The Wicked House of Caroline

“Do you have your knife?”

“Yes.”

“And your snacks?”

“They’re all packed.”

“What about money?”

“I have more than you.”

Aside from the question about the knife, as Laz and Lucian were hovering over her, she couldn’t help but remember the time she sneaked out of the palace grounds with the late Queen to watch the first day of a primary school they opened in the slums.

Parents who themselves were dressed in tatters were nervous as they sent their small children to school for the first time, asking over and over to make sure they had everything they needed. For those parents, they’d only have to wait half a day until they saw their children return.

For Laz and Lucian, it would be, at best, two and a half to three months.

She had very little things to bring with her. Her cloak was folded inside a basket with her snacks that should last her and Gerard until they reached a village. A small basket next to it had some awkwardly sewn clothes Lucian had made her. Of the twins, he wasn’t the best at crafts, but he put in a lot of effort and she appreciated her simple dress that had uneven sleeves and a hem that was already coming apart.

Her knife was kept close to her, along with her gold plats. She held a few in her hand and as the two men eased back from their concerns, Beks lifted them up.

“It isn’t much,” she said. “But it should be enough for some supplies.”

Lucian furrowed his brows as she placed a few in his hand. “Where did you get these?”

“Brother Laurence left them for me,” she replied as she gave the rest to Laz. “I can’t withdraw any money, as it could be reported, so for now, this is all I have. If I can get more, I will bring it back.”

Laz’s hand wrapped around the small pieces of gold and he narrowed his eyes. “We may be able to get some funds from a trust in Langshe that our father left for us, but we’d have to go there ourselves and meet with our aunt or cousin to verify our identities.”

By aunt, he meant the Empress of Langshe. He made it sound as if he could visit her so casually.

“I’m sure there must be a wait to get access to our money in Kadmium without alerting Luther and his father,” Lucian said with a frown. He saw Laz open his mouth and he cut him off. “That doesn’t involve robbing a bank.”

“Then, that’s much more difficult.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Beks said. She then stepped past them. Her face softened as she looked into the big, red eyes of her horned serpent. Snowflake seemed to know she was leaving soon, as during the last week, she followed Beks more than usual, even going as far as to try to wiggle his way into the library or rotunda. “My baby....” she said in a soft, affectionate voice as she walked over and draped herself across Snowflake’s head. “I’ll be back soon. Three cycles of the moon, all right?”

Snowflake’s body coiled around Beks, trapping her inside. All the twins could hear was Beks’ gentle cooing, trying to coax Snowflake into letting her go. Eventually, when she tried to climb out, Snowflake moved. He continued to rub his head against her, up until the twins helped her on to the basket.

“He’ll really miss you,” Laz said with a grin as he looked at the clingy snake that kept sticking his head in the basket.

Beks’ eyes reddened as she stroked Snowflake’s head and then gently pushed him back. “I’ll miss you the most, too, Snowflake.”

She pretended she didn’t see the twins cast her dull looks.

Laz let out a heavy breath and looked at Gerard. “You are to protect her with a higher standard than you protect even me. Understood?”

“Understood, Battalion Commander!” Gerard hit his chest.

Laz looked at Beks. “We can barely recognize you without your orange streak, but you mustn’t drop your guard. Stay away from any large cities and towns and go directly to the High Desert, understand? As soon as you find your father and brother, return to the meeting place.”

“Be careful, Beks,” Lucian stressed as he reached over the top of the basket and cupped her face. “Do not take any unnecessary risks.”

“I won’t.”

She had a vague feeling they didn’t believe her. Laz stroked her hair back.

“If you don’t find your brother or father within three months, you must return to the meeting point and come back. Lucian’s illusion won’t last and your orange hair will be relieved.”

She nodded and grasped both their hands, squeezing them as she gave them a confident look. “If I don’t find them this time, then I’ll come back and try again.”

She let them go and the two stepped back. Laz gave Gerard one last look and turned towards Thunder. Laz walked to the rokh perched on a fallen pillar and said something before moving back to stand with Lucian and Jonas.

Thunder flapped his wings and rose into the air. Beks grasped onto the top of the basket. She’d done a test flight before and Gerard had been with her. They learned he could assist with the swaying of the basket with air biha, which was relieving.

The ropes tied around the basket rose into the air, getting higher and higher before they went taut and the basket was lifted off the ground.

Beks waved at the men they were leaving behind.

“Safe trip, Egg Tart Monster!”

“Remember to pay attention to your surroundings!”

She nodded. “Okay!” She turned her attention to one who seemed the most heartbroken. “Be good, Snowflake! I love you!”

Her precious white horned serpent flickered his tongue and tried to stretch high to keep up with her, but the basket went too far and high for him to keep up. She raised her hand to her chest and pressed against it, trying to quell her heartache.

Soon, those illuminated by light pearls faded away, but Beks remained standing on that side of the basket, looking out towards where they were.

“The flight is not too long, my lady. We will arrive and then you can rest,” Gerard assured her. Beks gave him a nod and turned forward. In the dark, she couldn’t see anything. The moon above didn’t do much. They relied on the rokh’s senses to fly blind.

