"The guards here are incredibly professional." Lenna commented after the very thorough check the four gate guards gave the caravan.

"Of course." Their driver explained. "It's the capital. Some say the royals wander around in disguise from time to time. Most think it's a rumor that comes from all the inquisitors slinkin' about."

"Are there a lot of them?" Isaac wondered.

The driver shrugged. "No idea." He replied and shook his head. "But I wouldn't wanna find out."

Isaac nodded in agreement and understanding. "Thanks for the ride, see you around."

"Sure thing m' Lord." The driver said with a nod and then nodded towards Lenna. "M' Lady."

"Thanks, Vince." Lenna bid farewell and hopped off the back of the wagon where Isaac was already standing.

"Vince?" Isaac wondered as they moved out of the way of traffic.

"Yes." Lenna replied. "Did you never stop to ask his name?" She knew that he hadn't.

"No. We will probably never see him again." Isaac told her. "That seems like a waste of brain power to remember every random person's face and name."

Lenna shook her head. "You don't want to be the person that doesn't recognize someone when they very distinctly remember you, do you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow that he couldn't see through her helmet but knew was there.

Isaac shrugged. "In case you've forgotten, we are kind of important. It wouldn't make sense for us to remember every face and name. Unless something memorable happened with someone, I don't really see a point in remembering them all."

Lenna just shook her head again and started walking towards the Guard station nearby. She was stopped by a young woman who looked to be in her mid twenties. The woman's hair was chestnut brown and her eyes were pale green. She was wearing a casual plain brown dress with a pocket in the front and she had her arm looped through a small closed wicker basket. Her skin was perfectly clean as were her commoner's clothes and her hair was completely knot free and poured off of her head like a brook down a mountainside.

"Excuse me, but might you be the Lady of Hellfire?" She asked Lenna and then seemed to notice Isaac. "And the Lord of Darkness?"

Lenna stopped cold as she took in the entirety of the young woman. She didn't feel directly threatening but Lenna did feel someone watching her, a few someones actually, and none of them were the normal city folk.

Isaac took the last two steps he needed to end up right next to Lenna as he looked curiously at the woman who had intercepted them. "We are." Isaac confirmed. "Who is asking, and why do you want to know?" His questions were spoken casually as if they were entirely out of natural curiosity, which was fair given the circumstance, but he was actually running his own threat assessment of the woman.

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"I am Eris Wheeler, I work for his Majesty the King." The young woman introduced herself with a one handed curtsy. "I am here to meet you upon your arrival and was afraid that I had somehow missed you both. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Isaac nodded. "Likewise, Eris." He agreed. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, why has his Majesty ordered you to meet us?"

"It would be my pleasure to show you around our fair city until dinnertime. He has invited you both to join him directly for his evening meal." Eris replied with a smile. "It is not everyday that I get to relay such a message."

Isaac nodded slowly. "I mean no disrespect to your king or his men, but is that wise?" Isaac asked her directly. "We are known to be incredibly powerful individuals and he would invite us deep into the castle?"

Eris beamed. "Of course." She began. "He either believes that you mean him no harm or that you cannot harm him, otherwise he would not agree to meet with you, let alone break bread."

"Well then, with those questions answered, by all means, show us your lovely city, Eris." Isaac instructed her with a nod. The nod was a bit deeper than one that he would usually give to the point where it almost showed reverence. The nod got Lenna's attention and she gave him a questioning glance.

"Of course!" Eris cheerily replied and turned to lead them further into the city. "Please follow me." She continued.

Isaac mouthed 'play along' to Lenna as they followed after the woman.

Eris took the duo to one of the best restaurants in the city for lunch right away. After that, she led them to the best shops, as well as the bank, and pointed out the Adventurers' Guild Hall as well as the small wall that marked off the property of the Guild. There were a few large buildings inside the walls but mostly people just seemed interested in the actual Guild Hall building. The one in Altesia was much more heavily enchanted than the rest of them and looked like it would take a dedicated effort by a dragon to even shift one block of its stone walls. Isaac and Lenna stocked up on travel rations and looked at all of the weakly enchanted weapons that the enchanters at the college were selling to pay for more teaching resources. They hadn't had enough time to stop by the college itself before the sun was starting to hang low in the sky.

"Well, as much as I have enjoyed showing you around our fair city, I am afraid that his majesty awaits." Eris told the duo.

"It would appear to be around that time, yes." Isaac agreed. "Lead the way."

Eris smiled. "Of course." She agreed and did just that. "Please stay within ten feet of me at all times, once we have passed through the main gate, the defensive enchantments can be very… violent."

Isaac nodded. "We will keep that in mind." He told her and then threw Lenna a questioning glance. Lenna almost imperceptibly shrugged back.

"First visit." Lenna said to Isaac. "It is new for sure, though you'll forgive me for not wanting it to be too exciting."

Isaac's eyes widened slightly. He really hoped that it wasn't going to go similarly to their first visit to Safeharbor where they ended up in the cells and Isaac had to break them out under very unfortunate circumstances.

"I am aware, and I cannot promise a quiet visit, His Majesty can be a little eccentric at times." Eris replied to Lenna. The duo were not sure if she had caught on to their secret conversation or not.

"I am fine with eccentricity as long as it is not taken too far. There is a limit for all things." Isaac told her.

Lenna threw him a questioning glance as if to say: 'Really? You? A limit to eccentricity?'

"As long as you do not mind a harmless joke or miss direction, then I am positive that you will get along well enough with His Majesty." Eris explained.

"What can you tell us, about your king, before we arrive?" Isaac wondered casually.

"He is quite handsome." Eris began right out the gate. "Though, he has been graying as of late."

"I… see." Isaac replied and then waited for her to continue.

"He cares a lot about his people and is quite distraught at what some of the nobles have been up to and what they have allowed to happen under their noses. It is unfortunate that he cannot move directly against any of the nobles without the rest attempting to vie for control to some degree or another." Eris went on.

"The nobles that I have seen all seem to be very loyal to His Majesty." Isaac commented. "Who is trying to overstep their bounds?"

"The old goats that were sent here, to the capital, for retirement." Eris replied with a sigh. "The nobles actually ruling their respective areas have real things to worry about. The ones here only care about power or vices. Sometimes those vices are unlimited dresses in every color and style, sometimes they are the greatest pastries in all the land, sometimes they are alcohol, and sometimes they are sexual partners. In any case, they are all just a drain to society in all but one way, money."

Isaac nodded. "They pour their allowances into the local economy and keep the city above the proverbial water. It is obvious that people settled here for a reason, but farmland was not it." Isaac continued.

"It is the Guild." Eris explained. "The Guild was here first. It was a lone compound in a crater on top of a mountain range, what was not to love? It brought people seeking refuge and work from all around until it became a city and then a kingdom."

"One singular building has that much power?" Isaac wondered.

Eris shook her head. "Not the building, but what lived inside of it."

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