I might have been playing the part of a demure female, but I was not going to waste my first opportunity to look around.
And so we walked. And I stared. I drank in the city. The loudness, the bustle of activity, thepeople.
The city was beautiful and strange and far more incredible than I’d ever thought it would be.
Keeping me close to his side, Xander whispered in my ear as we hurried through the city.
“We entered through the Western Gate,” he said as he pulled me around a suspicious puddle on the ground. Wrinkling my nose at the aroma, I lifted the hem of my gown as I skirted the mess. He continued, “The Opal Spoon is on the eastern edge of town, so we will have to go through the market square.”
Being the dutiful, silent wife he had asked me to be, I didn’t say anything at all. Xander shot me a look that said he wasn’t buying my act, but he didn’t say anything as he continued to lead me through the throngs of people crowding the narrow streets.
We passed storefront after storefront, proudly displaying their various wares. I ogled them as we hurried by. There was so much.
The world was so much bigger than I’d ever thought possible.
One store boasted a dozen barrels overflowing with fresh fruit, while the next was filled with bolts of fabric of every imaginable color. I could even smell fresh-baked bread coming from a bakery up ahead. The aroma overpowered the stench of unwashed bodies that seemed commonplace in the city, something for which I was very grateful.
As we approached the bakery, my stomach let out a most-unladylike grumble. Blood rushed to my cheeks as I tried to ignore the sound. Moments later, Xander pulled us off the street and into the bakery. A bell rang as we entered the small but homey shop. We were the only customers.
“Hold on!” a male voice shouted from the back. “Magdelina, go see to the customers.”
“Right away, Alfonzo.”
Footsteps came from the back of the bakery as I looked around. Small wooden shelves were laden with dozens of freshly baked goods. My nose filled with the intoxicating scent of warm yeast, and my hunger grew.
A plump female—Magdelina, I presumed—came out of the back wearing a floury apron. Her brown hair was tied in a bun and her eyes lit up as she saw us.
“Welcome,” Magdelina said as she dipped her head. “What can I get for you?”
A kind smile flitted across her face as she surveyed us.
Xander stepped forward, reaching into his pocket before pulling out a gold coin. “My wife and I will have two of your delicious loaves, please.”
Magdelina’s eyes widened at the sight of the coin. I didn’t know how much it was worth, but it was obvious by her reaction that Xander was definitely over-paying for the bread.
“Of-of course, sir.” Magdelina curtsied low to the ground, her apron fanning out before her. “Can I get you and your wife anything else?”
Xander rested his arms on the floury counter, leaning in close to the female like they were sharing a secret. His golden eyes twinkled as he smiled at her. He looked… charming. Likable. Charismatic, even. The transformation was disconcerting, to say the least. This male before me looked like a completely different person.
He asked, “What’s your name, ma’am?”
“M-mistress DuBois, sir.”
“My wife and I were wondering, Mistress DuBois, has anything strange happened lately?”
The female’s eyes widened as she looked between Xander and me. “I-I, what do you mean, sir?”
Sliding his hand into his pocket, Xander produced another coin. He tapped it with his finger before placing it on the counter.
“Anything odd? Something that someone as beautiful and pleasant as you would have noticed. We’re simply seeking information,” he said, winking at her. “But we’re willing to pay for it.”
The female’s eyes bulged at the sight of the second coin and she stammered for a moment before she slid them into the large pocket of her apron. They clinked together as they disappeared from sight. Mistress DuBois gestured for us to lean in.
“I don’t know anything for sure,” she started, laying her hands on the counter. “I’ve just heard rumors.”
Xander nodded. “Anything you know is helpful, Mistress.”
“There was a contingent of Winged Soldiers in town yesterday,” she whispered. “Rumor has it they were searching for someone who escaped from the other side of the Niphil River.”