Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 070 - Dancing again (Patreon)

The last day had been a whirlwind of activity. Four different properties had been visited, and Hess, Sulenda, Bren, and Kaen had selected one. It had ten acres of space on the outside of town. Better still, it was about two hours from the inn by foot, and it was land owned by one of the signers of the promise letter.

Once chosen, they had gone to the central bank within Ebonmount, signing documents for what seemed like hours.

Kaen had been amazed at how much of the paperwork had already been drawn up. Sulenda had a list of numbers, expected costs, foremen she had in mind, estimated time for the build to be complete, and more. Barring a major rainstorm within six months, she expected at least a third of the academy to be finished. That included a section of dorms for students and workers who would manage the children living on the property. Kitchens, laundry stations, and more would be ready for use from the day they opened the doors.

A small section of the training grounds would be completed, and classrooms and other buildings would be finished within another six months.

Sulenda would handle all the applications and begin the process of vetting and preparing for employees and students. Eltina was not excited about the added duties she would have to undertake at the inn. Still, she had begrudgingly admitted the difference she had seen in Sulenda since Hess had returned.

The city was abuzz with the news of an academy being constructed by Kaen. Hess had now required him to ride a horse as people were flocking to him, bringing their children, hoping they might be chosen.

Hess had handled everyone who came forward and approached him, letting them know Kaen had no part in the selection process and that there would be information coming out soon. He had also made it clear that anyone who continued to pester Kaen about anything academy-related would be cut off from it.

That news spread just as fast, and soon, they could ride their horses through town unmolested.

“Can we go get a quest?” Kaen asked as he watched Hess chew the pheasant that was tonight's dinner. “I need to go and take care of some things.”

Nodding, Hess swallowed his bite and washed it down with a few big gulps of the ale Etlina had procured for him.

“I figured we would need to do that soon. Tomorrow morning, why don’t you go and pick us one, and I will prepare the horses and supplies for it.”

“Don’t forget the quest after this, I’ll go with Gertrude and her team. I need to get some practice with them like we talked about.”

“I won’t forget,” Hess replied as he tore off a piece of his bread and rubbed it around on his plate, letting it soak in the juices and sauce from the bird. “I also need to pick up something for this quest. Something for our friend.”

Kaen smiled, knowing that the harness Hess had someone work on was ready to pick up. It would take some modification to ensure that it worked properly, but with the straps and buckles on it, Hess believed it would stay in place once tightened down.

“I know someone who is excited about that.”

Chuckling, Hess rolled his eyes.

“I know two someones who are excited about it.”

As they chatted, Kaen was lounging in his chair, watching the people drinking and eating in the inn. The city had calmed down, but business here was always strong. There was another adventurer who was supposed to be testing, and the city was betting on her, even though she was not expected to be anything but a wood-rank adventurer.

Sulenda had surprised him with the number of options people could place on their bets, from how well they would do on the test. Each percentage carried a different betting odd.

Sitting there, letting his mind wander, Kaen suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and heard his name be called out.

“Trouble you for another dance?”

He had not noticed Hess’s reaction when the woman had walked up behind him, but that voice and that smell struck him like a bolt of lightning.

Leaping to his feet, he spun around and saw the same young woman he had danced with that night of the celebration. Her long black hair was over one shoulder in a braid, and she wore a green dress that accented her eyes and hugged her form like he wished he could.

“I.. I... I still don’t know your name,” he said in shock, struggling to get the words he wanted out of his mouth.

“You don’t?” she replied with a mischievous grin. “I wonder why that is.”

Stifling a cough, Kaen calmed himself and bowed slightly as he backed up.

“I believe it is because you ran off after we danced.”

“I would never have run off. That wouldn’t be very ladylike. I think your adoring fans and followers carried you off while I had to walk home, all by myself.”

He could see her playing innocently and felt the heat in his cheeks as he tried to appear calm and cool, but his heart ignored that request.

“Well, perhaps you could share your name with me now?”

She smiled, and her white teeth looked like a perfect row of pearls, adding to the beauty she already possessed.

