It was no surprise that the natives of this land had not heard of him or his kingdom. After all, if he did not recognize even the distant points on the horizon it probably meant that his people had not made contact with this land yet. When the woman told Telio where he was, and who she was, a small frown crossed his face, though it was more of confusion than of actual displeasure. There were apparently not one, but two great kingdoms of which he had been utterly unaware, but how was this possible? Nobody had managed to circumnavigate the world, but scholars were at least able to provide an estimate for how big the world ought to be. There simply wasn’t enough room for two great kingdoms. Either Princess Urkwia was overstating the might of her lands, or somebody had made a miscalculation. 

“Princess Urkwia,” the prince began in a somber tone, “I am afraid that I have never heard of you or your lands either. However,” his tone began to brighten. Even though he knew not where he was, that in and of it self was a part of his life’s work. After he figured things out, there would be one less blank spot on the maps. “Even though we do not know each other, I hope that I may be received on friendly terms. You see, even though I am a prince in title, I am also an explorer of sorts. Finding a land that nobody in my kingdom has ever heard of before… well, that is kind of the point of my work.” He gave a small laugh, hoping that his friendly demeanor would brighten the princess’s mood a bid.

Then, the conversation took an unexpected twist. “Yes, the vortex!” It was clear from the way that his expression lit up that he knew exactly what she was talking about. “That is how I arrived here, or so I assume. And sapphires? This can be no coincidence. I was dabbling with the stones myself before the vortex opened. It seems that we will have plenty to discuss. But, for now I will gladly accept your hospitality.”

Generally, Telio was obligated to accept invitations to “wonderful meals” out of courtesy, especially when they came from such prestigious people as foreign princesses. Formal dinners did tend to offer the finest delicacies in terms of food, but not so much in terms of socialization. People would sit in specific places designated by rank in chairs that were too comfortable for their own good. There would be a predictable flow of courses to match the predictable flow of pleasantries and courteous exchanges. Then, everyone would thank his father for a “lovely evening” and that would be the end of it.

But, as they passed through the streets it seemed as though Urkwia was deviating from this pattern. He could see the castle in the distance – castles were never hard – but then he saw their destination. It certainly appeared to be an affluent district with clean streets and stone gates with elegant architecture, but it did not seem to be a place where aristocrats would live. Still it was likely that there would be a high-end restaurant in the area, one that required reservations months in advanced and treated copper coins like quaint novelties. But then they stopped at one of the last places that Telio expected.

He could hear lively shouts coming from within a pub, and once again he was struck with a feeling of disorientation. The princesses he knew of ate their escargot with sterling silver forks and washed it down with tiny sips of the most delicate white wine. Roasted meats and cold ale? He wasn’t complaining, but it was just a bit unexpected considering who his host was. Then again, hopping through magic portals on a whim wasn’t exactly the most princely behavior, so he had no right to criticize. “Is it customary for your nobility to frequent pubs?” he asked, expressing his surprise in the least offensive way he could think of. “Where I come from, the aristocrats seem to have an aversion to such mirth.” He gave another small laugh, making it clear that such a place was in no way undesirable to him. In fact, it was a pleasant surprise.