“You are late!” yelled Bruin, King of the Dwarves. “I would expect the newly appointed heroes of the realm to be on time.” He looked them over with a hint of suspicion. Dwarves weren’t known for trusting other races, especially ones three times their height. So he trusted Prunhiline the least.
Prunhiline and Britina stood nervously before the King. They both felt shame for being several days late for their meeting. Even Prunhiline, usually oblivious, felt terrible about their lateness. She was used to being late, but rarely days late.
“Your Majesty, there were…complications along the way,” Britina said, hoping Prunhiline would follow her lead in diplomacy. She knew the warrior didn’t handle authority figures well, especially short, angry kings.
“Yeah, we ran into werewolves, zombies, a dragon, and some bandits,” Prunhiline added, her embarrassment forgotten in the excitement of recounting their journey.
“What?” King Bruin shouted, glaring at the two women. Something in their faces told him they weren’t lying. Still, it sounded like there was more to the story.
“Yes, there were some incidents on our way. It included a few, uh, unfortunate run-ins.” Britina was at a loss for words. She wanted her first meeting with the Dwarven King to have been much better than it was currently going.
“Run-ins?” Prunhiline laughed. “The best part was driving those bandits out of that town. And the dragon! She was amazing.”
“Yes, dear love, but we were supposed to be here days ago. The King is very busy.” Britina hissed as she looked up at the tall warrior. This was not the time for Prunhiline to get excited over tales of her conquest.
“What about werewolves, zombies, a dragon, and bandits?” the King asked now more calmly than they had seen him since they had arrived. He had heard some news of these various dangerous creatures running about.
The two women began recounting their journey from zombies to werewolves, the dragon, the bandits, and even the squirrels. The King and his advisors were entertained, appalled, and skeptical of the misadventures, mainly about the squirrels. Prunhiline insisted the squirrels were organized and intelligent and that the dwarven army should be prepared.
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“Fine,” the King finally said. “It sounds like you’ve had quite a journey. My apologies for losing my temper. Welcome to my kingdom!”
“Thank you, your Majesty,” Britina said. Prunhiline smiled and waved. Britina made a mental note to work on the warrior’s royal manners.
“My kingdom is open to you. You will be given our ambassador’s quarters, and I hope you sample our fine foods and ale.” The King smiled for the first time. Prunhiline perked up at the mention of ale. “My son will be returning in a few days, and I hope we can have a productive diplomatic meeting."
“Thank you again, your Majesty,” Britina said, seeing even the tall warrior bowed with her.
“Now then, you must be tired from your, um, adventures. I’ll have the guards escort you to your quarters. Please feel free to explore the markets outside the city gates.” The King nodded his head to a guard who approached the two.
They followed the guard to their quarters. The Dwarven fortress was carved into the side of a massive mountain. Many of the wealthy or powerful dwarves lived inside its well-defended walls. Outside the main entrance, a bustling town had grown up, home to both dwarves and non-dwarves. This was where most of the dwarfs and any non-dwarfs lived. As they had entered the city, Prunhiline had made note of all the taverns she wanted to visit.
Britina, for her part, had noticed many cafes and a few bookshops along the main road leading into the main fortress. She made a mental note of the places she wanted to visit and hoped they’d have time after they checked in.
The ambassador's quarters were about a half mile into the mountain. The two women thanked the guard as they settled into their rooms.
“Dear love, after we rest, let’s visit the village. I’d love to check out a few of the bookshops I saw,” Britina said.
“Sure, Bri, I want to hit a few taverns. Dwarven Ale is the best!” Prunhiline pumped her fist into the air as she fell backward onto the bed.
Britina rolled her eyes as she unpacked. She sat down to write a few letters, including one to the King to let him know they’d arrived safely, leaving out some of the finer details of their journey.
Britina stood up and stretched, “Well, dear love, are you ready to explore the town?”
“Sure!’ Prunhiline sat up quickly; she was excited to be moving around.
“What do you want to do first?” Britina asked.
“I’ve got a great game we can play while we explore the town. We used to play it back in my village,” Prunhiline said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Britina wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know what kind of games they played on the plains. The universe giggled in anticipation.