Elara hummed in acknowledgement, nodding. "Maybe. Perhaps it's a certain loyalty to the ones with the…contract?" She suggested, tilting her head slightly. She was glad the song was ending, because hopefully, that meant he would leave and she could get some ice from Tia and make sure Kieran ate. "What did you rent him for, if you don't mind me asking?"
Jalaan shrugged. "That could be." He replied. He thought for a moment. "Once for running errands. Twice for the bed." He replied simply, no hint of embarrassment or shame in his features. As if doing such a thing was perfectly normal. Which to him, maybe it was. That didn't make it right.
Kieran closed his eyes for a moment, then reopened them, keeping a careful eye on Elara and Jalaan.
A knife to the heart would be so easy right now. Elara just nodded, almost like she was thinking. She could see why Kieran has been so upset by seeing the man. She kept from looking at the Thari though, knowing if she did, it would draw even more unwanted attention to him.
The song ended, and Jalaan gave her a bow. "It was a pleasure meeting you." He said with a small smile. "And if you find you need to sell that Thari, I'm sure i can find a use for him." He turned, melting into the crowd.
Kieran waited for her, giving a soft sigh of relief when Jalaan left.
Elara made her way back to Kieran, her disgust at Jamaal showing clearly on her face. She was trying, and not really succeeding, to hide her limp, obviously favoring her ankle. She plopped down in her chair, wrinkling her nose. “What a sleaze.”
Kieran shrugged. "He's normal for an Isharian." He replied, eyes flicking over her concernedly. What did he tell her? What did he say? "Is it your ankle again?" He asked, shifting. "Should I go get someone to take a look?"
Elara waved him off, kicking her leg up onto the table and gritting her teeth for a moment. She was glad she was wearing boots, because her ankle definitely felt swollen. ‘M fine.” She said, her eyes scanning the crowds to see if the man had left. “Isharians’re all like tha’? Gods, tha’ sounds horrible.”
Kieran shrugged. "Okay." he sighed. "Yes. They are." he replied, not looking at her. Jalaan had indeed left, and there was no sign of him. Kieran shook his head slightly. "What did he…say?" he asked slowly, looking down at his hands.
“You’ve got a mouth. Implied ya had attitude pro’lems.” Elara said, shrugging off both her jacket and her hoodie, laying the former over the back of the chair and digging through the pockets of the latter. “Told me if I got sick o’ ya, t’ call him, an’ he'd find some use for ya.” She glanced up, her gaze softening for just a moment before she looked back down at her hoodie. “An’ tha’s why I called ‘im a sleaze.”
Kieran flinched slightly, hands clenching and unclenching. He didn't look up at her. "I see." he said slowly. "Well. At least it was just him, and not one of my…owners." he replied, taking a deep breath. Strands of hair fell into his face, and he bit his lip slightly, wondering if he should say anything more.
“Lemme tell ya somethin’, ktherion.” Elara said, without looking up. “Regardless o’ whether it’d been one o’ your previous owners or no’, I can promise ya wouldn’ be leavin’ this tavern with anyone else unless ya wanted too. I think havin’ a guy with horns shadowin’ ya is cool.” She tacked on unnecessarily, as though she didn’t like getting that…whatever you’d call that, without humor. She finally found what she was looking for, and tossed a thick wallet and a gold pocket watch onto the table, grinning at Kieran. “Consider it yer paycheck.”
Kieran swallowed. She's going to promise me that? He shook his head slightly. No. Promises don't mean shit. Not anymore. He looked over at her, raising an eyebrow. "And who did you pickpocket this from?" He questioned. "Because I'm pretty sure that that isn't yours."
“Anythin’s yours if ya take it.” Elara said simply and unhelpfuly, her mismatched eyes sparking with a wickedly mischievous glee. “Man had a heavy as shit wallet, lemme tell ya. ‘M lucky I had so many items’n my pockets t’ swap it with.” She said, reaching out to grab the wallet and pull an ID from it. “This ankle o’ mine came in handy, wouldn’t ya say?”
Kieran shook his head, an odd look flashing across his face. "You know, i can't condone this behavior of yours." He said, but took the wallet. "Slaves aren't to be trusted with money; they'll run off with it, steal it." He hadn't even handled money before, much less had any.
"Lucky I don' give a shit." Elara said with a shrug, lifting up the pocket watch to study it, estimating it's worth. "I grew up stealin', ktherion. Tha's how we made our livin', 'cause it was the only thing left." Of course, her mother was an escort. But the woman had also done everything she could to keep her daughter from having to turn to that way of life.
Kieran shrugged. "Yes." He replied simply. "There were other options. But I do not think you would have wanted to do them." Prostitution, willingly selling yourself as a slave or bond servant… He shook his head slightly.
Elara shook her head, something flickering across her face for a moment. "Sure there were. Bu' as far as my ma was concerned, not for me. She knew what those other options were like, 'n' knew there was no way in hell she was lettin' me do any o' 'em. Tha's what she told me, at least." She pursed her lips, not removing her eyes from the pocket watch. One thousand mari at least, keeping in mind that the watch isn't solid gold. Otherwise, it would bend more. Extra five hundred for the small diamond that the hands come off of. Initials engraved on the back are common enough that they wouldn't affect the price much.
Kieran nodded. "I see." He said simply, wondering what had happened to this mother of hers, bjt knowing that it wasn't his place to ask. He also wondered how much longer they would be here, and if they would head back to sleep soon. He could handle it if they didn't, but he didn't want to. He wanted to sleep. Today had been a long one.
Elara set the pocket watch down, glancing to the kitchen doors and holding up three fingers, lowering one at a time as she counted. "Three…two…." On one, the doors to the kitchen opened, as Tia came out with multiple plates of food arranged on a tray.
"Food is here. Oh, dear." She set the tray down, frowning at Elara's ankle before turning to Kieran. "What did she do to her ankle?" Somehow, she was able to tell that Elara'a ankle was injured, and that the Princess would deny it being so if asked.
"She injured it earlier and refuses to take it easy." Kieran explained in as few words as possible. He looked at the food. His stomach growled softly, and he sighed. Really? Stop it. You aren't that hungry, you just smelled food.
"Why does that not surprise me." Tia complained, swatting at Elara with a wooden spoon. She never actually hit Elara with it, even as the girl ducked out of the way with a yelp, keeping her foot propped up. "Take better care of yourself! You are not a starving street urchin anymore, so you do not have any excuse. Now, eat, both of you." And with that, the older woman was gone, leaving a sulking Elara and the food on the table.
"Street urchin. Jus' 'cause it's true don' mean she's gotta say it." Elara grumbled, reaching out and snatching a plate of food from the tray, immediately going for the mashed potatoes.
Kieran started eating. His table manners were a bit sloppy, but he did his best. "She is trying to take care of you, your highness." He replied as he ate, directing his eyes down to the plate in front of him rather than at her.
Elara sighed, looking off at the band as she set her fork down. For some reason, she left her spoon on the table, even when she moved her plate to her lap. "Yeah, I know. There just ain' much reason too, an' she's got more important things t' focus on than some thief from two cities over. 'sides, I can take care o' myself jus' fine."
"Some thief?" Kieran questioned. "You are the princess, your highness, not just a thief." He kept eating. Keep on the safe topics. Don't talk about the past, hers or your own. Just…be careful.
"There was a time when I wasn't." Elara set her plate back on the table, the food not touched much, besides the mashed potatoes. It was worth noting, too, that there was no meat or fish on her plate at all. Just vegetables. "'Sides. I'm only a Princess in title."