Nine weeks. It’s been nine. Weeks. Of travel. And we only stopped in four places for a single day each. Out of over 60 days, we only got to sleep in a real bed for four of them!

The four of us had been stuck in this stupid carriage for nine weeks, and because we were unable to do anything about it, all our moods had been steadily declining.

We talked about all sorts of things to distract ourselves. We played cards, talked some more, made up stupid games, talked some more… It was utter monotony. We could’ve broken up this miserable journey with longer stops in various places, but apparently, we were to go straight there.

The messenger guy and a driver took turns leading the cart and hardly spoke to us the entire trip. Thankfully, there was a separator between us and them, so whenever we had to say something we didn’t want them to overhear, it was easy to do so. We couldn’t use our sound barriers, though, because their areas of effect were too large.

We didn’t even get to fight any monsters along the way. Both the messenger and driver were capable of handling things themselves. I guess that’s to be expected when you are employed directly by a king. Normally, I just see fighting monsters as part of my job, but I was just. So. Bored!

They had told us a few days ago that we were coming up on the capital city, and as we began to hear noises, we knew that, at long last, we had arrived.

As terrified as I was for our future, I was also desperate at this point to just talk to the damn king already. Having to wait for so long was agony.

Only the largest of cities can afford and maintain big, defensive walls like what we saw here. Allamyne grimaced at the sight, while the rest of us were awed by them. We tried to downplay it for her sake, though.

Because we were here on the king’s “invitation”, we didn’t have to go through any security checks at all. That part of things was relatively quick, but with all the traffic between the gate and the castle, it was several hours before we finally made it.

Once we finally got off that wretched carriage for the last time, we stretched our legs and didn’t even look back as the messenger and driver immediately left to go do whatever it was they did after a job. They didn’t even look back at us, and we did the same.

As instructed, we had all our weapons and things like that separated for them to store somewhere, and once they cleared our luggage, we were sent to some guest rooms.

Before leaving, a servant told us our meeting would be in the morning two days from now.

We were given two large bedrooms, with two beds in each. There was even a little kitchen and den in both of them.

“This guest room is larger than the house I grew up in.” I wondered aloud.

Allamyne sighed. “Yeah. Nobles are like that. Everything has to be fancy and big and obnoxious and so incredibly wasteful.”

“Is every noble like that?”

“Some are a bit better than others, I suppose. But the wealthy have their own culture among themselves they like to maintain. That’s what all the posturing and one-upmanship is about. All to impress other people who don’t actually care about you. Nobles are all a bunch of miserable shits.”

I saw what the outside of the castle looked like because of all the tall buildings in the way, but the inside was certainly opulent.

I didn’t really know how this compared to what nobles had, so I asked Allamyne, “This place is way too fancy. What’s even the point of all this?”

“It’s just to show off how superior they are to others.”

The two bedrooms were connected by a large lounge area in the middle, where we found the others already examining the room. It was certainly a lot to look at.

There was a fireplace with three couches and a table near it. The bookshelves contained an array of books on a variety of subjects, as well as a plethora of knick-knacks. Paintings depicting various people and scenes were on every wall. There were ornate carpets on the floor, and even the ceiling was fancy.

I’m drowning in opulence here.

After each of us had explored the room and gotten our fill of fanciness, we finally reconvened on the couches.

“So,” Sanor began seriously. “This place is warm as fuck. Why in the hells is there a fireplace?”

“Because some guests are used to colder climates and expect one, even if they know it has no use here,” Allamyne replied.

“Well, that’s stupid.”

“Yeah, this whole room is stupid. It makes me want to burn things.”

Mallok chimed in with, “As fun as that would be, is there anything we should know before meeting the king in two days? Rules and etiquette, that sort of thing?”

My beleaguered girlfriend sighed. “Yeah. Because I know that stuff, they probably expect me to teach it to you. You won’t have to get it perfect since you’re commoners and it’s not expected of you, but you’ll be expected to try.”

———

We weren’t allowed in many places in the castle, so over the next two days, we had to spend even more time cooped up and not moving around. At least we’re not stuck in the that carriage anymore.

During that time, Allamyne drilled into Sanor and Mallok the bow that the men had to do, and into me, the curtsy/bow thing that I had to do.

On one hand, I was pleased that I was expected to do something feminine. On the other hand, I was angry that I was only allowed to do something feminine.

I feel like I shouldn’t be mad about this, but not being allowed freedom of expression to this extent is making me feel like I’m back in my parent’s house.

“This sucks. I want to kill stuff again,” I said.

“There are certainly a lot of tempting targets here…” Allamyne mused. “But let’s get back to it. We need to practice this stuff.”

In addition to the bows and curtsies, we also had to know when to stand, how to stand, where to stand, what we could say, what we couldn’t say, when we could or couldn’t say or do certain things… It just went on and on and on.

