At the back of the castle, Lane guided Runny and Hans until they reached a quiet area. Dusty followed closely, jumping around them and smelling everything with a wagging tail.
Separated from the bustling of the castle, yet isolated from the rest of the grounds, the bathrooms made a set of doors framing a long corridor. Their disposition, allowing for multiple rooms capable of accommodating different people at the same time while letting them bathe in private.
Lane didn’t know what was so great about them, but when he had asked his teacher, she talked for hours without stopping. After that day, Lane decided he would be very careful about asking his teacher questions.
In any case, even though Lane didn’t understand half of what his teacher said, one thing was clear to him. The bathrooms of the castle were amazing.
“Well?” Asked Lane pushing the first door open and inviting Runny inside, “What do you think? You can change and shower here and no one will annoy you. Besides, Hans, over there, will make sure of that.”
Runny peeked at the bathroom and then at Hans, who was doing his best mannequin impression a few steps away from them. Beyond the door, he saw a small dressing room with a wooden bench, a small locker, and a second door. Then he thought for a moment, only to frown and pout at Lane.
“T-that won’t do, Lane,” Runny said crossing his arms, “Also, there is the problem with my clothes. What use does taking a bath have if the clothes will still be dirty? Just leave it, Lane, I’ll only see your teacher for a moment, so there is no need to prepare so much.”
“Heh, I knew you would say that,” said Lane smiling, “but I have a surprise! Hans, are they ready?”
“Of course, Young Master,” answered Hans walking inside the bathroom and opening the locker to reveal a folded set of clean clothes and a small pair of black boots. Then, Hans took out the t-shirt and lifted it while spreading it. It was a white long-sleeved piece fitting perfectly Runny’s size. “As per your orders, Young Master, I had the tailor adjust them for your guest.”
“L-Lane I-I cannot accept that!”
“Uh? What do you mean?” Said Lane raising an eyebrow and eyeing Runny, “Do you think you can walk around the castle grounds dressed like that? These are part of the job, so you had better forget about rejecting them. After all, I need you to look the part so that no one will suspect anything.”
“I, but still, new clothes are a bit too much. And I already owe you for…”
“Nonsense!” Interrupted Lane, “Those are my old clothes, and you already agreed to help me with this as payment. So you better stop your excuses and get on with it. I want us to be ready as soon as possible.” He finished walking towards the next bathroom, with Hans following behind him and closing the door with Runny still inside the change room.
However, before closing the door for his bathroom, Lane stopped for a moment and turned towards Hans.
“Did you get the keys?” he whispered, and when Hans nodded pulling a keychain from his pocket, “Good, then wait until Runny is taking his bath and put away the clothes he brought, you know, just to be sure. But don’t make any noise while you do it. We don’t want Runny making a fuss over it.”
“As you wish, Young Master.” Said Hans bowing. “I’ll make sure to take away each undesirable garment.”
Lane nodded with a smile and closed the door clueless about the mistake he just made. It was only thirty minutes later, when Lane came out from the bathroom into the dressing room, that he found out Runny’s garments were not the only ones Hans took the time to put away.
“Hans,” Lane said still dripping water from his bath and holding only a towel tied at his waist while looking down at the clothes extended on the wooden bench, “Would you care to explain what the meaning of these is?”
“These, Young Master, are the traditional garments for formal occasions in the capital. I heard that the frills are the latest trend in the highest circles.”
“T-that’s ridiculous! Hans, I need you to stop fooling around and return my clothes right now!”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Young Master…”
“Hans, there is no way I will walk around dressed in that!” Lane cut without getting as much as a link from Hans, “You, you know what? This is useless; I’ll just go and get a change myself.”
And he walked outside wearing only his towel. However, just as he was getting out, Hans called him again.
“I’m afraid that is extremely ill-advised, Young Master.”
Lane stopped, and with a glance, saw that Hans was still standing in the same place. However, this time Hans smiled. Lane gulped, frozen in place before turning back.
“What do you mean, Hans?”
