Alice stood in front of a gleaming, fancy building. Since she didn't know the city, she had asked Prim to look for something large and imposing. The dragon had certainly delivered as, at rising five full stories high, this was the tallest building she had ever seen.
It made her a little dizzy just to look at it. Or perhaps, her dizziness came from the fact that she was doing something unlike anything she had experienced before. Even the walk over to this side of town had been odd.
As a General Laborer, she was accustomed to automatically stepping out of the path of higher-class individuals. However, with Alice's new clean clothing and her Apprentice Merchant tag, other classers suddenly gave way to her.
Not everybody, of course, but some tipped their hat or nodded their head respectfully as she passed by. One man even stopped his horse-drawn cart in the street and asked if she wanted a ride. Flustered, Alice declined and the man rode off. It only occurred to her later that he wasn’t just being nice. He likely saw her tag and wanted extra coins.
No one expected General Laborers to have anything worth spending other than their labor.
Somehow, Alice managed to navigate several streets, each busier than the last. Towards the end of her walk, she received other looks too. People sniffed at her new but simple clothing. Apparently, she was not dressing according to her station.
She kept her arms tucked close. Numi snoozed in her left-hand sleeve, having done a good day's work. She wondered if that little dragon would have more luck with coins in this fancy part of town.
Meanwhile, Prim practiced her Concealment skill and flitted from building to building, up high.
Now Alice stood in front of a building that proclaimed itself as a hotel. She should probably aim for something more modest, but at the same time… she was taken by the possibility of living well above her station for once. She wanted to experience sleeping on a real feather mattress instead of straw or reed mats, even if it was just for one night.
Nodding to herself, Alice scraped her fingers through her blonde hair to make it as orderly as possible. She was not dressed as fancy as some of the people she'd seen, but hopefully, her new false class tag and the money would speak for themselves.
From the branches of a decorative tree, Prim spoke. "What do you think?"
Alice replied quietly, "These people are a much higher class than me."
"You are much better than them," Prim said with absolute confidence. "And soon, you will level up again, which will make you much more powerful than them."
Alice smiled to herself, thinking that Prim was one of the kindest creatures she had ever met. She also wouldn't know what she would do without Numi, the one who also found the money for her.
I am She of Many Dragons, she thought, gathering up the last bits of her courage. That has to mean something.
Squaring her shoulders, she nodded to Prim. "If this works, I’ll request a room with an outside wall. Wait for me to open up a window and then come in. Keep hidden until then."
"I will," Prim replied. "You'll do fine."
Since Numi was sleeping, Alice left her in her sleeve to keep her safe. Then, with a deep breath, she crossed the street and entered the hotel.
Her first shock was that somebody with a Hotel Attendant tag opened the door for her.
It was as if he had been waiting for her arrival. Alice eyed the man for a second, but he simply nodded and turned his attention back to the outside.
Imagine that, she thought. Somebody opening a door for me.
The interior was made of pale stone, possibly marble, with gilded edgings. Her cheap shoes echoed across the lobby, sounding as loud as a trumpet announcing her arrival.
A woman with a Hotel Attendant tag stood behind a giant counter, towering over Alice. The slightly dismissive look from the attendant made Alice feel small, but dismissiveness was at least familiar to her.
"How much for a room for one night?" Alice squeaked out.
The attendant looked at her. "Most people don't have to ask. Are you coming to meet somebody? Your father, perhaps?"
Alice shook her head.
The attendant hesitated and then asked, "For just yourself, miss?"
“Yes.”
The woman sighed. "It is quite a lot. We are an exclusive establishment, the amount is ten silver a day. This, of course, includes two complimentary meals per service day, and the checkout is at noon."
Alice imagined how much how many fine shirts, skirts, and new shoes she could purchase for ten whole silvers. Not to mention the meals.
