A Stolen Crown (18 page)

“Young Edward, you two sure took your time getting ready, but I think we still have some hot food in the kitchen. I suppose you're hungry now, after working up an appetite.” Aaron caught the slight teasing and his face blushed crimson.

“Yes, thank you. My wife, she needs a towel for the bath. I can take it up for her.”

“No, no,” Milli insisted as she poured a mug of ale. “One of the girls will bring it up. You just sit and relax. I’ve got you here now and you look like one of those silly young men who thinks he can go all night without a bite to eat.” She winked at him, put the frothing mug before him and retreated into the kitchen. Aaron shook his head and looked into his beer then took a very large gulp of the light amber liquid, which had a stronger taste than ales he had tried before.

A few moments later, Milli returned with a plate of meat stew. Aaron thanked her and attacked it hungrily. The stew was as good as the beer and the bread that came with it tasted fresh, as though it had just been baked. He had hardly expected the fare to be as good in such a place. All around the room, men played cards or joked drunkenly with the girls of the house. The drinks flowed freely and the din continued to grow louder as Aaron worked his way through the plate of food. Milli disappeared again and while she was gone Carly appeared from upstairs. She took a seat next to Aaron at the bar.

“Edward,” she said. Aaron looked up, swallowing a mouthful. “Katie asked me to tell you that she'll be eating upstairs and that you shouldn’t rush your meal. I told her she probably didn't want to come down while all the soldiers were here. They can get, you know, a little out of hand sometimes.” Aaron did not understand at first.

“Oh,” he said, choking on a piece of bread when he imagined the soldiers mistaking Ariana for one of Milli's girls. “Right, that's probably a good idea.”

“Tonight is my night off and your wife invited me to visit with her," Carly told him. "She says you two have been travelling a long time. I will make sure she is well taken care of and you can come up whenever you like. Okay?”

Aaron nodded and smiled. It had been a while since Ariana had been able to talk to anyone other than himself, let alone another woman.

“Thank you,” he said. “I think she will appreciate the company.” Carly smiled and returned upstairs. Aaron dug back into his plate of food.

Aaron finished his meal and was sipping at the last few mouthfuls of his ale when the door to the bar swung open with a crash. He glanced to the door and swallowed hard. He recognised one of the men who came into the tavern with a gust of cool night air. He had reddish hair and a tiny nick of a scar on the left side of his jaw. It was one of the guards who had attacked them on the road from Maramyr. Aaron looked at his own reflection in a mirror on the wall behind the bar. The growth on his face was thicker now and he hoped it would be enough that the man would not recognise him. He looked back into his mug and kept his head down as he heard the man and his companions stumble toward the bar, straight toward where he was sitting.

Milli appeared from the kitchens and greeted them as she had every other patron. She bid them all welcome, but since all the tables in the room were full for the time being, they sat themselves at the bar. Aaron groaned inwardly, thinking that perhaps it was time for him to make an exit. He was just about to get up when one of the men laughed and yelled uproariously and made a grab for one of the girls as she walked by. Aaron noticed Milli behind the bar. Her expression had turned from jovial to nervous and, trying to distract the men, she offered them ale.

“You e’spect us to drink that piss?” one of them asked with a harsh, drunken laugh. “We ain’t here for drinkin', whore. Got enough o’that done already!”

“We’re lookin for a good time. How 'bout you missy!” said another, reaching for one of the girls who was busy serving drinks to a nearby table. His hand caught her skirt and he yanked her around, sending her tray flying. Drinks clattered onto one of the tables, splashing several of the patrons. A man at the table  rose to his feet, angrily shaking off his wet hands and wiping the beer off his face. Milli raised her voice.

“Please sir,” she called to the man. “One of the girls will see that gets cleaned up, on the house,” she looked at him sternly then winked.” His face still red, the man sat back down and, like clockwork, one of the girls located herself on his knee and began dabbing at him with a cloth. Milli turned to the rowdy bunch at the bar.

“You gentlemen got to behave in my place. You could at least do your drinking here if you’re going to bust up the place,” she tried to joke.

