Heir to the Empire

20. Apricot & Honey - Ethelston

"Here you are me dear."

Ethelston watched as the innkeeper slammed a tankard down on the wooden table in front of him. He licked his lips before looking up to the middle-aged woman that smiled at her new patron.

Placing the tankard to his mouth he could smell the delightful combination of honey and hop before taking the first sip of his new nectar. As he gulped he could taste something else, almost hidden among the other ingredients. Was that apricot?

"Delightful" he smiled taking a much bigger gulp this time.

"You're not from around here my love?" the innkeeper asked passing the time as the number of patrons in the inn was almost negligible.

Ethelston smiled at the paradox of a question. Yes he was from around here, but no he wasn't. Ravenscourt was very much his home, and very much didn't feel like it. "Recently returned from travels. Been away for some time."

"I thought you weren't familiar, would definitely recognise a pretty face like yours."

Did she just flirt towards him? Eyeing up the innkeeper, Ethelston smiled. He admired her figure, especially her large breasts which seemed more than a handful, but despite her looks being somewhat distinctly average there was certainly a charm about her.

The Rose on the White Road had been the last time he enjoyed the company of a woman, or in that case, women. That was also the first time he met Loldirr, and subsequently, Erdudvyl. Since he had travelled with these two women, it seems his normal lusts for life had somewhat faded.

He had been a traveller, an adventurer. He had loved his chaotic and debauched existence, it had been all he had known since he had to flee Ravenscourt what felt more than a lifetime ago, and it was all he had expected to ever do. Now, he was some duke of almost half of the Isovine Empire, now he was destined for the life of a noble.

Feasts, dances, the occasional tourney, intrigue, backstabbing and listening to his people complain about how the crops didn't grow as well as the previous harvest. That was his life now, or what he could expect it to be once the threat of the Emperor had passed.

Yet somehow, seeing the frustrated and hot-headed Loldirr becoming more mature, or seeing Erdudvyl smile for the first time, somehow it seemed like it was all worth it.

He sighed and took another sip of his ale. The smoothness of the taste was enough to quickly take him back to reality, and the large breasts that seemed to block all other views.

"It's rather quiet in here?" he asked, remembering the reason why he came here in the first place.

As if it was an invitation, the innkeeper sat in front of him, sitting to one side so she could keep tabs on anyone who entered the inn. "Been like it for a while now, " the innkeeper replied, a tingle of disappointment in her voice, "With most of the young men, and some of the older ones off to fight the Emperor's, gods save him, war and the extortionate, sorry, necessary taxes that the previous Lord Darke had thrown on us, business has been shocking."

Ethelston tried hard not to laugh at the obvious disdain this woman had for both the Emperor and his uncle.

"It did appear that not many people were out in the streets, and I didn't see many city guards around." Ethelston commented trying to coax more information out of her.

"The Black Knife Syndicate own the lower town and some of the upper town. The previous Lord Darke had an agreement with them that he would leave them to their business provided he get a share of the profit."

Ethelston gripped the tankard handle tightly in anger. His uncle was a menace to society which in due course he would have to deal with. "Is this rumour?" he asked, surprised that the woman was so candid with her responses.