“Well Sir Kaen, my name is Ava. Ava Hurem.”

A sudden coughing fit erupted behind him, and Kaen turned to see Hess choking on his ale. It was running down his face and out both nostrils as he tried to suck in air and continued to cough.

“That is a beautiful name for a beau…” Kaen froze and saw her smile get a little larger as his brain processed the name she had just shared with him. “Hurem? As in Lord Hurem’s daughter?”

“I do believe some people call him that. I just call him father. I heard you had met the other day, and he spoke highly of you. Was it a good visit?”

The room almost seemed to spin, and Kaen leaned over and put his hand on the chair back to support himself.

Lord Hurem’s daughter had been the one he had danced with? The old man had not mentioned any of this to him when they met!

Suddenly, the knowledge of that meeting, the Lord not making an oath bind him, hit his chest like an ogre had with a club.

“Can we sit down a moment,” Kaen mumbled as he pulled out the chair he held onto.

“I’d be delighted!”

Hess had managed to clean himself up, yet his face had not lost the red tint from all the choking he had done. Sulenda had joined them, and now they sat there smiling at each other, and very few words were being spoken.

“Kaen, I do believe you wanted to know her name, and now you do,” Sulenda declared, breaking the long silence.

“I did. I did want to know your name, Ava,” Kaen answered, still trying to figure out how to act. “I’m just not sure how to go from here.”

“What is there to worry about Kaen?” Ava asked. “My father knows I am here, and he is certainly okay with me spending a little time with you and getting to know you. You are considered to be all the news in every part of the city. Rumor has it you are to meet the King in a week.”

Kaen nodded. The original plan had changed when the guild hall informed the King of an entourage of higher-ups from the guild council arriving. Kingdom duties were to be put before a meeting with an adventurer. Now, he could go and take a quest and spend some time with Pammon.

“I believe that is still the plan unless someone informs me otherwise. I am planning on heading out tomorrow on a quest,” Kaen informed her, not realizing he was rambling on as he stared at her. “I would enjoy spending time with you once I got back if you wanted.”

Laughing, Ava batted her eyelashes at him.

“Are you telling me you are done with me for the night?”

Waving his hands in the air and shaking his head no, Kaen laughed.

“No, I just seem to have forgotten how to talk. You have been on my mind since that night, and seeing you here has me seeing stars.”

Ava blushed just a little bit, and Hess let out a small groan before Sulenda kicked him under the table.

“Well, I am glad to know I have that effect on you. I would still enjoy a dance tonight if you were willing,” she stated as she motioned to the area where a man was sitting and playing a song on a lute.

“I’d be delighted too,” Kaen said as he slid back in his chair and moved to help Ava from hers.

As they moved to where their first dance had taken place, Hess grunted.

“This might not be a good thing.”

Sulenda nodded in agreement as she watched the two of them laugh and begin to dance.

“All sorts of odds are going off in my head right now. I’m not sure I want to bet on them either.”

An hour later, Kaen and Ava waved goodbye to those who had joined them on the dance floor and moved to a booth to chat.

Their hair was matted and sweaty, yet neither cared as they crashed into their seats, waiting for one of the servers to come and get their order.

“I had not expected to dance for that long,” Kaen said as he laughed. “Once everyone joined in, it would be wrong just to quit!”

“That was the most fun I have had in over a week,” Ava replied as she tried to adjust her dress and fix her braid that had come undone a little. “If parties at my parents or other nobles were that much fun, I would want to actually attend them.”

Beatrice showed up with two cups of water and some bread, giving a wink to Kaen as she set the drinks and food on the table.

“What could I get the two of you to eat or drink? Surely, you both must be famished after all that dancing!”

“You know what I want,” Kaen answered quickly, motioning to Ava.

“I’ll have what he is having,” Ava replied.

“You sure?” Kaen asked as he grinned and gave a wink at Ava.

Laughing, she nodded.

“It can’t be that strong, can it?”

Beatrice started to chuckle and shook her head no.

“Two Adventurer Kaen specials coming right up!”

“They named a drink after you?” Ava asked with a questionable look on her face. “Doesn’t that seem a bit overboard?”

