Princey's Unexpected Journey

CHAPTER VI

I hadn't slept in a day. I was weak, and I was awake. God, you have never seen an out-of-dress prince more in need of a break. I was longing for Jonathan, missing my sister at home. That's when I saw a pub when my eyes did roam. It was 100 yards away, and it was calling for me. So, I went over there with my trusty steed.

We reached the pub just as the sun was starting to go down. I tied Sebastian to a post that was near the entrance of the pub. My legs started to shake as I walked inside.

It was very dark and musky in the pub. The only thing that helped light up the pub were the various candles spread here and there. There were several tables, a long bar with drinks behind it, and a stage-like platform at the back of the bar. All of the men inside of the pub were at the stage, watching the two performers. I walked to the long bar and sat down in one of the chairs as I listened to the men.

The men were talking very fast. Like, so fast that I couldn't understand most of the words that they were saying. They seemed to be talking non-stop. One would talk, and then the other one would talk. Applause and boos came from the crowd every so often. Soon, that performance was over and two more men went up. They did the exact same thing that the other performers had done. After a while, I started to understand the words that the men were saying. It no longer sounded like random gibberish. The words began to have a meaning, to have a purpose, to have a place in the room. The words almost sounded like music, but it wasn't quite the same. What was this? And how does one do this?

I made my way closer to the stage, watching in awe as the men fought back and forth with each other. Their words were passionate, brutal, and exquisite. Even though the men seemed to be angry at one another, they waited to speak. There was a man from the audience telling the men when to speak. When things got too heated, he told them when to calm down and take a break. This man seemed to be their leader.

Once the fighting was done, the men shook hands and went off of the stage. The man from the audience went onto the stage and said that they would resume with the program in about half an hour. He went off of the stage, and the men diverted, going to various tables and getting drinks.

Some of the men looked at me, but they didn't introduce themselves. They just smiled. This crowd wasn't one for talking, I deduced in my head. That's when I was completely wrong.

"Hey, friend," I heard someone say, "I haven't seen you in here before. Where are you travelling to?"

I looked up to find the man that was controlling the people on stage. He gave me a soft smile as he sat down, waiting for my answer.

"To one of the nearby kingdoms," I hesitantly replied. The man looked at me like a knowing look, like he knew that there was much more to my story.

"Well, I hope you have a safe journey, boy." I smiled as he extended his arm. "The name is Christopher," he continued.

"My name is..."

I stopped for a moment. Was this tavern a part of my kingdom? If so, I couldn't give out my real name! That would put this whole plan at risk! What if there was a man who was actually a soldier from my kingdom? If someone knew who I was, they could bring me back to the kingdom, where I would face the wrath of my father.

"...Alexander. Yes, Alexander. My name is Alexander." I extended my arm and grabbed his hand. I shook hands with Christopher as more people started to walk over to our table.

"Alexander. It's a pleasure to meet you." Christopher watched as the other men around us sat down. "I'll introduce you to everyone, boy.

"On your immediate right, you have David. He's the man with the big hair. Everyone loves his hair. He doesn't tell us his secrets, though."