| |
Rian
I watched the head of one of the castle’s horses bob up and down as we plodded along. My thoughts wandered to those I would meet at the end of this trip. It was still remarkable that Reagan had not only accepted me back into his life, but he had done it with enthusiasm. I had not made his or Gwen’s life easy those last years spent in Gilvary, but according to him, all was forgotten. Would the rest of my family truly feel the same?
What wonders would this trip hold? There had been a gleam in Reagan’s eyes as he said, Just get to the Pass. I have everything arranged from there to Aisling. Trust me. I did trust him explicitly, but I did not like surprises.
King Farris had sent us away with Adrika’s handmaiden, Kealan, and two guards. Not that I was worried, but I wondered if he only traveled with two guards. In the king’s mind, there was him, and then there was everyone else. The man irritated me so much.
It was very fortunate that I kept most of my thoughts to myself during our last meeting. Arguing with him was pointless. It would undermine my plans for the future of the kingdom. If I ever wanted King Farris to take my ideas into consideration, I would have to make an effort to appear cooperative.
As we came to Nolan Pass, my thoughts changed direction. The pass was the only gap in the Kearnley Mountain Range that gave easy access between Dermot and Gilvary. My life would be quite different if I had taken this way instead of trying to go over Mount Cullan. I looked over at my wife. My marriage to her was one blessing gained from my detour that I could never regret.
Adrika had been unusually quiet since Reagan’s arrival the week before. She was not quick to share her thoughts unless she was angry, but this went beyond her usual reserve. Something seemed to be bothering her, but I had no way of knowing what it was if she refused to tell me.
Once we got past the mountain range, my homeland stretched out before us, desert-like and flatter than Dermot by comparison. I immediately noticed several notable differences from the last time I had traveled through here. At the border between kingdoms there was a fort that had not existed before.
I watched as Gilvarian warriors patrolling the area directed those entering Gilvary ahead of us into the fort. Upon closer observation, I noticed that no one checked those coming into Dermot. A group from Gilvary trotted right past the fort headed our way, and the warriors made no effort to stop them.
The rutted dirt road we had traveled up to this point turned to cobblestone pavement right at the border. The main road between Gilvary and Aisling had been paved for the most part before I left but this was new. Not only was this main road paved, but I could see pavement within the village just beyond the fort.
I dismounted as soon as we arrived in front of the fort. A stable hand had already plucked Kariann from her horse and one was reaching up to take Adrika’s waist as he smiled up into her face. Jealousy struck like a fist to the gut. The thought of another man touching my wife had my blood pumping faster. I tried to control this irrational feeling. “I will get her down.”
The man stepped away and reached for the reins of her horse instead.
I pulled Adrika from the horse and held her in my arms for a moment before kissing the side of her head. “I have missed you.”
Her brow wrinkled as she looked up at me. “But I have been by your side the entire way here.”
I leaned in closer and whispered in her ear. “By my side, yes, but I like it better when you are in my arms, Princess.”
She ducked her head with her gaze now focused on the ground, but her lips turned up on the edges and a blush crept up the sides of her face. I slid her staff from the sleeve attached to her saddle and handed it to her before retrieving my own.
“When did you start carrying a staff?”
“After you so aptly used the weapon on me, I decided I needed one too. After all, I represent Dermot now, right?”
One side of her lips turned up along with one brow. “Do you need me to teach you how to use it?”
I leaned in closer to her. “I have been training with your warriors, but I am not opposed to private lessons if you are offering.”
She turned away with a smile and a deeper blush on her cheeks as we headed into the fort.
Once we entered the building, I barely had time for my eyes to adjust to the dimness of the room before we were being greeted by a servant. “Prince Rian, Princess Adrika, we have been anticipating your arrival. Come right this way.”
We bypassed the line of those checking in before resuming their travels into Gilvary. The servant opened a door leading into a suite of rooms much like the ones found in a castle. “You will find the basins full of fresh water. Refreshments will be brought by in a moment. Your carriage will be ready to go in an hour, but you can certainly take more time if you need it. Is there anything else you require?”
