Demeter - Ranboo

~three~

Back at the house, I had to change out of the nice dress and back into my standard white cotton dress and yellow apron. Mom didn't want me wearing my nice dress to work. My thoughts still reeled from my encounter with the boy. Ranboo. An odd name for an odd boy. His hand had been cool to the touch, but welcoming in a way. Willow hadn't seen my interaction with him, which was for the better. If she had, she would've been pestering me about it until the end of time.

From my place at the bar serving drinks, I heard the slurred speech of a couple of men at the far corner of the pub. It was still fairly early in the day, and the pub was rather empty. They were talking about Queen Callista's coronation. They said it would be held the next night, and they were reveling in the fact that she had invited everyone. I could only imagine the sheer amount of power-hungry suitors that would show up to try to take Callista's hand in marriage. I felt bad for her.

There had been stories and tales weaved together about her, even though she was only a couple of years older than I was. She had gone the longest of any princess before her without being engaged. They said it was because no prince had any interest in her, but I found that hard to believe. She was gorgeous, with her fiery red hair and elegant features. She was fierce in battle, and the account of her and the northern king's duel had spread like wildfire. They had allegedly countered each other's every strike until Callista made a last-ditch effort to take him down. He deflected her sword out of her hands and slammed her against the ground. He had held her down with his boot while he negotiated with King Edric.

"Hey girly! Fetch us another pint of beer, will you?" One of the men shouted at me from the other side of the pub. I snapped back into reality and nodded, filling two large mugs with the foul-smelling liquid. He stumbled over to the bar and took them from my hands, his breath as wretched as a dying animal's carcass.

The hours passed slowly, with only the occasional mug of beer to refill. The warm building felt suffocating, so when the heavy oak door was heaved open, I welcomed the cool breeze that blew through. In walked two cloaked figures, which was odd, since Helia never got too cold. One was obviously taller than the other, but their hoods hid their faces.

"Hello! Welcome to The Garland, what can I get you two this afternoon?" I asked, putting on my best chirpy voice that got men to spend more money. The more people paid during my shift, the more I got paid.

The shorter man took off his hood. "Can I get some mead?" He asked. He had shoulder-length blonde hair and the beginnings of a blonde beard. His eyes were an old blue, and he had smile lines at the corner of those eyes. He looked like he could be someone's father.

"I'll just have a water, please," the taller man said politely. His voice was familiar. He sounded exactly like Ranboo. I nodded nicely, turning back to fill their orders. They started talking in quiet tones, their words mostly unintelligible. It sounded like a mix between Endspeak and English, but since they were speaking so quietly, I couldn't be sure.

When I turned back around to hand the men their drinks, the taller man had taken his hood off and smiled warmly at me. It was Ranboo. His face seemed much softer in the dim lighting of the tavern, whereas out in the daylight, his features looked much more angular. To say I was surprised to see him would be an understatement.

"Good afternoon, Melanie," he greeted me. His mismatched eyes glimmered with a certain type of magic in the candlelight.

"You remembered me?" I asked bluntly, my face heating up immediately afterward. Of course, he would remember, I had only met him a handful of hours ago. An odd expression crossed his face before he smiled.

"Of course!" The innocence shone in his eyes. The older man took a long swig of his drink, eyeing us over the top of his mug. "You're the second Helianite I've ever spoken to," he explained further. I noticed that he hadn't touched his water yet. The first Helianite must've been Queen Callista.

"Pardon me, but it appears that you haven't yet drank your water. Is there something wrong with it?" I asked, gesturing to the untouched cup. I was trying so hard to be a good bartender; I wanted to look capable.

"Oh, I can't actually drink water. I just didn't want to make a big deal out of it," he said. His hand reached up to rub the back of his neck. He was uncomfortable, poor boy.

"Don't worry about it! I won't charge you for it. We have some juices, would that work?" I suggested, whisking the cup of water away and setting it down on the back counter. He nodded and I set a cup of fruit juice in front of him. He took it gratefully. Wait. Why couldn't he drink water? Everyone can drink water. It was too late to ask him now.

I left my spot behind the bar to clean up the table at which the two other men had been drinking, grimacing as I wiped up the spilled beer with a rag. I was lucky they hadn't emptied their stomachs onto the floor this time. Those were my least favorite days. The older man and Ranboo were laughing at something one of them had said as I washed out the sticky mugs in the basin.

"Melanie, was it?" The older man called out to me. I looked over my shoulder at him, nodding. "Are you going to Queen Callista's coronation tomorrow night?" He asked. His mug was empty, but he wasn't asking for another round.

"Depends on whether my friends go or not. Her Majesty said everyone was invited, correct?" I answered. He nodded slowly. He looked tired.

"What will the total be?" He asked, digging a handful of gold coins out of a small leather pouch. He was grabbing way too much.

"Oh, just three gold coins sir," I said quickly, only taking what was necessary. The man clicked his tongue at me and left ten more coins on the counter. "Sir, that's far too much."

"Keep the change. I don't need it." He stood up and made to leave. "And don't turn the change in to your boss. It's yours." I watched in awe as both he and Ranboo pulled their hoods back up over their heads and left the tavern. I never got the older man's name. 

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I'm so happy you guys are enjoying this story as much as I am so far!

I really think you guys are going to like Melanie (perhaps not as much as Callista bc y'all are obsessed)

Make sure you eat something, drink a glass of water, and get some sleep tonight! I love you all and I'll see you in the next chapter!!!