It was a bit disappointing that she couldn’t see in the dark, as when they’d flown in the daylight, the views were breathtaking. Because of this, it was a bit boring. Beks sank down into the basket and crossed her legs.

“I’m going to read for a bit, Gerard,” she told the man guarding her. He gave her a nod and Beks closed her eyes and went through the books she’d memorized in her head. She was in the midst of reading the history of Gurani, as she hoped to find more biha-related things around the island.

From what she understood so far, Gurani’s territory was a peninsula with islands, most of which sunk when a series of volcanoes erupted. Part of the peninsula connected to what was likely now the Forbidden Valley, but the land bridge had washed away. Which made her wonder if the animals endemic to the Forbidden Valley were once also on the island.

And did it have any more legendary beasts like the Snowflake and the rokhs? She absorbed herself in reading until she heard Gerard’s voice.

“My lady, we’re descending. The landing has a bit of a bump.”

Beks opened her eyes and nodded. She stood up and looked over the side of the basket. Unsurprisingly, all she saw was darkness. She let out a sigh at the disappointment of the view. She wouldn’t know where they were until the sun rose.

Thunder had already made the flight numerous times and had no problem sweeping along the coastline, towards a river and following it up to the designated landing location. Beks held on as the basket swung once Thunder stopped gliding and began to circle in place.

She still couldn’t see anything in the dark, only that the basket landed on dry land and that there was water moving nearby. Gerard climbed out first and helped her up.

“My lady, hold onto my arm and walk slowly. I will lead you to where the cave Jonas prepared to rest in. Once day breaks, we’ll make our way to the nearest town.”

“Does the nearest town have any contacts that you can use?”

“Unfortunately, no, my lady. There is a town that is just off the main road we will head to. There is a local messenger office there, as well as an inn. We can wait there for one of the Wild Dogs to come for us.”

Beks nodded, but lifted her hand to her chest. Her urapearl was nestled in her cleavage and she wanted to buy another urapearl stand and try to use it. There was a chance it was the stand that Jonas bought that didn’t work, and that her urapearl was undamaged. If her urapearl didn’t work with a different stand, then she’d accept that it was the urapearl that no longer worked.

She glanced at the shadow of Gerard who turned as soon as he led her to the narrow crack of an entrance to a cave. He asked her to wait while he carried their things back and sent Thunder away.

She narrowed her eyes. If her urapearl didn’t work, she needed to go directly to Nexus in Kadmium, but that was in the opposite direction of the High Desert. Not to mention if she tried to go back, Gerard would surely try to stop her under Laz’s orders.

Beks chewed on her lower lip and lowered her head. Let’s not overcomplicate things. First, check to see if the urapearl works. If I can get it to work, then we can get support throughout this entire journey. She glanced back at Gerard. And maybe have time to go to Kadmium.

She heard the heavy beating of wings and felt some air rush towards her as Thunder ascended, taking the basket, and leaving them behind. Gerard returned holding their things in baskets and motioned to the cave.

“Please go ahead, my lady. Place your hand on the wall and follow along. Jonas has already cleared the space, so you won’t trip over anything. There is a large stone at the back where you can rest. I will guard the entrance.”

“Thank you, Gerard. Should I trade places with you midway through the night?” On one hand, her guarding abilities were vastly inferior to his, but on the other, it was unfair of him to have to stay awake the entire night.

He shook his head. “No, my lady. When we reach the village, I can rest. A few hours are nothing.”

She hardly called the whole night ‘a few hours’, but acquiesced to his instruction and slowly made her way to the back of the cave. The stone at the back seemed to have been a protruding boulder, but from what she felt when she touched it, it was clean of any dirt and large enough for her to lay on.

She sat on the boulder and shuffled back until she hit the wall, then leaned back and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax. Putting aside the task ahead of her, there was a slight giddiness that she was off the island.

First to contact Nexus, then find my family, get Brother Laurence..... Her body began to grow heavy as the comfort of a safe place after so much preparation took over. And then kick that useless turnip off the throne.

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but she never really got a good look at a small village. The Sacred Valley wasn’t as big as Kadmium, but it wasn’t a village. Traveling to and from Kadmium, they’d stayed at towns and fortifications.

Even the Inundation Blessing had taken place in a fairly well-sized town.

Beks crinkled her eyes and counted perhaps no more than ten old homes clustered around one dirt road. Reading about villages was one thing, but were they sure this counted as a village? It was more of a small group of houses.

“Gerard.”

“Yes, my lady?”

“...Is this where we’re staying the night?”

He was quiet for a moment before giving her a hesitant answer. “It is the closest village that is off the main road.” That was a yes.

Beks looked from one side of the street to the other. All the buildings appeared to be homes. It was not unheard of for small local businesses to be run from the home, but that would mean there would be little room to house them.

She furrowed her brows. “I don’t mind sleeping outdoors.”

“Don’t worry, my lady. Jonas and I have come here before and we’ve asked around,” Gerard told her with confidence. They stood on the side of the road leading to the town. “This village is the center for the farms around the area and twice a week, they come here to buy and sell their goods. We met the village elder and he offered to let us spend the night in their old storage room if needed.”

