Regent rolls up his sleeves

After a long day of working at the wall, several workers gathered at Ellington's for a well deserved drink. The gossip of the day was the rumored appearance of the Regent at the work site.

"Nah, I'm tellin' ya. I wouldn't have believed it m'self if I 'adn't been there. He was liftin' and haulin', sweatin' and gruntin', right along wit' the rest o' us. I used t' think he jus' didn't care, but what I saw t'day has me rethinkin' my opinion o' the guy."

"I'm surprised he'd be out in public like that. After that pirate tried to kill 'im at the execution an' all. Pretty ballsy."

"Even more why I'm thinkin' different about 'im." One of the men raised his glass. "To the Regent!"

"To the Regent!" the others resounded, and they drank.

Hana couldn't rightly believe what she was hearing. Tucked away at a corner table, back to the wall, she watched the exchange between workers and sipped her ale.
Celebrating the Regent. What bullshit.


"You don't have a clue," she whispered to herself, mouth hidden behind the rim of her tankard.

When they toasted, she raised her drink in a mimicry of celebration, the smile on her face as convincing as any.

"Long live him!"