Kaen gave a playful shrug and motioned around the room with his hand.

“I didn’t name it after me. It is more of a joke since I never drink anything else.”

“Two Adventurer Kaen’s! Enjoy!”

Ava started to laugh when she saw the tankard of milk sitting in front of her and Kaen.

“Milk?!”

Taking his mug, Kaen nodded and took a few long drinks before setting it back on the table, wiping his mouth with his arm.

“Only the best!” he quipped.

Beatrice laughed as she left to help someone else in the room.

“Give it a try if you think you can handle it.”

Rolling her eyes, Ava grabbed her drink and took a few swallows before setting it down on the table in the mock achievement of managing such a feat.

“It does taste pretty good,” she admitted.

Snickering, Kaen tapped his lip as he winked at Ava.

“Got something right here. I didn’t know you were part dwarf.”

With her face turning slightly red, Ava reached up, felt the milk mustache on her face, and groaned as she wiped it off with her hand.

“I’ll get you back for that comment,” she replied playfully.

“I can’t wait.”

Lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling, Kaen found himself smiling ear to ear. He and Ava had talked for hours, and she had promised to try and find another chance to visit.

Knowing her name and learning so much about her felt different than the usual women he had flirted with.

“Pammon is going to kill me,” he muttered aloud in his empty room as he closed his eyes, knowing he would dream about Ava all night.

“I swear if that man brushes my privates again, I am going to punch him in the face,” Kaen declared with a growl as Ava kept laughing.

“I believe my father had mentioned that it does occasionally happen when they measure you for a new outfit like this,” she answered, her face red from laughing for so long. “Besides Kaen, you cannot wear your current clothes when you see the King.”

“I know,” Kaen replied as he rolled his eyes. “I just don’t want to know how much this will cost. The fabric alone is nicer than anything I can imagine one wearing.”

“To impress and deal with the people you need to occasionally meet, you must look enough like them to fit in. Your manners will take more time to teach, but all we can do for now is fix the outside. The inside will come later.”

Kaen blew a raspberry at Ava when she finished and glanced back in the mirror the tailor had set up. He didn’t recognize himself in this outfit. The black pants fit rather snug but not so tight he couldn't run or jump if needed. The copper vest went amazingly well with the white shirt he was wearing. He was not sure about all the jackets he had tried on already.

"You do look rather charming," admitted Ava as she took a sip of the tea Cory, the tailor, had brought her. "In fact, that would be a perfect outfit to wear to one of my father's balls one time.

“Why did we have to do this right after breakfast? I had plans.”

“And what were these plans?” Ava asked as she motioned to the return of the tailor. "I thought part of the plans was spending time with me."

Kaen groans a little and smiles.

“I wanted to go see Master Bren. I needed to test something.”

Glancing over the edge of her cup, she nods as she peers at him.

"I'm not sure if I should be offended or impressed. Most would relax, yet you continue pressing yourself to get better. An impressive trait, to say the least."

"I just want to be the best I can," he replied with a smile. "After all, I'm just a backwoods commoner about to meet the King!"

Kaen started laughing until the older man pulled out a measuring tape again.

“Sir,” Ava called out as she moved quickly to get between the tailor and Kaen. “Perhaps we could forgo any measurements. Master Kaen has a few other things to attend to today.”

“I understand,” he answered with a bow. “I can have the first outfit ready by tomorrow evening. The others will take me a week unless you also want to pay the rush rate on those.”

“A week will be fine,” Kaen declared as he moved to where Ava was.

Giving a bow, Cory motioned for him to the changing area where the clothes he had worn when he first arrived were waiting.

"If you will excuse me, Lady Hurem, I must change from my kingly clothes to my play clothes," he stated as he gave a bow and a wink.

Shaking her head from side to side, she rolled her eyes but still smiled.

"I'll be here, waiting to see this transformation."

Darting across the floor, Kaen laughed again as he pulled the curtain behind him.

With the curtain closed, he took two quick breaths. His heart had been racing this whole time.

Who knew a date with her to watch him pick out clothes would make him feel like this?