Realized there was an error in my writing. Though I have corrected it, here is a clarification.
Lord Nicholas's children are four.
Sir Andre
Sir Vitale
Sir Julian and
Lady Jordyn.
The former chieftains are:
Lord Nicholas
Lord Zuko
Lord Carvero
Lord Joshua
Lord Samuel
Lord Richard and
Lord Timothy
The juvenile chieftains are:
Lord Vitale
Lord Maxwell
Lord Luke
Lord Ethan
Lord Alexis
Lord Skyler and
Lord Jonathan.
The replacements are respective to their father's positions. Hope this helps.
..
Tynan pulled the horse to a tree before tying it and taking Melina through the marketplace.
As it was quite early, the shop owners and storekeepers were busy opening their businesses and their helpers were sweeping the storefronts.
"I am sure you recognize Barleys," he questioned, reading in the items Ms Carlos put on the scroll.
"Yes, I do," Melina managed to reply. Right now, she felt her cheeks burn bright red at the sudden kindness this guard was showing to her. He was always cold and unreadable. So the way he behaved now was strange.
Did he perhaps like her too? She immediately slapped the thoughts from her head.
'You're too delusional, Mel. Think straight, he's only being friendly,' her subconscious cautioned her.
"Is it the one right there?" Tynan snapped her back to reality, pointing at a shop selling some grains and kernels of different sizes. The two entered the shop to be greeted by a woman in her mid-fifties carrying an infant on her back. She tied a scarf around her head and held a grim expression at first.
"Greetings" Tynan's words were short and curt. Melina saw the woman bow. She was also likely aware they were from the royal palace.
Tynan pulled out a seal like the one he put on the horse, showing the woman who nodded in approval. If she wasn't familiar before, she was now. They were indeed from the royal palace.
Tynan turned to her to do the talking and she too felt the elderly woman's gaze on her. Her hands turned cold because she didn't even know how to negotiate. This was someone she didn't know at all so it was weird to speak with her.
"Erm...we need barleys," was all she could muster up the courage to say as she pointed at the sack of grains that she recognized to be barleys. The woman nodded with a smile.
"One cup is sold for 50 copper coins, my dear" the woman was pleased to sell to the royalties.
"The bag would do," Tynan tossed a gold coin the woman's way where it landed on the table in front of her and she gasped.
"A gold coin..." she trailed as she ran her hands through the metal. Without wasting time, she tied the bag she had used to display the barley seeds and gave it to Tynan.
"Thank you for your generosity!" she yelled as she saw both of them walk away to other stores.
Melina watched how Tynan kept doing the same thing continuously in every store he went to, showing the royal seal and dropping a gold coin.
"You are kind," she said after noticing his actions.
"Prince Leon is kind," he corrected.
Oh...how could she forget? Whatever the servants did was determined by the ones in authority.
"He asked you to do this..." and she saw Tynan nod.
Then it was possible that the prince just didn't like her at all, after all, she has given him enough reason to blacklist her.
"We sell jewels here, each for just 70 copper coins."
"Oh, I have a very special shoe here. It is the rarest in Vlamunda. Just pay 20 silver coins,"
"Thief. Those shoes could be found anywhere, do not waste your money, madam" someone retorted.
"Hot buns for just 10 copper coins."
"Hey madam, you can try my goblets. They could serve the wealthiest men in the town. I will sell it at a discount for you,"
"Lies, these women are thieves, madam. Don't listen to them"
Melina saw the different tactics people used in the market and at one point saw some women fighting over one another's market.
These people were energetic, she believed as she looked at them while others tried to separate the fights.
She finally stared at Tynan who seemed hesitant to say something but then looked at her.
"You have never been out of the palace before. I'm surprised you are not searching for someone," he said anyway.
Even Tynan knew it was such a weird way to start a conversation.
"For someone?" what did he mean? She thought for a while before she said,
"You mean Joan?" was she lost? She looked around her.
Tynan sighed as he looked at her, the both of them now walking side by side as they carried the pouches of things they had bought.
"You don't have memories of your childhood? Your parents?" he sincerely asked. Even he wondered how she came about in the palace.
"My parents?" she soliloquized as she continued walking with the man who was now gazing at her. This was the second person who asked her this question.
"You do not remember your parents?" the man looked perplexed. She was about to say something again when he said,
"Nevermind," indirectly shutting her up. He wouldn't be responsible if she tried to run away to meet her family like some did in the past so he didn't want to create doubts in her mind.
Yet, Melina was confused. She had been shy to talk to Tynan all along and was only going forth with him but now that he mustered up the courage to speak to her, it was to ask of her parents. Her parents?
