There was a buzz going around town. Visitors from a strange, far away land were expected to arrive soon, here to greet the newly instated king. It seemed only weeks prior it was relayed that the old king had been dethroned, and the lord of this particular manor, a seasoned knight who once swore fealty to the previous king, had gained the favors of the other lands under rule and challenged the throne. Now, so much was happening. Construction was underway for a new main house, and messengers from old allies and rivals have been trekking in to issue their words of approval, or the warnings of war. But this would be the first time the royalty of another land would come to pay their homage in person.

Merrium cared not for these ongoings within their realm, though her husband, a knight by the esteemed name William, was positively ecstatic. It was the dawn of a new age, he said, that reform would be on its way. Things were changing. Merrium wished it would calm down again, and wished for the return of normalcy. William tended to be...aggressive...whenever he was excited.

The day the strangers’ arrival happened to be the day Merrium had planned her shopping. The kitchen was running low on milk and herbs, though they could have waited another day, had she known. The whole town seemed to be in disarray, stumbling over their errands in distracted excitement. Merrium really wished everyone would just keep their heads. Home felt like such a long way back, but William wouldn’t be too happy to know she left for town only to come back empty handed.

“Good morning Merrium!” chimed Erik, the general-store clerk of the once quiet town of Theremore. “Come to pick up your usual list?”

“‘Morning Erik,” Merrium replied. “No, our stock is still doing pretty well, we’re just running a bit short on milk and those spices William likes.”

“Ah, you’re in luck, Helene just provided us with a surplus early this morning on milk. As for those spices, we’re still waiting on a shipment of saffron, but we still have ginger, nutmeg, and turmeric left from our last shipment.”

“We’ll do turmeric then, and more nutmeg. I also need an extra batch of anise and sage, we had a lot of fish last week.”

He moved with practiced skill to bundle up her requested spices. She browsed around a bit as he tallied the total.

“Think you’ll stick around to catch a glimpse of the foreigners coming through?” he asked as he weighed each package and marked a number.

“Not if I can help it,” she replied, to his surprise.

“Oh, but you must! It’s not everyday a new King takes over, and especially not everyday Theremore sees travelers, nevermind royalty!”

“I’d much rather enjoy what quiet I have left than be swept away by monarchical politics,” she said cooly, handing him the stated coinage owed. He seemed dubious, but didn’t press more. She thanked him and left the store.

The air was growing warmer as the sun rose high, and, just like her quiet, the warmth would soon leave for a short time. The leaves were already beginning to turn colors, the greens fading into bright yellows and orange. A breeze flitted by, and Merrium closed her eyes for a moment. But her mind would not quiet enough to enjoy it. William would be back in town tonight from his hunt. If it goes well they’ll have game for dinner, and she could make a stew. If it doesn’t...as it had for a while now...it’ll be more fish. He always had a temper when she had to cook his fish, as if it invalidated him, as though it was somehow her fault he didn’t catch anything else. At least his spices satisfied him.

There was suddenly a rise in activity around her that pulled Merrium from her thoughts. Someone called out an announcement, and the villagers responded wildly and nervously; the strangers had arrived.

It was too late to escape the crowded roads as the people pushed to fill them, and Merrium was swept in with the others, hoping to catch a glimpse of the newcomers. She pushed away as much as she could, trying to sidle between people in order to get through. But her efforts made little progress, as no one wanted move from their view.

The sound of footfalls and soft shuffling of light metal and leather began to approach, and despite herself Merrium looked out curiously. At the front of the envoy were what seemed to be foot soldiers, but they were no foot soldier they had seen before. They wore leathers in a peculiar fashion, covering their chest and neck in form-fitted straps and patterns, and underneath a cloth material shirt and leggings. They carried no weapon except for a large knife sheathed at their backs. Though no one in the crowd would have guessed, Merrium knew by proxy through her husband; these men were meant for close quarters and fast combat. Designed to take an enemy out before they even had the chance to move. She swallowed, the severe alertness in their eyes sending shivers down her spine. These were not soldiers to mess with.

And then they appeared. A large, intimidating mass of a man coated with battle scars, wearing a similar style of armor. He was decorated with metal plating on his shoulders and boots, and his chiseled face sported a full, black beard. At his side was a women with long, firey red hair and her skin glittered with freckles, her gaze firm and sure as she walked with him. He didn’t look anywhere but forward, his eyes hardened like his soldiers before him. ‘This must be their king and queen,’ Merrium thought to herself, and the people around her seemed to agree.

