The wheels on this carriage seemed to travel far more smoothly than the one I had initially been travelling in. Still, I managed to feel a little sick as we moved forwards, my stomach twisting.

I sank my fingers in the soft velvet material beneath me and frowned to myself.

It was a grand old cabin, black on the outside with some gold gilding here and there but mostly plain, inside it's benches were cushioned in soft red and ever inch of the walls covered with a fine, warm embroidered material, mostly of the kosmima flower; a flower with few petals that, at first glance, often appeared to be made of metal, generally gold.

My lyre sat on the bench in front of me, someone had helpfully supplied it.

I examined my fingers closely.

"You'll travel with me here, be fairly warned it will not be in your best interest to leave the carriage without permission."

Those words had sounded so final nothing I said mattered. He had justified it as an entertainer accompanying his king. Which was fair in word but stranger in practice, especially considering I that pretty little time had passed between us that hadn't resulted in me pressed against his bedsheets, my lips bruised and tears in my eyes, desperately clinging onto him as he took great care in driving me burning me up from the inside out. 

What was worse was the tension I felt in me as I neared him now, no longer just fear, just nervous awareness of just how close I was getting to the spiders web...

I felt anticipation. Just sitting there in the back of my chest, a drive to see him more, to feel his lips on mine, eyes on me. I knew this would either be extinguished with time or brightened beyond what I could handle and I feared it completely.

There was music outside the carriage and I wished to see. What strange instruments, what costumes or dances were there? I was missing it all from the warm, comfortable moving room I was sat in. 

I sighed and rested my elbows on my knees, running my hands through my hair. It was long enough that it could reach past my shoulders now, I ought to be tying it back like any person who intends to present himself well.

It didn't matter, of course, because was nervous to peak outside.

"I will return in a while. Servants will attend to your needs."

He would have to continue the entire route as planned and the longer I thought about the the more convinced I was that it was a long time to spend on horseback.

I sighed, folding my hands over each other.

"Is- Is there a servant..." I asked quietly towards the edge of the drapes.

"Sir!" A servant replied, immediately stepping into the carriage.

I jumped back in surprise, a hand on my heart.

His eyes were wide. "Sorry sir, I thought you called-"

I raised a hand. "I did, I did. Just... How did you get here so fast, and how did you get on a moving carriage?"

He cocked his head. "Sir? The speed of the carriage matches a fast walking pace, sir."

I closed my mouth, straightening my posture and sitting back fully on the seat, my cheeks a little pink. "Is it that slow? It seems so fast..."

He seemed to smile slightly, I thought he seemed to have a friendly disposition that was perhaps preceded by a cold affect presented for the benefit of polite service.

"Not so fast, sir."

"I see..." I stared at him, waiting for him to step further inside.

He seemed to get the expectation after a moment and took a few more steps closer.

"How did you step inside so quickly?" I asked him.

"We walk along side the carriage, sir, there are two servants on either side of the entrances. This way, should you wish for anything we are directly available."

I nodded. That made more sense than him stepping out of thin air.

"What was it you wanted, sir?"

I fiddled with my hands. "I wish to know... how much longer we will be travelling?"

"Sir, about two days in full."

"Oh," My eyes went wide. "Am I going to be... going to be staying..."

He paused, "Staying here the rest of the journey?" Before I could do more than nod he continued. "Yes, sir... "

"Right." I glanced at the drapes.

He shifted from one foot to the other. "You aren't allowed to leave, sir." He said quickly.

I looked up in surprise, a tinge of invisible red on my cheeks as I averted my eyes.

"I understand."

Evidently that was something he was told to enforce clearly. Demosthenes had said he was not angry and had nothing to be angry about but perhaps, if this was true, he had decided that I was not trustworthy to be left to my own devices.

This, came off to me as equally strange as embarrassing, when considering that of all the servants and even relatives travelling along this procession he had decided to leave his son in my charge.

Did he trust me or didn't he? Maybe it was more sensible to consider that it was not through his own eyes he had noticed that I was missing, someone who was one in a crowd of people travelling behind him, swallowed up by the festivities, but through the aid of someone else's, who he had tailing me.

But this was only absurd and pointless conjecture.

"Would you like something to eat, sir?" He asked me.

I looked up, glancing at the silver thread embroidered black drapes. I did not want to spend the rest of the festivities in the sickly moving box, I wanted to explore the Mitter, I would only get one chance...

