The streets were busier now, the midday crowd filling the cobblestones. Emilia navigated the flow with ease, occasionally glancing back to make sure Heron hadn't stopped to gawk at something. He did, frequently.
"Would you stop already? People keep staring at me, dragging you along." Emilia complained.
"Sorry, it is the first day I'm actually seeing all things properly. Novelty will wear off, I promise." Heron laughed off her response.
A thought crossed Heron's mind. Since Haugstad burned down and his time at Draksvik, he couldn't count on his fingers the times he had fun. And maybe it was because he felt safe walking with Emilia, but he realized he was enjoying this casual walk.
They turned down a narrower street where the buildings pressed closer together, their upper floors nearly touching overhead. The smell of cooking meat and spices grew stronger.
"Here," Emilia said, stopping in front of a small establishment with faded blue shutters. A painted sign showed a steaming bowl and the words Mira's Kitchen in neat script. "Best lamb stew in this part of the city. And more importantly, they won't clean out your pouch with pricing."
Inside, the space was cramped but clean. A handful of wooden tables filled the room, most occupied by workers on their lunch break. Behind a counter, a heavyset woman with flour-dusted hands looked up and smiled.
"Emilia! Haven't seen you in a few days." The woman replied with a warm voice. "Your usual?"
"Please. And another bowl for my friend here." Emilia slid onto a bench by the window. "He's new to the city. Needs some proper food. He praised my cooking as if it were a royal feast. Can't wait to hear what he'll say about yours."
"Your cooking is great! I'm still upset Marcus snatched you for his place," the woman laughed. "But my stew is second to none. Sit, sit. I'll bring it out."
"Can't wait to see your reaction to Mira's cooking," Emilia grinned. They went to find a table to sit at. Heron settled across from Emilia, the bench creaking under his weight. He looked out of a small window at people just passing by.
"You know it's rude," Emilia said.
"What is?"
"Looking away. You know, even though I'm your nanny, there would be quite a few guys who would be happy to be in my company."
Heron's face flushed as he turned back to face her. "I wasn't—I mean, I am happy. To be in your company, I mean." He fumbled with his words, making it worse.
Emilia chuckled. "Relax. I am just joking. Have you never gone out to a meal with a girl?"
"I have not," Heron replied, feeling ashamed.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean it as a bad thing." Emilia tried to play down her tease.
Luckily for her, Mira came with two steaming bowls. The stew was thick, chunks of lamb and vegetables in a dark broth that smelled of herbs Heron couldn't name.
"Have a good meal," the woman said, smiling at Heron. "And I want your honest feedback. I know you have stews in the villages too, but spices for this come from the lands of Tuska. So exotic tastes you won't find here."
Emilia was already eating, using a piece of bread to soak up the broth. Heron took his first bite and had to stop himself from making an embarrassing sound.
"Good, right?" Emilia grinned. "Told you."
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. The stew was easily the best thing Heron had tasted since arriving in Jamtara, better even than the tavern breakfast. The meat was tender, the vegetables soft but not mushy, and the broth had a richness that spoke of hours of slow cooking. But also, he was reminded a bit of Martina's cooking.
"So," Emilia said after a few more bites, "I've been meaning to ask you since you talked about your encounter with city bullies, but where did you get the pendant?"
"My father left it in my care," Heron said. "Before he ran away, he said to keep it as a means to get citizens to see me as an equal. Guess today's event proved his point. However, it is a good thing that the guard didn't ask for my papers. That would have been the end. It didn't occur to me at the time, so I didn't start panicking."
Emilia laughed. "I was right calling you an idiot."
"Hey, I'm not an idiot. I told you, there are some things you can't just do nothing about. Though I did learn my lesson about choosing my battles."
"Well, I'm glad you made it out safe. Also, if your father was a citizen, why didn't you go and live in the city?"
"It's a bit of a long story." Heron sighed. "But I can tell you if you want to hear about it."
"Sure, but let's do it another time. I see you are getting bummed thinking about it, and I wanted us to have a good time. So once we wrap up, how about we head over to the Cathedral of Creation?"
"Can we visit that place?"
"Sure, it is the temple of Creators. Citizen or villager, all worship the same gods, so the church welcomes all who wish to say their prayers… And take a coin out of your pocket for an entry fee." She chuckled at that last remark.
"Yeah, let's visit it then," Heron said with a smile.
They finished off their meal.
"Bye, Mira," they said their goodbyes to their host as they headed out to the cathedral.
The Cathedral of Creation dominated the skyline as they approached. White stone spires reached toward the barrier of crosses above, their carved surfaces catching the afternoon light.
Heron stopped walking, staring upward.
"And we're back to gawking. And you were doing so well, keeping up with me," Emilia said, but her tone was fond. "Come on. The inside's even better."
She started up the broad stone steps. Heron followed, trying not to look out of place, as clergy in white robes and well-dressed citizens moved past them through the massive bronze doors.
"Try to look less terrified," Emilia added over her shoulder. "It's just a building."
"A massive building," Heron muttered.
"Fair point."