The prince and the silly

"This's really cool." Young master said as the honey dripped down the sift. Wearing the protective gear, sitting in the screwed apiary.

"Are you running away from the palace again?" Karaza asks, stacking another clean box on the hive.

"That's very rude of you! I am shopping for rare finds for my fiancé! I just thought you would be free."

"What do you want to buy?"

"Old crystal decoration stuff from a brand called... icevá. You know someone who know where to get them right?"

" Of course I do!" She said, exaggerated enthusiasm, before they both laugh.

"Let me see if there is someone with social life is nearby." They walked out of the apiary. She played with a small axe shaped keychain, a miniature version of the real deal.

The main street of the area was filled with bicycles shops, factories for magnetic devices and shops that repairs hexagonos. The sounds she picked were as unfamiliar, as the people she walked by, except for certain someone with pastel orange hair and brown suit across the street, talking to a bicycle shop owner.

" See that girl? Ask her." She pointed at her. The creature saw her too.

"Yello!" She greeted across the street.

"No. It still awkward between us."

"Oh! I see."

The young master gave a thank you slash see ya pat on Karaza's shoulder and walked to her.

She observed him with a curious albeit polite expression and a careful smile. He had the confident demeanor and a likable smile and the walk of someone who plays with fire.

She watched the conversation of a charming prince and the silly, not bothering to pick up their voices. When Roxy read the card of the icevá brand and nodded positively Karaza went back to work.

In the depth of the flea market Roxy was inspecting a small crystal swan. He stood near her observing the transaction happening in the shops.

'Quite a busy place. Things are of a decent quality too.' Thinking while holding a bowl.

"Fifty."

"Twenty five."

The haggling between Roxy and the shop lady brought him from his business thoughts.

"No need to haggle m'lady." He gave the shop lady a crisp fifty bill. Her and Roxy admired the rare paper money since locals payed with hexagonons.

"Gotta support local shops." He winked to the seller.

He walked after her obliviously while she skimmed the scene, then heading to a young guy, with out a shop just sitting on a chair with one leg up. A small scale on a table in front of him.

A quick glance between the two established the deal, magnetic powder morphed into the number '40' in a small screen below the scale. Roxy put her hexagono on one bowl of the weighing scale. The device made a noise and the number disappeared. She took back her device and gave him the crystal to inspect.

He looked up and down, staring at the brand engraving at the bottom. The prince watched the whole interaction with the intrigue of witnessing something exotic.

"Go to Jorge." The guy stated.

"You mean traitor!"

"He's the last one to buy a patch of those." He took a record book under his chair, opened a page and handed it. Watching her unreadable expression.

She gave the book back and looked at the prince.

"This gonna get expensiveeeee."

"Let's go. By the way is there a currency exchange place here?"

The teller eyes were sparkling at Roxy. Or maybe it was the reflection of the prince's ruby earrings who looked at the exchange prices on the hexagonal board on the wall.

' One copper coin is roughly equivalent to 1000 moro in todays prices. A silver coin is equivalent to 5000 moros and A mercury coin is equivalent to 9000 moros.

The moro barely have a value as a currency yet the economy is thriving. Love the bizarreness.

Wish I can make trading deals here, buy low and sell high in the dukedom, but they don't want to buy unwanted people's goods.'

"Tea sir?" The teller offered. Roxy was already sipping.

The prince thought some more.

" Can you sell me the moro price charts of the past?"

"Sure, how many years?"

"Ten. Also some moros please."

He gave five mercury coins to be exchanged and paid a hearty price for the price charts. After drinking the offered tea he marched out.

'You always bring the best costumers child.' The teller counted the profit. Roxy's hexagono beeped at the commission receival.

Jorge's shop wasn't in the flea market, an instant minus for Roxy but whatever the customer want.

It was a shop with mystique, dim rays of the sun through the thin silk curtains reflected a relaxed blurry lighting on the goods in the store.

'Phycological tricks as usual.' She glanced at the prince, he didn't look fooled behind the amused demeanor.

The tradesman showed all the pieces he has from the icevá brand, barging about the authenticity of the various crystal swans, horses and lotus flowers. Roxy let him finish, waiting to bargain the exaggerated price he gonna spit out, Jorge was ready for the challenge too.

But to their surprise the prince just puts the money on the table.

'There's much to explore here, can't waste time on swans.'

"My servant will pick these later, can you wrap them too?" He marched out comically.

"Rich people are eccentric." Roxy said and Jorge nodded.

"Can I haggle you anyway?"

"Girl just run after him."

The prince demanded to meet economist of the land, hence Roxy was sitting on a bench in the economy and business academy while he socialized with some people.

'I made more money today than the translation gig, but dealing with rich people is... mind numbing as the human say.' She looked at the commission Jorge sent.

'I'll buy my glorious blob some bread later.'

After whole day of escorting the young master they headed back to the apiary.

"I can just go back to the hotel you know."

"I would rather hand you to my arch nemesis before she thinks I ate you or something."

He laughed at that, glancing at her.

"Listen I like to make straightforward deals when I can."

"Well nobody working now so that will have to wait till tomorrow."

" I meant a deal with you."

He eyed her unreadable expression, she let a small hum letting him know she knew what he meant.

"You knew my secret from the beginning." She tilted her head with a smile.

'Is that his wish?'

"What do you say? Be my guide in the wild?"

"Sounds fun, but I have a bicycle book I want to translate better."

His bafflement turned into laughter.

"You know, I like you. Wanna be my lover?"

"Sorry, it's already overwhelming with three husbands."

'Weren't you shopping for a fiancé..I thought foreign humans didn't like polyamory .' She shrugged her shoulders internally.

"Okay miss popular! my offer stays open though, both ways." He winks.

"Young master please don't acquire a love before your engagement party. Plus you don't know her like I do.. she looks harmless now but she wears glitter! In her boots." Karaza popped in front of them, speaking quietly.

"I didn't eat him." The parasite declared which earned her weird looks.

'Well food in the dukedom isn't as flavorful as here so won't taste that good.' Karaza thought.

"Hey!" The prince said with a pained voice.

As they separated Roxane asked him a last question.

"How did you know?"

"Even mere humans have a tool or two." He smiles and waved away.

'How to know huh?' He recalls with nostalgia, a time when he sneaked in accompanied Cherry in a mission.

In one of the forest corners Karaza poured drops of her blood into a squirrel golem, in exchange of information about the location of an elixir.

"Thanks for the meal, though your blood suck human. Consume less of whatever in that thing." He spoke in human language.

"Whatever pal, your tongue is made of stone anyway."

"You're much expressive with inhuman creatures don't you." He stated while she returned escorted him back to the castle.

"Well, they're more pleasant to deal with."

-

' I'm starting to understand that.'