The officials walked out of the restaurant, and their leader extended his hand to Orja, who firmly shook it.
"We are all done. Thank you for your patience."
"Of course. We serve at the King's pleasure," Orja replied kindly.
The other officials kept their eyes locked on Demo and Ten. Both made sure to face forward, avoiding eye contact. When the handshake was finished, the officials took their leave.
Orja glanced back at the restaurant. He knew they couldn't talk inside. But he didn't trust these two strangers enough to bring them to his home either. They might be allies, but it was still too unclear. There was only one option left.
"You must be tired from your long journey and this walk. I'll bring you back to the castle."
Demo and Ten both looked at him with disgust, remembering the filthy room they had been given before. Ten was the first to speak up.
"No, you ain't. We are not staying in that room."
Orja's eyes widened in shock. It was as if they didn't realize that rejecting the King's hospitality was the same as rejecting his authority. The people around them began glaring again, whispering under their breath.
Who brought these two here without teaching them the ways of this world?
Back in the castle, Cleus sneezed.
Orja sighed. He needed to get Demo and Ten off the streets and away from prying eyes.
"I understand. I will bring you to a hotel instead."
He guided them to a fancy-looking building. Demo looked around skeptically.
"Shouldn't a hotel have, like, guests or something? This place looks empty."
Orja frowned.
"Yes. Due to recent events, the capital closed its borders. No visitors were allowed in. We are still under lockdown."
Demo nodded, and the three reached the front desk. Behind it stood a wiry man with sharp eyes that never blinked. His body trembled constantly. Just looking at him made Demo and Ten uneasy, though Orja seemed used to it.
"Hami, you old dog. How you been?"
Hami's trembling lips pulled into a crooked smile.
"Orja, Orja, Orja, Orja, Orja. Welcomeeeeee."
Then his head quickly snapped toward Demo and Ten.
"Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. Customersssss. These are our rooms."
He slid a menu of room options across the desk.
"Which, which, which, which, which oneeeeeeee, would you like?"
Demo and Ten exchanged a look, then both turned to Orja. Demo leaned in and whispered something.
When Orja heard it, he covered his face with one hand.
"Dude."
Hami tilted his head, confused. Orja smiled awkwardly.
"They just arrived, and they don't have any money."
Hami's head quickly twisted again as he examined Demo and Ten.
"Well, well, well, well, well we accept gooooooooooold."
Ten did some quick math in his head, then pointed to the most expensive room on the menu.
"We'll take two of these. And please make sure they're cleaned."
Orja and Hami both stared at him. Ten grinned.
"I just remembered. We have some gold on the ship. We'll just go get it and come back."
Hami clapped his hands together.
"We, we, we, we, we will prepare your roooooooooooom. While we wait."
As they turned to leave, Orja, Demo, and Ten made their way back toward the castle. Before they could get far, a group of soldiers surrounded them.
Demo stayed calm, but Ten began to panic. Orja immediately dropped to one knee.
From behind the soldiers, a woman stepped forward, the same woman who had stood beside the King earlier.
Ignoring Orja, she addressed Demo and Ten directly.
"Are you the honored guests who arrived with Prince Cleus?"
Demo gave her a suspicious look.
"Maybe we did, maybe we didn't. Anything else?"
He walked over to Orja and lifted him back to his feet. Orja resisted, but Demo's strength made it pointless.
"No, they will punish me," Orja whispered.
Demo smiled. "Nah. They won't touch you."
Orja froze, glancing at the soldiers and the aide. Rage flashed across their faces. The woman's expression twitched, but she quickly regained control.
Ten stepped forward to diffuse the tension.
"We were on our way back to the castle. Is there a problem?"
The aide smiled politely.
"No, there is no problem. We simply came to escort you back and ensure your comfort."
Demo looked at her. "We found our own. You can go back."
The aide stayed composed, but the soldiers' posture grew tense.
"I am sorry you felt compelled to find your own accommodation. But the King's hospitality is unmatched. You will dine on the finest food and sleep in the most luxurious rooms."
Demo turned to Orja.
"Does 'no' mean something else in this place?"
Orja could barely speak. His face was pale with panic as he looked around.
Demo faced the aide again.
"We just need something from our ship. Then we'll come back here."
The aide's face twitched with barely contained rage as she forced a smile.
"Then please, allow us to escort you."
Demo shrugged and glanced toward the castle.
"If you must."
He began walking.
The aide and soldiers stood frozen for a moment, struggling to contain their fury. Onlookers whispered in disbelief. Orja followed, his heart pounding, certain that this was how he would die.
Chapter 90 fin