A Crown Of Blades(ARTK, Book 3)

Chapter 94-95

Jono 30th, 3330 A.G

  The damp, mold filled air managed to smell worse when they woke up in the morning. Drogo couldn't imagine that staying here as long as some of the servants would was great for one's health; regardless of if they'd get their small cottage. He sat up, coughed- and tried not to think about the smell again as he rose the others.

They were to be in the servant's rest room by sunrise; and if the tiny window close to the ceiling were any indicator- that time were upon them. Drogo payed no mind to the others, instead focusing on getting himself ready.

There were but one thing that needed changing: his clothes were far too clean. Many travelers did not keep theirs as clean as he'd come to prefer his, seeing it as a waste of time- but almost no servant ever bothered and he could understand why. There was no point when one worked so much that they'd dirty again the next day. He knew that back home, many of Nara's servants would have one or two sets of work specific clothes they'd wash once a week, one nice dress or tunic, one for relaxing and sleeping in. Anything else was excessive, an elder woman had told him once- and none of them wished to come home from kitchen work or cleaning to do their own laundry.

So Drogo did the most logical thing he could think of: he rubbed his white tunic against the wall until it were near grey and black in some spots. He stepped on it a few times(with the boots he admittedly hadn't cleaned in months) for good measure, then put his breeches on and rolled across the floor in them like he'd seen pigs do immediately after their baths- and whilst Myles stared at him as if he'd lost it.

"Make that face all you want-" Drogo said. "But at least I must do this. Whereas you.... well, this may be the only time that not bathing as often as you should works in your favor."

In half a moment, Myles were throwing a pillow at him- both were laughing; but it could not last. The words were unspoken, but that laughter faded after just a few moments as they listened to the others start to make their way to the rest room.

Drogo only nodded, stood and began to head that way as well. The others followed, and the following hour or so were filled with nothing but how they were expected to behave, certain habits the family members had that they needed to accommodate- and another speech of how they hadn't been here long enough for the servants to learn all of their habits, so they shouldn't act shocked if they accidentally stumbled upon a strange one.

Drogo and Myles were some of the last to be assigned work; to cleaning the hall outside of the great hall while Nara's two men were given the honor of working in the stables. They were shown to a cleaning closet; stacks upon stacks of cloths, buckets, a singular water line to the well Drogo were told was inspired by the pipes in house Amalone and the temple of Fenthos. They took two each and as many cloths as they could carry, then made their way up the stairs and did their best to hold the outer appearance of servants.

Shoulders slightly hunched, walking as if their backs always hurt- the arms muscles he'd acquired from his actual job worked in his favor here, and most importantly he made a slight grunting noise when he set the buckets down.

So that anyone in the great hall would know they were there, move on because they'd know their were servants- and then feel comfortable speaking freely. They did seem to be having a breakfast meeting; so Myles nodded and understood what he needed from a single glance. Myles would do the actual cleaning; Drogo would clean the same spot just outside the door over and over again so he could do the most important job; eavesdropping.

"Food and wine- and spices, are our main exports." An elder, more authoritative male voice said. Drogo could only assume it belonged to Lord Harman. "They will remain so. Cralon did not acquire what wealth it has by being greedy- we have more than enough in our own stores, the vineyard and other small wineries make a near preposterous amount each year to supply the entirety of the world with, and we are simply known for having good food. I will not have the world's opinion of that change overtime- which will drive the leisure travel from the merchants and old people with coin far down, simply because you wish to confine Cralonese spices to Cralon. I always knew you were an idiot, but I didn't think you were that stupid."