I spent about a week outside of the capital, doing my usual work before I was on Omen’s back leading back into the wide road leading into the capital, his hoofs clacking against the stone like packed dirt, passing carts and people as they made their way into the capital. But as I got close, I noticed guards posted in more frequent numbers, asking people to take hoods down or scarves off their faces as they had scrolls in their hands as they appeared to be looking for someone. I knew they were looking for me, not matter what I do, I can’t stay invisible endlessly. So as Omen cantered up, I undid the buttons of the snood around the lower half of my face and knocked my hood back as I pulled my mask down to around my neck. I’m not going to be able to endlessly hide from all of them, plus Aldoric doesn’t think I’m DB. So, might as well as get all of that heat off me.
One of the guards slapped the other before pointing to the scroll then me, I was flagged down by one as I pulled the reigns slowing Omen, the two seemed extremely wary of Omen because he’s taller than any Clydesdale or shire horse. I quickly slid my chains off my throat and into my bag. I had Aegis in a loop of leather on the saddle-horn letting it stay visible in its dragon wrapped sheath, the blade is about forty inches long or so, maybe about three-four inches wide making the sheath just as obvious to see as the solid inky black blade, God Reaper was on the other side of the saddle, cruciform hilt softly tapping against the metal as the four foot blade was in a just as bedecked sheath, the point barely reaching Omen’s knee. I still had my short-sword lashed to my hip and my dagger in my shin, I softly pulled the reigns in my hand having Omen turn before pulling off to the side letting a cart past, the soft clatter of the wheels on the firm packed dirt morphing quickly to a loud squishing sound as the wheels were soon caked in heavy, goopy mud as it got about a block into the furthest ring. I clicked my tongue and Omen firmly planted his hoofs into the dirt as I stepped off him, both the guards barely came up to my collar in height because of how much taller my people are than Lodorite.
“So, sorry, Ma’am…but what is your name?” one of the guards asked,
“Why does it matter?” I asked, raising my brow, it’s not that I don’t know why they need my name, but people find my voice…scary or weird. So I like to see the fear and confusion play through people’s faces and eyes as they try to figure out what the fuck I’m saying. My accent’s thick, no doubt about it.
“The…youngest prince has ordered the guards to find a…sell-sword whom has caught his fancy, you match the description.” The guard said, I laughed softly,
“I knew he wasn’t going to be able to stay away” I said quietly before looking towards them, they weren’t looking at my eyes and were actively avoiding trying to look at my mouth because of my all sharp pointy teeth. “It’s Aram.”
“If you could…be so kind as to…follow us.” The other said,
“I know where the palace is.” I said putting a foot in the stirrup before pulling myself back up onto the saddle. Omen cantered off back into the city, I wrapped my hands around the too long and too thin reigns as I hooked my heels back into the stirrups fastening me to them as he moved through the rings of the huge city. It took about thirty-forty five minutes to get into the start of the noble rings before I nudged Omen to keep going, he looked back towards me confused as to why we were going to the coastal ring when I first got back here, he knows my schedule when I get back from work is to go back to The Ink Pot, work for all of the stolen goods so I can properly sell everything for my own profit. However I took him to the coastal ring before off to the left, he went to stop as he looked towards me, confused as to why I was leading him towards the road leading to the palace, I nodded softly, he snorted as he looked back forward and started walking again. His hoofs loudly clacked against the silvery white stone as he walked along the road that merged into a near bridge like fashion that then merged into a large plate, only about ten or so feet away from the rest of the road where the palace was.
As Omen got to the massive gate of the palace, there were two guards posted who looked through their things before unfurling scrolls that now I could see was a very well done sketchy drawing of myself. One of them turned before motioning and shouting for the gate to be opened, Omen steadily walked along the bridge, but his eyes and head were moving around as he obvious was quite uncomfortable being in the palace, after all he knows of my…ideals of the nobles and the royal family of Lodor. Through the palace’s curtain walls, it opened up into a large ring shaped courtyard of high, deep and dark grass, high growing pine, cedar and elm trees about the grounds along with masses upon masses of flowers and things.
Omen slowed before stopping as I hopped off his back, putting my swords back on my back as I waved my hand and dismissed Omen much to the confusion, fear and shock of a stable-boy who rushed over to take Omen away to the palace stables. I walked forward as I folded my arms behind me, letting my hair softly be caught by the steady breeze as I walked along the pathway towards the front doors of the palace. The doors soon opened before me, I sank my weaponry save for my dragger into darkness as I walked through the doors leaving me for the most part, extremely unarmed looking. Inside was just as ostentatious looking as the outside, marble, gold, colorful stained glass, statues, tapestry, paintings and things littering every surface, wall or area they could, it was impossibly quiet, still and cold inside the palace. The doors quietly thudded closed behind me as I stood in the middle of the foyer,
“I was wondering where you ran off to.” A voice said, the far wall of the foyer had a spliced grand-staircase that merged into a landing at the backwall before moving to the floor, there at the top of the first flight of the stairs, Aldoric stood, dressed not in robes, but also not a suit or anything. He was dressed in high waisted white silken trousers that were extremely wide legged and deeply pleated, an ankle length dark purple gown over it with wide spliced up his legs to above the hip, the bottom hem, the edges of the splices, the jaw high neckline and the capped sleeves all adorned in embroidery and crocheting in gold of vines and flowers, the purple gown made of brocade adorned with white and paler icy lavender patterning of vines and flowers, a wide near black purple silk sash wrapped around his waist tied into a large folded bow on his back, the gown was backless across his upper back, feet in white stockings and purple high heeled slippers on his feet, masses of gold, diamond and purple toned gemstone covering his entire person, opera length white silk gloves covering his arms, a set of pauldrons over his shoulders that looked like feathered wings made of gold encrusted in diamonds with a thick chain across his collar, the gown also had a large keyhole over his chest. That long blond hair in a huge complex braid still hitting his hip, braided with flowers and gemstone covered pins and things including a comb at the base forming a more than life sized butterfly in thin gold wire and orbs of gemstones, face in the most…seductive makeup possible, dark lipstick making his lips look fuller and more pouty, his eyes heavily lined and shadowed making them bedroom-y and dreamy, skin glistening and glowing, massive fake lashes drawing my eyes to meet his as he started walking down the stairs, a long cape down his back floated behind him made of glittery lavender toned lace, the ends fastened to wide gold bracelets around his wrists adorned with even more gemstones, the cape fastened into the pauldrons, letting it float around him. A massive matching feathery choker covered his entire throat, all spots of skin were adorned with jewelry.
“I’m sorry for my sudden departure” I said before tilting my gaze upwards a little as I clicked my tongue, “your highness.” I added, I hate when I have to refer to the people of Lodor with honorifics: made my skin crawl and my stomach twist. I kept myself intangible, but a soft smile plastered on my face to mask the fact I wanted to murder everyone in this building. While intangible, I was not hiding anything, making myself still visible, I looked the same as normal, but everything and anything would go right through me. I'm not getting caught in am ambush...I'm way too smart for that.
“Aldoric is fine.” He said as he stepped off the last step, walking towards me, his heels clicking loudly at the marble floor as he softly folded his arms, “I…was quite surprised to hear that you chose to…depart so quickly.”
“A sell-sword never doesn’t have work, what I had to do was a little urgent.”
“What were you doing?”
“Unfortunately, the person who requested my services also paid me quite well to…keep what happened secret.” I said, he shrugged softly,
“Fine” he said as he looked towards me. I stood still as he crossed from the first step across the foyer towards me...
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