Beks looked over at him with some concern. “But one room is not enough for the both of us.” It was different when they were camping in the open; there was safety in numbers out in the wild, but in such a setting, it would be inappropriate to share a room with Gerard, whom she was unrelated to and was married.

Gerard straightened his back. “My lady, that room is yours. I will guard outside.”

Beks frowned at once. “You already spent all of last night guarding. You need to sleep.”

He let out a slight laugh. “My lady, I am a light sleeper. I can sleep outside your door to protect you.”

Beks thought for a moment and then conceded. She supposed it was the best choice. At this point in the journey, she couldn’t stop him.

“Then, where do we go?”

The large man looked pleased and pointed to the largest of the thatched roof cottages with the moss-covered walls at the far end of the village. “That is the village elder’s house. He is a widower and his son and daughter have gone to work in another village, where his wife had left them land. He lives alone with his grandson, so there is room for us.”

This relieved her a bit. She didn’t want to inconvenience people.

“Since you usually come here with Jonas, does he think you are guards for hire?” she asked.

“Yes, my lady. Battalion Commander has instructed that in this case, I have been hired to escort the orphaned daughter of a distant relative to her fiancé’s home north of here.”

She crinkled her eyes. “Orphaned daughter....” First, her family was still alive. Second, at twenty-three and physically appearing as an adult woman, wasn’t the alias a bit ill fitting? Did a twenty-three-year-old woman need a bodyguard?

She wasn’t completely sure, but she guessed that the cost of a privately hired bodyguard to escort her would be more than the cost of hiring a communal carriage from one village to another. From her reviews on transport, those were fairly affordable andfaster than walking.

Beks wasn’t sure if she were to pretend she was a well-off young lady, which she technically was, or an impoverished young woman in dire straits who, in order to avoid destitution, was traveling a long distance to a fiancé she’d never met with the faint hope that he would treat her well.

Gerard looked down at her as they walked and cocked his head to the side. “My lady, is something wrong?”

She was staring straight ahead, her face frozen in a neutral expression. “I am trying to prepare myself for my role.”

He looked even more confused. “Your role?”

Her voice was dull and distracted. “As an orphaned woman enroute to her fiancé after the tragic death of her parents with the hope of a new life where her husband will not reject her and her marriage will not be loveless.”

Gerard was quiet for a moment. He stared at her a bit longer and then turned his head forward. He squinted and pursed his lips. “That’s nice, my lady.”

The hard packed dirt of the road crackled beneath their feet as they passed through the row of houses on either side. Beks resisted the urge to look from side to side and take in the village. In Kadmium, people who did that were often seen as easily distracted by their surroundings and would get pickpocketed or accosted.

She doubted that would happen here, but she didn’t want to seem like a ‘target’ who had never seen the world, and could be easily taken advantage of.

They reached the largest, though not by much, home in the village and Gerard knocked on the door.

“I’m also known as Gerard here, my lady.”

Beks gave him a nod. She tugged the sides of her cloak that Chamberlain Wilton had given her when she was exiled. It was rather plain when one first looked into it, but the material and stitching were expensive and careful. Most people wouldn’t notice the high quality of the cloak at first glance, so she wore it with the hood up to keep the sun off her face.

Gerard lifted his hand to knock a second time, but before he could, the door opened and a thin old man with a wool cap over his white hair greeted them with a toothy smile.

“Ah! It’s Gerard!” He let out a laugh, making his eyes crinkle up. “Welcome back!” He craned his neck and looked around outside. “Oh? Jonas didn’t come with you this time?”

“He’s on another job this time, I’m afraid,” Gerard said, matching the old man’s smile. “I am escorting this young woman and was wondering if your spare room is available for the night? We only need bedding for her. I will guard her door.”

The old man turned to look at Beks and gave her a warm smile. “Of course, of course! Greetings, young lady. How can I let such a lovely young woman sleep outside, eh? Come in! Come in!”

He ushered them inside, with Beks following first and Gerard following from behind. The inside of the house was clean, with swept wooden floors covered by various worn woven rugs. A narrow set of stairs to the side led to an upper floor while a wood burning stove made of clay bricks was in one corner.

There was a wooden table with some stools and dried goods hanging from the rafters, which had painted engravings of what were likely local flowers.

“Your home is very beautiful. The decorations on the beams are lovely,” Beks said as she looked around and then looked towards the old man.

He flushed and chuckled sheepishly. “My late wife loved flowers, so when I built the house when we were married, I tried to bring what she loved indoors, so she could look at them even when they weren’t in bloom.”

“That’s very sweet.”

“And what is your name, young lady?”

“Please call me Miss Snowy.” Beks gave him a bright smile, ignoring Gerard’s questioning gaze asking why she was naming herself after her horned serpent.

“Miss Snowy, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Elder Roland and this is Trisbal Village.”

Beks exchanged a few more pleasantries with the old man before being shown the door at the end of the hall, which led outside to an outhouse, and then to the storage room. It still had shelves with various supplies and items hanging from the ceiling to dry, but it was well kept with a tall, narrow window at the top for ventilation. A simple wooden bed was pushed up against the wall with a mattress of stuffed straw and rough pillows and blankets.

She thanked him for his kindness and once the old man left to prepare dinner, Beks, pulled Gerard aside to ask him how much they should give him.

