Breakfast was flatbread with a hummus-like spread and some assorted fruits. Cai set out the food on the bar in the tavern and told me to eat, then promptly left. He has been doing that since the moment we arrived in this small town. He hadn't shared dinner with me last night either, and to my relief, when it came time to sleep last night, he left the room and never returned until morning.
~It's not like I wanted to eat with you anyway.~
I turned back to the food and stuffed some in my mouth. The bread was slightly stale and the hummus was not nearly as tasty as the kind I had been fed in the Palace, the only thing that was remotely yummy was the fruit.
~I guess this is what I get. I traded luxury for a life on the run. If I was still in the Palace I would have had a large breakfast and a warm bath by now. Instead I'm in this sketchy saloon with some stale bread and a moody Prince.~
I scanned around the room and noticed that Cai was gone. I had at least expected him to stay close to me if he wanted to keep me around until he proposed his plan for me to repay my debt.
~Oh well, I guess I'll just follow him around like a dog until then...~
I stuffed my mouth with flatbread and let my thoughts race back to my conversation with Naomi. If what she said was true, then there were rumors about making a deal with the Water Mage Prince, and bad rumors to boot.
~And this morning... When he said that he would know how I ought to repay my debt by the time we get to Pani Rastra. It's almost as if he already has a plan, he's just not telling me yet.~
My foot tapped nervously on my barstool as I thought.
~What the hell kind of plan does this guy have for me? Frick, I don't even know if he's a good person or not, I literally went with him because he was my only option out of the palace. but now.... Now I may be in bigger trouble than I was as Altan's fiancé.~
I sighed and watched Naomi move around the room. She went from one customer to the next, talking to them, putting her hands on their shoulders, and laughing with them. If anyone was going to know the truth about these rumors it would be her. She seemed like the kind of person that could get information out of just about anyone.
And if that's the case, then Cai really is known for striking dirty deals.
~I mean is this a surprise to me? The first two times I met the guy he tried to kill me...~
I turned back to the bar and the apple core that I had left on the table, or at least I think it was an apple, it was this dimensions version of an apple anyway. I poked the core with my finger and it wobbled then fell onto its side.
Maybe it was time to plan my second escape, this time from a Prince instead of a Duke.
~For shit's sake! I've only been in this world for a week how have I already met a Duke and a Prince? I lived in the USA for 20 years and never even got close to meeting the president! not even Justin Bieber!~
"Ugh, my luck..." I mumbled to myself.
"Are you going to eat that?" an unfamiliar voice spoke beside me.
I jumped at the question then turned to find a man sitting beside me at the bar.
~When did he get here?~
"What?" I mustered, because honestly the man surprised me. Not just because he had appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but also because he looked unlike anyone I had met in this world. He had a big, burly, grey and brown beard and very pale skin that was more pink than white. his hair fell around his ears in greasy grey locks but he had very pretty purple eyes. eyes that shimmered like magic. To me, he looked like a kind, homeless, Santa Clause. Although he wasn't very fat and jolly.
"Are you not eating it?" he pointed to the apple core and I wanted to face palm.
"Oh," I turned away from him, for the most part I had done a good job of not looking in his eyes, "No, you can eat it."
"Eat it?" he laughed loudly at me, and even his laugh reminded me of Santa Clause. "I don't want to eat it! I want to keep the seeds for my apothecary!"
I blinked at his unexpected words, "Oh, yeah... you can have them." I reached for the apple core but when I was about to grab it, the core flew up in the air on its own accord then flew to the man's hand.
I stared with wide eyes at where the apple had been seconds ago as my brain tried to piece together what had just happened. "You're an Air Mage." I said out loud with my realization.
"And you're a Water Mage." he responded, then he leaned in closer to me as if trying to look in my eyes, I purposely stared at a spot on the table to avoid eye contact. "And while it's not odd that an Air Mage like me is in this territory -especially this far north- it is quite odd to see a Water Mage."
~What's this guy getting at?~
"I- I'm just passing through." I stammered.
"Is that so?" he leaned closer and my body stiffened, "Or could it be that you're the runaway Water Mage I've heard of?" he reached forward as if to touch my hair and test if the color was authentic, but before he could, an arm wrapped around my shoulders.
"Who do you think you're touching, you airbag." It was Cai.
~Ah yes, another man that can appear out of nowhere.~
Santa Clause hand stopped short at Cai's words, although he seemed unintimidated by him. In fact, he sounded a little amused "I thought I might be touching some very handsome ransom money." he responded.
Cai scoffed, then leaned closer to me, his arm wrapped around me tightly and he touched the side of his face to mine. "You think she's the Duke's fiancé?" he asked, a clever smiled donning on his lips.
"Well, there aren't many other Water Mage females around these parts." he shrugged and the amusement was leaving his voice.
Cai straightened but kept his arm around me, "You're not wrong." he agreed, "so, why don't you tell me the description you have of the Duke's fiancé."
Santa rolled his eyes, "The description doesn't matter, what matters is that she's a Water Mage."
"So you're saying the Duke doesn't care if you bring him any old Water Mage? Because you and I both know the famous Duchess-of-Kiziljer-to-be does not have short black hair." he gestured to my now-black-locks, that any person from earth would probably know are fake. Here, I have no idea how convincing this look is.
Santa laughed dryly, "For the reason he wants her, I assume any old water Mage will do, yes."
~He's referring to how Altan must marry a Water Mage to end the War of Old.~
to my surprise Cai laughed as well, "I suppose you're right about that. But Pani Rastra's 4th Prince's Lover will not be the one turned into him."
The man silenced at Cai's words, and if I wasn't already being silent, I would have too.
~Excuse me? Lover? This sure as hell better be some kind of trick to get this man to leave me alone, or I'm about to take out my brown-belt level taekwondo from middle school on this Water Mage!~
If Santa didn't know who Cai was before, he knew now, because his eyes widened and his face turned redder even than it was already.
"If you really really want that ransom money," Cai offered, "I suppose we could fight for her." he smiled at the man's reaction and tucked a loose hair behind my ear, I pretended like I didn't hate it for my own sake. "But if you won, then you would probably be hunted down by the entire kingdom of Pani Rastra."
"Look," the man jumped from his barstool clumsily and it fell to the ground as he stood. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble."
"Of course you didn't." Cai nodded, "And you won't cause me any trouble in the future either, would you?"
"No!" the man backed away slowly, "I definitely wouldn't!" then nearly ran from the tavern.
~What the hell kind of reputation does Cai have that would make a grown man run away like that?~
"Are you alright?" Cai removed his arm from my shoulder.
I shook my head, "Thank you."
He picked the barstool up from the ground and sat beside me. "You were recognized far too quickly." he ignored my words. "This means we will need to leave town early tomorrow morning."
"Already?" my eyes widened, "But we just got here."
~Not to mention my butt is still extremely sore from riding a horse all morning.~
"I don't trust that creep to keep his mouth shut about what he saw, whether he believes your my lover or not." My cheeks burned at his words.
"And I'm not." I added.
Cai smirked, "Of course you're not."
I opened my mouth to hammer in my point, to tell him I had no intention of ever liking him to any extent. But I never got to say it because Naomi was suddenly beside us looking disheveled and grabbing Cai's arm.
"What?" Cai spoke.
"The Duke just arrived in town!"