Chapter 29
Justin would have much rather gotten clothes from the mages, but they had been firm in their dismissal for the night, and he didn't want to have to sleep in the same clothes he had been wearing for well over a day. He definitely didn't want to have breakfast with the king tomorrow in the same clothes. He could get by with it at supper if he had to, but he was sure he would be called out for it in the morning.
"Is there any way you could find me some clean clothes to wear?" He tried to keep his face from turning red, but he was sure he had failed at it. "After waking up face down in a field and going to a horse stable, I know that my clothes must stink."
Maggie did her best to suppress a giggle, and she succeeded about as much as Justin did in trying to keep from blushing when asking her for clothes.
"I admit that your clothes are beginning to become a bit fragrant. I am not sure who I can ask to borrow clothes from. Most of our guards don't have your built." Maggie looked away sheepishly, but Justin touched her elbow and turned her to face him. "You mean I'm not 6ft tall and well muscled?" When her eyes met his, she couldn't help but smile at the mischievousness written plainly on his face. "Yeah, I guess you are not, but I like that you aren't built like one of my father's guards. I see men like that every day, and after a while they all sort of blend together."
Justin laughed at her poor attempt to make him feel better, but there really wasn't any need. He had come to terms with his lack of height and muscles long ago. "Well, as long as I can keep you from growing bored with me by my lack of muscle definition, then it will be all worth it."
At his words, both Maggie and he burst into laughter. A passing servant looked sideways at them before hurrying down the hall.
"But in all seriousness, maybe you could ask someone a bit younger who hasn't hit their growth spurt yet? Maybe a stable boy or page boy? Either way, my clothes stink, and even if they didn't, they are strange enough for this kingdom that the king is eventually going to realize they aren't something people at your school wear. Once that happens, I have no idea what I will tell him."
"You are right. You can't keep wearing these clothes, even if they're cleaned every day. My father was a bit distracted today, but he will definitely notice how odd they are tomorrow. I will ask the cook and see if she knows where I can get some clothes for you. She knows what is going on with nearly everyone in the palace."
Justin thanked her, but had a moment's concern. "What will you tell her when she asks why I need clothes?" Maggie bit her lip, deep in thought, before her eyes lit up. "I'll tell her that your bags were stolen as you traveled from the school. That should calm her curiosity."
Looking at the closed door behind him, Maggie turned him towards it and gave him a light shove. "For now, use the water basin and towel and do your best to wash up. I will go talk to the cook and have a maid send up any clothes that she finds. Supper will be ready in about an hour, so make sure you are as ready as you can be by then."
Justin opened the door and turned back around to respond, but when he did, she was already purposefully walking back in the direction they had come. With a deep sigh that he felt in his toes, he went into his room and closed the door behind him.
He knew that it wouldn't take an hour to get cleaned up and changed, so he decided to look over the rest of his suite. At least he would be able to genuinely thank the king for all of the rooms that were given to him. He felt like the king would appreciate his appreciation.
He had barely noticed his bedroom last night. He had been so overstimulated and exhausted that he was asleep nearly as soon as his head hit the pillow. As he really took the time to look around, he saw that it was an elegant room even by New York standards. The paintings he had noticed last night seemed much larger, and the many candles that he had noticed seemed to be sitting in golden candle holders. If they were solid gold, one would easily pay off his college loans.
As he looked around his bedroom, his thoughts went back to his home and then directly to his backpack that he had left at the bookstore. He wondered if the bookstore was truly abandoned and if his backpack would be there when he got back. Then the question came to mind, 'Will I get back at all?' He was shocked to realize that the idea of never going back wasn't as upsetting to him as he thought it would be.
His parents had both died in a car crash when he was 10 years old, and he had been in and out of foster care until the age of 18. He didn't have any siblings, and all of his cousins were several years older than him with families of their own. He had no one who would miss him if he never returned.
He forced his mind back to the present and went through the door on the right side of the room. He was pleased to see that it led to a large room trimmed in dark wood, with two long tan couches and an oversized grey chair that looked perfect for reading. There was a fireplace in that room as well, and a small cart that looked like it might be used to hold a teapot and cups. The floor was covered with a deep blue rug, and there were short shelves around the room, filled with books and other figurines. The dark wood and the deep blue rug gave the room a distinctly masculine feel.
On the other side of that room was another door. He took his time exploring the sitting room as he walked towards it. When he walked in, he realized he was standing in a small dining room. It had a table that could sit 4, with a medium-sized table running up one side of the wall. The room was covered in burgundy fabric, but one window was left uncovered, letting in soft evening light. A bell pull was mounted on one wall, and he guessed it was used to summon a servant to remove the food.
Justin wasn't sure why a guest would need his own dining room when there was a large table in the main part of the castle, but maybe certain guests were asked to eat with the king. Justin wondered if there were enough servants to go around and wait on all of the guests who ate in their rooms.
Justin had an overwhelming desire to pull the long cord and see if anyone came. Suddenly, a large clanging sound pulled him out of his exploration and caused him to jump a full foot in the air. Looking around, he saw a large clock standing against one wall. As he saw that it was nearly 7, he knew he had spent more time than he really had looking around. If he didn't want to be late for supper with the king, he had better get cleaned up.
As he walked back toward his bedroom, he remembered that he still needed to get clean clothes from the cook. He thought about going back to his dining room and pulling the cord to see if the attendant could find out anything, but just then there was a knock at the door.
"Perfect timing," he whispered.