CHAPTER 1:
The Meeting

The marketplace was so much busier that afternoon, thanks to the deluge of torrential rain from thick thunderclouds over the past twenty-four hours. Everyone in the small town of Brynn'awael had been forced indoors for nearly two days, and that had obviously included the stall-holders, as well, so now there was a rush for everybody's wares all at once.

In the middle of the friendly chaos was Khael'yyn Dae'Vaelaan, one lone young woman with a simple basket, weaving in and out of the bustling people, trying to get her own shopping done. Light red hair blew delicately in the low breeze that put a bit of a chill in the air, and her one good dress and old shawl were just about able to keep her warm, but still, she moved quickly to instil and retain as much warmth as she could muster whilst out, because she would be lucky to get many materials for her fireplace at this rate. Not that she could afford much, at any rate.

But at least it was nice to be out again, in the middle of the people, alone in a crowd.

People cheerfully and good-naturedly jostled and squashed themselves into the spaces in front of the stalls, to get attention for questions, haggling or payment. Some had taken to simply writing down the list of products and leaving the coins, as was the unofficial custom when stallholders or shopkeeps weren't available. Children rushed around and played between themselves whilst parents or guardians milled about and purchased what was required, keeping a spare eye on their tykes every now and again to make sure that playing didn't turn into fighting.

You would have thought they hadn't been able to shop for over a week, even though it had barely been since the afternoon before last when it had been the last chance for shopping to be done, before they all shut for the day. The horrendous rain the next morning had been an exceptional shock for everyone, figuratively and literally putting a damper on life for a small while.

Where they were, in the north of the Kingdom of Y'ssadiir, it was common enough to have very wet weather, particularly because of how they were nestled in a raised valley within the looming mountains of the vast Khymm'aelaa Range.

They weren't even that far away from the main citadel of Khaer'yliion, where the Royal Palace Castle sat, which was well-known for its sunny, warm and calmer climate. Unfortunately, they were just far enough away to never share the same fortune in weather.

Khael'yyn smiled to herself at the charmingly chaotic site of her adopted home. Even though she had been living here a few years, now, it still amused her to see how very friendly and wildly unpretentious everybody here was.

Where she had come, there had been nothing of the kind; only dangerous games of masking, duplicity, and false pretenses of disingenuous people, all of whom preferred to rate pride, ego, and self-importance above all else. Including their own children.

What was once home now existed as barely a hazy memory, but what still lingered still made her skin crawl.

Khael'yyn blinked and took a deep breath. There was no point thinking about that anymore. It had taken three long years to get to where she was, with a lot of hard work and stubborn perseverance, and now she just got to enjoy her simple days in Brynn'awael, even if they were sometimes like today, all hectic, chaotic, and—

Full of mud, apparently.

Khael'yyn felt her foot slip from under her and it startled her right out of her bumbling ruminations. Gasping, she managed to fight herself before falling over, and fortunately she hadn't managed to twist her ankle. Served her right for coming out in basic shoes, instead of her better leather boots. She checked herself over to see how much mud had managed to get on her now, but there didn't seem to be anything more on her dress than there had been. Naturally, it was everywhere on the ground after that deluge of rain, and worse off for having been trampled all over from the market day, but at least most of it wasn't on her. Yet, anyway.

Khael'yyn kept herself moving through the crowd, searching for her favourite vendors. That was, until she felt like she ran into what felt like a brick wall and went sliding off in the mud. Again.

Two strong, deft hands caught her before she made it to ground, pulling her up and forwards until she was back on her feet again. Her hands, now free of her basket once in her hands, claimed upon two thick shoulders. Khael'yyn blinked away her shock and found her feet properly. The moment she was steady, the hands vanished, and she was left with trying also to make sense out of what was going on

There was a tall man before her, in a black cloak with the hood up and drawn over the wearer's features, and he was suddenly busy stopping down to retrieve her basket, which fortunately still had the few items she had already bought still in it. His head was still down, so she was effectively looking at nothing more than an upright black cloak with a pair of boots sticking out from beneath the bottom of it.

"My apologies, my lady." The gruff voice came from under the cloak, she realised. A moment later, she was also being handed her basket back. "That was my fault. I hope you were not hurt."

"No, I'm fine, thank you," she replied, a little taken back by the formality of the cloak's language. She gave a little nod at it, and decided to move on so the cloak could go where it was in a hurry to reach. Unfortunately, she obviously wasn't yet truly fine, because her tremulous feet had taken only one step before they slid from under her again.