She knew 'her parents' referred to her Mother and Father as the King and Queen to the prince. But she didn't thoroughly understand what it was about. Aunt Paloma never even knew about them. Were they really that important?
Throwing away her shyness, she curiously asked,
"Do you know my parents, Tynan?" her voice came like a soft breeze to Tynan's ear and he appeared shocked she had managed to reply.
"No, I don't. You don't know them?" he asked in bewilderment and saw her shake her head. Why didn't she know her parents?
"Do you know yours?" she asked him again and saw him nod.
"I do," before continuing,
"You were likely brought to the palace as an infant. It's not very strange,"
"Really? When were you brought to the palace then?" the discussion began to interest her. All her life, she only remembered being raised by one person.
"I was six," came his simple reply.
"So you left your parents at six?" she said thoughtfully. She did have faint memories of when she was six. And it was only in the quarters with Aunt Paloma.
"I was taken from my parents..." She listened as he spoke, noticing the change in his eyes as if he became sad.
"They abandoned me," she had gotten it right. He was sad!
"They did?" she asked surprised. Did her parents also abandon her but at a younger age?
Tynan stared at her while he spoke and realized that she indeed didn't have any knowledge of her parents. Sighing, he remembered Ms Carlos had given them a specific amount of time and Joan must be back to the spot they had separated by now.
"We have limited time. Check the list for any other items we need to buy," he said hastily, suddenly changing the topic that made Melina narrow her eyes. Just when they seemed to have started a valid conversation, he called it off.
However, she didn't defile him and opened the scroll again.
"Meat," she said, seeing it was the last thing on the menu.
It was even the most important because it was what the elites ate the most.
"That is right. There is a butcher in the other street. We should check him," he suggested and she bobbed her head in compliance.
They walked further to the other road, and Melina noticed that there were more men in this lane. It seemed like men and women or children were singled out. Because here, the men she noticed seemed a bit aloof and when she glanced at some of them, she noticed how they looked at her with scorn.
She didn't offend them...
"Wear this," Tynan passed a scarf to her to cover her head.
"And do not stare at them," Tynan warned, witnessing how she didn't even lower her head a little which the men considered rude if a woman did it.
"But you are staring like I am-"
"Listen to me for your good," he warned again, this time his eyes narrowed at her, wondering what type of stubborn woman she was.
He was sure if she wasn't a royal possession, these men would have punished her to the core.
Melina noticed Tynan's expression towards her with his narrowed eyes. Was she being a troublemaker again? She asked herself, remembering she had promised to not make trouble again. So she listened to him, wore the scarf and bent her head.
They reached the butcher who was in a confined place, Melina raised her head a bit to look at him and almost squealed at the sight of the man.
The aged man was one-eyed, though agile and seemed nimble, his face said otherwise and for a moment, it reminded her of the uncomfortable feeling she had when the priest mumbled some words at the King's burial.
"Greetings," Tynan greeted and the man smiled.
"Do not worry. I am not like the rest. You can raise your head. I do not discriminate against women." the butcher said to Melina who was still lowering her gaze.
She seemed a bit hesitant but then stared at Tynan questioningly and saw him nod in approval and she curtly raised her head.
"We want some meat. Give us the usual," he told the man, saving Melina the stress of having to explain what she wanted. The girl noticed that, unlike the others, Tynan didn't show this man a seal.
It came off to her that Tynan knew the man very well because their conversation seemed so friendly.
However, the man's attention was drawn particularly to her.
"A new one today" he noted, talking about the maid.
The man spoke like he was very educated as he sorted the meats Tynan had requested.
"Her name is Melina. A bit troublesome," Tynan spoke with so much familiarity with the man.
"Indeed. I can tell already." the man replied, still smiling.
"Though you should learn to attract less of it," he added, particularly looking at Melina and laughing when he saw the girl pout her cheeks.
Why would Tynan tell someone she didn't know that she was troublesome? She didn't understand this friendliness.
She heard the both of them talk continuously but now, their voices were lower.
"...they usually sail at night... I doubt your parents are aware...." she could hear faintly what they were talking about but the parent's part caught her attention. His parents? Didn't he say they abandoned him? Did that mean this man knew his parents?
The man had sorted the different meats and packaged them, ready to pass to Melina who was eager to collect when the scarf that covered the girl's head fell off, catching her off guard.
The scarf that had now fallen off revealed the hair that she had covered and the man noticed the long, flattering hair. His eyes widened in shock and he gasped and turned to look at Tynan.
"Red hair...she is a redhead," he remarked like he couldn't believe it.