A bell jingled as Diana opened the door. She was used to it, it was a feature that most shops on Earth featured in an electronic form, but to those nobles who had never set foot in a commoner's shop were surprised by the tinkling. Their reaction wasn't exaggerated, only a rapid head turn to the source, but it was enough to be embarrassing to have pointed out. She would have to ignore that.
Fortunately the room appeared to be fairly empty, this time of day generally being considered too late for lunch and too early for dinner. There were a few elderly folk gathered around a table in the back corner and what appeared to be an off-duty enforcer at the bar. It wasn't long before Pinishi rounded the counter to greet them.
"Welcome to our tavern, how might I assist you this day?" It was the same rehearsed line from before, she wasn't really old enough to do something other than what Manama told her.
"We would like a table for three, Pinishi. Tell your mother to come out as soon as she can, okay?" Diana crouched and patted the little ragamuffin on the head. "Tell her to wash her hands and face too."
"Okay Princess Diana."
"Diana is fine, Pinishi." Diana did not feel comfortable with the 'princess' attachment, but it hurt to tell the little girl otherwise. She was convinced that Diana was a princess, which wasn't too terribly far from the truth.
"Nu-uh. Momma says I need to call you a respectful name, Princess!" Pinishi had refused to budge on this matter and this matter alone since their first meeting. Considering the current circumstances she couldn't get into an argument with a child, so for now she was to be called princess.
"Well if you are following your mother's advice then I can't tell you to stop. Can we take our seats now?"
"Mhm. Follow me!" Pinishi began to march toward the back of the room. They were to be seated at a table against the back wall. "What would you like for drinks?"
"I'll have the same juice as before, but I haven't a clue what these gentlemen would like." Pinishi pulled out Diana's seat, 'courtesy for a princess' as she put it, but the other three did not receive such treatment, though Satie did make an attempt. This lack of reverence for his position irritated Hlapven a little, but given the fact that Merndil didn't complain he couldn't raise a fuss.
"Little girl-"
"Pinishi!"
"My apologies. Pinishi, what beverages do you have available here?" Merndil was playing the role of gentleman quite well. He wasn't arrogantly affirming his status, responding to the clueless child's assertions with politeness. "I am aware it is quite early, but I was thinking I would like to sample some of your alcoholic beverages."
The quality of alcohol this establishment would be able to provide was of utmost importance. It was one half of a meal, and many would carry around their drinks as they mingled with other. Alcohol, specifically its ability to make merry of a strict individual, was important for 'having fun' at these social gatherings.
"Um, um, mama says I can't carry the alcohol. So I don't know." Pinishi pouted. They were just drinks in her mind, she had no clue why her mother wouldn't let her hold them.
"I see. In that case I will have a juice while we wait for your mother. Hlapven, does this arrangement suit you?"
"I would prefer a water."
"I see. In that case, please bring us three juices and one water." Merndil ordered Satie's drink for her.
"Okay!"
"Pinishi," Diana intercepted the little girl before she left, "make sure it is high quality with no pulp, okay?"
"Okay!!" With that Pinishi scampered back through the kitchen door.
"A charming child, though I do wonder why you permit her to call you a princess." Merndil removed his overcoat due to the tavern's temperature. "You are a queen, are you not?"
"I have a few reasons, one being more personal. I am not yet used to such a title, so 'Princess' is a bit more palatable. It is the reason I insist you refer to me as 'Lady'. My husband to be is very much the same, though he would prefer it if you did not attach a title at all." Merndil nodded along with this. He could understand that sentiment more than most, the weight associated with the title of crown prince was often a hindrance when he felt urgency was needed. Hlapven, on the other hand, was still frowning. "The other big reason is that I have no right to force her."
Diana straightened out her clothing while discretely massaging the right side of her neck. Given how they sat in the classroom, Diana often had to turn her head to talk to Merndil politely. It induced an uncomfortable amount of stress when their conversations went on for longer periods of time.
"What do you mean by that? You are a queen, no? What makes you are unable to force her to address you how you please?" Merndil was curious about Diana. He had learned enough from their conversations to know there was more than she told him, he didn't really have a good feel for her as a person.
"You should simply order the girl! Surely she could not disrespect the wishes of royalty!" Hlapven raised his voice in support of Merndil, seeming to completely forget about keeping a low profile.
"Are you two unaware of the fact you hold no power here?" Diana smiled a little. "You may be royalty, Merndil, even the crown prince of a powerful empire, but you have no more authority than these commoners. It is the Arboreal Maiden whom holds the power."