“Why is just that Master picked the clothes himself,” He said with a bow, “after all, Lord Korden was the one who suggested we received the Heir with the proper etiquette from the capital. The captain just went a step beyond and ordered your wardrobe updated for the Heir’s visit.”
“W-wait a moment! Wardrobe? Hans, you didn’t do anything to my clothes right?”
“Unfortunately, Young Master, just when I was about to ask the tailor to keep a set of clothes without changes, the Master Librarian interrupted us.”
Oh.
“Imagine my shock, when she started asking questions about cookies and raisins. Naturally, the tailor gave us space to talk in private, and as I couldn’t find him later, he won’t have a regular set of clothes ready until tomorrow.”
“H-Hans, you…”
“That’s right, Young Master, I am afraid that the only clothes in your wardrobe are those the Captain and Lord Korden saw fitting for the occasion. Moreover,” Hans continued without blinking, “they requested no one is to give you a different set until we receive the Heir with the ‘required decorum.’”
Huffing, Lane turned back to retort, but then stopped when Runny’s complaints came from the other bathroom.
“Lane! M-My clothes are gone!”
“Tch! Wait there Runny, I’ll explain!”
“But, Young Master,” said Hans raising his voice, “Shouldn’t you get dressed first? I bet your guest would feel awkward if you go in naked!”
“N-naked?” *Gasp!* “Don’t come in! Y-You, stay away! I’ll wear these, Lane! I’ll wear these!”
“But I’m not…”
“Young Master! Please put on some clothes!”
“… Fine!” Lane grumbled while walking into his dressing room and closing the door, “This is not the end, you hear me, Hans?”
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Fifteen minutes later, and after searching without result for Hans, Lane decided to go with Runny and search for his teacher.
“I cannot believe I’m wearing this!” Said Lane stomping towards the castle’s library.
“It doesn’t look that bad,” Runny said trying to keep the pace, “I-I think it looks good on you?”
Lane stopped, glaring at Runny’s face only to find him looking back sideways, with his cheeks puffed, and his face reddening.
“Pfff! Wahahahaha! It serves you right, Lane! Who told you to steal this Great Ronnie’s clothes?”
“Y-You! I told you that the clothes are part of the job!”
“And yours are part of your new daily life. Tehehe.”
“Gah! Forget it! It’s okay, for one day I’ll look like, like…” But after looking down at himself, Lane still couldn’t find the words he was looking for, *Sigh* “…Let’s just go and find teacher before it’s too late. We still have to make it to the Audience Chamber and ask about the reception.”
So he guided Runny to the library. However, after searching the whole place, Lane still didn’t manage to find his teacher nor the door she hid in. At the end, and to Runny’s confusion, they ran away from the Library and made way for the Audience Chamber when Lane heard someone mumbling about raisins.
“W-wait!” said Runny gasping for air, “Lane, I can’t run more!”
“Ahem, sorry,” Lane said fixing his clothes with a grimace, “I guess we should be fine now. Look, that door goes into the Audience Chamber. After we get in there, She should not find us here. I think?”
“She?” asked Runny.
“Don’t worry, Runny, just stay close and do what I do.”
And he walked forward, pushing open the doors and getting into a spacious chamber, filled with the murmur of people that wore clothes of all kinds.
Despite the crowd, Lane saw a clear space in the middle that left a simple but imposing stone throne with a direct path to an open gate. Sitting on the throne, Deren Korden, City Lord of The Town frowned while listening to a balding man that agitated his arms shaking his tacky, yet dandy clothes.
“My Lord,” heard Lane when he got closer, “I cannot possibly go on like this, you have to do something about those thieves!”
Taking a deep breath, the City Lord rubbed his eyes with one hand and signaled the merchant to stop with the other.
“By the spirits! Herman,” He said when the merchant stopped, “Just, what could they steal that is more important than the Heir’s welcome?”
“Why, the coins! My Lord,” Said Herman wiping sweat from his forehead, “They stole the old coins from the last month’s taxes!”
And while the hall was still full of people, the silence that spread with the declaration made it seem as empty as a tomb.
