There was an air of anticipatory excitement in the air whenever King Carl the Squat’s beloved friend Prince Bortimer arrived in the capital of Vlaanderen to spend time with the halfling monarch. It had been a more adventurous time in Vlaanderen all the way around though since the two men had become friends, with King Carl taking a wife and spending more time travelling in his realm. Everywhere that King Carl went he told people about the increasingly dramatic and embellished quest that Bortimer had accompanied him on in Maelonbourg and with that the legends grew and grew. Bortimer meant intrigue and a banquet at the very least.

Prince Bortimer arrived in a flashy manner befitting his legendary status in King Carl’s court. Bortimer and his bodyguard, a swamp orc named Shr Grogdahl, literally flew in aboard a spelljamming ship that looked to be the sort of thing that fueled nightmares with dragon-like wings at odd angles. It settled into a large decorative pond on one of King Carl’s estates and the festivities commenced. Before the nobles and courtiers of King Carl’s realm gathered for a grand dinner Prince Bortimer made arrangements to have a personal meeting with King Carl. While the King had no idea why Bortimer wanted to see him privately, he began to smile as soon as his friend walked into the throne room carrying a metal strongbox that was roughly a cube in shape, and a foot tall, wide, and deep.

Once the guards and advisors had left the throne room, King Carl settled into his throne and clapped his hands together happily. Bortimer approached and opened the strongbox, and Shr Grogdahl stood back and crossed his arms over his chest. As the box opened, King Carl grinned from ear to ear at the sight of the treasure inside.

Bortimer was grinning too, and said, “Before I was able to have my jeweler begin work on the replacement for the crown that was stolen from your vault, my contacts were able to locate the stolen crown itself!” Prince Bortimer leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially, “My contacts among the criminal underworld.”

King Carl nodded knowingly, and gingerly took the crown from the strongbox. He turned it from side to side and examined it with great care. With undeniable excitement in his voice the king said, “This is it! You found it!” With a light note of laughter he said, “You’ve managed to find the stolen Queen’s crown!”

Prince Bortimer closed the strongbox and handed it to Shr Grogdahl who took it with visible frustration. Turning his attention back to King Carl, Bortimer said in his best offhand tone, “It was nothing, your majesty. I am just glad to have this back where it belongs.”

Shr Grogdahl was muttering under his breath, but King Carl didn’t pay him any heed whatsoever. “How can I reward you for this fantastic turn of events?”

Bortimer chuckled and replied, “There is no reward I could ask for, your majesty. It is no less than what any good friend would do.”

While the two men laughed together and continued their bonding as dangerous men of the world are wont to do, Shr Grogdahl just shook his head and rolled his eyes.