“He’s providing food, as well as lodging. How much do we compensate him? I’m not familiar with the rates for food and lodging here,” Beks said.

“I have some coins to give him, my lady. It was negotiated the last time I came with Jonas,” Gerard replied. He lowered his voice and leaned forward. “At the town, there is a communal bank. Battalion Commander said you would need to go.”

To break some of her plates into coins. Beks nodded. “Then, I’ll leave payment to you.”

“My lady, you should rest a bit before the meal.”

Her shoulder slumped a bit. “Gerard, you are the one who stayed up all night. You should rest.”

“I will!” Gerard stood beside the door and leaned against the wall.

Beks stared at him. He likely would not let her out of his sight, so offering to explore the small village while he rested wouldn’t work. Somewhat defeated, Beks turned and went into the room, closing the wooden door.

There were no lanterns and the room’s only source of light was the narrow window. Beks lay down on the bed and closed her eyes to read.

It was an excellent way to kill time and boredom. She’d forgotten that a meal was being prepared and it wasn’t until Gerard knocked on the door that she opened her eyes. She blinked for a moment to readjust her vision, as only a faint amount of light came from the window.

How long was I reading? She’d gotten to a text on spirit cores and found that the people of Gurani knew much more about it than any of the modern texts she’d read on the subject. What was more, it seemed that at one time, spirit cores were just as prevalent as biha wells. She would’ve kept reading if Gerard hadn’t knocked.

She sat up and slid her legs over the edge of the bed, then walked to the door. Two simple wooden latches, one at eye level and one at her feet, were used to lock the door and keep it from being pushed open from the outside. They were crude and were likely a last-minute addition for the privacy of a guest.

Beks used her foot to lift the latch at the bottom and then lifted the top latch with her hand before cracking the door open.

“Is it time to eat?” she asked. She almost cringed. Whenever someone came to see her in the library or in the lower chamber, her first question was to ask if it were time to eat, as why else would they come to check on her?

Gerard nodded. “Yes, my lady.”

Beks slipped out of the room. “Did you get some sleep?”

“Yes, I only woke up once when the elder’s grandson came by to get something, but he left quickly,” Gerard replied.

Beks looked towards the door at the end of the hall as they walked towards the front of the house. “Should the child stay out after dark?”

“Child?” Gerard looked over at her and raised a brow, then opened her mouth with the sound of realization. “My lady, the elder’s grandson is just a bit younger than you.”

“I see. Then he must be working in the family fields.” No wonder she didn’t see him.

“The family has very little fields here. That’s why the elder’s son and daughter went to work at his wife’s fields in another village. The elder is too old to work the fields here, so he rents them out. His grandson is going to school.”

“There is a school here?” Beks asked. She didn’t see a school. Then again, it was possible that since it was so small, the school was also very small or even just a room in someone’s house.

“A school? Oh, all our young children learn to read at the baker’s house,” Elder Roland said as he turned around from the stove carrying a metal pan with a large golden-brown lump. Beks' eyes went wide as she saw the fresh baked bread and took a deep breath. The old man saw her reaction and laughed as he placed the bread on the wooden table. “You’ll like this. It has some honey in it.”

“Thank you for the meal, Elder,” Beks said as Gerard pulled a seat out for her. “Will you join us?” There were only two stools, but it may have just been because the table was small.

The old man beamed as he turned back to the stove and brought over two bowls with stew. “The guests always eat first,” he said. “Please help yourselves. This isn’t much, but my wife used to love my meat and radish stew.”

“It smells amazing,” Beks replied. “How do you cut the bread?”

“Bread here is eaten with our hands, but it’s very hot right now, Miss. Please let it cool a bit more.”

Beks nodded and started with the stew. She had no hesitations about eating. The food was still warm and tasted far richer than she’d expect from a rural village. She was halfway through her bowl, when the door opened and a tall, thin young man walked through the door.

“Grandpa, the money for next month’s lessons is due,” he said as soon as he walked in.

Beks lowered her spoon. Not even a greeting? Rude.

“Dion, come and greet our guests for tonight. You remember Gerard. He usually comes with Jonas.” The old man scurried across the room to get to his grandson and pull him forward to introduce him. Beks sat up to greet the young man, but felt an uncomfortable gaze settle upon her as soon as she turned. “And this is the young lady he is escorting, Miss Snowy.”

She was able to get a better look at the young man under the lantern light. His hair was combed back and his clothes were clean, with just a little hint of wear. However, his eyes had been fixed on her the entire time.

Beks lifted her hand to adjust her cloak hood, but remembered that she’d removed her cloak when she was reading. It was still laying on the foot of the bed.

“Good evening,” Gerard said with a curt nod. “How are you studies?”

“My grandson is learning bookkeeping in town,” the old man said with a proud look as he puffed out his chest and put a hand on his grandson’s shoulder. The young man shrugged it off and continued to stare at Beks.

She wanted to keep eating, but it was an uncomfortable agaze. Regardless, years of living in a royal palace taught her to remain dignified and hide her expressions in the presence of others. “That is a good thing to learn. You must be proud,” Beks replied as she kept a neutral smile on her face.