“I can’t believe you lived with this shit.”

“Me neither. And you haven’t even had the lovely experience of being condescended to by a noble yet.”

“Fuck this. I’m sorry, but I’m low on Alla energy,” I said, wrapping my girlfriend in a firm hug.

“Yeah. Let’s rest for a while. There’s only so much you can learn in just two days anyway. Now do you see why I didn’t teach you anything on the way here?”

“Uh, not really, no.”

She chuckled slightly. “You haven’t noticed how you have to be positioned a certain way or standing in a specific spot before you can say a certain thing?”

“Oh. Oh. I mean, yeah, I noticed that, but at the same time, it’s all such a mess of bullshit that it somehow just didn’t register.”

We had only just sat down when there was a knock on the door. Allamyne, as our representative in this situation, sighed and got up to answer it.

A servant entered, and upon seeing that all of us were here, stated, “The king will see you after breakfast at 8:30 am tomorrow. Please wear your approved clothes and maintain the proper attitude and respect for your meeting.”

Our “approved clothes” were outfits specifically made for whenever a commoner meet royalty. They had been prepared for us already and were waiting in our closets. Allamyne’s was similar to mine, but was slightly fancier.

I guess they still put her above us even after her exile.

Once the servant left, we felt the need to get back to training.

———

After an incredibly tense and nerve-wracking breakfast, a servant came to lead us to the king.

After several minutes of walking, Allamyne asked him, “Excuse me, but this doesn’t seem to be the way to the throne room?”

“It isn’t,” the servant responded. “The king’s meeting with you will be held in a private lounge.”

I gave her a confused look, but she could only shrug in response, though she seemed slightly relieved.

She’d been worrying that she would be forcibly reinstated as a noble, which was something that would’ve been done with others watching to enforce it, but that didn’t seem to be the situation.

The servant stopped before an ornate wooden door, knocked and waited, then opened it for us. The four of us walked in, and the servant shut the door behind us, with himself on the other side.

Allamyne was looking around in shock and confusion, because the only person in this room was a flame tiefling man in an ornate and form-fitting outfit, sitting comfortably on a couch.

Opposite the couch was a table with a steaming kettle of tea, and beyond that was another couch, wide enough to seat all four of us.

“Please sit,” the king set amicably.

None of our intense etiquette training prepared us for a casual meeting with no one watching. The four of us stiffly shuffled to the couch and sat.

“I’m terribly sorry about this unusual meeting, but what we are going to discuss cannot be spread. To anyone. Jade, Allamyne, the two of you I need here, but as for Sanor and Mallok, I need you to keep what you are to hear only to yourselves. If you doubt you are capable, then please leave, and a servant will escort you back to your room.”

They both gulped, and after glancing at each other, Mallok said for the both of them, “We’ll stay.” I saw Sanor’s hand twitch in the direction of Mallok’s hand, but he managed to restrain himself and not grab onto it.

The king nodded. “Jade,” the king turned his intense gaze to me. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he’s going to kill me isn’t he? He’s going to separate me and Alla and I’ll probably be killed. “I, King Ellecor Iywret vi Szikehr, need your help.”

Four mouths hung open, and after several seconds, all I could say was, “I- Wh- …Huh!?”

He smiled slightly. “I’m aware that telling all of you to relax would do little good, but please believe me when I say that you will not be punished for any sort of unintentional breach of etiquette.”

He’s right, I’m not relaxed at all.

“To begin, first, allow me to apologize for not being able to tell you that this was to be a casual meeting. If it was known that I was going to meet with commoners in a setting free of social standings, negative rumors would spread, and life would become difficult for all of us.

“Second, as I need your help, I couldn’t take the chance that you wouldn’t come if asked. You’re not from this country, so asking a commoner from far away to meet with me directly could’ve caused an international incident.

“I also didn’t want to force you to come, if possible. The best compromise I could come up with was to use Allamyne’s past as an excuse to bring you in.”

I looked at Allamyne and gave her a comforting squeeze of her hand.

“Third, Allamyne, I must apologize to you directly. And not just for using your past like this. As I’m sure you’ve surmised by now, we have kept an eye on you since your departure.

“As someone who abruptly left high society, as well as the country, there were concerns about your intentions and your allegiance.

“It is regrettable that you were forced to take such drastic action to leave, as that should not have been the case. The reports I read indicated that you were living a much happier, quieter life afterward.

“Your parents have not been notified of your presence within the capital, nor will they be, should you not desire it.”

That’s good at least. So we won’t have to deal with those assholes.

“It may please you to know that their lives became rather difficult after their bargaining chip suddenly got herself exiled. To be frank, they were painfully difficult to deal with before the incident, so you’ve actually done me a favor in that regard.

“And finally, to the matter at hand. Jade, the incident that changed you. I need to know if it can be repeated.”