I gave no answer. I did not understand why we were staying but could not think of a way to ask without sounding foolish. All of this was new to me.
Finally, Adrika spoke up on our behalf. “We will let you know if we are in need of anything else, thank you.”
The advisor and our warriors had followed the servant on down the hall, but Kariann came into the room with us. “I am so glad we will be riding in a carriage for the rest of the trip. Now I can dress you properly and fix your hair and makeup without worry that it will be ruined. Let’s get that riding dust washed off first. You don’t want to go around smelling like horse. I mean, not that you smell bad now. Should I call for a full bath?”
“That will not be necessary.” Adrika made her way to the basin and began washing her face and arms. I looked at the thick, black braid hanging down her back. What was wrong with the way she wore it now? I liked this simple style better than the way Kariann usually made her up, but I had better sense than to verbalize my preference.
The two women stepped behind the screen in the corner of the room. I could still hear the one-sided conversation going on. I wondered if Kariann talked in her sleep. Her constant chatter grated my nerves.
As I finished washing up, there was a knock on the door just before a couple of servants entered the room. I glanced at the screen in the corner. Adrika was completely hidden, but it made me feel uneasy knowing she may be undressed in the same room with these two men who had just entered.
They set the table with linens and tableware for two. They placed platters of meat, cheese, and fruit, in the center along with a small pitcher of ice water. One of them carried a tray into the adjoining room—one I assumed Kariann would take once she had the princess ready. It was a relief to know she would not be dining with us.
Not long after, I was seated across from my wife eating the simple fare that had been prepared for us. “Why are we here?”
Looking up at me, Adrika’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth. “What do you mean?”
“I am guessing we had no choice but to check in here at the fort before moving on, but that should have taken mere minutes. It is not even dinner time yet, and here we sit, eating when we could have traveled a bit more before stopping.”
“Once we enter the carriage, we will probably not stop again until just before supper. The route is planned out. It is the same every time we travel.”
I only nodded. I still was not comfortable with the situation, but what more could be said?
The time did not drag by as I thought it would. In no time, a knock sounded at our door with a servant asking if we were ready to move on. I was happy to step out into the warm sunshine again, but the sight of the carriage awaiting us stopped me in my tracks. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I made a trip around the contraption, taking in every detail.
The bronze and brown cab was much like any other carriage, but instead of horses doing the work, a steam engine pumped beneath the body of the buggy. A water barrel was strapped to the front. The driver’s seat was high above it all. The man sitting there looked down at me through goggle lenses but did not say anything in greeting. A small amount of steam was already wafting from the back. I imagined it would increase once we got started.
Just as I was about to join Adrika in the cab, I noticed a hand-painted plaque below the door. I recognized Gilvary’s falcon emblem and the words Product of Gilvary Trade Academy. The trade school Reagan had started right after becoming king had designed this conveyance. When I left home, the idea of a steam carriage was in its conception stage, and now it was complete.
Our other four traveling companions were placed in the carriage behind ours. I was glad to have my wife all to myself. I sat beside her and took her hand, but my gaze was focused outside the buggy as we began our journey. I could not remember the last time I had felt this type of invigoration. My wonder at the fact that things were so much more progressive here than in Dermot seemed to spill out as I began talking about all the improvements I would like to make there. Adrika did not have much to say. She mostly stared out the window at the passing terrain. This trip was nothing new to her. She more than likely found my babble to be rather boring.
The population seemed much thicker than it had been before I left. Small towns and villages had popped up along the main route that had not existed before. We stopped for supper for a couple of hours. The station where we ate was much like the fort but smaller. By the time we stopped at the next station that night, my enthusiasm had waned quite a bit. I was already beginning to miss the freedom of being on horseback. It was also surprising that I found myself missing the quiet solitude of Dermot.
I paced the floor of our chambers, trying to stretch the kinks from my muscles while Kariann helped Adrika get ready for bed. When they came from behind the privacy panel, Adrika offered me a set of clothes.
“What is this for?”
