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Aster, Basil and Clover found seats near the corner of the tavern, a barmaid came over to them eagerly, her eyes locked on their finery, “w’at can i ‘elp you with  tonight?” her accent rough, 

“What do you have cooking in the kitchen?” Aster asked, 

“We’ve got ‘ot pies cookin’, some venison soup.”

“We’ll take that with three cups of your best mead,” 

The girl nodded to Aster's words smiling, heading away to collect their order. 

“I’d prefer cider,” Basil said in a bored tone, 

Aster shrugged, “I've never had mead and it's not like we’re paying.” 

“We shouldn't order too much,” Clover added quietly, “I don;t want to trouble Cyrus.” 

Aster rolled her eyes at Clover, just as the barmaid came back with three cups of overflowing mead. They took their cups, taking sips and gulps. As time passed their food arrived, and more cups of mead found themselves on their table, Clover grew drunker and drunker. She giggled, her face turning red, laughing at everything her sister said, as she flirted with the barmaid, Basil watching his sisters with a blank amusement. 

“The three of ya, must be royalty,” the barmaid spoke, “i ain’t seen anyone as pretty who ain’t,” 

Aster snorted, “no, no, no,” she laughed, “we’re orphans,” she hiccuped, “but we’re not talking about us, what about you?” She joined slyly. 

The barmaid giggled blushing, “oh i ain’t nothin’ special, me ma owns the inn.” 

“All that free mead!” Clover gushed loudly, “I wish I got to have free mead.” 

“I’m ain’t allowed to drink from any of the barrels,”

“No,” Clover leaned over, deversated, “that's so unfair!”

She suddenly began to cry, “it’s so sad, just like me,” she flopped her head on the sticky table, “i finally found my soulmate and everything goes wrong,” she murmured. “I think I'm going to be sick,” she said, lifting her head up, “is it okay to puke into the plant over there?” she asked, 

“I’ll, um, I'll go get you some water.” Aster said, slowing rising up, she spun on her foot, 

“Wait, i can-” the barmaids' words were stopped as Aster clumsily crashed into a man, spilling his drink all over her front. 

“Shit!” Aster screamed, “fuck this isn’t even my-my-” 

“Oh, goddess, I'm sorry,” the man rushed, interrupting her jumbled words. “Here,” he handed her a handkerchief, as Aster took it, the man paused, startled, his eyes wide, staring down at Aster. 

“Sila?” questioned, “what in the name of goddess are you doing here-” 

“Sila who?” Aster asked confused, tone drifting in and out. The man she saw was tall, with dark brozened skin, he was middle aged, with a dark bearded, but his hair was the colour of dark blue, and his eyes a mix of violet and sky blue, he wore good enough clothes, a dark brown doublet with black breeches and boots.   

“I'm Aster,” she told him, “A-ST-ER,” she pronounced for him. 

“Aster?” he questioned, he looked her over, squinting his eyes, he noticed her eyes, the freckles on her nose and cheeks, the hue of her orange, red hair. He shook his head, “sorry, i thought you were someone else, you look so much like her.” 

“Sila,” Aster tried out, she turned back to her brother and sister, “do i look like a Sila?” 

“Sila? Sila?” Clover thoughtfully spoke, “nope, you're definitely an Aster,” she nodded largely. 

The men took a moment to take in the sight of the two others that were nearly identical to the girl in front of him. “So you don’t know a Sila?” he asked, wanting to be sure, not able to shake the similarity. 

“No,” Clover shook her head, “but she sounds pretty, is she pretty?” 

The man smirked at her forwardness, “she is quite pretty.” 

“Ooooo,” Clover cooed, “Sila, the famous beauty. Wow Aster you were mistaken for a prized beauty.”

“Are you from the empire?” he asked the siblings, the barmaid watched, being completely forgotten by the three by the table. 

“No, we grew up in the capital. A orphanage, well a temple that happens to be an orphanage run by priestesses,” Clover told the man. Basil frowned at the man not liking how curious he was about them, 

“So you do not know your parents?” 

