Elin couldn't sit still. Not only that, but even squirming while she sat wasn't enough. After rely a minute of sitting on the bed, she had to get up and start pacing around. She really wanted to go to the party, and she was quite sure that Kim would object to it.
She hoped that Jonas would be in favor of it. Elin accepted that she would have to abide by whatever decision Jonas and Kim made. She wished that she could sotis at least get a voice in the making of the decision, rather than tis like when Kim and Jonas were arguing and then turned to Elin to be a tie breaker when they were preparing to complete the challenge of closing the portal that led to that goblin world.
Yet, at the sa ti, she couldn't help but feel rather giddy at the prospect of being able to go to a party. Not that she really had any idea what that ant. She was also certain that she didn't have anything 'proper' to wear to it, and planned on taking up so of the offers that had been given to supply her with sothing to wear.
She couldn't be sure if it was only because of how she'd helped them out before, by healing their injuries, but she also didn't really care. For her, it might be in part that she'd always been kept in her father's house, but she was eager to see how others lived. What it was like to be able to go to soone else's ho and see what their ho was like.
She'd stayed at a couple inns, but that wasn't the sa. The inns were made to house people temporarily, while another person's ho wasn't. It would be so much different that her mind was already racing to co up with sothing that she'd never seen before.
After what felt like hours, Jonas knocked on her door. While she didn't know it was Jonas at first, she still went to open the door imdiately, partly for sothing to do and partly because she was desperate to hear what had happened in the common area.
Jonas took one look in the room and stopped. Elin at first felt confused. She couldn't imagine what the problem could be.
"Uh, Elmo isn't here, right?" he asked as he looked around the room.
"No, he went back to your room," Kim answered.
Jonas left for a minute and when he returned, Elmo was with him. Elmo looked like he was fine if he could have remained in the other room, but Elin doubted Jonas would have let him, regardless of what they were going to discuss.
"Alright, now that the city watch has left we can talk freely," Jonas said.
Elin almost laughed when Elmo's face shifted to display an eagerness that Elin could rember him having before.
"So, what was that about?" Elmo asked before anyone else could speak.
"Jonas nodded and Elin sat on the bed, also having questions about what had been going on herself.
"To make it as short as I can, I saw those young n getting arrested and I would have let them go without saying about it, but one of them had the emblem I was looking into. So, I helped them break out of the jail they were being held in and brought them here so they could stay out of trouble. I'm not sure what the next step will be, but going to the party Elin was invited to might be a good idea," Jonas said.
"How well do you trust these 'young' n?" Kim asked, her tone indicating she couldn't care less about what Jonas called them, but she didn't share that sa opinion.
"Well enough," Jonas answered. "They're mostly your troubled young adults that aren't given enough freedom and too little responsibility."
"So, you're saying we can trust them?" Kim asked, her tone very still skeptical. "How do you know that the one who invited Elin won't try sothing while we're there?"
"I can't say they won't try anything," Jonas admitted. "All I can say is that we can gather more information there than we can from here."
"Well, shouldn't we find another place to move what little we have first?" Elmo asked, his deanor looking like he was trying to blend in with the scenery.
"Yes, about that," Jonas said, nodding at Elmo. "Before they left, Lord Tristan gave so money for expenses on our travels. I already paid the innkeeper for another night here. With that taken care of, we can focus on what we'd need for the party that Elin was invited to. Plus, he said he'd be willing to extent the invitation to Elin's bodyguard, her mage, and . Though, I'm not sure what they think I am to Elin."
"As long as they don't think you're her lover," Kim growled. "I couldn't care less what they thought."
"Anyway," Jonas continued, clearly ignoring Kim, "the next question is which of the offers to help Elin get sothing that would be appropriate for the party."
"If we're all going, shouldn't all of us get sothing that' s appropriate for that?" Elin asked.
Jonas smiled at her, but slowly shook his head. "The offer was for you only. If they expand the offer then we can, but otherwise we'll have to figure sothing else out."
"Well, I have the armor I got from the goblins," Kim said, sounding a little smug to Elin. "So, as Elin's bodyguard, then that should work. For the rest of you," Kim glanced at Elmo, "you're on your own as far as I'm concerned."
"Which offer do you think would be best for to accept?" Elin asked Jonas.
"That's a difficult question," Jonas hedged. "We pretty much got an offer from everyone. One said that he'd even allow you to keep the dress you'd choose, another said that he'd be able to have any style you'd like, another said that his family had all the styles already made in any color you'd want, then there's another who even offered money for you to let his family provide you a dress."
Elin blinked. This was much more than she'd expected. "Why does it feel like there's so other reason they want to help out with a dress?" Elin asked, feeling like the answer was right before her already, but she just couldn't see it.
"It's because they're competing with each other," Kim answered dryly.
Elin looked at Kim confused. "Why would they be competing with each other?"
"Probably because you're who you are," Kim answered. "You're of the nobility yourself, you're beautiful as you are, you're not part of any of the current political environnt and so aren't part of so other family's ambitions, and you also have healing magic."
