So a king walked into a tavern

[Anonymous]

Taverns were so delightfully fun! Ever since her first encounter with them, she had adored them. Full of people and excitement and food! And all they wanted were those pretty coins and sometimes they took her jewelry in trade. Which was perfect to her! The coins were pretty, but she already had a few and didn't mind sharing the rest she got. It made people so happy!

So now she was sitting in the tavern, long legs swinging as she people watched, a huge tankard of ale in front of her, as well as a bowl of stew. There was a man singing and strumming at a lute. He wasn't all that great, but Tiyu liked his exotic the songs were. She had heard a few songs back in the port city at home, but this man's songs were quite different.

She had been in often enough and because she let the owner take any of the coins she wanted, he made sure that no one molested her, despite the fact she was practically naked in her colorful wrap. She was his best customer and didn't want her scared off, so most of the patrons were keeping their distance from the strange girl.

[Tally]

One of the tavern's kitchen girls had snuck outside to shirk her duties, when suddenly she came racing through the door and ran right to the innkeep.  She glanced around, all out of breath with excitement, then leaned over the bar to whisper in the owner's ear.  His eyes flew wide and he slammed a fist on the bar and started barking orders and chasing a group of men away from the best table despite their grumbling and complaining.

Moments later, an Adelan palace guard stepped through the open doorway.  And behind him, the king.

Akkiel waved off the owner's incessant babbling and ordered a round of mead for him and his men.  He was in the process of taking a seat when he froze halfway down, eyes flying to the near-naked woman.  He stayed that way, thoughts all interrupted as he took her in.

[Anonymous]

Tiyu was puzzled by all the excitement and looked around, trying to figure out what was causing it. There seemed to be more men arriving and everyone was very excited by it. And then Tiyu understood why. Her jaw dropped open when the flame haired man entered.

She had seen a few people with red hair,  but not like this. Not that golden, vivid color that looked like fire had been tamed. Standing up, Tiyu wanted to get closer, brushing her own strangely coloring hair back off her shoulder.

When she got close, a man was suddenly in her path and she blinked up at him, trying to move around him, though the man didn't seem to want to let her, "Oh, pardon me. I wanted to speak to-"

"Don't go botherin' the king."

"King? What's a king? I just want talk to the sun haired man."

[Tally]

Bloody guards.  They should know better by now.  Akkiel pushed the man aside.  "Guardsman, what's come over your senses?  This is a lady you're speaking to."

For weeks now he had not been able to look at a woman without comparing them in his head to Tarlaka.  This one was no different, but he still could not pass up the opportunity to entertain a beautiful woman.

[Anonymous]

Tiyu beamed at Akkiel, entranced by his bright hair. She was used to dark hair, with only small splashes of color and the people on the big island just seemed to have mostly black or dark brown hair.

"Hello! I'm Tiyu! I've never seen hair like yours! Can I touch it? Will it burn?"

[Tally]

Akkiel settled back down at his table and pushed a chair out for her with his foot.  "Now if it burned, how could I walk around with it."

She was simple-minded or just that sheltered, and either way his guardsmen had themselves an amused chuckle at her amazement.

[Anonymous]

"Well, why it burn you? It your hair." Tiyu laughed, as if Akkiel had said something funny. He obviously wasn't very smart. She took a seat in the chair, leaning forward and studying his face intently, "You have such odd colors. Like a pig!"

[Tally]

The pig comment got a few hesitant laughs even from the guardsmen—slightly nervous, as if they thought the rambling of some simple girl was enough to spark his temper.  Mostly he found her a worthy distraction.  "Lots of pigs have red hair where you're from?" he said.

[Anonymous]

Tiyu looked puzzled for a moment, then burst out laughing, slapping Akkiel across the back, "You are so funny! Pigs don't have hair! Skin like a pigs!" She held her own arm up and pointed between their skin colors, still laughing from his comment, "You pale! Got funny skin! Funny colors! Pretty!"

[Tally]

The king joined in her laughter.  She'd called him pretty, who was he to get offended to that?  "You should head north to Serendipity if you think I'm pale."

[Anonymous]

Tiyu also didn't have the best concept of Adelan personal space and she scooted a little closer, fingers running through his hair. She had never seen anything like it and it was incredible, watching the light catch all the different colors and tones in his hair, "There are paler people? That's a not truth! They would be white like the sand!"

[Tally]

"Well, some are.  White like the sand as you put it."  They likely would have drawn stares if not for the ring of guardsmen about them.  Guardsmen with warning grimaces on their faces to scare away the curious.

[Anonymous]

Tiyu's jaw dropped and she then gave a bright laugh, "So funny! People here are so funny colored! Like pigs and sand and sun!" She was entranced by Akkiel's hair, running her fingers through it. It moved and shimmered in a way she had never seen before.

[Tally]

The innkeeper himself brought over Akkiel a mug of mead and in a wise bit of foresight he'd prepared a second for Tiyu.

Akki took the mug in hand but didn't drink from it yet.  It was charming, the fascination she had with something so simple as the color of his hair.  It didn't take much to entertain this one.  "Where are you from?"

[Anonymous]

"Yoreiq! It a big island!" Tiyu paused in her hair stroking to make a large gesture with her hands, "Though, your island seem much bigger."

She reached over and picked up her mug, taking a long drink and making a pleased sound, "I like this drink! Very filling!" She rubbed her stomach at that and let out a bright laugh, eyes crinkling.

[Tally]

"Big?  I'd say it is at that.  You must have seen some of it on your way.  How did you come?  Up through the plains?  Along the coast?"

He wished he could be there when she encountered her first Serenian city.  If his hair excited her this much, that should provide her with endless fascination.

[Anonymous]

"In a big box!" Tiyu shrugged her shoulders, not sure what some of his words were. She leaned close, her nose almost pressed to his and her dark eyes wide, "You have pale eyes. Like a fish! Are you made of animals?"

[Tally]

"Yes!"  He agreed readily.  "Animals and fire.  All people in Adela are made of animals.  Isn't it the same where you're from?"