“Nope,” Clover answered, 

“And the three of you are-” 

“Triplets,” Aster added proudly, “it’s great,” she nodded, stepping back to her chair, she gestured to a seat next to her, for the man to take. He happily took it with a smile. 

“Triplets,” he said surprised, “that's interesting.” 

“I know,” Clover grinned, “but we don’t know who's the oldest.” 

“We know you're the youngest,” Aster murmurs, taking a sip gulp from her cup of mead, “you're so tiny.”

“Am not!” Clover shouted, 

“You are, you are,” Aster said matter of factly, “as small as a pea,” she told the man in a loud whisper, 

the man chuckled. “That doesn't mean she’s the youngest.” 

Aster frowned at him, “whose side are you on.”  

The man stroked his beard, “sorry, it was just a thought,” he smiled. 

“I’m Elron, by the way.” 

“Oh, I'm Clover,” Clover giggled, “and this is Aster. oh , oh and this,” she waved her hands towards the barmaid, “is our lovely hostess, who Aster was spending a lot of time flirting with, i think she likes her.” the barmaid cheeks brightened, as she got up, mumbling that she needed to get back to work. 

“You’ve chased her away,” Aster grumbled glumly, taking a swing from her drink, 

Clover giggled, “she was flattered, she couldn’t take her eyes off you.” 

“So, your names are Basil, Aster and Clover,” Elron confirmed, 

Clover hummed, “yeppers.” she said jolily. 

“Who named you?” 

Calover shrugged, “I don't know, I think someone told the priestesses, or was the lady who dropped us off there..” Clover began to think, “i’ve never liked it,” Clover said suddenly scrunching up her face, “i always wished my name was,” she looked to both her sides leaning over the table to whisper loudly, “Eloise,”

Elron was taken back, “Eloise, you say. It is a pretty name.” 

Clover nodded in agreement, “where do you come from?” she asked, 

“The empire, the capital actually.” 

“Wow,” Clovers eyes lit up, “that sounds amazing,” 

“It is,” 

“Is it true that magic runs free there?” 

Basil grew interested at the question looking at the man waiting for his answer, Elron grinned, “yes, mages, sorcerers and witches all practice magic freely.” 

Clover looked entranced, “I wish I could go there.” 

“Of course you can, our borders are free to all, it is the land of the goddess after all.” 

“Why is it called that?” Basil asked, 

Elron was startled by his voice, so familiar yet different, “it is where the goddess gave birth to life, and to her child, who the empire was built after.” 

Clover gave a confused look, Elron chuckled, “the emperor is descended from the goddess herself, as all generations are. The rulers of the empire used to be as powerful as the goddess herself, but their power has weakened now, but not so much that they are not next to the goddess herself power wise.” 

“Amazing,” Clover sighed. 

“I know the emperor myself,” Elron smiled, 

“Really!” Clover jumped, Aster looking at Elron impressed. 

“Yes, he and I are old friends.” 

“Then what are you doing in a tavern in the middle of nowhere,” Basil questioned, his voice void of emotion. 

“I like to travel,” Elron shrugged. 

“Can you do magic?” Clover asked, both Aster and Basils heads snapped to her, “Clover, you can’t ask that,” Basil said firmly,

“It’s rude,” Aster said. 

“Is there a problem here,” one of Cyrus’s guards spoke behind Elron, he turned sheepish, “no, not at all, i was just enlightening them with stories.” 

“Of what? Magic?” the guard sneered. “I think you best move on.” Clover slumped into her chair at the words but said nothing spying Cyrus across the room, intensely gazing at her worryingly. 

Elron nodded, “of course,” he turned to the three, with a polite smile, “it was nice meeting you. May the goddess watch over you.” got up off his seat and made his way out the tavern. 

“Perhaps you should go rest, my ladies and lord.” 

“Yes,” Basil readily agreed, helping a swaying Clover up as well as Aster. 

After Basil saw his sisters safely to their beds, he let the weariness of the man fill him, something was odd about his questions, the way he looked at them made his heart speed up. He didn’t like how much Aster and Clover told the stranger and hoped nothing would come from it, but yet a negging feeling told him it would.