"Stay here", stressed the clerk, almost pleading, to the lady adventurer who was disturbing his foyer. The man was famished, and it was well past his quitting time, "Someone will be along to ... deal with you ... shortly". The man shrugged. Her Ranger badge and University credentials seemed legitimate, but this far South and at this time of the evening while the King and his guests were dining? Nom thank you! Alabaster waited until he had limped down the hallway and away before she sprang up.
It was a matter of ease to snack a wheeled trolley, left idle in a hallway with the remains of some meal or other on the two tiers. These armor bags were heavy, and noisy, and she could not carry either of them herself. It took both hands each on the canvas sacks, near to ripping with the heavy and sharp contents before she was able to tumble them onto the convenience.
The trolley groaned and creaked - she fed it a bit of bacon grease from a plate which seemed to soothe it. Which way to the dining hall? Aha! She spied two faded tracks in the carpet adorning dressed stone corridors and followed it quite directly to where the Royal and his guests were dining.
The guards at the archway crossed their polearms at her, of course. She straightened, fixing her errant hair and smoothing her tunic on which adorned the Rangers crest. She'd been here before, after all! "I have a delivery for his Majesty", she said, "and his guest."
A moment passed, and she felt obliged to make a curt bow. Nobles loved it when you showed them a bit of humility. She peered inside hoping to quickly make eye contact with someone - anyone - who might allow her to be admitted. The ranseur, though archaic, was still a sharp and deadly implement, even when wielded for display purposes. She eyed these two guards as her mouth dried with uncertainty.
"Royal Ranger Alabaster, from the University. If now's a good time?", she added, tugging open the sack containing the Majestic Plate Armor. Perhaps they would be convinced by its platinum filigree?
