She was not pleased.

Evelyn stood up to face the buxom waitress, though she stood nearly a head shorter than the blonde.
‘Curious, I don’t recall you being one of the “working” girls, Julia. You are to wait tables, not to get friendly with the customers,’ she spat with venom.

Julia’s mouth stood agape.
‘You little—I am not whoring myself! I just wanted to have a chat with the young man here,’ she said, her arms crossed in front of her bust. Evelyn had always had an uncanny talent to get under Julia’s skin.

The dark-haired girl’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits and she let out a dissatisfied breath.
‘Fine, have it your way, darling. Just don’t come crying to me if you get fired,’ she snarled.
Turning to Alan, she made her best seductive smile.
‘Should you tire of her company, come see me, honey. You won’t regret it,’ she cooed with a wink, while running her fingers between her cleavage.

Julia gestured to shoo her away.
‘Clear out, Eve. There are plenty of dicks aching for your attention elsewhere,’ she said.

Alan was speechless during their altercation. Where there really two beautiful girls fighting for his company? Maybe it was some routine they did to please patrons?
‘You don’t get along, I reckon?’ he asked tentatively.

Julia took the cue and sat down on the seat beside Alan.
‘O, don’t mind her, she’s just mad I could get the attention of a cute guy before her for once,’ she said with a laugh.

Alan looked to Evelyn as she made her way around the room once more. She could not move more than one table before she was stopped to talk or slapped on the arse. Alan turned to Julia and smiled at her.
‘I’m sure she’ll get over it pretty quickly,’ he said.

Julia giggled and brushed a strand of hair to her ear.
‘So, what brings you here?’ she asked, genuinely curious.

The young man told her as much as he dared to say. He left out some of the details, like his father being a traitor to the Mirantian crown or the specifics of his mission. But was truthful about the hardships and the bad company, trying to elicit some sympathy from the girl.

‘Quite the quest you are on, huh? And very exhausting,’ she said, ‘You deserve some rest.’
She leaned in closer to him and placed her hand on his knee.
‘How about you get a room and we meet upstairs. We can get to know each other even better,’ she whispered hoarsely.

Alan’s mind was racing. This is it! This beautiful vixen he had just met wanted to lie with him. Catrina was so right, he should’ve snuck out of the villa and done this years ago.
His throat dried, and he could only let out a croak.
‘Y—Yes, I’ll get right on it,’ he said.

He nearly sprang up from his seat and made his way to the keeper’s counter.
He quickly exchanged greetings with the keeper and arranged a room for the night, along with a hot bath—he certainly needed one after all the time on the road.

Meanwhile, at the stables adjoining the inn.

Karl and Henry were feeding and watering the coach’s horses and chatting amongst each other.

‘This is bullshit. We are right next to a whorehouse and we are stuck here tending these damn horses!’ Henry complained.

‘Relax, once they’re settled in for the night, we can go in and have our fun,’ Karl assured him, ‘Ignacio won’t know.’

‘Fuck that bloody cunt! Did you see him? That smug smirk every time we had to clear some damn tree or push through heavy mud? He’s a sadistic bastard, I tell you! At least that boy, Alan, helped when he could,’ Henry said.

‘Don’t let him hear you say it. Rumour has it the guy has special appetites and he likes to punish with the whip or worse. I pity the girl he hired tonight,’ Karl shuddered at the thought.

‘Magistrates—they fucking think they’re above us all. May they all die and rot for all I care. He’ll fall off that high horse one day, mark my words. And I’ll be there to stomp him when he’s on the ground!’ Henry seethed with anger.

‘Let’s just keep a low profile, mate. We get his arseholiness and the boy to the capital and be rid of them—I’d rather ferry rabid dogs than that man,’ Karl tried to temper his colleague.

‘Yes, yes, you are right. No point losing your head over that bastard, eh?’ Henry agreed.