I'd been in prison a week. It was one of those things where you start to lose track of days because while there was a barred window up high I couldn't really make out what time of day it was. My cell mate was of course no help, he just muttered about the quality of the food and the flavor sensation of toenails, I wondered how long he'd been in there, probably two weeks? I hadn't even been charged with a crime or anything (not uncommon in Rolak, Ronewrath is ruled by a monarch, but the larger cities all have their own sub monarch and ways of doing things, Rolak for example was known for "don't break laws here or you'll end up in prison for undetermined lengths of time" something I didn't know at the time), so when I was finally withdrawn from my cell drug out to a courtyard in the middle of the day and tied to a chair I felt maybe my luck was changing. I was wrong, but I will always be an optimist.
"Mr. Lorentino I'd ask you to have a seat, but I see you're already there." Young dignified, not wearing armor like a militiamen, probably some well to do son of a royal here to keep him out of trouble.
"Did I tell anyone my name? I don't recall doing that, I just remember getting chained and tossed into here."
"I asked around, frankly if you didn't tell us your name we're about the only group who wasn't aware of it."
"Oh."
"But I digress, how are you liking your stay so far?" He had weird eyes, one was green the other blue, it struck me as odd, haven't really seen it since.
"Foods a little bland you know, bread and water just doesn't have the pazazz I come to expect, my suitemate also has an interesting idea about culinary practices, tell you the truth I think he's a little crazy."
"Well he is next door to a mad man." He tended to walk while he talked, I was partially blinded by the sun but I could see a bare stretch of green on the groun and walls all around, I'm guessing this was some kind of exercise area?
"I thought he was only next to me... oh you're good." He smiled, it was that cultured don't show your teeth satisfying grin you get from someone who has manners.
"Enough joking around Lorentino, I know you're not guilty of the murders in the city, you had only arrived a couple days prior and despite stumbling into just about every dirty corner of this city most of the people I spoke to referred to you politely as the 'lost merchant'"
"And yet I stayed in prison for a week?"
"Had to check and," Eyes shifted for a second trying to come up with a proper lie or nicety, "Had to show you what we can and will do to you should you refuse our deal." People who treat diplomacy like your parents tend to die badly, I should know, I've killed a few myself.
"You kept me in prison so that I'd be more pliable for something you want? Even though you admit I didn't do anything wrong." Its insulting admitting that you have nothing on someone and then forcing them to do your dirty work anyway!
"Exactly, though this is Rolak, if I say your shoes look funny we can keep you here until your eyes fall out."
"Get to the deal so I can get on with my life."
"Whatever you splattered across the walls in that basement was a lesser problem in this area, probably a clean up service for the actual issue, I was told you came here looking for a hunter? I believe that to be a lie someone wanted your Aunt here and you just got in the way." You'd be amazed how often I just happen to stumble into plots greater then myself, its like an almost weekly occurence.
"Despite my ineptness you want me to help you take on a larger issue in this area?"
"My men can't get close enough, they know us and our spies, but they don't know you, we got a tip that house had our murderer and thats how we found you, we figure they think your dangerous or stupid, probably both and if you are back in play it'll make them more careless."
"How?"
"You cause them to have second thoughts about the stupid part, if they feel you made it out of their trap fine or were let go they have to worry we're on to them." He appraised me with his creepy eyes, for the son of a royal, he definately was a lot smarter then the usual playful morons they are.
"Bring your dangerous enemies to the light or spend the rest of my life in prison is that the deal?"
"That's the deal, do this and I'll owe you a favor Lorentino, and trust me my favors are well worth it."
"I'll take it." He snapped his fingers and the guards cut me loose, I was marched down a hallway past some other cells and towards the front of the prison. Before I exited a sack was handed to me, inside it were my clothes and things I'd left at the inn, my sword, dagger, and glove were also there. The royal unlocked the gate outside and stood aside with a flourish.
"You're free to go, I'd recommend you start with a man named Borlia, he's a merchant so you'll have some initial conversation options well before he tries to kill you."
"How polite of you to give me a lead and potential killer, what do I call you, your highness?" I was putting my gear back on, I hadn't brought my armor (stupidly I mean back then I thought cities were safer then the wilderness! Oh how wrong I was), he had shut the gate behind me.
"No not your highness how about Tolar?"
"That your name."
"It will be for you." And with that he had turned around and left me outside a prison gate with my gear and a small lead in the right direction. I didn't even know the real "issue" in the area, just that they needed me to die to it, err find it. If I knew then who I was dealing with, I'd have been a lot more scared and maybe a little bit less snarky. Oh well the things you learn hundreds of years later.
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