Chapter Text
Just beyond the Goldsmith’s Guild, beside the garden at the heart of Onyx Lane, a wealthy citizen holds out her hand, brandishing a ring on her finger. A chorus of delighted gasps echo down the dimly lit corridor, praises sung from the lips of her posse, all of them mesmerized by the quality and beauty of the ring.
And it is a beautiful ring indeed, composed of a violet gemstone that shines in the lighting, making the dim hall seem brighter.
You catch a glimpse of it in passing and smile, knowing all too well where the praises for such a magnificent jewel are most deserved.
Another winding corridor sits on the opposite side of the Onyx Lane, this tunnel delving down towards another guild. The walls are lined with crates and barrels, some covered by sheets of a tarp, others open to expose clusters of rock and minerals.
You take your time wandering down, a hand toying with something nestled in your pocket; a small stone you dug out of a vein while mining. It is a pretty thing, mined from the highlands of Gyr Abania, though relatively worthless (or so the locals claimed).
But you have not kept it in your pocket, traveling all the way from the highlands to Thanalan, seeking its worth in coin.
The door to the Mining Guild remains shut. On the other side, the guild members are preparing to retire for the evening. You take your place against the wooden wall across from the door, beside a stack of barrels and burlap sacks.
She isn’t the first to take her leave, but she does remain behind after most others have headed home. A few stay with her, helping to move crates in from the corridor, finishing up last minute tasks.
The Guildmaster does not notice you at first. You watch her ease right by, counting the remaining crates of ore stored in the hall.
Ever the hard worker, Adalberta is. It’ll be hours yet before she heads home and she’ll be the first to arrive in the morning, ready and eager to train new miners. You admire that about her, even if you wish she would stop and rest more often.
She finishes her counting and turns to make her way back inside, but just as she passes by you reach out, seeking her gloved hand. Instinct urges her to reach for the pick-ax strapped to her back, but upon seeing your smirk, Adalberta calms.
Of course, it is only you disturbing her work; it is always you.
“I’ve brought you a gift,” you say, your fingers grasping at the stone in your pocket.
Before you can present it, she pushes you against the wall, discreetly pressing her lips to yours in the corridor shadows. Barely a moment later the door to the Mining Guild starts to open and she draws back, her kiss no more than a fleeting whisper.
As Guildmaster she has an image to uphold...
“Let’s see what you’ve brought, then,” she says, clear and stern as two members of the guild fetch more supplies from the hall.
You recover quickly from a kiss that was all too brief and present the stone. It lays in the palm of your hand, a simple offering.
“Where did you get this?” Adalberta asks as she carefully takes it, holding it up to the lantern light.
“Oh, just in the Lochs. I thought it was pretty, maybe worth something.”
You glance over her shoulder as a hefty Roegadyn woman carries a box to the Guild door, but your eyes are inevitably drawn back to Adalberta. She studies the stone, turning it over and inspecting every inch.
“I’m afraid you’ve wasted your time, this isn’t worth the dirt you dug it out of.” There is a smirk at her lips as she says this, and while her tone may seem normal to others, the teasing is not lost on you.
You are equally observant of the look in her eyes, the glint of joy and something more, some sense of serenity that your precious stone has brought. She does not erupt into a chorus of praises, but the way she stares at that stone is not unlike the admiration you witnessed in the Onyx Lane, where a woman showed off her exquisite jewel; a jewel that would have never made it onto her ring without the Mining Guild.
Adalberta may not admit it then and there, but she will always keep this small piece of her homeland close - especially when you travel so far.