The King's Court

V

"This is unbearably pathetic," muttered Leon as we walked down the busy street. "This is way on the further side of my artistic apperance, Nikolas. Remind me why we're doing this again?"

"We're still getting strange looks, Your Majes-- I mean Nikolas." 

I gave them both a look. "At least they're looking at us like they would a beggar. If we sauntered these streets with our clothes and your magnificent sword, Roylan, we would be arrested in no time. You don't see guards out here flaunting their swords, do you? They would see us as a threat." 

"So you opted to tear our magnificent clothing into shreds like this?" 

I ignored Leon and we passed by a busy...establishment. The lights coming from the front of the building were blinding. It varied from colors blue, red, yellow, green, and all other colors I could not identify. 

Next to the building's entrance are huge men and in front of them is a long queue of people. I heard Roylan hitch a breath. I would have had the same reaction if I hadn't mastered the art of masking my real expression. 

The women...they are wearing clothes that barely covered their skin. Not only one but most of them were flaunting most parts of their body that would have made the residents of Visaris faint.

I heard Leon whistle and I gave him a dry look.

"What? They look dashing." 

"They do but we're not here for that. We need to find Evelyn as soon as possible. Hurry, Roy." 

Where Roy was standing earlier, there was no sign of him anymore.

"Please, I must not--"

"Oh, come on. Masyado ka namang seryoso. We can give you a makeover. You look really dashing, though. Why are you wandering the streets? Sumama ka kaya sa amin?"

I heard his voice and a couple of women's voices not too far from us. Leon and I both looked at where it was coming from and I could have sworn my brows almost went up to my hairline from what I was seeing. 

Roylan, the notable Captain of the Guards, is blushing profusely as he was surrounded by women in scanty clothing. One was holding his arm and the other was trying to fix what was left of his clothes. 

"Ilang taon ka nang palaboy-laboy?" asked one of the women. 

Well, at least our undertaking to be a homeless person was quite effective. Do people here normally approach homeless people like this?

"Look at this bastard," Leon muttered.

"Get him back here, Leon."

Leon looked gave me an incredulous look. "Why me? Have you not realized that the only thing that's stopping him from murdering me is your presence? You go get him yourself." 

"Are you defying your King's orders?"

"Oh, I clearly remembered we are under the agreement not to treat you as the King you are--"

"Hey, bad boys," said a voice that made me and Leon turn. 

For the love of Visaris, why are these women wearing these scanty clothes? Is this what women wear here? 

But then a thought came to mind. A thought that just popped out of nowhere. Does Evelyn wear these kinds of clothes too? 

I swallowed hard when the image formed vividly inside my head. 

What the heck, Nikolas? Since when have you become a pervert—

"Are you both lost? Foreigners? What happened to your clothes?"