Merndil tilted his head, not entirely convinced, while Hlapven's face began to redden in anger.
"Before either of you retort, I have to ask you, have you ever committed a crime here? Have you ever witnessed someone else commit a crime?" Diana remembered her experience with Lord Kelly. "It is true that certain actions might be ignored to some degree, I understand that those famous students from the military academy are often forgiven for their brawls so long as they pay for damages, but have you ever seen someone attempt assault or murder?"
"I cannot say I have."
Hlapven remained silent.
"I have, I have been a victim of such an attack even if I was acting in defense of the true victim. One Lord from some territory wanted the son of this establishment's owners to marry his daughter. You would have to see him to understand why, but the boy, Rize, refused his advances every time, culminating in an attempt at kidnapping. He even threatened to kill his mother once she rushed out to defend him. It was only because I happened to be on my way to visit with one of Donovan's subordinates that she avoided death."
Diana extended the length of her breath to let her words sink in.
"When the enforcers arrived they did not take the word of the quarrelling parties into account, taking testimonies only from those 'commoners' in the local area. When I was called to the courts to defend my party, we found that this Lord was making use of his position to harass the judge and jury, even going so far as to pull in a corrupt superior judge to hardline the case in his favor. I will ask you to keep this a secret, but the Arboreal Maiden had taken over the case from the overwhelmed judge, and upon that justice's arrival she had him arrested on the spot. The Lord had all of his assets seized and was banned from entering the Sanctum ever again."
Merndil and Hlapven's eyes both widened in disbelief, Satie bringing her hand up to her both to hid her shocked expression.
"Now, tell me. If his authority meant anything, would he have been exiled? He had only offended a commoner after all, he hadn't even killed anyone. Are you really above anyone else here?"
A moment of almost silence, the group of elders were leaving.
"Of course he is! He is my liege!"
Diana giggled. "Of course, of course, for those who are your subjects or subjects to be you may hold a level of authority. That much should be self-evident. I only felt the need to warn you that you are not above these people, even if your instincts tell you otherwise. They may be commoners, but they are not your commoners. They are subjects of the Sanctum and are to treated as such." Her tone shifted to one of complete seriousness. She didn't want to scare them, but getting Hlapven to pipe down a bit with regards to Manama's inevitable disrespect would make her life easier.
". . . I see. Thank you for your warning, Lady Diana."
"Please, don't worry about it too much. I have found that so long as you maintain a baseline of amicability, most of the Sanctum's residents will address you as you please. Just remember that they are unlikely to know what that title is before they met you."
"Of course, of course."
Pattering from the direction of the kitchen announced Pinishi's return, platter in between her hands.
Four large glasses, three with a slightly translucent bright red liquid, one with water, all trembling as she approached. Pinishi had yet to become strong enough to ferry all of the drinks in a stable manner, but she was getting better.
"Here, here, here, here!" She gave Diana her drink with enthusiasm, evidently believing that she had saved the best for last. "Momma says she will be out soon, but she didn't say how long."
"I'm already here ya silly girl!" Manama poked her head out of the kitchen as she backed out, in her hands a platter of what could only be snack food. "I got some appetizers here, just ta hold ya over while I cook the meal. Cheeses, some meats, and a few fruits. It should be good for the servers to hand out as little nibbles during the party, right?"
She plopped the tray down with some degree of care. It was obvious that she hadn't really had time to put it together, everything being jumbled together in a reasonably organized mess, but it passed the sniff test.
"I will have to taste it to confirm, but that seems like a lovely idea." Merndil wasn't particularly impressed by the visuals, but he had long since come to terms with the fact this food wasn't going to look as nice. Taste was the factor here. "Will preparing these hinder your ability to cook?"
"I could have somebody else prepare 'em, it's just cuttin 'n stackin after all. They'd probably be able ta make 'em look nicer too."
"Indeed they would. . ." Hlapven cautiously picked up a piece of dried meat, inspecting it before putting it in his mouth. He grimaced a bit, it wasn't nearly as soft as he was accustomed to, a little salty for his tastes as well, but he couldn't exactly say it was bad. "It's kind of bland."
