Joe woke up in his bed, his colourful quilt hugging his body and draping off of his mattress. One of few luxuries he allowed himself, a comfortable night’s sleep one of the most important things to him. Almost every coin he had was put towards bettering Foizo to the least fortunate who found their way to the town and struggled to make ends meet.
But his bed remained a comfort he enjoyed nevertheless. A place to relax after a long day, to unwind and to let the stress wash away. A good night’s rest was the difference between beautiful day and a dim one, Joe found.
He got up and rubbed his back, his back sore and worn in his old age. If he was going to get immortality, the least he could have done was get it before he got old. Maybe one day Zoe would return with some way to make him younger, Joe chuckled to himself.
She lucked out, grasping immortality for herself at such a young age. So spry and full of vigor, for all of eternity. Joe shrugged, being old had its benefits as well. Without a reputation, nobody would know Zoe was as old as she was. They still saw her as a na?ve young girl — and her fancy necklaces hiding her level hardly helped with that either.
Joe pulled his quilt back over his bed and fluffed his pillow then staggered over to his desk to sit down. Today was a big day, the council was meeting with the king for their annual report and they needed to put on a good show. It didn’t really matter, Joe knew. At least not for Foizo’s prosperity. Foizo paid their taxes, and the kingdom had an obligation to provide assistance befitting the amount paid. Lest they risk losing that income for themselves.
But meeting the king himself was always nervewracking. Everybody was on edge as they waited for the mage to arrive, double checking all of their numbers and plans. Being sure they had all of Foizo’s needs ready at their fingertips and wouldn’t fall from the pressure.
He rummaged through the papers on his desk — housing requests for the most part, though there were some scribbles of budgets and a document discussing the future expansion of the town. Some of the council wanted to expand towards Flester’s Might and create a district just on the outskirts of the dungeon to bring in more income from the dungeon.
Joe disagreed with the idea personally. The dungeon was close enough for many to commute to work there, especially since they’d created the road to Inkley. But to expand the town all the way to the dungeon would be far more of an undertaking than it would be worth.
Increasing revenue from the dungeon was something worth doing, but Joe’s preference was a toll on the road. Anybody who lived in Foizo would be granted free passage through some means of identification, and anybody who did not would need to pay a fee to use the road. Perhaps they could take a page from Zoe and Fred’s book, create some sort of escort through Flester’s Might. A tour of Flester’s old beauty, how the city changed under the dungeon’s influence.
He shrugged and turned his attention back to the papers on his desk for a while until the sun rose and he stored the important pile he’d separated away in his ring and left his room. The hallway just outside was dim with some deafened snores sneaking through the cracks in the enchanted doors. He’d have to get them repaired soon, people too often slam them shut in frustration and while the doors work wonders in good condition, with holes and cracks in them the sound seeps out anyway.
Downstairs, Kenzie and Sue were working, cleaning up the mess left from the previous night. Mugs and plates left on tables with cutlery covering the ground.
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The two girls looked up and smiled at him, a joy he didn’t think he’d ever get old of. Just a few short years ago they were in such disarray, and now they were confident. Had their own home, and even helped Joe out at his inn. A fact he couldn''t appreciate more with how busy the council made him some days.
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Joe nodded. “Well, don’t hesitate to bother Emma if something happens, alright? I’ll be busy with the council for most of today.”
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A dull thud came from the bar where Sue was and she stood up rubbing the top of her head. “Eugh. I hate taxes.”
Joe laughed. “You know, Zoe never used to like taxes either. She hated them so much more than anybody I’d ever seen.”
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Joe laughed. “Yes, very. Alright I’ve gotta get going, you two have a nice day. Remember if you need anything go pester Emma. Or Peter and Lauren, but they have a business and Emma’s probably just sleeping with her cats.”
Kenzie laughed. “We’ll be fine, Joe. We always are.”
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Kenzie walked up to Joe and started pushing him out the door. “We’ll be fine, Joe. We’re not the fragile little girls we used to be.”