The crowd began to move with the direction of the envoy, and she saw an opening to slip through. With practiced steps she weaved her way around, finally breaking free of the crowd. As they left, the area grew quiet again, and she slowed down. The bakery was just down the road, on her way back home, and with everyone else following the envoy...she suspected William would bring fish again, the fresh bread should provide a means of quelling him. He won’t be happy at all to hear he missed the arrival of the foreigners, but a little surprise should buy her some more peace.

She stepped into the bakery, hoping Ophelia had not closed shop to join the onlookers. It seemed, though, she wasn’t the only one, as someone else was waiting at her counter. At the sound of the door closing behind Merrium, he turned around hopefully.

“Um, hello,” he greeted, and his eyes glinted brightly, and Merrium lost her voice. “I’m sorry to intrude, but would you happened to be the owner of this establishment? I was hoping to sample some of the local--wait, hold on, I’m sorry, am I using the right dialect? Can you understand me?”

Merrium felt frozen on the spot. There was a strange visage before her, and, like she had many, many times before when it happened, she feared for whether this was reality. It was such a strange sight, but he was clearly part of the foreign envoy group from before, who was she to know their customs and appearances? But she had known visions before that no one else had seen, and this seemed like one of those again. For his eyes were bright ruby, and his hair a sky blue.

He looked at her curiously, and nervously. “Miss? Um, (Miss?).../Miss? ...Anything working?”

Merrium shook herself back to her senses, deciding finally to pretend not to see the strangeness. If others won’t address it, then she will feign ignorance.

“M-my apologies, sir,” she said, and his face lit up with relief. “I wasn’t expecting to see another person in here. But I’m afraid I’m not the owner of this bakery. It seems she has run out to see your traveling companions.”

“I see,” he said, disappointed. “Well, perhaps another time. I was hoping to have a taste before my father requires my presence again.”

Merrium stiffened again, realizing very quickly who this man was. He didn’t seemed to notice as he carried on casually.

“This is my first time out in this realm, I’ve never seen such sights before. Are you local to this town? Do you know it well?”

“I...I’ve lived here quite a while, though I supposed not in the town proper.” She swallowed nervously, her mind moving quickly through how she should behave. Through how her husband would think she should behave. A misstep here could be very dire, and she was absolutely certain: this man was the foreigner king’s son.

“Would…” she began after a moment. “Would you perhaps require a guide, my lord?”

He seemed startled for a moment, but smiled. “Please, no need for that kind of talk here. And yes, that would be quite lovely.” He eyed her bag. “That is...if you have the time. By no means don’t be put out on my account.”

“I…” her mind circled again. Her inconveniences should not override someone of his stature, yet if some of her shopping spoilt before she made it home…

The strange prince seemed to have a solution, seeing her deliberate. “...why don’t you start by showing me the countryside? I assume that’s where you live based on your wording. You can drop off your wares and guide me unhindered.”

She bowed in relief and graciousness. “You’re much too kind, my l--er, sir.”

He chuckled. “You may call me Arstel. Though...if you see anyone from my kingdom, especially my father, you may want to fall back on the whole ‘my lord’ bit.”

Merrium felt no less comfortable calling him by a given name but bowed her head once again. His eyes still glittered ruby, and were unnerving but kind. There was a strange sense of ease about him, and a feeling she had never felt before. A feeling she couldn’t quite put to words.

They left the bakery behind, having now forgotten what they went in for. The stranger continued to look around curiously, asking her questions about the town of Theremore and it’s various shops and residences. As she led the way out of town to the manor home provided to her husband. Arstel asked her about her living arrangements, about the way people lived, and the customs and rituals they perform on a day to day basis.

“My husband is a knight,” she said, and his eyes glinted in surprise. “He’s technically a house knight; Theremore’s manor had been our new king, before he became king, and our liege was kind enough to give my William this home.”

“I see,” he said, a hint of melancholy in his voice. Merrium hid her curious gaze from his tone as she put away her shopping. “Will you continue to live here, then, now that Lord Victor is your king?”

“I believe so,” she replied. “William will continue to serve him, and our lord has promised him reward for his continued support and loyalty. But...I cannot speak on behalf of my husband.”

“I understand,” he said. “Well! So long as I am still not intruding, might I have that tour of your hometown?”

“Of course my lor--I mean, Ar...Arst...um…” She blushed profusely, unable to remember how his name was pronounced.

He chuckled again. “Ar-stel. But don’t worry about getting it right. Perhaps...it’s better you call me what you feel comfortable with.”

“Thank you, my lord,” she bowed again, her face red. “My apologies.”