The Vagrant King

Chapter 25

Julian grimaced. "Blacksmith for the King." It came out as more of a question.

"You stole this from your father, then." The merchant in red observed, though he didn't seem angry.

"Does it matter?" Julian shot back, growing impatient by their questioning. "Do you want it or not?"

"How much do you want for it?" The merchant in red asked. "Name your price."

Julian searched his mind for a reasonable price. Regulus had never told him how much he had spent on it, and Julian didn't know its worth. "Twelve gold coins."

Both men's eyes widened. The man in brown clamped his hand down on the forearm of his comrade in red to silence him before he could speak any more. 

"Son, we don't discuss business on empty stomachs." The man in brown said, picking up the ring from his friend and handing it back to Julian. He shared a warm smile with Julian. "Let us buy you dinner. You look like hell."

Julian accepted the ring and considered this for a moment. He had to admit he was ravenous. Even if these men couldn't afford the twelve gold pieces, at least they would feed him while they tried to bargain for a lower price. "Alright," He said, sliding the ring back onto his right hand for safekeeping.

He followed the men inside the crowded tavern. His stockings stuck to the sticky floor with each step, and he was jostled by drunks a few times. They sat down, and the man in brown waved over a barmaid. The barmaid placed a bowl of stew in front of each of them. It was mostly broth, with some potatoes and greens, and a chunk of hard bread. Paltry. Julian stirred it dismally as he thought of the roasted pheasant prepared by the castle kitchen.

Never one to complain, Julian began to drink the stew. It scalded his tongue but he was far too hungry to stop. The merchant in red ordered another round of ale for the table.

Julian drank down several large gulps of the ale before he resurfaced. He wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt.

"I didn't realise the King kept a Veneroi blacksmith," The man in brown said, leaning back in his chair to get a better look at Julian. He tapped his foot against the sticky floor absently. The merchant in red drank down his ale, not as keen as interrogating Julian. He was watching one of the bustier barmaids bend over to clean up empty tankards.

Julian ripped apart the bread and dunked it into the stew to soften it. "Do you want it or not?" He said through a mouthful of bread. The merchant in brown arched an eyebrow.

Julian swallowed quickly, remembering a time when Regulus scolded him for having bad table manners and called him uncouth. Blacksmiths weren't very refined. At least he hadn't pretended to be a lord.

This peeked the merchant in red's attention again. He looked at his companion and leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. "We want the ring, and we'll pay you the twelve gold coins."

"Why don't you fetch the gold coins for the lad?" The merchant in brown said, sliding his a silver key across the table to the merchant in red. They stared at each other for a moment, before the merchant in red collected the key and left the table.

"I keep my gold locked upstairs," The merchant explained to Julian. "Would you like another round of ale?"

Julian shrugged. Now that his hunger pains had lapsed, he was growing more suspicious of the pair. He worried they didn't have the gold since they were putting off the purchase. Should he suggest that he would sell for less? Or were the men trying to steal from him? The men in brown had returned the ring quickly enough.

Julian rested his hands on the table and folded them so he could always keep sight of the ring. The man in brown leaned forward and brushed back the sleeves of Julian's tunic to reveal the bruising on his wrist.