The young man’s eyes widened and he stepped forward. “My name is Dion Roland. I’m twenty-one years old.”

Gerard lifted his head from where he was tearing off bread with his bare hands. His eyes narrowed a bit as his lips tightened into a line. Beks gave the young man a small nod of her head.

“Nice to meet you. Your grandfather was very kind to us. His home is lovely,” Beks told him. Stop looking at me. I want to finish my stew....

The next words that came out of his mouth were unexpected. “Are you married?”

Beks almost let her pleasant smile falter. Across from her, Gerard scowled and slammed his hand on the table.

“Miss is on her way to meet her fiancé,” he said in a low voice. Elder Roland drew his head back, a bit surprised at Gerard’s defensive tone.

“My grandson didn’t mean anything by that-”

“I’ve just never seen such a beautiful woman before!” The grandson took a step back and raised his hands. “I’m sorry, I was stunned for a moment.”

Beks tried not to let her suspicion show on her face. She had a good appearance, but she was far from what she considered a stunning woman to be.

“Your words are kind. It was just jarring to hear a question about my marriage status first. It’s all right,” Beks said in a placating voice. She looked at Gerard and gave him a small nod. “No insult taken.”

Gerard calmed down and returned to his seat. “Miss, have some bread.” He tore off a piece of bread and pushed it towards her.

She thanked him and looked back at the old man and his grandson. “Have a seat and eat,” she urged. Sharing a meal was a good way to relax the situation. The grandson nodded and grabbed a stool from across the room, then carried it over and placed it close to Beks. She pulled her lips into a line and looked across at Gerard, who had stopped eating as his face darkened. She took a deep breath and refocused on her food under the intense gaze of a twenty-one-year-old. It’s just one night, Beks. She told herself as she gave him and his grandfather a pleasant, strained smile, and scooted her stool a little further away. It’ll be fine.

╔═════════════════ ∘◦ ♔ ◦∘ ═════════════════╗

The corner of her eye twitched as the young man in front of them talked about the town they were going to.

Dinner the night before had ended as soon as Beks finished her bowl of stew, which lasted longer than she thought, as the grandson and his grandfather asked her numerous questions; what her parents did, where she was going, and if she’d met her fiancé before.

Not only were they too personal, but Beks didn’t have a prepared answer. Laz had only given Gerard a basic backstory to cover his alias. Beks’ answers were based on the first thing she could think of when she thought of an orphaned girl leaving home; the story of a displaced lord’s daughter who was sent off to an ill-reputed, but rich Duke of the North to marry by her hateful relatives, to pay a debt.

It was one of Lady Eleanor’s romance novels that were lent to her, and Beks thought it sounded cliched. Who knew she’d use it now?

Although Beks didn’t cite the titles, she did claim that her future husband was a small landowner whose grandfather had made the betrothal to her with her grandfather.

“Have you met him before?” the grandson had asked at dinner.

“Yes, we met when we were children.” That’s what happened in the romance novel.

“Is he a good man?”

“Yes, he even paid for a private escort as he was concerned for my safety on the road.”

“Is he handsome?”

“The master is very good-looking!” Gerard had come to defend Laz as a loyal member of the battalion. “Not only is he tall, but he has long dark hair, as silken and black as a moonless night, and eyes said to be as blue as the sky. He is strong, able to fight ten men twice his size, and is charismatic enough to move an army!”

Beks had squinted and stared at Gerard for a moment. Was Gerard a fan of Laz?

Elder Roland had been taken aback by Gerard’s fervor, but after being initially stunned by it, he shook his head and gave them a wry smile. “It seems that such a man would be very fitting for someone like Miss Snowy.”

Seemingly satisfied that they agreed with his assessment of Laz, Gerard had nodded his head and Beks finished eating. They planned to leave early and even skip breakfast, but when they were ready to go, someone was waiting for them outside.

The grandson was seated on a large rock next to the entrance of the house and stood up as soon as he saw them. “Since we’re both heading to town, why don’t you come with me!”

There really wasn’t a way to say no without being rude. The old man had been very kind to them and Beks wanted to keep good relations in case Gerard, Jonas, or one of Wild Dogs needed to pass through, so she agreed before Gerard to stop the young man.

Excited, the young man led the way, as if guiding them there.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if he weren’t asking Beks questions and offering to show her around the town despite her rejection.

“If you want me to stop him, my lady, tell me,” Gerard whispered in a low voice.

“It’s fine. No need to hurt him. He hasn’t done anything.” Except be annoying, but it wasn’t going to kill them.

“What do you plan to do after you get married?”

Beks let out a heavy breath. “Support my family. Perhaps start a small business.”

“Will you be able to do so while managing the house and farming? Didn’t you say that your future husband has some land?” He looked over his shoulder and gave her a look of pity. “A woman like you shouldn’t spend her life working to the bone in the fields.”

“It is my decision to do so,” Beks replied in a firm voice. “There is no shame in farming!” She couldn’t even keep plants alive without the help of royal gardeners. What more farming?

“I didn’t mean it like that,” the young man said. “My parents are farmers, but they want me to live a better life, so they wish for me to learn to become a bookkeeper. At least then, I won’t toil under the sun in the fields and hurt my back. That’s only with farming. In addition to that, there is the housework.”