“Like we said, we done our drinkin' already.” The soldier with the scar pounded his fist on the bar. Milli squinted an eye at him.

“Well, we’ve got a first come first serve policy here, and all the girls are busy at the moment, so you boys better order somethin' in the meantime. It won’t be too long.” Already, one of the girls had paired off with a black haired soldier at the far end of the bar. Aaron was about to get up when the man closest to him leaned in and breathed in Aaron's face.

“Recommend a good whore?” he asked. The soldier’s breath reeked of drink far more potent than ale. Aaron shrugged and put on his best hill country accent and pretended to be drunk.

“Beats me, I jes' come fer the food,” he slurred quickly, trying to change his voice. He hoped the other soldier would not recognise him. Milli glanced over at him. “I know them's is nice girls though, them sure is pretty isn’t they?” Milli smiled.

“Pretty don’t matter much,” he said with a lecherous laugh. Aaron shot Milli a pleading glance. “I’m not much for lookin' anyway. I just want me a girl who'll do whatever I want, no matter what I want.”

“Everything here is top quality gentlemen, the food, the drinkin' and certainly the company,” Milli piped up from behind the bar. Aaron smiled and nodded his agreement and chose that moment to get up and leave but as he made his way toward the staircase, in another mirror on the wall, he caught the reflection of the traitorous soldier watching his retreat with far too much interest. Aaron swore to himself and made his way up the stairs and back to the room.

When he opened the door, he found Ariana sitting with Carly on one of the couches in the room. They were drinking wine and both looked up and smiled when he came in.

“Edward!” Ariana exclaimed. “I was just telling Carly about the old days on my father’s farm near Maramyr.” She returned her attention to Carly. “Edward was a smith’s apprentice then, almost in the Guild. So big and strong, and talented too, but we didn’t have the extra money for him to join and with the war, my father lost the farm, so we came west. I do hope there’s work for him. Rivergate does seem very busy.”

“It’s the war,” Carly told her. Aaron stood, listening impatiently. “So many people passing through these days, needing supplies and everything else. Rivergate is busier than ever, and we hardly send anything down the river for goods anymore. Don’t need to, King Cerric’s buying up everything here for his army.” Aaron cleared his throat.

“Katie, do you remember those workers your uncle sent, the ones who worked on your father’s farm?” Ariana looked up at him. "The ones who wrecked that wagon just before the snows fell?" Aaron hoped she got the hint.

“Yes. What about them?”

“Well, I just bumped into one of them downstairs; the red-haired fellow, the one that got fired for stealing.”

“Oh,” Ariana said and she dropped her glass on the sofa. The last trickle of wine spilled out, staining the dark fabric. “Oh, goodness!” She looked at Carly. “I am so sorry.” Carly laughed and shrugged.

“Its okay, red material, red wine. The color was chosen for such reasons. Did you want to visit your friend downstairs?” she asked. Ariana’s eyes widened at the idea.

“Oh, goodness no! That man caused a lot of trouble for us. I'd rather not see him at all.” Aaron shook his head in agreement. Carly nodded slowly, deciding not to inquire any further, but she could tell the two guests were nervous. They were all startled when the door burst open. It was Milli.

“Edward,” she hissed. “One of those soldiers downstairs says he knows you. You wouldn’t be in any kind of trouble would you? Keeps askin' about a girl, if you came with a girl.” She looked at Ariana. “Look, I’m proud of this place and we keep good secrets, but this is gettin' out of hand. That man keeps tryin' to come up here. I told him you was busy but he’s a fair might determined 'an says he’s gonna get his commander. Do you want to deal with him? Might be back soon.” Ariana exchanged worried glances with Aaron and Milli’s eyes darted between them. “I didn'a think so,” she said. Ariana looked the older woman in the eye.

“They can’t know I’m here,” Ariana said, her tone serious. Milli scratched her head for a second then smiled with a wink. She tossed a coin to Ariana who caught it. Ariana looked at the coin in her hand. It was a Maramyrian crown and it had her face imprinted in the soft gold.