Elin followed so of what Kim said, but not all of it. "Why would politics be involved in a party?"
"Uh, Elin, you do know what a party is, right?" Elmo asked.
Kim and Jonas groaned as if they just realized sothing. Elin scowled at them. What was it that they were getting at?
"I think I've heard of them before," Elin admitted calmly. "they're the celebrations for special occasions, right?"
"If you have to ask that, you probably don't have it right," Kim inford Elin.
"Then what is it?" she demanded, clenching her hands into fists in her lap. If that wasn't what a party was, why couldn't they just say it outright? Why did this have to be so complicated?
Kim and Jonas exchanged a look. "Maybe the best way to let you know is to let you attend," Kim said, looking like she what she was saying hurt to just say it.
While that's what Elin had decided she wanted to do, it felt like Kim was agreeing to it as a ans to rub her nose in it sohow. It made Elin want to refuse to go to the party just because Kim was pushing for it. Which ant then that she wouldn't be able to go! Elin looked at those around her, feeling like her head was getting ready to burst. Everything was just so confusing!
"Calm down, Elin," Jonas urged gently.
"Why?!" she demanded, recognizing that she was starting to get obstinate, but not caring either.
"If you calm down, I'll explain why I think we should attend the party," he replied.
Shooting a glare at Kim, Elin nodded. "Alright. I'll calm down," she said, ready to storm out of the room if she felt that Jonas was treating her like an unruly brat as well.
Jonas nodded, though his expression seed to indicate he didn't think she was really calming down. "The reason I think we should attend is because Lance's family is hosting the party. They also are the ones with the eagle emblem," he explained. "As such, if we attend the party, I'm sure I can slip away during the activities and learn a little about this family. Again, are they themselves part of the assassination plan or just rcenaries hired to attack us on the road? Or is there sothing else going on that even they don't know aout?"
"Lance wouldn't be a part of that!" Elin snapped.
Jonas and Kim raised an eyebrow as the looked at Elin. "How would you know that?" Jonas asked.
"Because his eyes aren't the kind to be part of sothing like that," she said flatly.
Kim and Jonas glanced at each other and Elin felt anger flood through her as Kim started to chuckle and Jonas looked away with a very amused smile on his face. Elin couldn't figure out what they felt was so funny, but she was sure that she herself was sohow the butt end of whatever joke they saw.
"Uh, why were they hurt when the got here?" Elmo suddenly asked, turning all attention towards him. Elin forgot her anger with her surprise. She'd forgotten that Elmo was there.
"Wait, they were actually hurt when they got here?" Kim asked.
"How do you know that?" Jonas asked, he expression guarded.
"Well, Elin gave all those bandages and asked to take care of them, but I have no idea what to do about them," Elmo said, his words coming out in a rush like he was releasing so pent up feelings that had finally found an outlet. "Then the soldiers had checked with the healers in the area, so it isn't hard to deduce that they had been hurt and Elin healed them."
Jonas nodded. "I'll tell you in a minute," Jonas said, turning back to Elin. "Which of the offers should we accept?"
Elin grudgingly let her thoughts shift back to the topic they'd pretty much started with. She'd let their amusent go this ti. For now.
"Is there one that will offer all of us sothing to wear?" Elin asked.
Jonas was quiet for a minute, his eyes lowering in thought, and Elin waited patiently, holding up her hand to stop whatever Kim was about to say. She wanted to know what Jonas would answer her question with. If there was an offer like that, she wanted to go with that one.
While she hadn't been to a 'party' before, she'd at least seen tis when there was a celebration of so sort and all the servants dressed up, as well as all of the servants of any guests her father had co. As such, if she went to the party with Kim, Jonas, and Elmo, then they would need to wear sothing 'appropriate' as well. Which wasn't sothing she would expect they'd be able to acquire that quickly. Just like a dress for her wouldn't be easy to get on such short notice.
After a few minutes, Jonas looked back up at Elin. "Yes, I believe there's one. A Lord Guy offered to supply you, , and Elmo with an outfit. Though, he indicated that his parents might demand we offer so sort of paynt in return, but he said that he hoped he'd be able to talk them out of it," Jonas said.
Elin glanced at Kim. "Nothing for Kim?"
"I think her armor will be good enough," Jonas answered. "After all, she is your bodyguard, right?"
"It's good enough for ," Kim said.
Elin smiled. Then that was perfect. "We'll go with that one. Even if we have to pay," she said.
"Easy for you to say," Jonas remarked. "You're not the one who gets to see how much we have on hand or how much will be left."
"If we're done with that, would you answer my question now?" Elmo complained.
Jonas nodded, turning back to Elmo. "Alright, Elmo," he said. "To answer your question, they were hurt because they were attacked in the streets last night."
Elin noticed a strange look co over Kim. She wasn't sure what it was about, but it felt like she should be able to figure it out, but nothing ca to mind.
"Did they say what they were attacked by?" Elin asked.
Jonas turned to Elin with an amused smile on his face. "They said they were attacked by demons. Demons that left them alone after they had their fun," Jonas answered.
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