Bar Pizza Sets a Mood

Walking along the street side by side, the two enjoyed the smell of the evening air. The smell of fresh baked goods drew them towards the baker's shop. After purchasing an assortment of goods that Michael had actually given the recipe to, they continued their stroll down the street.

As they passed by many of the shops, they were greeted by happy locals who had rewritten their opinion of the Duke. Where they would have previously hidden their faces from his sight, now they smile and wished him a good evening.

Some of the children actually approached the two to ask if he had been the one to teach the baker how to make the cakes they had been enjoying recently. The youth were left with a feeling of admiration for Michael when he said he had plenty of other recipes he was yet to give to the shops.

Passing by some of the guards out on patrol, Michael paused to thank them for their continued hard work. They were after all, the only entity that was upholding the peace within the city. All of the guards agreed that the peace was only possible because Michael had changed the way he ruled the territory.

A short while later, the two arrived in front of a local bar. This bar was in fact famous for its alcohol but also for the food it offered. Without hesitation, the two entered the bar and took a seat nearest the window.

An energetic waiter approached the two and offered them a menu to order from. After briefly mulling over the options, the two settle on the most popular dish. A dish from Michael's home world, pizza.

After seeing the dish placed before them and smelling the aroma wafting off it, their mouths unknowingly began to water. Carefully digging in as to not burn their mouths, the two savored the dish. To the outside world looking in, it would appear the two were on a date. A fact that became obvious to them when another patron addressed Alice.

"Everything seems to make sense now. You must be the young lady that captured the attention of our young Duke and caused such a change in him."

Understanding what the gentleman was implying Alice was about to retort but was cut short by Michael's voice.

"Behind every successful man is a woman that keeps his in check. That is as true for any man whether they be a laborer, craftsman, farmer, or noble. Although what you're implying is not entirely accurate, it is true that she caused this change in me and I am more than grateful for that."

To the words, Alice could only look down as her face turned a light shade of red. The two had spent an excessive amount of time together over the last year and a half. She had become well aware of Michael's personality in that time. Needless to say, she would not be opposed to the concept the gentleman had suggested.

Michael was not oblivious to her thoughts either. Seeing the tint covering the face of the woman sat across him, he was made even more aware of her stance on the subject. When he entered into this partnership, he had no ulterior motives. He would not be able to say the same today.

The two were similar in age and Alice was an attractive woman from the beginning. Now that she had a more regular diet, her figure had filled out even more. If before he saw her as slightly above average, now he would argue that there was no other within the territory that could compare to her.

Her long red hair had gained a radiance it had never seen before while her curves accentuated her other features. A slim jawline contoured her face perfectly. Time and again he caught himself nearly drowning in the near endless sea of blue that was her eyes.

"Boy, if you are implying that there is nothing romantic between the two of you then you are gravely mistaken. Ask any person here what they see between you two and they will agree with me. If you are not already involved with one another, you should be. You can't fight chemistry the same way you can oppose fate."

The gentleman finish his statement with a laugh. Those sat at his table also nearly burst. He was right after all. The tension between the two was thick enough you could cleanly cleave it with a sword. None of them had expected him to point that out in such a direct way. They all equated it to the three servings of mead he had downed before the two had entered.

"I will keep that in mind in the future. For now, allow me to buy your next round as thanks for being so direct with me."

Michael's response caught the gentleman off guard. He was expecting Michael to become more embarrassed than anything and was waiting for his reaction. He never would have thought Michael would retain such a calm demeanor in this situation.

"You have a stronger mental fortitude than I had expected boy. I am impressed and I will gratefully accept your offer."

With that the two parties ended their involvement and went back to interacting internally. Alice was the first to break the silence between the two.

"Every day you remind me just how different that the man I knew before. Improving the city and lives of the people aside, the old Michael would never have treated any woman to a meal without some other motive."

"You are mistaken, I do have another motive. It simply isn't the same as what it would have been in the past."

Curiosity spike in Alice's mind to these words. She couldn't help but ask.

"What is your motive then?"

"My motive is simple and I have already achieved the outcome I had desired. I wanted to spend time with you that wasn't tied to work. No discussing plans for the city. No worrying about the work to do tomorrow. Just a simple evening where we can relax and talk."