XXI

The king’s Age of Readventure festival was due to begin in two days’ time. Yoreno felt a thrill of excitement about it all. It was supposed to be the grandest ceremony the world had ever seen, as visiting nobles from other lands were intending to arrive as well as members of their own royalties.

King Branlin would surely leave his mark on history, Yoreno thought. He felt optimistic of the future, and excited, just as he had when first arriving in Aevalin.

He got up out of bed when the golden rays of sunlight shone into his bedchambers at the Brendara estate. He poured some of the fresh water out of the pitcher into the bowl at the washstand and did his morning ablutions.

When he was finished with his morning routines, Yoreno dressed and left his rooms to join his parents and his sister for breakfast at their sumptuous dining table. Laid before them were powdered sweet rolls with holes cut in their centers, fried breakfast breads covered in butter and sweet oozing sugar and porridge of milk and oats. Also at the table were pitchers of fresh milk, juice from imported fruits—the Age of Readventure was wondrous—and of course, water.

“You’re eating like a man who hasn’t had food in weeks, my son,” John said with a smile. He had shaved his face, but even so he still gave off the impression of a broad, powerful man. At half a head taller than Yoreno and in good health, John Brendara was indeed a powerful man—at least of stature. “Don’t put on too much weight before your knighting, or you won’t fit into your armor, ha!”

Celine smiled as she spooned some of her porridge into her mouth.

“It’s wonderful to see you, my dear,” Cassandra said. “You don’t visit nearly enough—oh and look what I’ve just said—as if you don’t even live here.”

“Becoming a knight is no easy feat, mother,” Yoreno said. “I’ve been training and adventuring. From my time on the Isle of Morr I’ve come to realize that I have much to learn.”

“Yes, well of course,” John said. “Mid-tier adventurer is not am title without reason. And speaking of that,” he added, “I’ve just become privy to some new information about the Age of Readevnture festival you’ll want to know about, Yoreno.”

“What is it?”

“It’s the king,” he said. “He intends to—“

“My lord husband,” Cassandra rebuked, her face a mask of disapproval. “Do you not think it prudent to keep the king’s secrets… secret?”

Celine glanced between mother and father. Yoreno looked at her and she shrugged.

“Hmm,” John noised as he stroked his chin. “Perhaps Lady Brennovo can tell you. She knows!”

“John!”

He laughed. “It doesn’t matter, Love. He will find out soon enough.”

“More the reason why you should wait, father,” Celine said. “Yoreno will be privy of this secret of yours soon enough, will he not?”

“Agh!” John scoffed. “Do you see this, Yoreno?” he gestured to Cassandra and Celine. “Without you in the house, I have no one to take my side.”

“Ha,” Cassandra scoffed. “You have so many friends in Aevalin now, John that we entertain large parties every single weak or have you forgotten? I think you can survive without your son.”

His eyes widened. “But weren’t you just saying how he—“

Cassandra shook her head, a smile on her face. “But not for that reason.”

“Well, regardless,” John added, “we’re happy to see you, son. Are you leaving us today?”

“Yes.”

“So soon?” Celine asked.

“Yes,” he said. “I have duties at the Roaming Lions to attend to.”

“You must prepare yourself for the knighting ceremony as well, is that not right?” Cassandra asked.

He had already told them what would happen, but Yoreno didn’t mind telling his family again what was to happen with him during the Age of Readventure festival. In fact, they too had to be prepared.

“Yes,” Yoreno answered. “And as father has said, this will be the biggest ceremony Aevalin has ever seen. You should dress appropriately.”

Celine laughed. “The rough and gruff adventurer telling us ladies how to dress, Mother. Fancy that.” She continued. “I’ll have you know, Yoreno that I’ve been entertaining many a fine lady while you were away.”

“Oh?”

“Indeed,” Cassandra said. “Celine is quite the wallflower these days. She hosts afternoon tea with many young ladies of high standing at least thrice a week.”

Yoreno smiled, happy for his sister. “Surely you will marry some fine lord with vaults full of gold and precious stone.”

Celine giggled.