That thought made me realise I never considered staying inside the walls of this kingdom for longer than a year at most, and even that seemed far longer than I was ready for, yet I had no plans on how to leave or when to leave. How long would the kind, sweet woman, waiting for my hand to hold hers, wait for me?

I swallowed, the scent of some of the foods from outside slipping in.

"Do you think... Do you think you could get something from the market for me?"

He looked surprised. "What sort of thing?"

I fiddled with my hands, embarrassed. "Anything really, I would not know what they are called or what tastes good, would you?"

He scratched his head, forgetting his posture. "I wouldn't really, no."

I untied a pouch from my waist and opened it. I carried a few joules around, not much, I never needed what I was paid inside the palace, after all.

I held the money in my hand and extended it to him. "If you could get me some things to try, I would gladly share. We can try them together. First experiences always better shared."

He stared at my hand, gaze moving between the money and my face. His fingers slowly accepted the money and he looked back up at me as he held it close to his chest. "I'll... I'll try. I'm not sure if I can... if I can't I'll return this immediately."

"That's al-"

Before I could finish what I was about to say the carriage jolted a little and started to slow down, the sounds of muffled voices could be heard from directly outside.

"Madam..." I made out from a male voice. "...and they are waiting..." Another voice also called out. "Madam!"

But eventually the carriage stopped and the drapes were pulled aside by a lady.

We both stood in shock, that is, the servant and I. The Lady herself seemed unaffected by our presence and only stared at me.

I stared back, She was beautiful. Her white garments mostly loose around her small elegant form, large round pearls on her neck that lead down to a pendant low on the low neckline, drawing attention to her small, shapely bosom, and her light brown hair was tied up in a sophisticated hairstyle that cast light on a soft pale neck.

I recognised her immediately. 

"Aren't you supposed to sit there?" She demanded.

The servant quickly replied before I could understand what she meant.

"He has permission to sit facing this direction until His Majesty is to retire to his carriage." He supplied.

Considering it was Demosthenes that put me in this seat himself it never crossed my mind that it might be considered strange. I got up quickly from the seat and bowed low.

"Excuse me..." I said hurriedly, standing by the opposing seats, waiting for her to sit down to be allowed to sit myself.

"Madam, are you supposed to... be here?"

She pursed her lips, eyes downcast she sat down and rearranged her skirts. "I am a simple woman." She said. "He is spending a long day in the sun and will need an caring hand when he returns. I will wait for him here."

"Yes, m'am." The servant bowed low.

He glanced at me and I gave a half smile. "Keep it," I said quietly, referring to the money. "If you get the chance, find something for yourself."

His face brightened only a second before he bowed and hit it, turning and carefully stepping off of the carriage, knocking on its side before the carriage started to move again.

I looked up at the delicate damsel sitting with easy perfect posture in front of me.

She had been sitting beside him at the banquet. The woman I presumed my fellow serving folk were addressing when remarking on the woman who had recited the long dreary poem to the King.

The King's future wife.

I tried to bury the bitter feeling that surprised me and angered me. Turning in on myself, full of introspection, I barely heard her when she spoke to me.

"Joker." She addressed me loudly, her elfish voice still quiet.

I started and raised my head. "Yes, madam."

"I wish to know how well you know His Majesty."

I stared at her, heart beating a little faster. "Not very well..." I said slowly, the memory of his lips on my skin flashing like a painting in my head for a half-second.

She hummed, pulling the drapes aside to peek through a moment. "Only I want to make him happy. I think, even though he likes me well and we are together often, I do not know enough about him. If you know any single thing, I would be grateful to you?"

She cast her pretty big eyes on me and I blinked twice.

The ill feeling of talking to the woman that made me feel discomfort and at the same time facing the wrong way of travel, which was somehow far more nauseating than it had ever been on the back of a cart, made me feel a little sick.

I swallowed.

"Tell me, what can he absolutely not tolerate? What does he unkindly berate you for?"

[A/N] Patreon chapter 91.5 is up, it doesn't have to be read in order since it's from Belem's POV. So read it now or later, I'll link it here and then again on chapter 91 once it comes out on wattpad.

ₚ ₐ ₜ ᵣ ₒ ₙ ₛ   

♆ Alaskan_Outsider