"My lady!"

She heard the cloak's exclamation just as she felt him manage to catch her again. This time, she came very close to making it to the floor, but strong arms hauled her back up with little or no effort, which was very surprising. She wasn't large or anything, but she was an average grown twenty-something young woman, and the last time she fell, it had taken the strong young farmhand walking past a little heft to pull her up, because her ankle had been twisted and therefore she was unable to help as much as she would. Yet, this kind person lifted up like she was an apple.

Now, Khael'yyn's hands were on his arms and… Well. All right. That was the reason he lifted her like nothing! With arms that big and solid, the cloak could have probably lifted a horse without breaking a sweat. She was pulled right into him, her body still vibrating a little from the shock of going down a second time, heart starting to calm down with feeling the steady strength next to her and the safety it temporarily brought.

"Are you steady now, my lady?" the cloak asked with concern.

Khael'yyn was about to answer him, looking up to do so. But that's when she saw under the cloak's hood, and she nearly fell back down again. Eyes going wider than saucers, she gasped.

Clearly, the cloak and its occupant knew where this was going, because his own eyes went wide and one hand came off her to place a gloved finger over his own lips.

"Hush! Please, I implore you," he quickly hissed with panic. Khael'yyn's mouth snapped shut, because what else was she supposed to do when given an order from the King himself?

Oh, yes. It was definitely the King of Y'ssadiir. One didn't grow up in Earra'dyyn without intricately knowing all about the Royal Family and the roles of Nobility and the Aristocracy. Their portraits hung in the grandest homes and the main library, with miniatures in the more normal households like her own, and everything was done with the idea of getting ahead in Court, or getting into Court. Failing that, at least knowing the right people who were part of the Court, because that level of success was the only thing they ever really understood.

Eara'dyyn was one of the Great Towns of the Kingdom, and was closest to the Citadel. It was very large, with a mix of immense Aristocratic and Noble families and their vast homes and estates, running holdings like tenancy farms and homesteads, all the way to the general population, who were all well-off by most standards, but not like their neighbours. It meant a lot of shops for their money to be spent in, a good school and the best personal tutors, and absolutely nothing being ever as it seemed when it came to the people themselves. Their obsession with Royalty and the Court ensured they all wanted the best possible things they could afford, including vying for positions within this High Society of People, and willing to do just about anything to achieve those goals.

These exhaustive levels of one-upmanship thankfully did not continue to last. Upon gaining his position as Regent, The Crown Prince had immediately made it clear he expected better of the Court, now it was his to command. King Trys'tiiaen had then turned it all on its head and wrote it into law after he became Sovereign. Courtiers were now required to have integrity, fairness and understanding as part of their mould. Philanthropy or excellent staff wages were more likely to get you noticed than how much you spent, or acquired, regarding yourself or estate.

It had even been made publicly known that Council Members had been behaving badly, and they would now be held to account. It was also made abundantly clear that, moving on, there was to be a much better, higher code of conduct to adhere to, this one for the benefit of The People, instead of their own interests, investments, or coffers. Anyone who didn't like that was entirely free to leave. Many did, much to the delight of the people of the Kingdom.

King Trys'tiiaen had still been quite young when took the Crown, two or three years back. The old King abdicated due to worsening health & didn't want to retain the responsibility of always having to be the first and last word. It was easier than allowing the Crown Prince just struggling along with a Regency, King in all but name, and still having to take up matters with his father, deferring to him for everything and anything that the Council forced him to. The brave man also stood at his coronation and publicly declared that having the Crown for himself had meant having both freedom that he needed, but a burden he had dreaded, because the lives of each one of them were now in his hands alone, and he did not wish to let them down in any way from any lack of skills, wisdom, or experience he may not yet have.

Yet, with his Sovereignty came better prosperity and more settled times than ever before, with a King who saw his people first and last.

He had absolutely become a good King.

But now, for some unfathomable reason, he was now standing in front of Khael'yyn, in a rather muddy cloak, saving her from the threat of mud and a twisted ankle, instead of where he belonged – in his Palace Castle in Khaer'yliion, with better weather.

"Prey tell me, are you steady now, my lady?"

Khael'yyn blinked then nodded mutely, having no idea what to do or say now. The King stepped away and carefully let go.

"May I please rely on your discretion?" he quietly requested, with obvious concern. "I can make it worth your while."

Oh, that got Khael'yyn's brain back into gear and she immediately scowled, immeasurably insulted.

