Hidden Tales, The Diary of Agatha

THE VALLEY OF ROSES

There was a tavern that was the main gathering spot for men in the kingdom of Aredamon. It left any competitor at the feet of that place, which soon ended up closing their doors because they could not compete. Its owner was a very intelligent middle-aged man who knew how to win over customers in a kind and friendly manner, in addition to pleasing them with good service. Even though it offered cheap beer and other lower-quality alcoholic beverages, the tavern attracted a lot of attention, even from the royalty itself.

And there he was, Prince Dominic, along with his two closest brothers, standing at the establishment's door, one adjusting his belt and the others their capes, drawing all the attention since they were well-known due to their titles.

"I hope you won't cause me any trouble this time, you insolent brats," the owner's wife said, crossing her arms angrily. She was a grumpy woman who feared no one and could make anyone run away. Why wasn't she punished? Her husband was very respected and well-liked, thus sparing her from any harm.

"Calm down, dear," the man waved at the boys. "It's an honor to have you in our tavern!"

"That's right. It's an honor to have us here, old lady," the eldest one said, walking with his hands on his hips and his nose in the air. His name was Aron, and he had black hair and green eyes, just like Dominic, who was the youngest among them. However, his skin was much darker, as he was frequently training with the sword under the sun.

"Old lady?" The woman grew even angrier, pulling up the sleeves of her dress to her shoulders, ready to correct him. "Oh, you little..."

"I'll have a cold beer and your best cheese," the middle one spoke, now sitting on the chair in front of the counter. His hair was red, he had freckles all over his face and body, and his eyes were black. His name was Ethan. As arrogant as his brother, he always teased his sisters and flirted with the girls who bathed in the lake near the dark forest. Because of his orange hair and freckles, he often heard silly jokes from his brothers. Still, he took advantage of it to compliment himself, seeing no problem in being who he was, and he liked himself a lot.

"Me too." The other two joined Ethan at the counter; however, Dominic remained quiet. Aron then called out to him, "Hey, Doc. What are you going to drink?"

"Doc" was a nickname of affection. Not all his brothers called him that, just the two present and the eldest, Drake. They were a large family, with one husband, two wives, and seventeen children. Crazy, right? But what can you do... The king chose to love two women instead of being faithful to just one. Some of the boys agreed with their father because they liked to date many girls; others thought it was a ridiculous idea. After all, did the man truly love both, or did he just want both because he couldn't be satisfied with just one?

"Oh! Right, I almost forgot," Dominic said, looking at the bottles, still unable to decide what he wanted.

"Were you thinking about something?" Ethan also showed concern, resting his chin on his hand and looking at him with those beautiful dark eyes. It wasn't like Dominic to be so lost in thought.

"Er... About a girl I met in the dark forests."

"A girl, huh?" Aron punched his brother's shoulder. He was proud of him because, even though Dominic was with several girls, he wasn't with as many as the other two. "And how was your night?"

"I took her home."

"And?"

"And that's it." Dominic rolled his eyes and looked at the tavern owner. "Well, I'll have a beer too, please."

"Alright, young princes. I'll get them right away!" The older man turned to look for the special mugs reserved just for those boys.

The brothers continued to stare at Dominic. They didn't believe a word he said. Well... not a word after "And how was your night?" They expected more from the youngest among them. They weren't satisfied with that vague answer and wondered if the boy had felt something more for the girl, as they had never seen him act this way before.