Maisen and I wolfed down our beef stews in sixty seconds flat. We paused while eating only to breathe before taking the next delicious bite.
I eyed the buttered rolls wistfully but realized that it would take longer to tackle those hard rolls and thus declined to give my teeth a tough workout.
Apparently, my comrade-in-meal had the same thought because she passed on them, too.
Our dining companions on the other side of our table could only stare at the gusto with which we finished our meals. Halfway through my bowl, Sankryn finally gave up and politely looked away. His friend, Giudot, proved to be made of sterner stuff mentally as his eyes were glued to the two of us for the entire ordeal. Neither man was inclined to touch his bowl of stew while the two of us ate.
Somehow, I managed to finish my bowl first. "I'll wait for you outside," I told Maisen while resisting the temptation to do a fist pump in the air. If I got carried away in my little celebration, then Maisen could avenge her public humiliation by assigning me to perform the worst tasks available at the Watch. Thus, my victory wasn't worth celebrating. Perhaps, I should have made a bet with her instead; hopefully, I will remember to do so next time.
I climbed out of my seat, grabbed my scabbard, and scanned the common room for Amelica. When I spotted her on the east side of the room, I walked over to her. I made sure to check my path in case anyone else tried to trip me; unfortunately, the public duel, which had originated from a dispute over a tripping, discouraged any more mischief from the patrons. I was hoping for another opportunity to show off my martial prowess in front of my girlfriend.
But then again, maybe the town folks possessed more common sense than I gave them credit for. However, some of the guests saw where I was headed and gave me dirty looks as I passed by their tables.
I smiled politely and continued on until I finally stood next to my girlfriend. I untied the small sack from my belt and fished out a gold coin. When Amelica finally turned around and noticed my presence next to her, I held out the gold piece on my right palm. "I am settling my tab; please, keep the rest as your tip," I smiled.
Amelica smiled back as she delicately used her left hand to take the coin.
When her fingers brushed my palm lightly, I felt a warm tingling sensation down my spine. Was I becoming smitten with this beautiful creature?
"Thank you," her smile broadened as she pecked me lightly on my left cheek. Suddenly, Amelica noticed the angry vibe all around us. "Oops. Sorry!" She apologized and shrugged as the patrons slowly turned away from us.
"I better go before we start a riot," I winked at her and headed for the exit. As I walked across the room, I felt heavy steps behind me. I didn't need to turn around to identify the person behind me—it was obviously my former bodyguard, Maisen.
The captain patted me lightly on the back and said quietly, "If there weren't three Watchmen in the room to watch your back, your public display of affection would have triggered a brawl."
"Sorry," I winced and apologized to her. While my sister-in-mindset was indeed correct in suggesting that I try to dial back on my public affection for Amelica, I wasn't accustomed to holding myself back in this manner. I was born in the land of the free, acted freely, and I intended to live my life freely. I will probably act similarly next time, regardless of who will be watching the two of us. I was a Player Character inside this gaming world, and this world should be accommodating ME rather than vice versa! However, I offered the apology only as a gesture of respect to Maisen for kindly watching my back.
"Let's just leave," Maisen replied as she remained blissfully unaware of my future intentions; she opened the front door for me.
When we left The Noble Lady, she spoke again. "Your new liegemen will meet us at the dojo. I gave them orders to upgrade their equipment to silver blades and chain mail armor from the armory," the Watch officer explained.
I winced again. This was becoming a habit today. "Why would you label Giudot and Sankryn as my 'liegemen'?" I asked.
"Start walking first," Maisen commanded. "I'll explain on our way to the dojo." With that, she started walking southward.
I stared at her back with an angry scowl for her evasiveness and then sighed. I started jogging in order to reach her because Maisen was taking big steps and walking at a rapid pace. "Slow down," I gasped and pulled on her right arm when I managed to reach her location.
The big warrior smirked but eased up on her pace. When she heard my breathing was normal again, she began to talk. "The fathers of Sankryn and Giudot were officers in King Merlin's army. They weren't particularly skilled with the blade; nor were they sharp-minded as strategists. Their best traits, though, were their loyalties to the king. These two boys grew up hearing stories of King Merlin and yearned for someone to follow," Maisen explained.
"And you think these two will follow me?" I asked skeptically.
"Yes," the captain grinned. She suddenly stopped walking and turned to face me. "You have been acknowledged as the liege of the dojo. The Butterfly School of Swordsmanship is a prestigious and influential school; for this reason, many pursuers of the crown seek the school's endorsement for kingship. Kalistro had tested your character and he found you worthy of the school's endorsement. As your fame and fortune increase in the future, people will begin to join your cause as followers. If you prove yourself worthy of the loyalties of Sankryn and Giudot, then they could eventually become instrumental in growing your following. As their fathers were well respected for their loyalties to the crown, the sons will convince others to follow you. The path of kingship is not pursued through the sword but rather via the hearts and minds of the commoners," she lectured.
"Why don't you pursue the crown yourself?" I asked.
The woman resembling the late-Chyna rolled her eyes as if I had asked a stupid question. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not a man. There is a reason why the kingdom of Merlin is a monarchy because all rulers were men even going back to the time of King Arthur."
"Back where I come from, women can rise to leadership positions," I disputed.
The powerful warrior shook her head. "I am already pushing our country's norms and traditions by serving as the captain of this town. I'm afraid the commoners are not ready for a matriarchy," she said sadly. "But putting that aside, the church has let it be known, informally, of their preference for a ruler in the mold of Merlin, that is an outsider or non-native of this land. In other words, someone like you," she grinned while poking a finger gently into my chest.
I opened my mouth to argue again but Maisen quickly put a gauntleted hand to cover my mouth.
When she was certain that I would keep silent, Maisen released her hand. She looked deep into my eyes and gripped my shoulders. "I believe, deep down in my heart, that you will be the next king. And I will do everything in my power to make that happen." When she said those words to me, her eyes were fierce with determination and resolve.
How should I respond to that? Fear and doubt took hold of my heart as I felt the burden of her faith and belief in me. My body shivered involuntarily in response to my lack of self-confidence.
The captain noticed my reaction. Suddenly, Maisen released her hands from my shoulders and instead she wrapped her strong arms around my back, pressing her chest tightly against mine in a fierce hug. She lowered her head until her mouth hovered over my left ear. "I know that you're afraid of the challenges and obstacles that stand in your pursuit of kingship. Just remember that you have the full support of myself and everyone in Tregome," she said. After a long moment, she finally released me. Grabbing my hand, she started walking again and pulled me southward.