The Stray

2-36: An Audience With The King

The telltale shimmer of a privacy spell glimmered across the door as it clicked. Before the ripples could even fade away, the King's smile curled into a haughty scowl. "Oh, and now you'll expect a boon, will you?" V started at the sudden change, but the witch'd more or less expected it.

"I did save you a lot of trouble, your majesty." Timothy was exhausted— body, mind, and most importantly, patience. So despite his earlier advice, his smile and voice were toxically sweet. "Borrowed, am I?"

"Tch!" The king scoffed.

V's puzzlement blew away, then, and she whirled on Timothy in surprise "Wait, you weren't just being weird back there! You saved this guy's ass!"

"Weird?" Timothy's face fell. V gave him a flat look.

"I assure you, peasant, the royal posterior was in no danger!" The king protested. "It was a fully calculated move!"

"And yet, your majesty, here we are." Mug shrugged. The gesture looked funny with his stoic look and ramrod posture. "I did warn you your tale had moving parts."

"No one likes a know it all, Mug." The king sulked.

"Wait..." V tilted her head, puzzled. "I thought fairies couldn't tell a lie."

"Well." Timothy said, enjoying himself a little too much. "Y'don't gotta lie to mislead someone." With a little smirk, he added "I bet nothin' he said would set off a Liar's Bane, but it musta stunk all the same."

"It did." Mug confirmed innocently.

"Oh, enough! Why are you peasants in my domain!?" It was kinda fun to watch a king huff and steam. If the king wrung his scepter any faster, he'd probably sand his hands. "I am a town fae, witch! What, am I to grant three wishes? Weave a necklace of the stars or some such?"

Mug rubbed his forehead. "Your majesty, of all things, please don't antagonize a dragon and a witch."

"They're antagonizing me!"

"Me? What'd I—" V clearly started to rant, but instead took a deep breath, and mumbled something under her breath. "Alright, no. Listen, Pilfer—"

"Your majesty, peasant!"

V pinched the bridge of her snout. Smoke rolled out of her nose. "Yeah, yeah. Look, we were just here following a lead on some missing medicine. How about you let us get on with it, and we'll be out of your hair."

The king slumped in his throne and waved a hand. "If your pet witch is as smart as he clearly thinks he is, he ought to have told you we don't deal in that sort of thing. Honestly."

The wolf hadn't planned on telling the king anything he didn't know. Timothy opened his mouth to jump in, but V was clearly done with his scheming and sidewinding. "Not on purpose, no," she said with exaggerated patience. "We think you guys were after its bag and got unlucky, somehow."

"What, really?" The king leaned back, eyes widening some.

V shrugged. "The logistics of it kinda lost me, but it sure looks that way."

"Ugh, peasants. Let me think..." The king tapped his staff. Nobody asked you to think, Timothy thought with a roll of his eyes. "This medicine. Was it in its own bag, or just a bag?"

"Ain't those the same thing?" Timothy asked.

"They're not the same at all, brat! If the bag was part and parcel with your precious medicine, then we couldn't take it. The whole would be too valuable. But if it was just any old bag they just stuffed it into, then—"