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“Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
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Joe turned and walked down the street towards the council building. The two girls meant the world to him. Watching them grow up, seeing them become their own people. Women, now, Joe reminded himself. Adults, making their own way in the world.
He couldn’t be prouder of them. To overcome such adversity and still be so pleasant and happy was such a hopeful thing to see. No matter how bad the days were, no matter what disaster might strike, they were always a reminder that things could get better.
And a reminder of the importance of the work he did, though now he’d expanded beyond just his inn. It was less personal, being on the council. Pushing through changes that helped with the less fortunate people of Foizo, that gave people homes, food and support they needed. He couldn’t be there with them every step of the way like he had with the others, but Foizo was a pleasant place to be, thanks in part to his efforts.
People were happy and comfortable in Foizo, with plenty of opportunities to better themselves. Though he did miss the personal touch The Risen Cask had at times. There was a pride he felt at seeing the safety of Foizo, the comfort the people had.
But there was no relationship. Many people knew who he was, and his position on the council. Most people knew, he thought. The council was hardly some secretive thing, a hidden group that ran the city. Many of their meetings were even done in public, with suggestions taken from the citizens.
There were just too many. It was impossible to develop such a personal relationship with each and every one of them as he had before. A fact he found difficult to accept at times, loving the connection he had with people who came through his inn before. But he did good, he reminded himself.
Joe walked in to the council building, a rather gaudy two floored wooden building with gold embossing around the doors and windows. A waste of money, in Joe’s opinion — and for that matter the rest of the council. But the royals had their own twisted sense of necessity and outright refused to join them for a meeting in anything simpler.
Eileen was sitting behind the front counter and smiled when Joe walked in. A past member of the council, who stepped down to a less stressful role after the first few years. Joe couldn’t blame her.
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Joe smiled. “Everybody’s got their own thing going on.”
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Joe rolled his eyes. “I’ve got a simple role. Make sure people have houses.”
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Joe nodded. “Thanks, Eileen.”
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Joe nodded and made his way towards the stairs at the back. They led up to the second floor which was just a single large room with a far too long table set down the middle, and dozens of small tables along the edges of the walls with green plants growing from pots.
He took his seat at the fourth chair on the right of the table — pointless structure in Joe’s opinion, they didn’t have near enough members on the council to fill the table. And the royals never sent more than three, often even just two people for their side.
But it all played into the silly rules the royals needed their cities to fit. Organization and structure, and as much as Joe hated to admit it, it did make sense. They’d be speaking with who knows how many cities today alone, and who knows how many the previous or next days. If every room they met in was different, with different placements and expectations it could slow them down on getting necessary support to cities in need.
It just made more sense to Joe to require no structure in the meeting rooms. Let people sit where they wish, or perhaps require a separate table for the royal delegation.
Doris was next to show up a few minutes later and sat next to Joe at the third seat. Ingrid and Kiara came in not long after and took their seats at the fifth and sixth respectively. Elliot was next and sat at the second seat, with Ernest showing up last and taking his spot at the first seat.
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He was met with nods from the other members.
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Ernest nodded, and the council sat in silence for a few minutes before the royal delegation appeared in the room with a puff of white smoke that floated up to the ceiling and vanished.
Yul took their spot at the far end of the table, with Jorg and Hirl sitting down at the two seats opposite Ernest and Elliot.
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The council members nodded and all summoned small bags of coins that clanked and clattered, handing them to the two delegates.
They looked through the bags and nodded to Yul.
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Short brown hair covered with a gaudy bejewelled crown. A heavy red coat covered in gems and gold threads rested on his broad shoulders and contrasted his pale skin. Joe could never get over how young the king seemed. Was immortality given to the royal family, some secret keeping them around forever? He didn’t look a day over thirty, and yet ruled an entire kingdom.
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The council sat.
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The king nodded. “We will consider this. Is there anything else?"
When nobody spoke up, the king nodded again. “Very well. It is good to see you all well.”
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The king nodded, and the painting dissolved away. Colours rushed back into the plants and walls again, filling the room with life.
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Ingrid let out a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”
Joe laughed.