Palace walls? Escort? Tia wondered if Fyre might be a noblewoman. If so, what was she doing in this dive? The New Dawn Tavern catered to low and middle class clientele. Experience told Tia that nobles would find an inn like this disgusting. Maybe Fyre was different, or maybe she didn't have any noble blood at all.

Tia pouted when Fyre said she didn't do shopping because she had started to look forward to spending the day with another girl doing girly things with the possibility of a deep friendship developing. Her pout turned into a frown once she noticed how often Fyre's eyes turned to Jareth. Suddenly, Tia got the impression Fyre didn't like her. She turned her attention to her food and began picking at the mountain of fruit she'd ordered.

Jareth had a feeling Tia wouldn't get much shopping done at the bazaar since her main focus would probably be on picking pockets. For that reason, he felt relieved when Fyre declined her invitation for a shopping date. Although Tia was an excellent thief, there was always a chance of her getting caught lifting a purse; he would hate to see Fyre get arrested along with her as an accomplice.

He dug into his pot roast. "This is delicious," he said while dipping a corner of a slice of bread into the tasty sauce. "Let's not order dessert. We can have pie later at the Warehouse. Bea makes the best pies and cakes in Bizmar."

Tia popped a couple of grapes into her mouth, her eyes on Fyre as she chewed slowly. "Bea is a fantastic cook.  The Warehouse is lucky to have her." She pushed around the fruit on the plate with her fork. "Hey, Fyre, be honest...is there something about me you don't like? If you want to be alone with the Doc just say so and I'll take off."

Jareth chuckled softly at Tia's bluntness. The petite thief had a habit of saying what was on her mind. He couldn't fault her for that since he was much the same way.

Tia couldn't believe what she was hearing. Fyre claimed she ruled a country called Aquarius. I'm sitting across from a friggin' queen! Tia hoped she didn't have any dirt smudges on her face or clothes; the same clothes she wore two hours ago when she broke into a noblewoman's bedchamber and managed to walk away with 3 lovely pieces of jewelry. The items should get her enough money to live quite comfortably for the next couple of months if she didn't give into her addiction to buying frivolous things.

The petite thief munched on an apple slice while continuing to listen to Fyre. She found it even harder to believe that someone of her stature was completely broke. Tia couldn't help feeling sorry for Fyre because she knew how it felt to be penniless, and vividly recalled how many nights she'd fallen asleep hungry. Never again, she vowed.

A scowl crossed Tia's face. Although true, she didn't like having it pointed out to her that she was a commoner because she hated being made to feel beneath someone. Fyre may be a ruler on her world, but here she's no better than anyone else!  That thought made her feel better. She curbed the urge to brag about her own ability to use magic. Like most thieves, she preferred to keep much of her personal information a secret. That made it difficult for the authorities to get a line on her.

"Well, maybe we can go shopping together some other time...when you have money." Tia smiled at Fyre before biting into a fat, juicy strawberry.

Jareth washed down more food with java. He'd attack his bourbon again after dinner. "Bea makes all kinds of pie but my favorite is apple."

"And I love her peach pie," Tia chimed in. 

"The kids at the Warehouse adore Bea," Jareth continued. "She's like a mother to them. Her sisters share a special bond with the children as well."

"You'll like the Warehouse," Tia added. "I stayed there for a couple of months when I first arrived in Bizmar. Once I got on my feet I rented a place of my own. I still visit the Warehouse often and make donations whenever I can to help keep it running."

Jareth finished off the mashed potatoes on his plate. "The place is a bit noisy because of all the kids running around, but I'm sure you'll get used to that in no time." After taking one more bite of beef, he pushed his plate away. "That's enough for me. I want to save room for pie." He grinned then ran a napkin across his mouth. "Whenever you ladies are ready we can be on our way."