While they continued chatting among themselves Yoreno touched the pure white linin stretched across the table. The sun was shining through the window, putting a golden square of bright light in front of him. He put his fingers there as if he could also touch the light. A feeling of happiness and peace, but also of triumph came over him. After the events on the Isle of Morr, Yoreno felt like he appreciated simple everyday life more.

Perhaps when he got older and he was quite the veteran adventurer, he would want to retire. At eighteen now, he could hardly imagine ever giving up his life as an adventurer.

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Now as a knight… that was different. Yoreno had done battle with men, and he had killed them. At first, thinking about what he had done, the thought of killing people was a horror to him. But he had saved lives, surely. He and Dantera and his friends had rid the world of an evil presence.

That was a reward in and of itself, he thought.

Dantera was still yet to inform Yoreno of their prisoner. He would ask her about that when he saw her later in the morning.

Dell had also killed a man during their time at the Isle of Morr. In a way Yoreno was happy that Mai and Sorika never had to do it. But even if they had, they would be fine, he was sure—just like he and Dell were fine.

The footman, George came into the dining chamber through the gold-gilded white doors at the end of the room.

“What is it?” John asked, looking from Cassandra to the footman.

“A visitor, my lord—for Master Yoreno,” he said. “A Lord Dellwyn Blackridge here to see you, sir.”

“Ah,” Yoreno said. “I’m off. Mother, Father,” he said with a nod.

“Visit soon, son,” John said.

Yoreno smiled. “I will.”

“Goodbye, Yoreno,” Celine said.

“Goodbye. Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m away.”

Celine scoffed.

Yoreno left the dining chamber and went out into the foyer where his sword awaited him, wrapped in his thick leather belt. He picked it up and slung it around his waist. A porter opened the front doors for him.

Dell looked up from the street below the steps. He was dressed in city-boots and fine trousers, his coat with fur trimming on the hood, a new piece Yoreno hadn’t seen before. “Aren’t you cold?” he asked, breathing into his hands. “It’s freezing out.”

“Perhaps I’m a fool,” Yoreno said, “but I have a feeling I won’t be needing a coat today. There’s a new warmth of purpose within me.”

“Gods,” Dell said. “It’s getting to your head,” he said as Yoreno made his way to the street down the steps. They still steamed from the hot water the servants poured upon them to remove the thin layer of slick ice.

Yoreno had no need of the servants for such a purpose. As an adventurer, such a luxury seemed a complete waste.

With Dell’s comment, he simply smiled. “That too,” he said. “Now let’s go to the Roaming Lions.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.”

“How’s Lev?” I still haven’t seen him.

“Well, he’s excited to see you, Yor. We haven’t told him much, just what we experienced individually. But we all still want to know what happened with you and Mistress Dantera, especially when you were off fighting Herokelus by yourself! I still can’t believe you made me leave you!”

“It wasn’t for the reason you think,” Yoreno said, breathing in the brisk air. The other manor houses on this street were of various pale pinks, whites and yellows with marble steps and white picket fences. Yoreno always seemed to forget how grey and drab Haven was compared to where he now lived. “I only stayed to fight Herokelus so you could help the others.”

“Sure,” Dell said dubiously.

“It’s true.”

“Yes, well, tell me what happened. I want the whole story before we get to the guild, Yor. Don’t leave anything out.”

“You can’t wait until the others are with us?”

“Ugh! Come on, Yor. We’ve all been waiting ages. It’s unbearable.”

Yoreno laughed. “If you’ve waited this long, you can wait until we get to the Roaming Lions.”

“Fine,” Dell said. “Now that makes me and Sor upset with you.”

Yoreno frowned. “Why is Sorika cross with me?”

“That tracking potion she gave you?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s a rare one.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes. It cost her a month’s wages. And that’s wages from adventuring, mind you.”

Yoreno sighed. “I’ll pay her back.”

“Apparently she had need of a similar potion just yesterday, but she had none to speak of.”

“Maybe she should have a store of them.”

“Yeah, well, you know, Sor. She’s an odd one,” Dell said with a smile. “No use in trying to change her.”

“I guess not.”

