Big City Darkened Nights

A servant quietly approaches, kneeling beside the King. “Sir dinner while be ready within the hour.”

“Thank you.” King Halford dismisses the servant and stands, “Junior take Carr to the bath house and see he gets some fresh clothes. After meet us in the dinning hall.”

Happy to know a good meal is coming Avilo and Junior stand making a simple bow.

After a quick bow Carr follows Junior to the south end of the courtyard. The King and Avilo share thoughts slowly heading back to the main entrance.

Envious Carr was healed by the King’s personal cleric, Junior points to the arm. “How was he?”

Carr feels the arm, “No pain. His incantations were like humming. He’s more powerful than my healer.”

Glimpsing at Carr, Junior queries, “You have a healer? Where is he?”

“She,” Carr informs him, “Violetta, she’s a beautiful red-haired woman, younger than Avilo. She lives in the town of Ingleside.”

Only crossing the Great Swamp once Junior pauses opening a door into the castle, “I only remember some tiny backwoods village and some dirty town surrounded by a timber wall.”

“Lafee, with the wall,” Carr tells him, “Ahn was the village. East of both is Ingleside. You must have been on your way to Monsteil.”

“Yeah, that’s where we were going.” Junior leads him left down a long hallway. “I take it we were cutting through your territory?”

Carr marvels at the interior stonework and detailing. “I know those woods the best and it’s not the fastest way to Monsteil. Somebody must have wanted to go over the mountain range.”

Stopping to direct him into the bathhouse Junior nods smiling, “Yeah Captain Avilo did. Why how long would it have taken your way?”

Stepping in a steamy room Carr sees a servant stoking a fire under a stone bath big enough for four men. “Three days from the swamp. Look at the size of that.”

“Three days?” Junior recalls the trek, “It took us almost five to get there.” He points out where to put his things.

The servant rushes over to help with Carr’s armor.

“Thanks.” Carr says to the man, before informing Junior. “Five? Out seeing the sites or did you walk? Anyway, from Ahn you can go east to Ingleside around the mountain range. And if you knew the area of the swamp, there’s a path that takes a good part of a day to walk to Ingleside and avoid Ahn.”

“If there’s a next time. I’m going to certainly telling Avilo.” Junior lets Carr know, “Take a bath and I’ll round up something for you to wear. Don’t worry about your stuff the servant will add it to your other things and you can take it when you leave.”

“Alright.” Carr answers finding it amusing that he knows more than an officer in Halford’s army.

The servant sets Carr’s things aside before helping him into the bath.

Carr waves him aside and hops into the hot water.

Leaving with his things, the servant allows Carr to adjust to the water’s temperature.

Managing to settle in Carr finds gritty flower-scented soap to wash with.

After some time, the servant returns to the bathhouse and has to take a second look at Carr, as skin tone is noticeably lighter.

Catching sight of the servant Carr knows, “Yeah it’s been more than a year since I had a hot bath, with soap.”

Restraining a laugh, the servant sets down a shirt with matching pantaloons, along with a pair of fancy shoes. He brings over a towel, “Dinner is ready we must hurry.”

Hastily getting out of the bath Carr almost wipes out on the wet granite floor. Quickly recovering Carr takes the towel and dries off like nothing happened.

Dressed in some fancy brown clothes Carr is escorted by the servant. Walking the remainder of the first hallway they turn left down another. Hanging on these walls various paintings of regal people, in between them exquisitely crafted oil lanterns. Under the lanterns, tiny tables holding various statuettes or flower filled vases.

Stopping at a set of ornately carved doors, the servant motions to Carr to wait.

Opening the doors to a grand dinning hall the servant addresses the room. “Your Majesty and subjects I present Carr, Ralston Purina. Rogue of the Boitug Woodlands.”

The title has Carr quizzically glance at the servant contemplating it. Shrugging to the title he waves to the room while entering, they chuckle and talk amongst themselves.

Led by the servant to a seat Carr can’t believe what he’s walking in to. Along the back wall the King with his family and best subjects sit behind a long-covered table.

The far wall table is lined with all military men of differing rank and age. The side Carr’s seated at has Avilo at the end, Dell beside than Junior. Carr is seated next to him.

Before leaving the hall, the servant fills a silver goblet with water.

Carr stares at the amount of food on the tables. He can’t believe there’s a whole turkey in front of him. Picking up the goblet, it touches his lip. Realizing from its’ weight and taste the goblet is not silver. Looking at all the bowls, plates even the knives and forks are all platinum. He contemplates stealing it all.

Watching the bewilderment on the young man Halford speaks to him, “You certainly look presentable now. If you weren’t introduced, I wouldn’t know it, was you.”

The men chuckle at the jest.

Paying little attention to the others Carr replies, “This is a great spread your Majesty. Thank you for including me.”

Smiling Halford suggests. “Well, have at it.”

The Queen speaks quietly with Halford pointing out Carr.

Deciding to start with what’s in reach, a drumstick, before Junior grabs the second. A basket of soft warm rolls steaming away catches Carr’s eye. Next to the rolls rests a platter of fruits and a bowl with a mixed salad.

Junior disapproves of the salad, scooping up a heap of stuffing plopping it on Carr’s plate, “You’ll like that.”

Never seeing it before Carr inquires, “It smells good what’s in it?”

“They call it stuffing.” Junior points to the hollow opening of the bird. “It’s mainly bread cooked inside the bird; it collects the juices.”

Sounding okay Carr tries a mouthful and likes it grinning to Junior, “Tasty.”

Junior chuckles and pours up a few goblets with wine, sliding them down to Avilo and Dell, two for himself and one for Carr.

The doors of the dinning hall open, the other older man from the courtyard enters. Dressed in an old fading black robe and a strange tall pointy hat. Closing the doors, the man turns and walks into the middle of the room.

The man barely utters, “Your Majesty I think…”

“Sit and eat.” Spitting out pieces of food King Halford cuts him off.

The man shrugs and takes a seat beside Carr and fixes a simple meal.

Setting down a goblet and whipping his lips with a napkin Halford speaks to Carr, “This is Cornelious my mage. It’s always work with him.”

Carr and Cornelious shake hands and exchange names.

Halford continues, “None of us are going anywhere get some food into ya. If I let him talk, he’ll go on and I’ll lose my appetite. He’s obviously got a solution to your problem.”

Cornelious starts to get up, “I do your…”

“Yes, yes later,” King Halford motions him to sit.