The Wench

[Intensityrising]

Princess Elizabeth Alliana had soapy water up to her elbows, the front of her ragged dull green dress soaking wet with dish water. She whistled happily as she washed dishes to the Bucking Star Inn on the outskirts of the ALlianaian kingdom. Now washing dishes was not something a Princess would normally do, but Elizabeth had renounced her royalty almost a year ago.

Her Father King Wyrn has pledged her heart and body to a disgusting fat pig of a prince from the neighboring kingdom of Nefaria. Prince Grey was 300 pounds of dirty, sweaty shit but a marriage between Elizabeth and him would unite their kingdoms into the biggest empire in the world. Frankly she would rather die. So instead Elizabeth disappeared into the night wearing nothing but a dress that looked little more than a bag. She had bought it for almost all the gold she had from a servant women who cried her thanks as Elizabeth fled into the night.

She fled as far from the capital palace as she dared, eventually ending up in a small trading town called Kryan, and got herself a job as serving wench in the Bucking Star Inn. As much as she thought she would hate it, the men that slapped her ass and laughed, being spoken too like a wench rather than respected like a royal figure, it all made her excited to face each day. She loved it, and gladly did all the work she was asked. Each night she fell into bed exhausted but fulfilled in knowing that she earned her own place.

Earl Stoneheaven was the owner and had come to treat her like a daughter. He liked the way she worked and often stepped in to stop men from grabbing on her when they had too much ale. He provided her hot meals, and a nice room for her work plus a few coins here and there so she could buy herself a thing or two every once in a while.

She was in love with this life.

Elizabeth:
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[Pix]

Trevelyan Dumont saw the torch light flicker underneath the roof of the inn as the rain came crashing down on top of him in the saddle of the old horse he had stolen back from the Allianian capital. He had reckoned that nobody would pursue him for a horse on his last legs, and a mild pace was necessary for Trev given his less than spectacular skill aboard a horse.

The inexperienced rider was not ashamed of his lack of ability with the reins in his hands. He was most at home on the sea, and even captained a small vessel up until a couple of years earlier. He had made good coin as a small time smuggler around the Allianian ports, as well as Nefaria and the free cities across the Sunlit Sea. His quiet career came to a close when he took a deal too good to be true, which required him to invest nearly all of his earnings with the promise of triple the profits. However, once he got closer into port, he smelled a set up by the Allianian Guard and let the ship crash into port unmanned, allowing his escape but rendering him stranded on land in the mighty kingdom's capital. Some mercenary work and thieving kept him with enough coin to eat, drink, and whore, but he was looking for a way to get back on to the sea, in his own vessel.

And the Bucking Star Inn on the outskirts of Nefaria was where Trev thought he just may be able to catch his break. One of his former superiors at the Yandelk Mercenary Company had let slip a rumor that the Princess of Alliana had escaped the palace and ended up in the region. Nobody put much stock into the rumor, because there was no indicator from the castle that the Princess had disappeared. Trev thought chasing a wild goose was worth it, even though he was soaking wet on an old horse, hundreds of miles from the sea.

Trev had hitched the horse in the stable and walked into the Inn pulling his soaking wet hood down. Once he found a spot by the fire, he removed his cloak and let it dry on the hearth as he waited for a wench to come around. Then he saw her. It was so fortuitous. She stuck out to him like a sore thumb. The other bumpkins in the region may not get past her plain clothes, or dirtied hair, but Trev could tell she was high society. Her features were delicate and her teeth were immaculate. It may not be the mark that brought him out here, but she definitely wasn't of lowly Kryan upbringing.

Trev
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[Intensityrising]

It was raining tonight. Elizabeth looked out the small window over the dish washing sink, from the view she could see people moving toward the inn for a warm meal, and even warmer ale. Kryan was a small town, but it lay on a heavily used merchant road and that meant plenty of travelers coming through tried to sell their wares on the way, plus a warm room for the night. Especially on a wet night like this.

Elizabeth would be busy, of that she knew. If she was lucky there might be a few extra coins in her pocket at the end of the night and she could buy herself a new dress. Hard work had made her loose some weight and her current raggy dress no longer fit her proper.

She sighed and dried her hands on a towel. Turning she smiled to Earl's wife Joan as she worked hard to make sure the beef stew was ready. "Going to be a busy night Joan."

Joan looked over and nodded, "Don't I know it child? Been cooking all day, the smell is making me sick by now I say!"

Elizabeth nodded, Joan was a sweet woman, but never seemed to be able to put words together properly. Joan was large and imposing and she put her meaning through when she really wanted too.

Elizabeth darted around the common room, taking orders and serving ale almost as fast as Earl could pour it. When she approached a man sitting by the fire, a man who must have beat the rush into the building to get such a spot, she was overcome by a feeling of dread. Her steps faltered as she walked up to him, realizing he was looking very intently at her.

She put on a smile though, thin and fake but nevertheless a smile, and said, "Hi there, mug of ale and some stew for you good sir?"