"Hm? I can probably whisk up a sauce or two ta dip it in, but it ain't really meant ta be a quality cut. Meat ain't cheap ya know." Manama patted Pinishi on the back, grabbing her attention before pointing to a corner. It was her signal to clean up a bit. This was lull times for the tavern, and the only active customer was someone she had to deal with herself. "That said, I'm willin' ta bring out mah daddy's product for the occasion. You lot ever hearda meatroll?"
Merndil thought for a moment, he had been exposed to all manner of cuisine so it was difficult to determine in a short period of time. "I can't say that I have. Might I be able to ask what it is?"
"I'd tell ya, but I'd like to think you'd better unnerstand the taste. Diana, what'll you be havin?" Manama put a hand on her hip. "Remember, foods always free for you three."
"Thank you Manama, I think I'll be having the meatroll egg and cheese sandwich. If you could cut it in half so I could bring some home to Donovan I would appreciate it."
"Two meatroll egg and cheese sandwiches, gotcha." Diana knew exactly what she was implying by this, she needed nutrition for her future baby and she had no problem cooking another sandwich. "Now, you three. I take it you probably won't want just one dish, so I'll be making a buncha smaller portions of summa our most popular ones. That work for you?"
"That is fine by me."
"Do as you please, just ensure it is of good quality." Hlapven had no aspersions that the food would approach his own high standards, but he could suffer through it for the prince.
"Whadya want tah eat young lass?" Satie remained silent through all of this, judging that it was not her place to speak, but Manama addressed her all the same.
"H-huh?"
"You, what will you be havin? I know yer a servant and all, but I'm cooking free of charge and I don't discriminate. Whadya want?"
Satie froze in panic, unsure of how to respond her eyes naturally went to Merndil. He only nodded.
"I-I'll have a salad."
"Mkay. . . and for drinks? Pini over there said y'all want something ta make ya tipsy."
"I think a sampler of your more expensive alcohols would be for the best. Just pour two shots of each out and have one of your new servers come out and collect a yes or no." Diana vaguely remembered this practice from a bar back on Earth, though she didn't know if it would work the same here. 'Options' probably weren't in as great a supply.
"Mkay, I can do that. Does that work fer you?"
"I think we can manage."
cakeonfrosting Jesus, I forgot how difficult it was to type out southern drawl. If it doesn't match what you think it should be, please ignore it. Use the power of imagination(tm) to 'hear' how it should sound in your head.
A bell jingled as Diana opened the door. She was used to it, it was a feature that most shops on Earth featured in an electronic form, but to those nobles who had never set foot in a commoner's shop were surprised by the tinkling. Their reaction wasn't exaggerated, only a rapid head turn to the source, but it was enough to be embarrassing to have pointed out. She would have to ignore that.
Fortunately the room appeared to be fairly empty, this time of day generally being considered too late for lunch and too early for dinner. There were a few elderly folk gathered around a table in the back corner and what appeared to be an off-duty enforcer at the bar. It wasn't long before Pinishi rounded the counter to greet them.
"Welcome to our tavern, how might I assist you this day?" It was the same rehearsed line from before, she wasn't really old enough to do something other than what Manama told her.
"We would like a table for three, Pinishi. Tell your mother to come out as soon as she can, okay?" Diana crouched and patted the little ragamuffin on the head. "Tell her to wash her hands and face too."
"Okay Princess Diana."
"Diana is fine, Pinishi." Diana did not feel comfortable with the 'princess' attachment, but it hurt to tell the little girl otherwise. She was convinced that Diana was a princess, which wasn't too terribly far from the truth.
"Nu-uh. Momma says I need to call you a respectful name, Princess!" Pinishi had refused to budge on this matter and this matter alone since their first meeting. Considering the current circumstances she couldn't get into an argument with a child, so for now she was to be called princess.
"Well if you are following your mother's advice then I can't tell you to stop. Can we take our seats now?"
"Mhm. Follow me!" Pinishi began to march toward the back of the room. They were to be seated at a table against the back wall. "What would you like for drinks?"
"I'll have the same juice as before, but I haven't a clue what these gentlemen would like." Pinishi pulled out Diana's seat, 'courtesy for a princess' as she put it, but the other three did not receive such treatment, though Satie did make an attempt. This lack of reverence for his position irritated Hlapven a little, but given the fact that Merndil didn't complain he couldn't raise a fuss.
"Little girl-"
"Pinishi!"
"My apologies. Pinishi, what beverages do you have available here?" Merndil was playing the role of gentleman quite well. He wasn't arrogantly affirming his status, responding to the clueless child's assertions with politeness. "I am aware it is quite early, but I was thinking I would like to sample some of your alcoholic beverages."
