Dark Crown {Crowned Trilogy, Book 1} | ↺

[V] Talon - Everything Has Changed ✔ [revised 7/18]

All I knew this morning when I woke

Is I know something now, know something now that I didn't before

And all I've seen since eighteen hours ago

Is green eyes and the freckles and your smile

In the back of my mind making me feel like

I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now

I just wanna know you better, know you better, know you better now

'Cause all I know is we said, "Hello"

And your eyes look like coming home

All I know is a simple name

Everything has changed

Everything Has Changed, by Taylor Swift ft. Ed Sheeran

"Two crowns or nothing," said the stubborn man in front of Talon. He looked distinctly Orientan, except for his fair skin and eyes, green like pond-scum. He was also an excellent trader – not that that was unexpected. The Orientan merchants were the keenest and best of their trade, but they were known to drive a hard bargain and leave men with empty pockets and even emptier hands.

Talon sighed with frustration as he rubbed his temples and kicked the vendor's stand in an attempt to relieve his stress. He had been haggling over a bag of rice for nearly thirty minutes, and his patience had worn thin. His stomach also added to his impatience, growling every few minutes to remind him that he had not eaten this morning, and had also missed the noon meal. "Look, trader, this bag of rice," Talon jabbed at the sack in question, "is not worth my time, my spit, or even two crowns to haggle over!"

The trader's eyes widened, then narrowed, accompanied by flaring nostrils as he processed what had just been said. It was not a good idea to make a trader angry, but Talon really didn't care at this point. It was close to one, by the look of the nearby clock tower, and he still had other things to buy before he had to go to the temple and pick up Lily. Half an hour spent on a single bag of rice was definitely half an hour too long.

"Boy, I give you fair deal. The bag," the trader also poked viciously at the rice, "is my last. It good rice. Two crowns."

Talon ignored the broken way the language had been spoken and gave the bag another prod. "One crown."

"Two." Jab.

"One." Jab.

"Two." Jab.

"One!" Jab.

"Two." Jab.

"One measly bag of rice – one crown!" Talon said through gritted teeth.

"Good bag!" the trader corrected.

Talon made an inhuman noise in the back of his throat, snatched up the bag, and threw one crown on the stand. He stalked away angrily and quickly, glad that the loud market clamor covered up the exchange. Though what he did wasn't breaking any laws, it was frowned upon, and if anyone caught you, you could end up with a nasty punishment from the Streetknights.

Talon silently prayed that the trader wouldn't be able to find a Streetknight and tell them about him – it could lead to unwanted trouble. Talon cursed under his breath as he thought about how much time he'd spent at the stand – the vendor could surely describe him well enough, and since many of the Streetknights came to the inn to drink, they would soon realize whom the trader was talking about. Talon continued muttering curses, even earning a few dirty looks from mothers with young children.