A bell was rung, and the party slowly moved inside to a large dining room. Dominic was seated toward the end of the table, across from a man in green robes with feathers on them, and a witch that smelled like medicine and strong liquor.
The seat next to his was empty when he arrived, as was the seat at the foot of the table, which presumably was reserved for whichever noble was unlucky enough to end up at the tradespeople’s end of the table.
Dominic had no idea how such functions worked, but when Pops was escorted to the seat next to him, leaving only the foot of the table open, he began to relax.
"It’s good to see you again. I would have ended up at the forge if the Princess hadn’t found me on the way into town."
"The neighbours have instructions to send you here if they see you. I’ll let them know tomorrow that you made it home safe. How was your first trip as a smith?" He asked, smiling beneath his thick beard.
"Other than being attacked by Goblins constantly, even when having breakfast at the local Crusader’s family farm? Not bad. I learned a few useful things about the steam carriages that I didn’t know before." Dominic replied with a smile.
The Witch nodded in agreement, while the man with the feathers only looked concerned.
"Attacks you say? The animals spoke of unrest. Perhaps it will reach here soon." He commented.
Dominic nodded noncommittally. If he didn’t already know the city was under attack, there was no point in telling him now.
The old witch gave him a motherly smile. "I remember my first trip outside my home Coven. We got rained on for ten straight days, and when we got to the village that was supposed to be buying our medicine, the river had broken its banks and the whole place was flooded.
Ten days. Ten whole days we walked to bring medicine to a town that didn’t even exist anymore. But lucky for us, the refugees brought the same sickness to the next town over, and they still needed the potions."
The oversized chair at the foot of the table was pulled out, and an aging Noble with scars all over his hands and face from a lifetime of combat took his seat.
Pops cleared his throat. "General Fox, I would like to introduce my apprentice, Dominic Wavemates."
The old soldier smiled at Dominic. "I know, I have been hearing his name all day. First on the battlefield, then in the common district, where the word is that he has captured as many as three young Princesses hearts, and then in the garden, where word of Princess Alexis’ new Sorcerer that can craft magical weapons is the talk of the nobility.
What do you think of the fine rumours that have started around you, Young Master Dominic Wavemates?"
"At least ten percent of that is true, Lord General Fox." Dominic replied formally.
The drunk witch cackled with laughter, tears running down her face, and the feathered man rolled his eyes.
"He might be a good match for that oddball of a Princess. He is a Wavemates." The man snorted with derision, subtly mocking Dominic’s presumed connection to the fallen Royal Family of Wavemates.
"Come now, Oracle. She’s not such an odd one for not wanting to get married early. How old were you when you first got married?" The General asked, and the man pointedly ignored his question.
Dominic took that as him being a lifelong bachelor, so he kept his opinions to himself and decided to chat with the General instead.
"General Fox, surely the gossip can’t have assumed that a man they saw for the first time was the Princess’ new consort after they found out that I was the Royal Smith’s apprentice." Dominic asked.
"You must be new to the boredom and petty intrigue of Palace life. I assure you, should the Princess not dissuade them of the notion, there will be complaints by the end of the month that she has not set the date for an engagement party.
If you were from a known Noble Family, they would have assumed that the engagement was already formalized by the time that you stepped out of her carriage in the courtyard."
Pops patted Dominic on the shoulder. "Welcome to Palace life. It only gets more chaotic after this."
The meal was served, or at least the first course was served. Dominic looked at it in concern for a moment, as it seemed to be nothing but a small cube of steak with a leaf on top, but the others chatted happily as they slowly ate, and then the plate was taken away, and more food replaced it.
That process repeated six times, until finally a dessert came out, and the mood in the room changed. Dominic took that to mean that the meal was nearly over, as the guests seemed to be getting ready to go home.
"So, is it time to head to the forge and see the rooms I’ve been assigned for the Intake Trials?" Dominic asked Pops after the two across the table from them had left.
"The forge? Oh, are you in for a shock. The Royal Forges are used by ALL of our smiths and metalworkers, nobody lives in them. Your room is somewhat closer than that." The General laughed.
Pops got to his feet and pulled back Dominic’s chair for him, while the General straightened his coat.
"I will escort you, as the Princess seems a bit preoccupied." He teased.
"I suspect that having the Princess in my personal rooms might be a bit more scandal than the Royal Family is ready to deal with today." Dominic laughed.
Pops snorted in amusement and shook his head. "There is much worse going around the scandal mill every day, most of it untrue.
Just the other day, there was a rumour that one of the Arcane Academy Precepts had been buying his grades from the headmaster. If it were true, both of them would have been ejected from the Academy and banned from the city.
A Princess dating a Sorcerer is a small thing in comparison. In fact, it’s not even unlawful."
The walk down the halls was a short one, and then the General indicated a room to their right. "These are the rooms for the Royal Weaponsmith. I will accompany you in if you don’t mind. I am looking forward to your expression."
Pops opened the door, and a luxurious sitting room, complete with a small library and a drafting table, appeared in front of Dominic’s eyes. It was incredible, a single room with more knowledge than he had ever hoped to see at once.
"The dining room is to the right. The Master Smith’s rooms are to the left, four rooms in total, each with their own ensuite facilities, in case he has a large family.
Then, if we head through the hallway, straight ahead is the servant’s corridor to the Kitchens, and here is the cleaning supplies closet, and finally, the Apprentice quarters. Fully soundproofed, for the days that your tasks take you late into the night to complete."
The General explained the layout as he led the way down the narrow corridor, carved from well polished stone, but completely bare of ornamentation, unlike the opulent main room.
The room was four metres by six, simple, with a bed along one wall. His Inventory Cube had been set on top of the blanket, and a simple chest sat at the foot for personal belongings. The rest of the room consisted of a small magical forge, a workbench with a collection of dusty tools, and a small door that seemed to lead to a water closet and shower.
"Not bad at all. It’s got its own forge and shower. Plus, my room is nearly as large as the front store at the old forge. We’re moving up in the world, Pops." Dominic laughed.
The General smiled at his excited expression. "Now that’s what I was hoping for. Not jaded by the world. Just wait until he finds out that the Royal Smiths, even the Apprentices, have access to Uncommon Magical Weapon recipes.
If you’re lucky, you might even score an armour recipe from the new armourer’s apprentice. They usually like to trade so that they can diversify their skills.
You’re still a probationary apprentice until you can pass the intake, but as the Royal Weaponsmith’s existing apprentice, you get all the privileges of a Royal Apprentice in advance."
"Maybe living in a palace isn’t all that bad. There are all sorts of chances to learn, and it even smells better here than it does in most of the city." Dominic agreed.
"There are no coal-fired vehicles allowed within the Palace confines, and that helps a lot. But the smithy will still have plenty, since the soot is needed, or so I’m told." The General explained.
"That’s fine, the smithy always smells better than the outside world."
Pops shook the General’s hand, and the older man turned to leave.
"You’ve got an interesting one there, Pops. Take good care of him."