“Miss’ fiancé will cook and clean for her,” Gerard said in a low voice.

The grandson furrowed his brows. “Does her fiancé know that?”

“Yes,” Beks said. “It was his suggestion. As long as I marry him, I will not need to lift a finger to cook or clean.”

“Aren’t you afraid that he is lying to you and when you marry him, he will force you to work for him?” the young man asked.

“I am not afraid. He is honorable.” And already does so for me. Those dried fruit chips are delicious.

“Young Mister Roland, I understand that you admire Miss Snowy very much, but she is engaged....” Gerard trailed off, but Beks could hear a hint of a threat in his voice.

The young man nodded. “I know, I know. Don’t worry, Mr. Gerard, I’m only curious.” He gave them another bright smile. “I know I am not good enough for her.”

Gerard looked satisfied once more.

Beks kept the pleasant smile on her face the entire time. When they reached the town, Gerard hastily made an excuse, saying that they couldn’t hold him from his studies, and led Beks away to the inn.

The town itself wasn’t very large, but it was much larger than the village with one street and a cluster of homes. It had a proper inn and Beks couldn’t help but let out a breath of relief upon seeing it. Both of them could get rooms, there was a restaurant on the ground floor where they could eat, and the front desk even told them they could request a tub of warm water to wash up in.

It wasn’t a big tub, just a wine barrel cut in half, but it was better than nothing, and Beks was able to refresh herself after two days on the road. She’d grown used to bathing once, if not twice, a day on the island. The mainland wasn’t as humid or hot, but she had been sweating.

The town was less than a morning’s walk away, giving them the rest of the afternoon to run the necessary errands after they put their things away in their rooms.

The first stop was the local bank. Beks traded in two plats of gold for usable coins, then tried to find a place to order simple clothes, and finally went to a general store to look for a urapearl stand.

“I’m sorry, miss, but I’m afraid we don’t have any here,” the owner of the general store said with some embarrassment. “We’re just a small town and most of our residents don’t have urapearls.”

Beks hid her disappointment. She should’ve thought of that. Urapearls were usually used by the wealthy or noble. In a small town, they’d have one or two urapearls at most, and something like a urapearl stand would be difficult to purchase. “I see....” Beks smiled a bit. “I was hoping to bring one back to my fiancé. Thank you for letting me know.”

“There may be one you can buy at Cite Lorane, which is closer to the main road,” the store owner suggested. “A friend owns a store there that has more expensive items that travelers passing through look for. There is a good chance of an urapearl stand there.”

Beks nodded and gave him a thankful look despite being resistant to the idea of going into a larger town. Gerard gathered what they bought and they left the store.

“My lady, since we planned to wait here until we are able to contact the Wild Dogs, why don’t I go to the larger town to look for your urapearl stand?” he offered in a low voice.

Beks drew her lips inward. It was tempting, but she wouldn’t know who a Wild Dog was if they came. “Let me think about it. Let me try my urapearl again with the stand Jonas bought. Perhaps it can connect how that we’re on the mainland.”

She didn’t want to get her hopes up. Gerard nodded and they returned to their inn. They were on the top floor of a two-story building. The inn had about a dozen rooms and theirs were at the far end of the hall. Hers was at the corner and Gerard’s was right next to her.

“When I’m speaking in here, can you hear me from your room?” she asked as she allowed him inside to put her things on the table by the door.

“I couldn’t hear your footsteps or any movement earlier, my lady.”

“Go to your room and test it out.” In the off chance that her urapearl worked, she didn’t want others to hear what she was saying. Gerard and the others thought she was trying to contact the Sacred Valley, which she was, but more importantly, she needed to contact Nexus. Gerard went to his room next door and Beks closed the door without him. “Gerard, if you can hear me, knock on the wall between our rooms.”

She first tried in her normal voice, as if he were inside with her and they were speaking. He didn’t respond, so she raised her voice. She repeated her phrase two more times, her voice growing louder each time, until there was a knock on the wall between them.

Beks nodded, somewhat impressed by the inn.

“My lady, did you hear my knock?” Gerard asked as he came to the door.

“Yes. How much did you hear when you heard me?”

“Muffled voices, but nothing discernible. It was muffled,” he confirmed.

That was what she was hoping for. She happily patted his shoulder and said that she would pay for dinner. That night, she ate the fullest meal she’d had since she was exiled, and all but waddled back to her room to rest.

Inside, her room had a skeleton key as a lock, but nothing else. Gerard suggested she barricade the door in case of an intruder. They were on the upper level and climbing through the window was difficult. Even if one could, the windowpanes were small and it would be difficult for anyone to come through even if they managed to climb up and break the glass.

Beks stood in the center of the lantern-lit room and looked around for something to use. There was a shelf built into a corner wall, a bed enough for a single person pushed against the wall with the window, a narrow table against the wall, and a stool.

For a moment Beks stared at the narrow table that would topple over if it weren’t leaning against the wall, and the stool that would do absolutely nothing to stop an intruder who came through the door. She had a better chance of survival if she wielded it as a weapon.

This left the bed.

