[color=0054a6]She let go of Chalsea’s hand after they had shaken hands. [color=ed145b]“I don’t think you will meet anyone here that welcomes the smell of orcs, most, if not all, agrees with you.”[/color] She smiled at her. [color=ed145b]“I suppose some stories are exaggerated, depends on what stories you have heard about me and the White Stone City.”[/color] She said with a small nod. She had heard the name of their mercenary band before, but she hadn’t thought they would be on these parts of the world. [color=ed145b]“It’s a pleasure to meet a skilled warrior such as yourself. It’s rare that you find someone willing to travel for so many miles as you have, on very few days.” [/color]She wondered if they weren’t used to getting hospitality since Chalsea stated it was nice with some for a change, though she didn’t want to poke around the topic, as it was none of her business. She was just glad to hear that Chalsea ordered her men not to cause any trouble. On top of what had just occurred over the last few days, the last thing she wanted was to be saved, just to find herself in another conflict with the ones that saved them. [color=ed145b]“I thank you for sending out your scouts, I know they must be tired and I’ll be sure to reward them when they return, sadly, my own scouts are too exhausted, or dead, to carry out any orders at the moment. It took a great deal of strength to stay alive, and many many casualties I’m afraid. Once I have got you and your mercenaries settled down, my men and I will gather up the bodies of our fallen and will prepare a funeral. You are more than welcome to join if you’d like, and your men as well. All that I ask is that you clean yourself up, no war paint, armor or weapons, if you wish to join. Our tradition is that we show ourselves from our most peaceful side at funerals, to be sure we send our people off into the great world beyond, peacefully.” [/color]She explained to Chalsea. 

While Adalia was a tough woman and an excellent warrior, she also felt a lot of sadness and sorrow wash over her when her people died to protect her and the city. She knew they had chosen it out of their own free will, as she didn’t force anyone to join the ranks of soldiers and magic users, but it still hurt her when they fell in battle, despite knowing that battle always demanded sacrifices. She sighed a little at the thought, before she forced a smile upon her face again, they had guests and they should not show their sadness when their guests had just saved them from destruction and saved them from becoming homeless. [color=ed145b]“Yes, a bath. If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you and your men to the place you and your men can stay. I sadly can’t offer you a place at my own house, since tradition forbids anyone to sleep in the royal home, unless they are married to the Queen. But I can offer you a bath in my home, as the savior of the city, and your men can take baths at the place they will be sleeping. I will send some women to help your men and women to get clean, but please, they don’t work as pleasuring women, they are just there to help them get clean and comfortable, so make sure your men and women know that.” [/color]She said with a small bow. When she stood up again, she turned around and the gates to the city were opened. 

The city was beautiful, as pure white as the armor the soldiers were wearing. It looked clean and prosperous, though the fear of the orcs could be seen on the inhabitants’ faces. They didn’t know if the conflict was over or if it was just a break, though when they saw Adalia and everyone else coming back into the city, a sigh of relief could be felt and heard throughout the city. There were small rivers running throughout the city and there were flowers and birds. It was a clean city, if you didn’t know better, it would be how many people would imagine paradise to be like. But of course it had taken years to build a city that could look like this and function like this. The crime rate was amazingly low, though there were always someone who wanted to do something bad. While the city itself wasn’t as big as the other existing kingdoms, it was amazing how many things they had managed to cultivate inside it. Shops, stables, armor smith, weapon smith, flower shops and so on. All the things the other cities and kingdoms had, they had as well, just with fewer workers in every shop. [color=ed145b]“We live quite peacefully out here, and we are not used to having that many visitors come by. We have some occasionally but it’s usually half a year to a year between visits. So if people seem a little afraid at the beginning, don’t take it personally, they just need to get accustomed to having visitors this time around.”[/color] Adalia explained as she led Chalsea and her men through the city. They crossed a small stone bridge that went out a small river and just on the other side of it, Adalia stopped. [color=ed145b]“This building here, can house up to 150 men and their horses, the building on the opposite site can house the same amount. It seems that should be enough for you right?” [/color]she asked with a smile to Chalsea. She hoped it would be, as it would be quite difficult to find other houses to let the mercenaries rest in. 

[color=ed145b]“Once you have settled, you can come to the royal mansion. It will be easy to find, as it is the only real mansion in the city. I don’t really like the concept of palaces and castles, so I had the last palace that was here, demolished and used for more housing for the citizens. I then build a mansion to make sure I did have some kind of bigger housing for when there were other royals that would come to visit. I know I said that only those married to the Queen could stay in the royal house, but if the people that stay in there are already married, then it is allowed for them to stay inside.” [/color]She smiled a bit. [color=ed145b]“If you can’t find it, you can always ask people, they will help you. But please, if you can wash off your war paint it would make the citizens feel more at ease when you approach them.” [/color]She said. [color=ed145b]“I will leave you to it now, and go get cleaned up myself. I will let my people at the mansion know that you will be coming later, and if you decide not to come, then it’s okay as well. The funeral tonight is after the sun has gone down. I hope to see you later. There will be food and plenty to drink.”[/color] She then gave another bow again, and left them to get settled in. The women that would help the men would arrive thirty minutes later, and if none of the men and women wanted their help, they could tell them so and the women would leave again, but they were there if they would be needed. 

In the meantime, Adalia returned to her mansion where her servants greeted her. They had already prepared her own bath and she was happy that they had. She went to the big bathroom that she had in the mansion, which contained four silver bathtubs and two large mirrors on each side of the walls. She got out of her armor and clothing, handing it all to the servants that was waiting in the bathroom with her, all women of course. [color=ed145b]“If Chalsea, the mercenary leader arrives, please show her into this room. Prepare a bath for her as well. It’s the least we can do for the savior of the city.”[/color] She said with a small smile. One of the servants nodded and prepared the bath right away, putting in some hot stones to make sure that water could stay warm until Chalsea would arrive, if she would arrive at all. With that, the servants left to clean her armor and clothing off the orc blood, and Adalia rested in the bath herself, letting her body and face get cleaned from all the orc blood she had been showered in during the battle. 
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