On the dawn of the second day, William tried to organize the crowd. “Dragons on the Right. Aimuzjon will try to talk to all of you. Customers have priority!” William was running a business.

She was busy most of the day. William had to make up the work. The line of dragons quickly grew longer then the line of people. Though he wasn’t sure if it was cause dragons are longer then humans? Or if there were that many dragons...

By mid-morning William was exhausted. Frustrated he took a quick run to the bar. He barely had time to eat, and leaned against his bakery wall sipping a thick chewy beer. It wasn’t good beer. It might’ve been yesterday’s porridge for all he knew.

The empty shop next to his bakery opened. “Bit early for a beer?”

“I’ve been up since before dawn, it’s practically noon for me!” William blurted out angerly, “ugh.. sorry.. I’m busy today.. sorry who are you?” William glanced up to a pretty young woman in a brightly coloured dress. “Have we met?”

“Nope!” she extended a hand, “I moved in today! Figured I should meet my next door neighbour.”

William stood up and dusted his hand on his pants. This only coated them in more flour.

She ignored the flour and aggressively shook his hand, “Urial! I’m a laundress!” She pumped his hand up and down, “Soon to be your laundress. I liked your sign for your dragon dating service. Wondered if I could get a sign from you? For my shop.”

William laughed, “It’s made of bread it won’t last. I think something already took a bite out of it.”

“Well, do you need any laundry done?”

William paused remembering the foul smelling splatter from yesterday, “Actually yes. Gimmie a minute.” he finished the dregs of his beer. Chewing carefully, then spitting out a piece of something indescribable. He turned and entered the bakery, carefully stepping through the mob of suitors. He climbed the ladder to his sleeping area.. Balling up the mouldering piles of dirty laundry that had been building up.

As he left he heard Aimuzjon gently letting another suitor down.

Urial’s eye’s widened on William’s return. She held her door open as he waddled the giant pile into position and collapsed it onto her countertop.

“That’s a big load. I can handle that. Five coppers, it will be clean by tomorrow night.”

That was cheap. “Thank you. I’ve been forgetting to do it!” He admired her small entrance. A bakery needed a lot of space to display the goods. Her shop was tiny by comparison. Only a walking space, and a countertop. “Um. Please like. Really really clean it. I want it very clean.” William gestured. “I’m a baker people want to see my clothes immaculate.” William’s eyes drifted to a white and blue porcelain statue of a dragon. Lurking over the massive cauldron like a grotesque on the side of a temple. Water spilled from it’s mouth like a fountain.

She quickly split the clothing into two piles, white and not white, “I see. That can ruin the colour…” she warned.

“No. That’s fine!”

“They’ll be done tomorrow night, five coppers… or a nice loaf of bread…” She offered.

William returned to the bakery, “Aimuzjon do you need anything?”

“Yes!” she offered a little too aggressively as William climbed the ladder. She spiralled up a support beam into the sleeping area, “These guys are idiots!” she hissed, “I need your help.”

William nodded, “Okey? What do you want?”

“Can you go away for a bit?” Aimuzjon glanced at the much emptier space, “Where did the laundry go?”

“Oh a Laundress moved in next door? She’s cleaning it all for five coppers.”

Aimuzjon head bobbed while thinking, “That’s good. Should reduce the smell.”

“She said she’d take a loaf of bread.”

“Are you going to rip her off or-”

William paused, loafs were a copper or two, “Lets make her some really nice ones.”

Aimuzjon continued her rare demand, “Please go away. I need space to deal with these guys.”

“Hey pretty lady where did you go!” One of the dragons, soon to be disappointed, called out.

Aimuzjon could not roll her eyes the way a human could, but William could tell by the twirl and lash of her tongue it was time to leave.

As he walked out of the bakery he heard a sound like a whip crack. A number of male suitors scattered.

William reached the pub. It had been a long time since he had time off. He had a beer. A real beer this time, you could almost see the bottom of the mug. He spent the entire beer staring off into the distance. Unsure what to do.

A pretty woman entered his field of vision and he jumped back in a start, “Urial?”

She waved and plopped down opposite him, “I saw you staring. Whats wrong?”

William groaned, “It’s complicated and silly.”

“Try me!”

“So my assistant wants a partner, and I’m playing matchmaker and I’m not very good at it.”

“I see.” Urial seemed a little disappointed, “This assistant? Why aren’t you know-” she offered.

“What?”

“Stuff her pastry so to speak?”

“What?”

“Why wouldn’t your workmate date you?” She asked slowly as if William was dumb.

William blinked, “She’s a domestic dragon?”

Urial perked up, “Oh! I ran into a bunch of them when I used to work in the upper districts.”

Williams slightly drunk brain churned then paused, “Oh do you want a drink?”

She ordered and impressively drank her pint. It was really bad beer. William had a second drink, “So wait… if you know about them could you help me?”

Urial smiled, “Oh yaa, least I can do for love. It’s a really nice thing you are doing! Sounds like fun! I don’t have any customers yet.” She frowned and looked downcast into her beer.

The duo finished their drinks as William paid for her. After all, she was doing him a favour.