A moment later, low creaking filled the room as she pulled the bed across. It wasn’t too heavy, but it was cumbersome. She wedged it in the corner, between one wall and the back of the door. The door opened into the room and the bed would be difficult to move in that position.

Satisfied, Beks went to get her new sleep clothes out of the basket. She placed some of the items on the table: a comb, the urapearl, and its stand. As she held out the sleep shirt, a flash of light caught her eye.

She turned back to the table and her heart shot to her throat.

The urapearl was glowing, but the inside was black.

The sleep shirt was forgotten, tossed back into the basket as Beks rushed to the table and bent down to hover over it.

“It’s working...it’s not broken....” She carefully turned the urapearl on its base, inspecting for any cracks, but appeared unscratched. She then looked over the stand and squinted. Was the stand not broken? The image and light in the urapearl were clear. She licked her lips. “Connect to Nexus.”

Black turned to silver and lingered. If no one received the call, then it would stay as silver, but at least it wasn’t flickering. It was working, but no one answered.

She glanced towards the window. It was already late. The person she expected to answer, Mr. Kesse’s second in command, Mrs. Holdings, had a family with small children. She wouldn’t be working that late.

The silver began to fade and Beks resigned herself to try again in the morning, but instead of reverting back to black and then clear, a gray-haired woman’s face appeared. A bit haggard, the woman’s eyes crinkled up and seemed to redden as she peered into her urapearl, as if trying to get a better look at who was calling and confirm that she wasn’t dreaming.

“My lady?” She sounded breathless, almost hesitant to call out the name.

Relief flooded Beks and she let out a small chuckle. “Good evening, Mrs. Holdings.”

“My lady!” The woman’s hand shot to her mouth and covered it as she shut her eyes to keep from crying out. “I knew it! I knew you were alive! They can’t kill you.” She wiped her eyes and cheeks as she looked at Beks from the within the urapearl.

The last time they had talked, she and Beks had gone over what to do if Luther did not take the canceled engagement well. It had always been a possibility, though Beks didn’t think something like exile would really happen. However, she’d always tried to be thorough in her plans, especially when things were out of her control.

“I’m sorry to have worried you.”

“No, no, it’s good to hear from you.” The old woman sniffled and tried to compose herself.

Beks chuckled again. “I didn’t think you’d recognize me so easily?” The image on urapearls were washed out and lacked color. Beks’ missing orange hair wouldn’t be as noticeable.

Mrs. Holdings opened her mouth to reply, but then jerked her head back. Her brows knitted together as she squinted and leaned forward. “What...what happened to your eyes?”

“There is a light illusion in place to change my appearance. At least the colors of my eyes and hair,” Beks replied. This information seemed to make the older woman even more relieved.

“Good, it will be difficult for them to find you,” she said. “My lady, Mr. Kesse has reported that His Majesty is awake and speaking, but his body is still weak. He requires at least a few more months of recovery, but that is a conservative estimate.”

Beks gave her a small nod. “That’s fine. Let him recover well. I’ve just begun my journey to find my family. We will come for him when we are reunited.”

“I will report to Mr. Kesse that you are well.”

“He may tell His Majesty and Lady Eleanor, but no one else. Our family in Sagittate believes we are alive and this will not stun them,” Beks said, fully confident. “Tell me the situation in Kadmium.”

It had only been a few months since Luther took control and at the moment, it seemed as if he were following the budget that she and Laurence had long planned. However, there were always minor changes to be made depending on sudden need. Under normal circumstances, she would keep track of this in order to move monetary allocations.

In addition, while she and Laurence had planned it, it didn’t take into account all of the emergency expenses, including the drought, wildfires, and the added expenditure of Luther’s upcoming wedding. Royal weddings were supposed to be a glamorous, expensive event, and from what Beks found out, Luther and the new oracle’s wedding was rushed in comparison to normal.

Rushing meant even more money was spent; money that had to come from somewhere.

Beks slowly shook her head. The kingdom wouldn’t feel the effects immediately, especially in the capital, but the places further from there would before the wedding took place. The most likely place they’d take money is from emergency relief funds.

As for her family, there was nothing new. It was as if her branch of the Carolines disappeared. It was the same news regarding the confused drivers and single recovered carriage, but from the insider in the Gilded Palace, there was only one guard missing. He had a name and was a real royal guard who had missed the bout of food poisoning that incapacitated the royal guards the night before she was exiled.

The royal guards originally assigned were replaced, but no one knew who the replacements were, as aside from that single guard, everyone else was accounted for. Beks filed that away from later use. If the royal guards were suspicious, she could use that.

“My lady, the royal family has released the news of your family’s exile, blaming the Carolines for facilitating the kidnapping and subsequent death of the King,” Mrs. Holdings told her. “We have suppressed the news and spread our own, saying that you and your family were wrongly blamed as retaliation for rejecting the usurper king’s marriage proposal, despite the fact that he humiliated you with an affair and engagement to a Wife of Convenience before your marriage.”

“And how is the populace taking it?”

“Your reputation in Kadmium is very good, and many people refuse to believe that you and your family have acted wrongly. There are many witnesses to the usurper king meeting with the new oracle in the city. Many are outraged for you, and support your ending the engagement. The royal family is searching for the sources of these rumors, but we’ve been careful.”