The quality of alcohol this establishment would be able to provide was of utmost importance. It was one half of a meal, and many would carry around their drinks as they mingled with other. Alcohol, specifically its ability to make merry of a strict individual, was important for 'having fun' at these social gatherings.
"Um, um, mama says I can't carry the alcohol. So I don't know." Pinishi pouted. They were just drinks in her mind, she had no clue why her mother wouldn't let her hold them.
"I see. In that case I will have a juice while we wait for your mother. Hlapven, does this arrangement suit you?"
"I would prefer a water."
"I see. In that case, please bring us three juices and one water." Merndil ordered Satie's drink for her.
"Okay!"
"Pinishi," Diana intercepted the little girl before she left, "make sure it is high quality with no pulp, okay?"
"Okay!!" With that Pinishi scampered back through the kitchen door.
"A charming child, though I do wonder why you permit her to call you a princess." Merndil removed his overcoat due to the tavern's temperature. "You are a queen, are you not?"
"I have a few reasons, one being more personal. I am not yet used to such a title, so 'Princess' is a bit more palatable. It is the reason I insist you refer to me as 'Lady'. My husband to be is very much the same, though he would prefer it if you did not attach a title at all." Merndil nodded along with this. He could understand that sentiment more than most, the weight associated with the title of crown prince was often a hindrance when he felt urgency was needed. Hlapven, on the other hand, was still frowning. "The other big reason is that I have no right to force her."
Diana straightened out her clothing while discretely massaging the right side of her neck. Given how they sat in the classroom, Diana often had to turn her head to talk to Merndil politely. It induced an uncomfortable amount of stress when their conversations went on for longer periods of time.
"What do you mean by that? You are a queen, no? What makes you are unable to force her to address you how you please?" Merndil was curious about Diana. He had learned enough from their conversations to know there was more than she told him, he didn't really have a good feel for her as a person.
"You should simply order the girl! Surely she could not disrespect the wishes of royalty!" Hlapven raised his voice in support of Merndil, seeming to completely forget about keeping a low profile.
"Are you two unaware of the fact you hold no power here?" Diana smiled a little. "You may be royalty, Merndil, even the crown prince of a powerful empire, but you have no more authority than these commoners. It is the Arboreal Maiden whom holds the power."
Merndil tilted his head, not entirely convinced, while Hlapven's face began to redden in anger.
"Before either of you retort, I have to ask you, have you ever committed a crime here? Have you ever witnessed someone else commit a crime?" Diana remembered her experience with Lord Kelly. "It is true that certain actions might be ignored to some degree, I understand that those famous students from the military academy are often forgiven for their brawls so long as they pay for damages, but have you ever seen someone attempt assault or murder?"
"I cannot say I have."
Hlapven remained silent.
"I have, I have been a victim of such an attack even if I was acting in defense of the true victim. One Lord from some territory wanted the son of this establishment's owners to marry his daughter. You would have to see him to understand why, but the boy, Rize, refused his advances every time, culminating in an attempt at kidnapping. He even threatened to kill his mother once she rushed out to defend him. It was only because I happened to be on my way to visit with one of Donovan's subordinates that she avoided death."
Diana extended the length of her breath to let her words sink in.
"When the enforcers arrived they did not take the word of the quarrelling parties into account, taking testimonies only from those 'commoners' in the local area. When I was called to the courts to defend my party, we found that this Lord was making use of his position to harass the judge and jury, even going so far as to pull in a corrupt superior judge to hardline the case in his favor. I will ask you to keep this a secret, but the Arboreal Maiden had taken over the case from the overwhelmed judge, and upon that justice's arrival she had him arrested on the spot. The Lord had all of his assets seized and was banned from entering the Sanctum ever again."
Merndil and Hlapven's eyes both widened in disbelief, Satie bringing her hand up to her both to hid her shocked expression.
"Now, tell me. If his authority meant anything, would he have been exiled? He had only offended a commoner after all, he hadn't even killed anyone. Are you really above anyone else here?"
A moment of almost silence, the group of elders were leaving.
"Of course he is! He is my liege!"
Diana giggled. "Of course, of course, for those who are your subjects or subjects to be you may hold a level of authority. That much should be self-evident. I only felt the need to warn you that you are not above these people, even if your instincts tell you otherwise. They may be commoners, but they are not your commoners. They are subjects of the Sanctum and are to treated as such." Her tone shifted to one of complete seriousness. She didn't want to scare them, but getting Hlapven to pipe down a bit with regards to Manama's inevitable disrespect would make her life easier.
