74 The Market Distric (1/2)

As they entered the city, Will looked around at the now crowded streets. Though he had been there many times, watching over the daily lives of the citizens, he had never been able to become a part of it. He watched as people went to and from the various stalls which lined the main road to the castle.

Remembering how the city was only a year and a few months ago, Will was glad to see that normalcy had regained its place within the kingdom. He remembered the deserted streets, the abandoned stalls and the feeling of emptiness the city had once been. It was almost as if he were in a different place all together.

”Want to check out some of the stalls?” Maya asked playfully. She chuckled lightly as she saw Will's bewildered stare.

Snapped out of his reverie, Will nodded towards Maya and she guided him to the first stall. Though he had been in the world for more than two years now, it still felt like he was still a stranger to the customs of Crystallia. He didn't know exactly what the kingdom of Ebonhart had to offer for entertainment or supplies.

Maya guided Will to a stall that seemed to be a furniture store. He saw various chairs and tables made of a dark red wood, giving it an expensive look. Many sets of dining room furniture lined the inside of the stall. He could pick out a few lazy boy recliners among the many old style luxury seats. 'I guess Leo has had success in more than just buildings.' Will thought as he observed the foot rest which popped out at the crank of a lever on the side.

”See anything you like?” A man asked as he approached Will and Maya. The man had plain light tan clothing on much like the clothing Maya had on when Will first met her. He also had a dark gray apron on with wood shavings scattered on it.

”We are just looking around for now.” Will said with a polite smile.

”I have furniture for people of various wealth.” The man said as he rubbed his hands together. ”If you would like to see our more affordable works, they are over there.” He pointed a finger to the corner of his stall, where a set of plain wooden chairs, stools and tables sat. Will also saw plenty of bed frames and lumpy mattresses.

Sighing to himself, Will once again cursed at himself for not changing into proper attire before heading to the training field. Before he could respond, Maya cleared her throat. ”We were actually looking for furniture to fill our condo over in Ember.” She said as she took out a coin purse.

Will wasn't under the impression that they were planning to purchase anything while they were looking. The store owner must have read Maya's mind as he quickly apologized and went back to his table to wait for any purchases.

”Some people.” Maya shook her head in disappointment.

”What's wrong?” Will could see frustration in Maya's eyes.

”Most people within this kingdom judge a person's wealth by the clothes the wear.” Maya explained. ”If you walk around in clothing that's torn or worn in any way, they believe you are poor and just seeking shelter in their stalls.”

Will looked down at his clothing and sighed. It was much the same in his world as well. He had noticed that people in suits were regarded differently than those in street clothing.

”I have an idea.” Will said with a smile on his face. Maya looked at him, bewildered as he tore his shirt more in the center. She could clearly see his well defined stomach through the shreds of white fabric. ”Tell me what the currency system is like here.

Even though he had a little experience with gold due to freeing the slaves and working with Roland in the past, Will was still a stranger to the currency exchange within the kingdom.

”You really are hopeless aren't you?” Maya rolled her eyes as she dug into her purse. She produced three coins, one was copper, another was silver and then gold. All three had his father's face plastered on the front.

Maya started her lecture with the copper piece. ”This is copper, a hundred of these equals one silver.” She showed him the silver piece. ”A hundred of these equals one gold.” She showed him the final coin.

”How much money do you think it would cost to buy the furniture the owner pointed out for us?” Will pointed to the low quality furniture in the corner of the store.

”Chairs would be around thirty copper.” She examined the chairs from a distance. ”I'd say seventy for the table and one silver for the frame and bedding.” Her eyes went dark for a moment as she was lost in thought.

Will could imagine that the furniture in the corner was luxury compared to what Maya was used to in her old cottage.

Smiling, Will put his arms around Maya. ”How much do we have to spend?” He asked with a glint of mischievousness in his eye.

Maya fished out five gold coins from her purse and handed them to Will. ”I'm sure Michael will have some money to give you when we see him next.” She said as she placed the coins in his hand. ”You can pay me back then.”

”Are you sure you can give me this much?” After having just learned how much one of the gold coins was worth, Will didn't want to bankrupt her.

Maya scoffed. ”Do you think I've just been sitting still the whole time you've been sleeping?” Maya took out a handful of gold. ”The king has been kind to me for my help in training the Crusaders.”