"What? No! I don't want your money," she responded vehemently, with no thought to her decorum or to whom she was speaking with. "You don't have to bribe me to keep your secret, or what – think I would blackmail you?"

"Ah. Of course. No, that is not…"

Words died in his mouth as he seemed to have no idea what he was supposed to be saying. Instead of his usual self-assured, imposing demeanour, the King now seemed wrongfooted – looking somewhat sheepish and self-aware, as if he didn't know what to do with himself now.

Khael'yyn did the right thing, instead, since it wasn't any of her concern what in the Gods' names he was doing here.

"Right, well. I'll leave you to your… cloaking, then, Si—" She stopped herself from saying the appropriate honorific just in time. "My lord."

She picked up her own basket, this time, then just about prevented the curtsey, before nodding her at him instead, and hightailing out of there.

"My lady, if I may?" They were quick words of panic that came out rushing over each other. The now-familiar address stopped the hightailing dead in its tracks, and she looked back over at him blankly. "May I request some small assistance?"

"Ah… All right?" Khael'yyn answered slowly, while her mind screamed, How am I supposed to help the King?

"I require the local inn to enquire about… something. Could you please inform me as to where it may be?"

Khael'yyn outright stared in stunned disbelief that the King would be asking for help with something as innocuous as that.

"The inn?" she repeated slowly. On obtaining a nod, she shrugged and answered. "The inn is on the outskirts of the village, to accommodate the travellers more easily. Follow the trail out from here, towards the main roadway, and you should find it with relative ease."

There was a moment of hesitation before the King lifted his head to look at her properly, tilted it to one side thoughtfully, and sighed.

"Could I possibly impinge further on your time and request you show me the way? Time is not my friend, and I would make more haste with a guide who knew the way, instead of ambling uselessly on my own about here."

Khael'yyn's eyes widened into dinner plates, this time. "You want me to take you there?"

The King nodded solemnly. "I do. Unless you have somewhere you are also in haste to attend, in which case I shall bid you farewell at this moment."

"All right," she acquiesced, feeling quite immense bewilderment in doing such a thing. But who in all the Realms would say no to their King? "Let's go, it's this way."

She turned and walked back the way she came, the cloaked King following closely, his head still down to hide. The silence was awkward, but one did not address Royalty, certainly not the Sovereign, without invitation to do so, and that was only to answer a question of theirs. You could hardly discuss the weather or see how they were doing, like a normal person, and break the ice in that way.

Regardless, if the King himself had wanted to talk, he simply would have. Clearly he had no desire to converse with the peasant maiden who happened to discover the hidden identity under the strange black cloak, as was entirely understandable.

However, on the other side of this interaction, huddled beneath his cloak, the King himself wanted the world to swallow him whole and spit him out very far away from here. This was the first time he had left the Castle under complete subterfuge, without even alerting his Personal Guardsman; therefore had no buffer – no one to hide behind who knew how things worked in the world of The People and assist with such things At this moment, he was walking with a young woman, who was now completely wary and aware of him, and he had absolutely no idea what to say to her, or if he should say anything at all.

King Tris'tiiaen was known for being able to charm the birds from the trees with one breath, then cause enemies to balk and retreat with their threats the next, or even how one should. But, away from the high-stakes life of Court and Sovereignty, he had no idea how to conduct himself whatsoever, or how one would even do so, anyway. At Court, he entertained heartily with plenty of interesting or amusing conversation, and held his diplomatic and council meetings with an open ear and strict rules of conduct. He still trained his Elite Guard soldiers, as their Commander, alongside their Guard Captain, and had been in more battles than he could ever count or remember, leading from the front ever since he was officially titled Crown Prince at eighteen years old. Yet, had no idea what the average person in a random village might do with themselves or discuss. He strongly suspected discussions of finery or clever strategies would hardly be of any use or interest to the common person, or this kind maiden, who was just walking him to an inn.

A battle-hardened and charmingly diplomatic King he may be, but also one that obviously did not know its own subjects very well, whatsoever, and that made him cringe a little inside. He clearly should have at least brought his Personal Guard with him, and was just as obviously about to fail in either his subterfuge in its entirety, or at the very least, in gathering information that he needed, which would be absolutely disastrous.

Unaware of the existential crisis rolling around in her companion's head, Khael'yyn walked him right towards the inn, where it was clear what the building in the short distance was.

"There you are," she said softly, breaking the silence around them. "You can't miss it now."

Finally free of this strange interaction, Khael'yyn bowed her head to him once and then made her leave, relief washing over her to know she was getting back to normal now.