Miraric

22| A Just King.

The tavern was busier than usual.

It was bustling with people and their conversations, the clicks of their drinks, the continuous yelling from the failures of their bets while some were busy with women on their laps, caressing their body and too preoccupied with anything going on, while others were just sleeping.

While Edric continued to do his job diligently, serving drinks and foods at the tables, his eyes were searching for only one person: the advisor. He carried several drinks in the tray, placing them where they were wanted, while his eyes always wandered to the door, waiting for the advisor to appear.

Was it all just a fluke? Did he forget? He was drunk, yes but not so much that he'd forget. No, he must've forgotten everything. He must've forgotten it all. I have to think of another plan. I have to conspire—

"The front table, dreamer boy!" One of the workers yelled angrily through the hustle, pointing at Edric as he broke out of his thoughts, shaking his head.

He was about to move to work when a pair of hands took the tray of beverages from him. "I got this," Meridia said, giving him a firm nod. "You look for the advisor. He must be here somewhere, there's too many people," she looked around, looking for the majestic clothes and the shining batch but only found people dressed in dirty loose clothes.

Edric smiled at her, holding her arm and giving it a little squeeze. "Thank you, Eris," with that being said, he disappeared into the moving people, his brown locks of hair no longer visible and far away from her.

Edric utilised his eyes to the fullest — they roamed around the tavern slowly but cautiously, taking in every person and trying to find the advisor and after searching the whole tavern for the umpteenth time, he finally found the advisor sitting in the last bench, alone, drinking the most expensive wine of theirs, his blond locks of hair not messy like last time and his cheeks more refined. Edric made his way there, apologising to the workers he'd bumped with and finally reached him, now standing in front of him.

"Ah, Resrei!" The advisor seemed to recognise him as he took a sip from the wine, his legs crossed. "I was waiting for you."

"I could say the same thing," Edric said, keeping his voice cool and not trying to sound anticipated.

The advisor smiled. "I will cut to the chase for you as you must have your own work to do. Would you like to take a seat?"

Edric looked around to see everyone being busy with their jobs — workers rushing everywhere to meet the customers' demands, some dealing with cursing men, some dealing with rude ones with politeness, some apologising for mistakes they never made, some hurrying with plates and wine and amidst them all, he noticed Eris doing his own work along with hers.

Edric nodded before taking a seat opposite to him as he laced his fingers, but immediately placed them on his laps when he realised he was a filthy commoner in front of this man, and not the king of Elysia. "I'm truly honoured that you've taken an interest in me and decided to recommend me to the king—"

The advisor cut him off, frowning. "Have I ever told you that you act a lot like royalty?"

He's a completely different person from yesterday. "You flatter me. I'm nothing but a commoner with no land or title of his own,"

"We all come to this world with no land or title of our own," the man said, a small smile playing on his lips. "But a rich background is sure an advantage,"