Crownsmith Chronicles

Benj and Lucia crossed the bridge into Royal City before solidifying any sort of plan. Their goal was to verify the thousand gold rumor, find the missing person, and ride home with their newly acquired wealth. The only certain thing was that they were not going back to the cathedral. There would be no time for it anyway.

The guard at the gate asked them for the purpose of their visit, and Benj took the opportunity to verify the rumor.

"We're here to find the missing person for the thousand gold reward," he said, hoping the guard would know anything about it.

"You're looking for Key?" The guard clarified.

"Yeah! The guy with the key!" Lucia had to steady her horse after the outburst.

"No, his name is Sergeant Key, and they found him already."

The guard must have seen her downcast look, because he tried to cheer her up, "Believe me, we all tried finding him. I was there when some captain gave the proclamation. There were two captains; one was looking for a sword. We weren't expecting the higher-ups to visit the armory, so we were all on high alert. I remember it like it was yesterday, the captain says, 'The king is offering a thousand gold Royals to whoever finds Sergeant Key and brings his abductors to justice.' They found Key, but no one's been brought to justice."

"So there's still a chance?" Lucia's face brightened.

"I don't know about all that," The guard muttered. "Key says he couldn't see their faces. He says they were wearing masks. No one has the slightest idea of who did it. But if you traveled all the way out here to find them, I'll let you in for free. Anything to bring Key's abductors to justice."

As Benj plodded beyond the gates, the sight of the city brought old feelings unbidden to the surface. Everything Benj missed about the place was hidden behind unique and unpleasant smells, dirty alleyways, and the constant clicking of distant masonry. The feeling of being in the wrong place and needing to escape was gone, but not forgotten. He also had positive feelings that intermingled for an altogether unpleasant experience.

"To the castle then?" Lucia asked as Alpenrose Street came into view.

Benj looked down at his clothes. "Shouldn't we get cleaned up first? The last time I made that trip, a street urchin told me that I was dirty. It was Samir, and he was right."

"You look fine," Lucia said after half a glance. She was eager to reach the next step of the plan and told him as much.

Eventually, Benj relented, and the castle came in sight. After some directions, they found a temporary place to hitch their horses before climbing the royal stairs. Inside, a white-gloved attendant asked for their invitations, but they didn't have any.

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"I have insights into Key's abduction," Lucia tried, but the attendant just shook his head.

"You'll have to bring that up with General Calcutta. I am only here to verify that you have an invitation. Since you clearly don't, I have no other choice but to decline your entry. Good day."

"What now?" Benj asked as the castle doors shut behind them.

"Off to see this general, I guess," Lucia said with grim determination.

Benj stopped her. "I think I know someone else. The night we all went to prison, there was this captain who was somehow linked to the Crownsmith. He asked me to send him messages about Darius."

"You think he'll help us get a meeting with the general?" Lucia asked hopefully.

"It's worth a try," Benj shrugged. In the worst-case scenario, he could point us in the right direction."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

"I don't exactly know where he lives. I just know that there's a sewing shop on Alpenrose that would deliver messages for me. So we should go there first."

Benj led the way, and after several wrong turns, they finally found Gretta's. A bell rang overhead, and a woman greeted them from behind stacks of spooled linen.

"Are we looking for something for him or for her?" She asked, stepping between baskets and piles of clothes with catlike agility until she was standing before them, ready to take measurements.

"Hi, I don't know if you remember me, but I gave you messages to deliver to Captain Castor a few times," Benj tried jogging her memory, wondering how anybody could operate in such a cluttered space. "We were hoping that you would give us directions to his house?"

Gretta smiled and shook her head, "That wouldn't work, he's never home. The best I can do is give you directions to his office."

"That would work!" Lucia announced, a little too excitedly.

Gretta hesitated. "I'm not sure how good an idea it would be visiting him dressed like that…"

Benj looked at Lucia in a way that said, "See?"

"I might have something that will fit. What's your budget like?"

Benj dug out a half talent. "How far will this get us?"

In response, Gretta made quick measurements across his and Lucia's shoulders, down their arms, and on the sides of their legs. She then dug through the baskets she had stepped over and pulled out several folded bundles of clothes. "Try these on."

Accustomed to the lack of privacy in Royal City, he changed into the new clothes right in the middle of her shop without hesitation. Gretta became contemplative at his Crownsmith tattoo but made no comment. Instead, she dug out a smaller black tunic and told him to try it on.

Finally, it was Lucia's turn, but she did not want to wear a dress. She began explaining, but Gretta cut her off.

"As you can see, I also prefer the mobility of pants. Why don't you try… This." She dug through a pile on her desk and tossed Lucia a red and white bundle. "I roll them up, so they don't get as wrinkly."

Benj instinctively turned his back.

"Not married," Gretta speculated. "I was wondering."

"If anyone asks, we are," Lucia said, trying on the outfit.

"How mysterious and romantic," Gretta commented to herself. "I'm sure there's a tantalizing story in there somewhere…"

Lucia let the comment hang in the air while she dressed. "How do I look?"

Benj turned around. She was wearing red pants and a white, loose-fitting top. She looked good.

After Gretta accepted the half talent, she weaved through her shop and came back with two damp cloths. "You should clean your faces off; this one is on the house."

With Gretta's directions, the captain's office wasn't that hard to find. The square building was dwarfed by the surrounding ones. The simple and pragmatic look, compared to the flourished stonework of the neighboring structures, made it appear impoverished when it would be the pinnacle of quality anywhere else. It sat on the corner of the intersection like a mushroom in a squash garden.

Lucia knocked, and a voice inside told them to enter. It felt like they were finally getting somewhere.