I returned back to the tavern and found Adal sitting in a shadowy corner at the back. Even though he was dressed in cheap linen clothes, the air of regality about him didn’t disappear. Curls of golden hair fell around his face as he read a thick scroll with absolute focus. The noise of the tavern didn’t disturb his concentration one bit. 

Walking towards him, I sat down and pulled away the scroll from his hands. At once, his face turned thunderous. It took him a few moments to realize he was glaring at me, and not one of his servants. 

“Ahh, Cain. It’s you.”

I laughed as he relaxed back in the chair. 

We’d been friends since we were children. In the past, when our kingdoms were peaceful and our parents still alive, we’d often spend summers visiting each other’s palaces. There were no restrictions on the movement of the Royals back then. Adal, Norvin, and I…we’d become close friends as we played together all those years back. Out of the three only, only Adal and I remained alive.

“It’s getting late. Should we head to bed?” asked Adal, drinking from a small cup. My friend was in a tavern and somehow he’d managed to get the owner to brew him tea.

“I am waiting for someone.”

“What? Who?”

“A woman I just met.”

“Cain. We can’t reveal ourselves here. You know the risks,” he said in a lowered, worried tone.

“She doesn’t know who I am.”

“Good.” He got to his feet and snatched away his scroll from my hand. “I am going upstairs to rest. We have to be awake before dawn to set out to Linmoor. You know we can’t delay it beyond that before risking someone following us there.”

“I know, Adal. Stop nagging me.”

“Goodnight to you, then.” He walked away, his back ramrod straight, completely unaware of the attention he was attracting to himself. I couldn’t help wondering if I was failing at my disguise too. 

A young maid came to the table and leaned down beside me. “Would you like something, sir?” She’d made sure to pull down the front of her dress to reveal her ample cleavage. 

“Get me whatever he was drinking,” I said, gesturing at the clay pot on the table. 

“Right away! Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” she asked suggestively. “I can take a break for a few hours.”

“No, that’s all.”

The girl’s face fell. She took the pot and walked away, leaving me with my thoughts. My mind went back to Daria. A part of me struggled to stay at the tavern and not go looking for her in the brothel. While I knew she wasn’t a whore, it was a dangerous place for a woman as attractive as her. 

The tavern girl brought me back tea and attempted to start a chat with me. She amused me, so I let her go on while I waited for Daria. 

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Cary, the tavern girl said after an hour.

“Apologies.”

She huffed a sigh. “Oh well. It was a worth a try. Darla back there,” she jabbed a thumb towards the bar. “She said you were only interested in the pretty man who was here earlier. Guess she was right and I wasted my time.”

I laughed out at her. “It’s not like that.”

“Still, I have been wasting my time,” she muttered with a pout.

“Here you go,” I said, pushing a gold coin into her hand.

Cary’s eyes went wide and she smiled toothily. “Thank you, sir!”

“I’m not such a waste, am I?”

“No,” she said, giving me a tight hug before skipping away from the table. I chuckled into the teacup and leaned back in the chair. Ordinary women were so much warmer than the ones residing in the palace. Perhaps, a day would come when the constant threat from Drakhaven would disappear. I would get rid of all the women in my harem and fill it up with some lively ones from small towns and villages. The amusement would be never-ending.

Slowly, the hours trickled by. The tavern emptied by midnight but I decided to sit in my spot. 

“We are closing,” said the burly innkeeper an hour later. “If there’s nothing else, you should go upstairs to rest.”

“Can you keep the place open? I will pay you five gold coins if you can keep my request.”

The man’s expression changed at once. He smiled and nodded. “For that much money, I would serve you my best ale while you stay up.”

“I don’t want your ale. Just keep the gates open.”

“Yes, master.”

The night turned cold. I knew Daria wouldn’t be coming back there. A desperate part of me hoped she would be safe at least. 

My eyes closed briefly but they opened at the sound of footsteps approaching. 

“Why are you still sitting here?” asked Adal. He was fully dressed. Looking around at the empty tavern, he said, “Why haven’t they closed shop yet? I was hoping we could take advantage of the dark to slip away.”

“I paid the owner to stay open.”

His sapphire-eyes flashed at me. “You are still waiting for that woman. Cain! Have you gone mad? Have you forgotten what’s at stake here?”

“No,” I said in a tight voice. “It’s just…” How could I explain the connection I felt with Daria? She was a stranger but my heart couldn’t stop thinking about her. 

“Stop. Don’t explain,” Adal said shortly. “We have to leave now. The tavern master is asleep at the counter. It is the best chance to slip away.”

“Get the horses to the back. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Adal gave a nod and walked out of the tavern. I went up the stairs to pick up my sword. Both Adal and I had decided not to parade the streets with our ornate weapons that would easily attract attention. Merchants never carried anything more lethal than dirks or knives. For the sake of our fake identities, we’d hidden our swords.

Drawing my cloak around me, I went downstairs. The tavern owner snored loudly as I walked past him into the street outside. Adal was already mounted on his steed. 

“Let’s get going.”

I got on my horse. Adal trotted away but I took a moment to look around the street one last time. It was completely deserted. 

“Stay safe, Daria,” I whispered to the sighing winds before riding away.