“Your safety is priority. If they get to close, pull back,” Beks said with a slight nod, though she was relieved to hear that her family was not being blamed. “Spread the rumor that Luther and the new oracle conspired together when they met at the Great Temple. I was told that there were plenty of witnesses to see them grow close. The affair started at the Great Temple, while his mother was dying and ignored. He expressed his frustration at being the youngest in line to the throne, and that it is a suspicious coincidence that the Third Prince, a priest’s, caravan was attacked and he went missing. Then let the people make their own theories; if it can sow distrust of the new oracle and Luther, spread it. Do not let them legitimize his claim to the throne.”

“Understood, my lady.” Mrs. Holdings gave her a bow of her head. “When will you be returning?”

Beks furrowed her brows. She wasn’t sure herself. “I don’t know if I can at the moment, but I need a carriage or at least horses.”

Mrs. Holdings sat up straight and appeared ready to take an order. “Where shall I send them?”

Beks smiled. “A small town in the southeast....” She gave the old woman the name of the town and said she would wait for the horses. Mrs. Holdings assured her she wouldn’t have to wait for long.

By the time Beks completed her call, she felt more tired than she was earlier. She tucked the urapearl and base away before changing and then falling back on the bed. She winced as she fell back; the straw mat wasn’t very soft or thick. Still, it was better than the floor.

She blew out her lantern and fell asleep quickly.

It seemed as if she just closed her eyes when she heard a quiet jiggling coming from her door. In the dark, she opened her eyes and looked towards it. She held her breath and craned her neck. She could hear movement rubbing against the door and metal hitting metal.

Someone was trying to unlock her door.

She almost sneered. It was her first night at an inn since she was three, and this is what happened. She reached for her dagger, but remained seated in bed, hoping to weigh it down and make entry more difficult.

A small click was heard. The door was unlocked. She heard a few murmurs and the door was pushed open.

Or at least tried to. Resistance from the bed barricading it was met at once, and Beks almost wanted to laugh as she heard the confused whispers behind the door. It seemed like there was more than one person. The door was unlocked, but didn’t budge.

Whoever was on the other side began to push their body against the door. At first, it was a slight push, then a heavier one, and suddenly, there was a strong thud that sounded as if more than one person was trying to get in.

The bed was pushed a little forward, but not by much. There was a pause and then another thud; once more with more than one person. However, in their attempts to break in, stealth had taken a blow. The sound of their bodies slamming against a wooden door filled the hallway and alerted any guests nearby.

Before they could ram the door a third time, Beks heard something slam and then a familiar voice yell.

She knew it was Gerard, but wasn’t sure what he was saying, as the door muffled his words. It didn’t matter.

Sounds of violence ensued.

She wasn’t worried, either. Laz would not have sent Gerard with her if he didn’t have a certain amount of confidence in Gerard’s skill.

The yelling, pained grunting, whining, and heavy thuds were short lived. Beks got off her bed and turned on the oil lamp she was given when they checked in. She put her cloak around her and then pulled the bed back just enough for her to open the door and look out.

The hall had oil lamps hanging from the ceiling which provided enough light for guests to see where they were going, and for her to see three young men piled on the floor and a shirtless, seething Gerard looming over them ready to beat one down the moment they tried to stand.

Beks looked down at the three young men and recognized the one at the very bottom with a split lip and a red face.

“I don’t know how you’re going to explain this to your grandfather,” Beks said.

“Should we send them to the night watch, my lady?”

“Yes, make sure it’s documented. That way, we can’t be blamed for what happened,” Beks said.

“I can go and notify the innkeeper.”

Beks lifted her head and noticed that three other doors in the hall had opened and a few people stuck their heads out to see what the ruckus was. A middle-aged man volunteered and Beks thanked him as he closed his door and walked towards the stairs.

The young family who was in another room asked if everything was all right. Once Beks reassured them, they went back inside and closed the door.

The room furthest from them had a tall, slender woman rooted at the door frame. Her eyes were wide and her face red. Her tousled brown hair was in a long braid over her shoulder and she wore a long night dress. Her eyes weren’t fixed on the pile of intruders, but on Gerard.

Beks tilted her head and noticed this. She looked at Gerard and then at the woman. Gerard wasn’t wearing a shirt, so perhaps the woman was interested?

Gerard lifted his head to tell the woman to go back into her room; that everything was fine out in the hall, but as soon as he saw her, his face lit up.

“Sandra!”

Beks jerked her head back. Gerard had a fairly easy-going and happy personality, but she’d never heard him that happy. He seemed to forget all about the three unconscious men, unceremoniously walking over their bodies to approach the woman. His arms spread out, as if to welcome her into them.

Before he managed to hug the woman in the night dress, as Beks thought would happen, a slap rang through the hall. She took a sharp breath as her brows shot up.

Gerard stood in place, stunned as a red mark appeared on his weathered face.

The woman’s face was burning and tears rimmed her furious eyes. “How could you!”

“What....? Sandra?”

“I came all this way as soon as I got your message and...and....” She lifted an arm and pointed at Beks, who subconsciously lifted her hand and pointed at herself, as well, in question. “Who is that harlot!?”