Oathbreaker

XI: The King and his Men

Knock knock knock.

"Master Helas?" A high pitched voice called from outside the hallway.

Knock knock knock knock.

"Master Helas, are you awake?" The voice called. Jerod sat up in his bed, yawning and blinking the sleep from his eyes. The incessant knocking continued. He slowly stumbled from the lavish bed and made his way to the room's door. He twisted the heavy knob and pulled open the door to see a small man dressed in royal garb, standing in front of his door. As they made eye contact, the door to the right of the swung open as well, and out walked a half dressed Gerold, not quite finished sleeping off the night before. The man looked at the two Helas's with a confused face, then he looked down at a parchment he held in his hand.

"Ahh, Master Jerod Helas?" The man asked, Jerod stepped forward out of his doorway. Gerold rolled his eyes and stomped back into his room, slamming the door behind him. The small man chuckled, then pulled a measuring tape from his pocket.

"Master Helas, by decree of the royal tailor, I am required to get your measurements. May I?" The man questioned, he didn't even wait for a response from Jerod. He measured his arms from finger to elbow, then from elbow to shoulder. He measured his chest, waist and hips, then his legs. He then measured his biceps, his thighs and the length of his feet. The jotted down the numbers on his parchment, then bowed to Jerod.

"Thank you, Master Helas. I bid you good day." The man said, finishing his bow then turning down the hall and walking away. Jerod chuckled and walked back into his room. He dressed in a set of flowing clothes provided to him by the inn, and met his father outside his room in the hallway. His father didn't wear the clothing the inn gave them, instead, he wore the same clothes he wore the day before. The two left their rooms and proceeded to the dining hall, where they dined on a lavish breakfast of perfectly cooked eggs, thick rashers of bacon, pork sausage seasoned with sage and fennel, and, to Gerold's surprise, all the fresh brewed coffee he could drink. The two ate their fill, then returned to Gerold's room to fetch the coin chest he'd brought along with him on the ride to Laria. With the chest in their possession, the two left the inn and walked to a tailor shop nearby. The shop was named "Ramulon's Raiment" and was decorated in the outside like a building in Sevarta.

A male elf, whose face showed his age prominently, smiled at the two Helas men as they walked through the door to his shop. He stood from his chair and placed his hands on the counter in front of him. He continued smiling as the two walked up to the counter, Gerold lifted the coin chest and set it gently in the counter in front of the elf.

"Well now. What have we here?" The elf questioned, eying the chest once and twice over. "This is the chest of a Sevartan High Council member." Gerold nodded, and the elf looked up and saw the half-elf that stood in front of him. He studied his face, taking in the minute details and features that the halfbreed's face showed.

"Tell me, half-elf. Are you related to a high elf named Aelfed?" The elf asked. Jerod looked back to his father, who nodded in approval.

"I am. She is my mother." Jerod said. The elf smiled and held his hands out in front of him.

"So this is the much spoken about Jerod and Gerold Helas!" The elf cheered, stepping out from the counter and shaking both of their hands. "I am Ramulon, the owner of this fine establishment. Tell me, gentlemen. How can I assist you this fine morning?"

"The boy here has council with King Tirus today. We was hoping with what payment we had in the chest, we could have him dressed appropriately for the meetin'." Gerold explained, purposefully not mentioning himself in the request. Jerod peered at his father confused. Gerold winked at him.