“I thought you might like to change into something more comfortable for sleeping.”
I usually slept in the nude. Was she afraid we would be disturbed in the night?
Still holding the clothes, she lifted her hand out again. “We will be in the carriage. I thought this would be best for travel.”
“It is late. I thought we were stopping for the night.”
“We will sleep in the carriage and travel through the night. That will shorten our travel time significantly, but if you would rather stay here, I am sure it can be arranged.”
I took the clothing from her. It was a loose pair of pants and a pullover shirt like the outfit I used to train in. Since the wedding, new clothes for me had just shown up. The independence I had enjoyed for the last ten years was gone. It was not that I wanted to shop for myself, but I missed the option to do so.
As we headed back out to the carriage, I put a protective arm around my wife and pulled her closer. Her robe covered everything, but it was strange having her out in public in her nighttime attire.
When we climbed back into the carriage, the curtains were closed and the leather seats had been laid flat and made into a bed. It was a while before sleep claimed me and even then, it was never restful. The rocking and creaking from the contraption had my body and mind in constant movement, leaving me sore and weary the next morning.
I had to keep reminding myself that every mile was getting me closer to my family and at a quicker pace than if we had gone by horseback. This trip was taking its toll on Adrika as well. The longer we traveled, the more despondent she became. By the evening of the third day, she looked almost in tears.
I squeezed her knee. “What is wrong? Are you just weary from traveling or is something else bothering you?”
“It is nothing more than a headache. I will take something for it when we stop for the night.” She rubbed her fingertips up her scalp on the sides as if she wanted to dig deeper, but did not want to disturb her hair style.
I reached up and carefully began pulling pins from her hair.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking your hair down. It will help with the headache. Why do you wear it up all the time now? It cannot be all that comfortable.”
“I am a married woman now. Married women are supposed to wear it up.”
I dropped each collected pin into her open hand. “Says who? I have seen others with their hair down after they are married. Kariann wears hers up, and she is yet unwed. Correct?”
She sighed—whether from relief or exasperation over my naivety, I could not tell. “It is what my mother always taught me.”
With a gentle touch of my fingertips to her chin, I turned her to face me. “Do you like wearing it up?”
She looked down at my chest. “It makes me feel pretty, but other than that, not really.”
I turned to place my back against the side of the carriage and pulled her against me with her head on my chest. Placing my fingertips on both sides of her head, I began massaging her scalp. This time, her body relaxed along with her sigh.
“You are very beautiful no matter how your hair is fixed, but I like it better down. You should save wearing it up for special occasions.” I kissed her temple to soften my words. I really did like it hanging down her back. I loved the freedom of running my fingers through the silky waves whenever I wanted to, but it was her choice to make.
“Kariann will be so disappointed.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she lay against me with her eyes closed.
I massaged her head and combed my fingers through the length of her dark hair. Then I asked her to sit up so I could braid it. Kariann would have done this anyway when we made our last stop. Adrika usually slept with the braid to keep the tangles at bay. I finished just as the carriage was coming to a stop. With no tie for the end, I handed the tail of it to Adrika. After kissing her one more time on the cheek, I stepped out first and then turned to help her down.
Later, we climbed back into the carriage for our last night before we arrived in Aisling. Adrika was so quiet, and I could not help but think there was something else going on besides a headache.
“Is your head still hurting?”
“Not as much. Thank you for what you did. It really helped.”
We were on our sides, facing each other in the dark. The anchor ensign on the chain around my neck was clasped in her hand. I reached up and rubbed the side of her face.
“What else is bothering you?”
She opened her palm and tilted the anchor back and forth to catch the little bit of moonlight coming from around the edges of the curtains. “I am surprised you wear an anchor if you hate going by sea so much. What made you finally decide to come home? Was it your family?”
She had flitted from one subject to another without answering my question. I thought about what she had asked. Maybe if I answered her questions first, she would feel more comfortable opening up to me about what was bothering her. Then again, she was asking for more than she realized. How much should I tell her? She was my wife. I supposed she had the right to know everything.