Dragon Thief Box Set

Chapter 13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

I noticed a few bits of graffiti here and there that had tried to be scrubbed clean, but the faded letters still stood out. There were some variations of the words ‘Long Live the Prince of Thieves.’

“So, who’s this prince of thieves?” I inquired of my guide.

“The Dragon Thief,” he told me as he, too, studied the scrubbed words. “The soldiers dislike any appreciation for his antics, but his supporters ensure their paints are stronger than most abrasive brushes.”

“What’s he do exactly?” I wondered as I pressed the broom closer to myself.

Castle lifted a teasing eyebrow. “You don’t fear the Thief, do you?”

I grinned. “That depends on if he wants something I have.”

My guide dropped his eyes to the object in my hands. “Try not to hold the broom as though it’s worth a fortune. A thief would spot your demeanor and recognize that you’re holding something valuable.”

I snorted. “You sound like you’ve learned a lot from your thief friend.”

Some of his humor fell as he pressed a finger against his lips. “Mind your words, Miss Lucas. There are ears everywhere.”

I winced. “Sorry. I’m not used to all this, um, soft talk.”

He offered me a smile. “You’ll get used to it. In the meantime, may I present to you the Plaza.”

I was so distracted by our conversation that I didn’t notice that we’d arrived at our destination. The road reached the low wall and a world of commerce opened to us. There were hundreds of stalls with tens of thousands of wares, all arranged in long rows that stretched from left to right. The narrow aisles between the stalls were packed with wives, tourists, the occasional wealthy aristocrat, and a few soldiers, all joined in a slow but steady flow up and down the avenues. A few aisles crisscrossed the lengthy paths, creating blocks of leather canvases.

The noise was a cacophony of trade, gossip, and animal complaints. Proprietors shouted their wares to the heavens in the hope that some god of fortune would bring them a customer. Locals thronged together in small groups and chatted away. The husbandry section was occupied by goats, sheep, pigs, and horses, all of whom made their displeasure known to the world.

A world of smells invaded my nostrils. There was the lush aroma of flowers and the bitter scent of herbs. The husbandry area played a part, here, too, in the odors offered by the animals.

I looked wide-eyed at my companion. “So, uh, where do we start?”

He smiled down at me. “The Order of Florists. You won’t see a greater variety of flowers than is what’s offered here.”

A question popped into my mind as he led us down one of the lesser thoroughfares. “So, there’s a method to this madness?”

He chuckled. “Of course. If the flower stalls were placed too close to the husbandry then their plants would wilt. A former emperor did try to rearrange the stalls once, in the name of convenience, but the people threatened a revolt, and they were returned to their former spots.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Doesn’t sound very convenient.”

“Only for himself. He positioned all his favorite stalls in the aisle closest to the castle.”

“And those were which ones?”

“The sweets stands.”

A snort escaped me as I imagined the hordes of townsfolk with pitchforks marching up to the castle shouting candied curses at their king. “So, there was a mutiny because of a sweet tooth?”

“In a word, yes, but we’re coming upon the flower stalls.

My nose told me before my eyes. A sweet scent of lovely flowers wafted over my nostrils, and I took in the tangy flavor. Big mistake. More scents crowded around me, each vying for room inside my nose. As we rounded the corner at an intersection I could see why.

Dozens and dozens of stalls lined both sides of the aisle, and they all featured every assortment of flora I could imagine, and then some. There were petunias and roses tucked beside mums and germaniums. Many I didn’t even recognize, like a square-shaped concoction with bright purple petals and a snowy white pistil. The flowers were arranged in vases, troughs, baskets, and even short wooden barrels.

“Wow,” I breathed, mindful not to let too many smells invade my nose. “Do all these grow around the city?”

Castle shook his head. “No more than half. The rest are imported in specially designed casks and baskets, while others are artificially grown in caves along the coast to mimic their natural habitats.”

He guided me through the tropical forest of sweet smells and colorful petals. The florists were mostly women, and many of them had bright smiles on their faces as they tried to thrust bouquets up my nose.

“A beautiful bunch of flowers for a beautiful lady?” one of them cooed.

“Purple becomes you! The color of royalty is in your cheeks!”

Another woman, one older and shorter than the rest, tried a different tactic as she pushed a full basket into Castle’s unwilling arms. “Will the gentleman not treat his lady friend? All the colors become her, and your mother would approve of you granting a small boon to such a lovely companion.”

Castle stumbled back a bit from the force and was forced to take the basket in his hands. “You have a way with words, grandmother. I will buy your flowers.” The other florists’ faces were crestfallen, and they shuffled back to their stalls.

The lucky vendor chuckled. “In this business, you must have a tongue as sweet as honey and as sharp as knives, Yer Lordship.” She leaned in close and gave him a wink. “And it helps to know the mothers of the wealthy young gentleman.”

He nodded. “It helps a great deal.”

The wizened old woman’s attention fell on me. “Your lass here has a rather strange air about her, Me Lord. She’s not from here, is she?”

Castle half-turned to me and studied my face. “No, grandmother. She’s a… visitor.” There was a touch of regret in his words that I couldn’t help but notice.

The old grandmother squinted one eye at me before she swatted Castle’s arm. “Then what are you doing standing around here?” She waved her hand in the direction of the other aisles. “Go out and show her our fine city! Go on! Shoo!”

Castle looked down at his new purchase. “But the flowers-”

The old vendor snatched them from him and gave him the evil eye. “I will be here waiting for you when you have a mind to go home. Now go on! Show this pretty woman a good time!”

Castle smiled and bowed at the waist to her. “As you command, grandmother.” He turned to me and offered me his arm. “Shall we?”

“How could we refuse?” I teased as I accepted his arm.

We left the sweet scents and meandered our way through the tight but flowing crowds. I leaned forward slightly and caught my guide’s eye. “You two sound like you have a history.”

He chuckled. “She was my nursemaid from the time I was born up to my coming-of-age ceremony.”

I cast a mischievous look at him. “So, she knows all the dirty secrets?”

The genteel man grinned. “If she had an idle tongue she would ruin me, at least if she spoke to all the stall owners from whom I ‘borrowed’ a grape. The family coffers would be drained in a week.”

I glanced over my shoulder at the retreating figure. The old woman had scooted behind her stall and tucked the basket away. “So, what’s she doing here selling flowers?”

“Her retirement dream,” he explained as we ventured into the food section of the plaza. “She purchased a plot of land outside the city and now grows flowers to entertain herself in her old age, though to be honest I believe she enjoys the idle gossip more than the weeding. And speaking of weeding, we must weed out our options.” By this time, we had arrived at an intersection. Left and right led to more food while forward ventured closer to the stalls. “What would you like to see?”

I scoured the area before I caught sight of some intriguing animals ahead of us. “That way.”

Castle’s good humor faltered a little. “Your wish is my command, but I feel I must warn you to keep your hands to yourself.”

I blinked at him. “Why?”

“Otherwise, you may lose them.”

My face drooped as my imagination ran away with itself. None of the images inspired courage.

“Did you still wish to go?”

I steadied my chin and tucked my free hand against my side. “Lead the way.”