They walked into the Roaming Lions and were greeted by Kylen. “Good to see you, Yoreno. Dell here tells me you had quite an adventure separate from the stories they already told me. It’s quite the experience, I’m sure.”

“It is,” Yoreno said. “I’ll tell you. If you join us at the Suckling Fish tonight.”

Every time they invited the old adventurer, he always gave some excuse not to go with them, weather it was a personal matter he had to attend to at the stated time that they would meet, or going out with his own age-group friends and on and on.

“No excuses this time,” Yoreno added. “You’re coming.”

“Hmmm,” he noised thoughtfully in a somewhat skeptical tone. “Is that so, young adventurer?”

“We would be honored to have you.”

“Bah!” he said waving his hand. “You don’t want an old codger of an adventurer like me at your table.”

“Yes we do,” Yoreno said. “I’m a knight now, so I formally request your presence.”

“Ha! You’re not a knight yet!”

“He might as well be,” Dell said. “He’s passed Dantera’s trial. The only thing left is to accept the title and have her sword grace his shoulder.”

Kylen nodded. “I suppose you’re right. Fine.”

“Fine what?” Yoreno asked as he stepped out of the way of a small group of adventurers making their way through the foyer toward the quest boards.

“Fine,” Kylen said, grudgingly. “I’ll come with you and your friends to the Suckling Fish.”

“We didn’t give you a time,” Yoreno said. “How do you know you can make it?”

“I’ll make the time. It’s tonight, right?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I’ll be there.” He wasn’t smiling.

“Good,” Yoreno said, feeling somewhat intimidated by Kylen’s lack of amiable bearing. “We’ll see you soon.”

Kylen gave them a nod and Yoreno lead the way out of the foyer into the newly set up ball floor below the stairs. Guild members and servants were busy at work, changing the style of the curtains from red and gold to blue and gold with red accents.

“I hope he’s not mad,” Dell said. “I got the feeling of a harried old man being forced into something he doesn’t want to be a part of.”

“He’ll make it,” Yoreno said, doubling down on his decision to get Kylen to join them at their favorite inn.

“Oh,” Mai said from behind. “There you are.”

Yoreno turned and found the Emblazoned Adventurer’s mage. Mai smiled and ruffled the linin fabrics in her arms.

“What are you doing?” Dell asked.

“Oh, just helping out,” she said. “Look around. A lot of the guild members are helping set up the ball room.”

“But aren’t we going to be at the castle?” Yoreno asked, feeling somewhat crestfallen. The Roaming Lions was a lovely place, especially for a ball, but the events held in Aevalin castle were going to be absolutely spectacular.

“Of course,” she said. “But the whole guild can’t go.”

With an official invite to the castle, Yoreno could invite one person to the event. He had plans to invite Mai, and told her as much, and Dell would invite Sorika. That left Lev, who they were planning to smuggle into the event.

It wouldn’t do to have the lout officially invited, so if he got caught being thrown out it wouldn’t put a stain on anyone’s reputation for having invited him in the first place. Had Lev a more sensitive or contemptuous disposition, the very idea would have offended him.

But Lev, being Lev, had seemed to relish the idea of getting to go to the castle uninvited.

“Just helping out, then?” Dell asked.

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Sorika,” Yoreno asked. “I have something to buy her. I brought the coin for the occasion as well.”

“Oh, she’s… somewhere,” Mai said with a chuckle.

“Yoreno and Dell,” Kylen said from behind.

They swiveled on their heels.

“Yes, sir?”

“What?”

“I forgot to tell you that Mistress Dantera wishes to see you both immediately.”

“Both of us?” Dell asked as he gestured to himself.

“That’s what I said. Are you hard of hearing?”

“Thank you,” Yoreno said, before Dell could quip back at the older man. Of lesser station formally, Kylen’s guild rank was actually above that of theirs.

Way above.

He led the way, Dell at his side, but before ascending the stairs, he glanced back toward Mai. “We’ll be down in a bit.”

She smiled. “Good luck.”

“Are we going to a trial?” Dell asked.

Mai shrugged.

Watching them climb the stairs, Kylen smiled imperceptibly under his excellent mustache. He was looking forward to meeting these youngsters at the Suckling Fish tonight.