That evening in his bed room, The king sat there and thought for a moment and he decided to sneak out of the palace for some "fresh air" out on his horse and went to the local tavern in the kingdom to drink and look around, being the King, he was restricted from roaming around the Kingdom streets without protection, however under the cover of night, he would be able to move around discreetly. Walking passed the people of the Kingdom, smelling the freshly made cooked meat and street food of the Kingdom, hearing the sound of laughter and cheer in the air, being the end of the working week in the Kingdom of Acalarah, the people would celebrate in the streets of the Kingdom with cheer, laughter and a sense of close community. "the people of Acalarah, really try to make a life for themselves, don't they?" Leon thought to himself.
As he is walking with his horse, he goes into the tavern in the kingdom, and this was the night where every servant, soldier, worker and farmer (single ones at least), in the kingdom would come and drink and party their problems away. As he tied his horse to the tavern horse stand where everyone would tie their horses until they finished their drinking, however his horse was a royal horse, so he didn't want it to be recognised, so he put her at the back not to be recognised and to blend in with the other horses, "won't be long," he whispered to his horse….
As he walks in closer, he can hear the music, as the sun had set that day so now it was evening, hearing the music get louder and louder as he walked in the door of the tavern, hearing the song, "Pour some sugar" by Def Leppard and Taylor Swift (this is a story with a twist). There was a music band playing at this tavern as he looked around. "What is this place?" Leon thought within himself, as this was his first time entering a tavern in his life, being the son of the king, and for his protection, he was not allowed to venture out of the palace growing up, and now being the king himself, he had some freedom to venture around, still, under cover of disguise of course.
Looking around, he saw everyone having a good time, so he walks over to the bar, sits on the seat and looks at the waiter, as he wore a robe not to be recognised by anyone, underneath the robe, he wore a mask as was customary for people who had committed crimes in those days, so that no one recognised them, not to be reported to the authorities. "I wonder if this was a bad idea after all" he thought and questioned within himself.
"What are you drinking tonight, stranger?" the bartender asks him casually. "what do you recommend?" Leon asks in a deep voice, so that he would not be recognised as the king, when suddenly, a couple of men slammed Kusava on the bar in a bar fight, right next to Leon, as Kusava is slammed on the bar, Kusava laughs hysterically, being drunk as he was, "you bastards hit like women!" he laughed at them in mockery, being drunk, then they punched him, then Leon pulled away, watching him get bashed, when suddenly, Maia and Lilly come to his aid, and get the men off Kusava, "Try that again!!" Lilly grunted as she pulled the men off Kusava at the bar, "Are you alright?" Maia laughed as she pulled Kusava up, "Nothing I haven't felt before" Kusava smirked as he flirted with Maia at the bar, pulling her close, "oh hello…." She smiled as he kissed her lips softly, as they both blushed, when Maia looked to the side and noticed a loner in the corner of the bar. "Hey, who's that?" Maia asked, looking at the stranger at the end of the bar, "Don't know, leave him be" Kusava said in a serious tone of voice, when suddenly, he looked, and Maia was gone, "Maia!" Kusava yelled as he saw her walk towards the stranger, "Hello stranger, you are new in this kingdom" She smiled at him, Leon looked at her, then looked away suddenly not to be recognised, "Oh no….of all people…what do I do now…" He thought to himself.
He never answered, "Oh, maybe you can't speak?" She asked softly, "No, he can speak…" the bartender said with a poker face in a straight forward tone of voice, looking at Maia, "Ah, perhaps he is shy?" She smiled cheerfully, looking at this hooded stranger, checking him out if he was an enemy or not, so to get to know him a little better, was to buy him a drink, "Bartender, give us two royal stacks" Maia ordered as she bought the king a drink, "Kusava, want another drink?" She called out to him, "I'm busy.." he cried out from across the other side of the tavern frustratingly in sarcasm in a high-pitched voice, being back in the brawl fight with the men who slammed him on the bar.
Maia laughed at him, "Does your boyfriend…. Always get into fights?" Leon questioned in a deep voice, "Oh, you can speak?" Maia responded sarcastically, "Only when required…." Leon smirked under his hood, as he looked at her softly, as he responded in a deep voice.
"that's fair enough…" She said staring at him, as their drinks arrived and had drinks together.
When watching Maia scull her drink, he tried the same, but he choked as the drink was too strong for him, to which Maia burst out into laughter in amusement, "You're not used to strong drink, are you? My apologies, bartender, give him something a little lighter" after Leon composed himself, "No! That… was enough" He motioned with his hand, catching his breath and trying to compose himself, "ok, water then…" she replied softly as she gave him some water, when suddenly, Maia's girlfriends surrounded this stranger with Maia, "well, well, well, Maia, who's the friend?" all these attractive women asked, "Back off ladies, he's mine tonight." She said taking down a drink, "Awww Maia, you have Kusava, you don't need more men, do you?" they asked her, when Leon heard this as he was drinking some water, he coughed and choked at those comments, "Are you alright?" Maia asked, Leon motioned that he was alright, "He's a quiet one ladies, I would be careful if I were you, they say be careful from the quiet ones" Maia smirked as she took down another drink, suddenly, Kusava came up next to them, "Hey ladies…" Kusava smirked, "We're trying to steal this stranger away from Maia but she won't let us have him, command her to release him to us!" the girls sighed and demanded at Kusava, "Why don't you let them take him? What's your name stranger?" Kusava asked and grinned at this stranger, and all the women around them waiting to hear his answer,
suddenly, Lilly got slammed on the bar next to them, suddenly, Maia took a deep breath, and got the men on the bar who pinned Kusava and Lilly, "Do that one more time and I will make sure you two never rise again!!!" Maia grunted in anger and frustration. "Wow…. She's so outspoken outside the palace…." Leon thought within himself, to see his servants around him and being themselves, with their conservative masks off, he could see them for how they truly were, friendly and able to protect each other. He smiled gently at them, "So stranger, are you going to tell us your name?" Maia said huffing for breath as she came to sit back down with Kusava and the stranger and the women at the bar. Leon took a deep breath, "Xavier…. My name is Xavier…" He answered softly, using his middle name as a cover up for who he truly was, as he sat there drinking some water, "Well, it's nice to meet you, Xavier, my name is Maia, this is Kusava, and these women are my friends too… they are…" She said as she smiled with sigh in her voice, looking at them, as he turned around to look at the attractive women, dressed in seductive attire, he knew exactly what they were, he smirked for a moment, "I have women in the harem if I needed one…." He thought within himself,
"Why don't you join us for drinks and dinner, Xavier? No one ever stays alone in the Kingdom" Maia smiled as she invited him to join her, Kusava and their friends.
Xavier joins them and eats and drinks with them, "I heard what happened with you and the King's official today, Maia…. Good for you that the King stood up for you…." Basker said from the other side of the table. "I never liked that official, he always gives me an attitude and was just looking for an excuse to have a go at me today" Maia said crossing her arms. "Why does he hate you so much?" Kusava asked. Xavier just sat there quietly, observing their conversations, as he glanced at Maia to hear her answer.