as the young merchant had shared his cups with Nia, he should have realized she wasn’t joking around. She might be a woman and she might be small, but the rebellious lady of Hei Sheifa knew how to hold her alcohol. And she was confident she could drink just about any man in the establishment under the table.
“Anyone else want to step up and prove what a man they are?” she called out into the busy tavern, bolstered by beer and victory alike. “Come on now, don’t be shy! You can’t be any worse than our dear Ammon here!”
The loser in question merely rolled his eyes and puffed his chest while several others groaned, though there was no real malice in his stance. He’d known Nia long enough to have dealt with her gloating before. This was hardly anything new. What he did worry about was that she was going to anger the wrong man one day, and that the next fool who lost a bet against her would not be so kind.
When no takers seemed forthcoming, Nia made a face and huffed with her hands on her hips. “Are all of you really that scared? Come on now! Surely one of you can hold his liquor better than a little girl!”
Grabbing two more ales from the bar and stopping in front of a table where a large man she didn’t recognize sat peacefully ignoring her, she invited herself to a seat and set one of the tankards in front of him. “What about you, handsome?” she teased with a wink, nudging the drink toward him with a lifted brow. “Care for a wager? Looks like my friends here can’t handle a little competition. That’s when we start making new friends, eh?”
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