Then she remembered the men who had looked for her -- who might still be looking for her. They would not dare to try and search an establishment such as this. She wasn't just buying luxury. She was buying a place that would, temporarily, cloak her.
More than that, she wanted a taste of the luxury she had seen from a distance all her life. Even if it was just for one night, it would be nice to remember this night fondly for the rest of her life. It would be something she could tell her children about.
"I once stayed within a high-class establishment, ordered whatever I wanted, and slept on a bed that felt like a cloud."
Only... instead of children, the image came to her mind of telling a covey of dragons that instead. Odd.
"Of course, we do have rooms without concierge service," the attendant continued. "It still includes the meals but not the additional little comfy extras most of our clientele demand. That would be eight silver a night."
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Apparently, Alice's hesitation had been a bit too long, and despite her snooty attitude, the staff were looking to fill rooms. She couldn't imagine a place this high class would be in that much demand on a constant basis.
"I would like one of those, without the concierge," Alice said and slid the gold coin across the table.
The hotel assistant nodded and did not seem fazed at all about the appearance of a gold coin. She changed it out quickly, giving Alice a half gold mark which was the equivalent of fifty silver and four neat stacks of ten gleaming silvers, and two extra. Alice took the coins awkwardly, realizing that she only had her deep pockets and that the coins would clink together. Well, there was nothing to be done.
A proper lady would likely carry a purse or have an assistant to take care of that sort of thing. The hotel assistant abruptly tapped a bell, which rang loudly and made Alice jump. "Our man, Peter, will be along for your luggage," the lady said.
"I...don't have any luggage," Alice murmured. That got an unexpected look, though the attendant didn't comment further.
A new man, Peter, who wore a red and gold uniform complete with a fancy cap on top, came up and looked at Alice expectantly. The attendant spoke to him in an undertone and handed him a key. She must have explained that Alice had no luggage because Peter glanced at her back a couple of times, his eyebrows raised.
Had this been this a mistake?
Well, Alice had paid, and it would raise more alarm if she backed away now.
"This way, miss," Peter said.
Alice followed him, keeping her free hand stuffed in her pocket to keep the coins from jingling.
The man stepped into an incredibly tiny room. Alice followed him, confused, until he pressed the button. There was a sound of gears, and Alice squeaked when she felt the pit of her stomach feel heavier.
"I never liked elevators myself, ma'am," Peter said conversationally. "But I assure you that ours are inspected by the city twice a year. All our gears are oiled—but not too oiled, if you catch my drift." He winked at her.
Alice had no idea what he was talking about, but she had heard of elevators before. She just never thought that she would be able to be in one for herself.
She nodded, trying to calm the racing of her heart.
The elevator jolted to a stop, and the doors opened to a gilded hallway painted bright red with golden accents, which felt warm and opulent.
At the end of the hall, Peters stopped and presented Alice with a key with a little flourish. Alice took it and realized that she was being given access to her very own room. Except for last night, she had never stayed in a place where she had her own lock to her own space.
Then Peter held out his hand again, and after a moment, Alice realized he was asking for a tip. Just for guiding her up the elevator? Was she being taken advantage of, or was this how high-class people spent their money?
Thankfully, she still had some coins with her and slapped a silver in his hand.
"Thank you very much, miss," Peters said, though he looked a little annoyed at the amount. "Let me know if you need any help."
He tipped his cap to her, and she unlocked the door to her room.
Her room was a huge space, with the carpeting so thick that it caught the rough edges of her simple shoes. It was creamy and thick, with a huge bed that could fit at least four people. To the side stood two other doors, one leading to a giant closet, which was empty and would likely stay that way, and the other to a gleaming and beautiful bathroom. The bathroom had a huge claw-foot tub, actual running water, and an indoor toilet.
Alice turned the tap on the beautiful sink and water ran, bright and clear out of it. She cupped her hands and took a sip. It was sweet and cold, like it had just come out of a well.
Alice smiled to herself and did a little twirl.