“I spent some years in Maramyr, your highness. Even caught a glimpse of you at Harvestfest. You’re thinner now and you got yourself banged up a bit, but I never forget a face.” She paused for a moment, thinking, then she turned to Aaron. “I recognize you too. They're handing around a picture of your likeness, along with pictures of a few others they say was in it for the princess' murder. Since you're both standing right here, and the princess doesn'a look afraid of you, I'm thinkin' there's some lyin' goin' on.” The sound of shouting came from downstairs and Milli glanced toward the door. “First is first, your highness will come with me now, and we’ll see if we can get you out of this mess.”

“I can sneak her out the usual way,” Milli said, thinking aloud, then she scratched her head as she looked at Aaron. “He’s gonna be a bigger problem. That soldier already seen him an' thinks he recognizes him.”

“The princess's safety is more important,” Aaron said. “If you can get her out of here, then please do it. I can fight my way out if I have to.”

“I'd rather not have fightin' in my place,” Milli said. “Maybe there's a way we can make that man think he made a mistake.” Milli turned to Carly who was still dumbstruck at discovering she had been sitting and drinking wine with the princess of Maramyr all this time. “Carly, you think you can convince them he’s one of your regulars? You know, make like you're busy.” Carly gathered her wits, looked at Aaron then smiled.

“Of course, Milli. It’ll be a pleasure.”

“Good, we'll take your things and I'll see about getting your horses as well,” Milli told them. Aaron looked at Ariana and he felt her power reach out to him briefly.

“Don't worry,” he said. “Get out of Rivergate and I will catch up with you.” Aaron sent a reassuring thought to her through the link of their power. Ariana held his gaze for a moment, then turned to Milli.

“Okay,” she said. “How do we get out of here?”

“Come with me,” Milli said.

Ariana picked up both hers and Aaron's packs and Milli led her over to the stone hearth at the back of the room. She pushed what looked like a heavy stone block but it slid freely away, revealing a very small passage, barely big enough for a person to fit through.

“In you go, feet first, your highness. Crawl backwards a ways and you'll find a hole that drops down to the cellar. Don't fall down. Use the ladder,” Milli instructed. Ariana crawled inside and Milli shoved the packs in after her, then she closed the passage.

“This room here's reserved for important personages,” Milli explained as she headed over to the door. “Sometimes we have to sneak them out when their wives or husbands come looking for them. That's why I stuck the two of you here, jus' in case something like this might happen.”

“So, you knew,” Aaron said.

“The moment I laid eyes on you,” Milli told him. “An' when this is all over, you're gonna' explain to me how the princess got that mark on her face. Not much of a protector, are ya?”

Milli left the room before Aaron could say anything else. The door closed and Carly pulled a heavy chain into place, securing it. Milli’s voice could be heard yelling as she made her way down the hall. Aaron stood in the middle of the room, dumbfounded. Carly smiled at Aaron and began to unlace her bodice.

“Well, time to play the part. Maybe they’ll go away if they think you’re a regular. You'd better get in the bed,” she told him.

Aaron was dumbfounded and glanced at the window, realizing it was too small for him to fit through. There was no way out. The voices outside were growing louder now and there was some commotion in the hallway outside. Carly pulled back the covers then pushed Aaron onto the bed. He pulled his swords from his belt and put them on the bed, hidden by the satin sheets before laying down on his back.

“So that was the princess, there?” Carly asked as she climbed atop him and. Aaron nodded as Carly pulled loose her skirts and let her bodice fall to the bed. He tried not to stare when she removed her top, baring her breasts at him.

“Yes,” was all he could manage to say, completely distracted by the girl's lack of modesty. Aaron did his best to ignore what Carly was doing and focused on the situation at hand, making sure he had a hand near his swords. There was a clatter outside the door and a heavy knock sounded on the wood. Carly rolled her eyes and smiled impishly.

“I’m entertaining here,” she called out, adding a moan. “There’s plenty of other girls, unless you want to wait for me. I can meet you a little later,” she added.

“Open up, we know you’ve got him in there!” The door crashed and opened a crack, held now only by the chain. Carly could see the soldier staring at them through the crack. She shook her finger at Aaron and started grinding herself against him, making sure it looked convincing for the would-be intruder.