They made small talk about the town's changes and recent events. After a short while, Kael glanced toward the darkening sky. "I should find an inn before they're all full for the night."
"Of course. Safe travels," Marcus said with professional courtesy.
Kael nodded and left a few coins on the table. "Thank you for the meal."
---
Inside the carriage, the rhythmic clatter of wheels on cobblestone provided a steady backdrop to the conversation between Princess Lyra and her maid, Elena. The interior was dimly lit by a single enchanted crystal, casting soft shadows across the princess's composed features.
"Your Highness," Elena ventured carefully, her hands folded in her lap, "forgive me for asking, but why didn't you push him further? Offer him a reward, perhaps, to reveal the location of this mineral deposit? Surely a former guard could use the coin."
Lyra gazed out the small window, watching the darkened buildings roll past. "That would have been terribly rude, Elena. It would be like demanding to know where he hides his personal savings. Some information isn't meant to be bought—it must be earned."
"But Your Highness, think of the opportunity—"
"Patience," the princess said gently, turning to face her maid. "Patience is a virtue that serves far better than haste. You see, I'm not particularly interested in making more money. The royal treasury hardly lacks for funds."
Elena looked puzzled. "Then why pursue this at all?"
"What I need is Kael's trust. Without it, he won't truly cooperate, and cooperation built on coercion crumbles at the first sign of trouble." Lyra's voice carried the weight of experience beyond her years. "Mining operations require enormous investments, Elena. The initial surveys alone cost a fortune, and that's before a single ounce of ore is extracted from the ground. The logistics, the equipment, the labor—it's a massive undertaking."
She paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing. "Eventually, Kael will realize he needs backing for such an enterprise. He'll need resources, connections, and protection that only someone of my position can provide. And when that time comes, he'll approach me not because I forced his hand, but because partnership serves both our interests."
A small smile played at the corners of the princess's mouth. "Trust, once given freely, is worth far more than any secret bought with gold."
---
The inn Kael chose was modest but clean. After settling into his room, he ordered a meal he'd never indulged in before—roasted pheasant with fine wine instead of his usual cheap stew and ale.
As he ate, Kael found himself thinking about Princess Lyra. She wasn't what he'd expected from royalty. Most nobles he'd encountered were either arrogant or naive, but she possessed a sharp intelligence that reminded him more of seasoned merchants than pampered aristocrats. The way she'd spoken about patience and long-term thinking suggested someone who understood the world beyond palace walls.
More intriguingly, she seemed genuinely interested in partnership rather than simply buying his compliance. That approach spoke to a level of respect he rarely experienced from those above his station.
Later, lying in bed, Kael reflected on his original plan to resume his adventurer's license and live simply. But the conversation had stirred an old dream—leading his own mercenary company. A band loyal to each other rather than crowns, taking contracts that mattered.
Perhaps his encounter with the princess wasn't a complication, but an opportunity. With the right partnerships, his mercenary company might not remain a dream much longer.
As sleep claimed him, Kael felt something he hadn't experienced in years: genuine excitement for tomorrow.