A surprised peep came from her sleeve, and Numi crawled out, looking a little annoyed by the interruption to her nap.
"Sorry, love," Alice quickly deposited the sleepy green dragon on her bed, left a copper coin for her to munch on, and then headed out to the windows.
She had her own small balcony with a table and chair set out.
With a grin, she opened the glass door. Sweet, warm air drifted past her face.
Prim flew in with a burst of wings that sounded like a flock of mourning doves. The dragon circled the room, chittering happily. "This is the type of place where you should sleep at night," Prim said with satisfaction as she landed on the top frame of a mirror.
"At least for one night," Alice said.
There was a writing desk set to one side. She pulled it open and found actual paper, blank and unused, along with an elegant pen and quill. She could read a little, but it had been years since she had tried to practice her writing.
Sitting down, Alice used the pen to sketch out her name over and over. Her letters were wobbly at first, her fingers unpracticed, but she improved quickly. By the end, the letters looked neat if not flowing, and beautiful. At least it was readable.
Numi had finished her snack of a copper coin and sat up, looking around. "I smell more coins outside.”
“I'm sure there's plenty around here, but let's wait to search until nighttime," Alice said. "There's too much activity on the streets."
She glanced back and noticed a small door set in the middle of the far wall. It was a dumbwaiter where she could order food. Sliding it open, she found a little menu sitting inside.
Alice studied the menu, then ticked the box for roast beef sandwiches and sent the list down the dumbwaiter.
Ten minutes later, the sound of a bell tinkled and the dumbwaiter rose again. Prim squeaked in surprise as a mound of sandwiches appeared, then dived onto one of them.
Alice and Prim enjoyed a lovely meal while Numi insisted on eating one of the new silver coins.
That afternoon, Alice took a nap on the gigantic bed. When she woke up, it was evening and the city streets were becoming quiet. Prim was out on the balcony, still as a statue and somehow hiding in the shadows as if she had wrapped them around her.
"Alice," she called softly. "Come out here. The men are back."
A cold chill ran down Alice's spine, and she immediately became as tense as if her lovely, relaxing afternoon had never happened. She clutched the blankets to herself in fear. "Where?"
The dragon gestured with a wing.
Carefully, Alice crept to the balcony and looked out.
Sure enough, she saw three figures walking down the street, peering around statues and in bushes as if they planned to flush someone out like partridges. They had followed her here.
Did they know which room she was in? No, it didn't seem to be the case because they were poking around the courtyard and up and down the street. Alice kept the lamp turned down on her side and peeked out, watching.
"Why are they following me?" she asked, but her dragon did not have an answer.
Alice watched the men until the evening light became too dim to see them. City attendants came by to light the gas lamps, but by then, they were gone.
However, the night had become ominous, and it felt like every deep shadow outside held a man in wait with a club and a net.
Numi piped up, "I want to go look for more coins.”
Alice bit her lip, unsure if it was worth the risk. However, her little dragon looked at her with such hope that it was clear Numi really wanted to do this. "Okay, but you must be very, very careful. Those terrible men are still out there. I don't know why they're looking for me, but… I’m worried."
"I'll be careful. They're looking for you, not for me," Numi said blithely before scuttling down the face of the hotel and jumping off the balcony.
Returning inside, Alice sat down on her bed, anxious and unable to fall asleep because of her earlier nap.
Prim dozed in her lap. Petting her dragon, Alice nibbled her lip in thought. Why were the Workers after her? Weren't there many easier targets in the city? It didn't make any sense. She wasn't that important.
Had the Earl from the estate she left put a bounty on her head? If that were the case, wouldn't City Officials or Lawmen come in and arrest her properly?
Thoughts chased each other in her mind, but she didn't have any answers. As she fretted, she heard a slight scuffling at the front door.
Prim perked up with a hiss, and Alice hoped it was just somebody walking by. Then the front door to her room creaked open.