". . . I see. Thank you for your warning, Lady Diana."
"Please, don't worry about it too much. I have found that so long as you maintain a baseline of amicability, most of the Sanctum's residents will address you as you please. Just remember that they are unlikely to know what that title is before they met you."
"Of course, of course."
Pattering from the direction of the kitchen announced Pinishi's return, platter in between her hands.
Four large glasses, three with a slightly translucent bright red liquid, one with water, all trembling as she approached. Pinishi had yet to become strong enough to ferry all of the drinks in a stable manner, but she was getting better.
"Here, here, here, here!" She gave Diana her drink with enthusiasm, evidently believing that she had saved the best for last. "Momma says she will be out soon, but she didn't say how long."
"I'm already here ya silly girl!" Manama poked her head out of the kitchen as she backed out, in her hands a platter of what could only be snack food. "I got some appetizers here, just ta hold ya over while I cook the meal. Cheeses, some meats, and a few fruits. It should be good for the servers to hand out as little nibbles during the party, right?"
She plopped the tray down with some degree of care. It was obvious that she hadn't really had time to put it together, everything being jumbled together in a reasonably organized mess, but it passed the sniff test.
"I will have to taste it to confirm, but that seems like a lovely idea." Merndil wasn't particularly impressed by the visuals, but he had long since come to terms with the fact this food wasn't going to look as nice. Taste was the factor here. "Will preparing these hinder your ability to cook?"
"I could have somebody else prepare 'em, it's just cuttin 'n stackin after all. They'd probably be able ta make 'em look nicer too."
"Indeed they would. . ." Hlapven cautiously picked up a piece of dried meat, inspecting it before putting it in his mouth. He grimaced a bit, it wasn't nearly as soft as he was accustomed to, a little salty for his tastes as well, but he couldn't exactly say it was bad. "It's kind of bland."
"Hm? I can probably whisk up a sauce or two ta dip it in, but it ain't really meant ta be a quality cut. Meat ain't cheap ya know." Manama patted Pinishi on the back, grabbing her attention before pointing to a corner. It was her signal to clean up a bit. This was lull times for the tavern, and the only active customer was someone she had to deal with herself. "That said, I'm willin' ta bring out mah daddy's product for the occasion. You lot ever hearda meatroll?"
Merndil thought for a moment, he had been exposed to all manner of cuisine so it was difficult to determine in a short period of time. "I can't say that I have. Might I be able to ask what it is?"
"I'd tell ya, but I'd like to think you'd better unnerstand the taste. Diana, what'll you be havin?" Manama put a hand on her hip. "Remember, foods always free for you three."
"Thank you Manama, I think I'll be having the meatroll egg and cheese sandwich. If you could cut it in half so I could bring some home to Donovan I would appreciate it."
"Two meatroll egg and cheese sandwiches, gotcha." Diana knew exactly what she was implying by this, she needed nutrition for her future baby and she had no problem cooking another sandwich. "Now, you three. I take it you probably won't want just one dish, so I'll be making a buncha smaller portions of summa our most popular ones. That work for you?"
"That is fine by me."
"Do as you please, just ensure it is of good quality." Hlapven had no aspersions that the food would approach his own high standards, but he could suffer through it for the prince.
"Whadya want tah eat young lass?" Satie remained silent through all of this, judging that it was not her place to speak, but Manama addressed her all the same.
"H-huh?"
"You, what will you be havin? I know yer a servant and all, but I'm cooking free of charge and I don't discriminate. Whadya want?"
Satie froze in panic, unsure of how to respond her eyes naturally went to Merndil. He only nodded.
"I-I'll have a salad."
"Mkay. . . and for drinks? Pini over there said y'all want something ta make ya tipsy."
"I think a sampler of your more expensive alcohols would be for the best. Just pour two shots of each out and have one of your new servers come out and collect a yes or no." Diana vaguely remembered this practice from a bar back on Earth, though she didn't know if it would work the same here. 'Options' probably weren't in as great a supply.
"Mkay, I can do that. Does that work fer you?"
"I think we can manage."
cakeonfrosting Jesus, I forgot how difficult it was to type out southern drawl. If it doesn't match what you think it should be, please ignore it. Use the power of imagination(tm) to 'hear' how it should sound in your head.
