The three adventurers, plus Lucius, made it to Mirstone on the back of a wagon that was a part of a caravan. Mirstone was still decked with Yule decoration and so it was a pleasant sight.

But this was as far as the caravan was willing to go during the winter. The leader had told Elmar he would be happy to get them to the capital come spring, but Elmar couldn’t wait that long.

“There has to be another caravan that could take us.” Said Dereck as they wandered the streets aimlessly.

“Or we can buy a sled and some horses.” Said Diana. The snow wouldn’t let a carriage travel the roads, and sleds were not as expensive anyway.

“Diana, take Dereck and see if you can’t buy a sled.” Said Elmar, handing her a coin purse. “Lucius, you are coming with me to get you clothes.”

With their tasks set, the adventurers split. It wasn’t hard for Diana and Dereck to find the stalls. Although there was a slight bump in the road for them. They couldn’t see any sleds up front.

“Do you think everything is sold?” Asked Dereck, worried.

“Let us try inside. Worse case, we can simply buy horses.” Said Diana, and then she eyed the horses at display. “Although, these look pricey.”

They passed the horses and went inside the stall. There was a middle-aged man mucking the stalls.

“Hello, we would like to buy a sled.” Called Diana. The man snorted.

“You are what? Thirteen? Go back to your mothers.” Said the man, not looking up.

“I am Sir Dereck Raskovic and this is my sister, Countess Diana Raskovic. We were sent here on behalf of court wizard Elmar Denrivir. We, just like you, are loyal subjects to her Highness Theanore the nymph, First of her name.” Said Dereck. This got the farmhand to look at them, finally.

“You don’t look like a knight, and she doesn’t look like a Countess. And that toddler who stole land from our good Emperor Casimir is no royalty. Merely an up jumped dungeon core that will get us all killed in the war to come.” Said the farmhand.

Dereck and Diana had on matching frowns. Sure, Theanore hasn’t been a princess for long, but her decrees were popular, and she did her best for her people. Her best was better than the Emperor’s half-baked efforts he put on for show.

“Mr. I, as the first night in the Kingdom, cannot allow you to speak about her Highness like that. I challenge you to a duel.” Said Dereck. At least he thought that this was the reaction expected from him.

“You want a trashing, boy? Fine, step outside and let us see how good the single knight in the land is.” The farmhand took a broom from the wall and headed outside. Diana and Dereck followed.

“Dereck, you can’t fight him! What if you hurt him?” Whispered Diana in Dereck’s ear.

“He asked for it, Di. Only I can doubt the little Highness. Everyone else is supposed to sing her praises.” Said Dereck, pulling out his sword. It was a steel one forged in the grotto’s own forge. It had a fire, air, quickness, and flexibility enchantment on it. It would be the first time Dereck used it.

The farmhand placed two hands over his mouth and shouted.

“Come, everyone. We have a visitor from the pretender’s grotto. A knight. Come see me trash him and sent him back to the nymph in tears.” Called the farmhand and a crowd gathered.

They laughed at Dereck and made bets against him. He couldn’t believe this. Some of this people had cheered when Theanore had promised free education for their children. What was happening?

“Good sir, are you not loyal subject to her Highness? Do you not enjoy the benefits of her rule?” Asked Diana the farmhand.

“Good sir now, am I? I am a farmhand, girl. But you are no Countess. As we speak, the Emperor is gathering his armies to crush the grotto in one fell swoop and crack the dungeon core. But Emperor Casimir is merciful. Everyone who denounces the pretender gets to keep their lives and livelihoods. Long may he reign. Down with the pretender.” Said the farmhand, and his last words were echoed by the crowd.

“Dereck, Theanore has to know of this. We also need to tell grandpa Thinker. Apart from Esmer, he is her main protector.” Said Diana urgently. They didn’t have time for mock duels. They needed to send a letter now.

“Let me defend her honor first. If I win, old fart, you will bow down before her Highness' image three times and renounce Emperor Casimir. All of you will.” Said Dereck, making a circle with his sword.

“And if I win, you will muck my stalls for a month. Maybe underneath all the shit that will cling to you, no one will recognize you, Sir Raskovic.”

More laughter followed. Now, this was personal. But Dereck didn’t charge. He was thought battle etiquette by Esmer, and there was only one way to begin a duel. With a bow.

He bowed to the farmhand and the man burst out laughing. The farmhand curtsied back at him with a lot of hand waving. Dereck forced his breathing to become even. He was armed with a sword, the farmhand with a broom. He could do this.

He began to circle the farmhand, dodging the long swipes of the broom. The farmhand tried to goat him by farting with his armpits in Dereck’s direction. The crowd burst out laughing as Dereck made a step back. He was looking for an opening, and he found it when the farmhand bowed.

Silently, Dereck closed the distance between them and cut the broom in half. That prompted the farmhand to jump back, but Dereck had already snatched the second half of the broom and gotten out of reach.

“Why do this, boy? What is the pretender to you?” Asked the farmhand, now more serious.

“I am an orphan. My parents abandoned my sister and me when we were three years old. Theanore and her family took us in. She knighted me with a back scratcher. She is the most adorable toddler there is, and she captures hearts left and right. My own included. I owe her my loyalty, and so do you.”

Dereck lunged then and threw the broken part of the broom at the farmhand’s legs. The farmhand dodged by jumping over it, but he was not fast enough to get away when Dereck pressed the blade of his sword to his stomach.

“Yield.” Said Dereck. The crowd was silent and some were even going away. “You all stay. This is an order from me, Sir Raskovic. You have to bow before the image of Theanore the nymph!”

“If we do, we are all doomed, boy.” Said the farmhand as the crowd became thinner and thinner. “The Emperor won’t show us any mercy. You can fight an untrained farmhand who would have swatted your behind once and let you go. But can you fight veteran soldiers? Grizzled mages that have lived ten times more than you? You children played a prank, but now it is over.”

“For insulting her Highness and for this treacherous talk, you will give us a sled and your best horses, for free.” Said Dereck with a dangerous glint in his eyes. “And you will bow, or else.”

He pressed the sword to the stomach and a trickle of blood dripped from the farmhand. The man hissed through clanged teeth, and Diana sucked in a breath.

“Dereck, Theanore wouldn’t want this. This is a robbery now.” Said Diana.

“Fine, boy. But know this. You are no knight. You are a brigand. But I will bow, not that my heart will be in it.”

A blue light appeared in Diana’s hand. They have just gotten a missive. She checked from who it was. It was from Theanore.