A new place and a new boss.

The rest of the journey to Mirantia’s capital was tense. Ignacio had been regarding Alan with quiet contempt—no doubt because of the young man’s intrusion at the brothel. Fortunately, Henry and Karl had been well-rested and sober the next day, so Ignacio’s wroth was tempered.
 They crossed into Mirantia over the main mountain pass, guarded by an impressive fortress. The guardsmen stopped them briefly, but they were soon waved through. The path to the Mirantian Capital was pleasant—idyllic would describe it, like no peasant had any worry in the world. Every village they passed they were greeted by cheerful folk—not even they could compel Ignacio to a faint smile.
 The road reached the edge of the King’s Forest and they saw the capital in the distance. It was a magnificent sight, a splendid castle perched on a natural rockface in the middle of the city, a tall wall of white stone was protecting the countless houses that had been built around the castle.
 The streets were filled with people going about their business, merchants plying their wares, errand boys running from one corner to the next, horse-drawn carts loading off their cargo. Eventually, their coach arrived at a tall building not far from the approach to the castle proper. It was draped in the colours of Obscuria—purple and black. They reached a small courtyard.
 ‘This is the Obscurian mission, Alan. You will meet with the ambassador and she will instruct you how to proceed further,’ the magistrate said with finality.
 Leaving their carriage behind, Alan, Luna and Ignacio made their way inside the building. It was lavishly decorated with intricate carvings and tapestries. Paintings and busts depicted several people along the hallways, probably the former ambassadors—all of them were female. The guards regarded them with trained eye but did not stop them at any point.
 Tall double doors lay before them and Ignacio instructed him, ‘Be respectful and only speak when spoken to, boy.’
 A fire-haired woman of maybe thirty years was sitting at her desk, looking over some documents with troubled brow. She looked up from her work at the intrusion. ‘Ignacio,’ she nearly spat his name, ‘What crimes did I commit to be punished with your presence?’
 Alan was surprised at her candour, he could not fault her sentiment, though.
 ‘It was not my choice either, but duty calls as always,’ he growled back at her. He produced a sealed letter from his coat and handed it to her. ‘This is Alan, King Malcolm’s nephew. He’ll be assisting you from now on. The details are written in here,’ he informed her. ‘If there is nothing else I’ll leave you to it.’
 The woman regarded the letter and waved her hand at Ignacio dismissively, not even looking up at the man. He turned on his heel and left the room with a brisk pace. Alan was left standing there, waiting for her to speak to him. Several minutes passed as she read the letter carefully. She let out a hum, signalling she was done reading. She looked up at the young man, freckles dusted her cheeks and nose and her eyes were a brilliant blue.
 ‘So, you’ll be my new assistant, huh?’ she started, ‘Welcome. We don’t normally hire amateurs, but you’re a special case—given your familial ties.’ She stood and stepped around her desk towards Alan. She was tall, he had to look slightly up to meet her eyes. Her height wasn’t the only thing extraordinary about her, she wore a revealing dress that showed ample cleavage, revealing her freckled, milky skin.
 ‘I am Maria Hortensia Magdalena Ruthenia von Felsenstadt, Countess of Felsenstadt and Obscurian ambassadoress to Mirantia. My friends call me Maria—you may call me Ms von Felsenstadt.’ She held out her hand for him to kiss, ‘A pleasure to meet you, young Alan.’
 He took the hint and kissed her ring and bowed as he was taught when he was still a boy, ‘The pleasure is all mine, Ms von Felsenstadt.’
 ‘They taught you some manners I see. Good, I like disciplined men,’ she nodded, ‘Now, to the task at hand: How much do you know about the current state of affairs?’
 ‘Only what Ignacio told me on the road, I’m afraid,’ Alan admitted.
 ‘That won’t do. I’m sure it’s all hopelessly flawed information—outdated at the very least,’ she sighed. ‘We’ll have to get you up to speed before we arrange an audience with the King.’

Maria spent the better part of the day instructing Alan on everything she thought important. She was a diligent and surprisingly patient teacher and by the end, Alan had a much better understanding of the current altercation between the two nations. But a lot of work made hungry and they settled down to have dinner.