CHAPTER SEVEN

A male voice suddenly rang out from the white carriage, talking so loud with an energized tone.

"My Lady," he paused. "You have to pardon me for coming late to welcome you," the man said.

"Oh, it is you," the lady voice rang out sounding rather disappointed. "I am not surprised that you will be late, you are always a latecomer," the lady added.

Inside the white carriage, the man expression changed, the lady sitting opposite the man shook her head at him and mouthed at him to continue. The man laughter rang out of the carriage, "you make such a funny joke, that my reoccurring sickness couldn't help but to pop out again," the man said still laughing.

"Then you should have stayed at home and not bother yourself, seeing that I can find my way to the palace," the lady replied not pitying the man.

"I am not saying that you can't find your way to the palace but I have been giving an order from the king," the man said.

"What does the order says?" The lady enquired.

"The order was to welcome you back to the kingdom," the man replied.

"Oh, I see, but did your father trained you to always cross the path of the person that you are to welcome," the lady fired back.

"Don't involve my father in this, let the deceased not turn in their grave," the man said. "I won't be talking from afar if the horses haven't refused to move," the man added.

"Then it won't be a problem for you to come down and meet me here, seeing that my identity must be kept secret," the lady said as she probes.

"I am sorry my lady that you have to point that out before I did, I won't be able to get down from my carriage seeing that my doctor said, 'I should not stress myself'," the voice said in a smug tone.

"Then you should have told the king that your doctor said that you are not feeling well and can't function properly, maybe he won't have sent you on this errand, what if you fall and die," the lady said.

"Are you cursing me?" The man asked in an angry voice.

"I am not. I am just pointing out the obvious, that the king is considerate of the health of his subjects and you are of no exception, you are even the cousin of the king," the lady explained.

"Oh, you are pulling my legs, I am also the king subject and I am not given such a special treatment," the man rebuked.

"Is that so?" The lady asked.

"Yes, it is," the man replied.

"Well, then, can you move your carriage so that I can pass," the lady asked. "Seeing that you have welcomed me by delaying me at the gate," the lady added.

"About that," the man said in a helpless tone. "I already said that the horses refused to move," the man pointed out again.

"Maybe, your weight is too much for them to pull, why don't you come over and sit with me in my carriage," the lady suggested as she insulted him.

"About that, that won't be necessary, I have made mention that I won't be able to get down from my carriage due to the fate that I am sick and it can be quite contagious," the man lied.

"Oh, my bad, I forgot that you have always been sick all your life, the king really did well sending you out of your house, maybe the fresh air will help," the lady said.

"You finally understood," the man said in an agreeing tone.

"So, should I ask the guards to help you pull your horse to the side? Seeing that I have to meet the king on time," the lady suggested a way out.

"Why don't you just understand, that the horses refused to move," the man said.

"There is nothing a hard kick to their rump won't do," the lady said. "Maybe, they have become lazy as their master, who knows," the lady said.

Inside the white adorned carriage, there were two people sitting in the carriage; a man who was dressed in blue garment was opposite the lady, the lady was sipping the tea from the tea cup as she crossed her leg.

"Arghhh - I can't believe she talked back at me," the man said getting angry. The lady continued sipping her tea as if she didn't hear what the man has said.

"What will I do now Jane?" The man asked turning to the lady.

"Do say, Dan, do you always get worked up when you don't get your way?" Jane asked.

"What do you mean by that?" Dan asked.

"I'm just telling you to be patient," Jane said as she takes another sip. "Now, sit down and enjoy the tea, nobody can disturb us for now," Jane said with a hidden meaning.

"As far as I know, the lady won't risk exposing her identity," Jane said.

Outside the white carriage, Nicholas couldn't help to shake his head with the words the man had uttered. He had seen the carriage driver pulling on the rein when he got to the gate. What bullshit! Who believe such words?

"Didn't he say that his doctor said to not stress himself, then when did he made mention that he was sick?" Carlos asked.

"Because, he is trying to show the lady dominance," Arthur replied.

"How" Carlos asked.

"By making claim that he was sick, the lady has no other option than to be considerate," Arthur said.

"I didn't know the lady has such a sharp tongue," I interrupted their conversation.

"Not only you, it came as a surprised to us, she had always being docile and gentle," Arthur said.

People that were in the surrounding carriage started to murmur; as they finally reacted.

"Who is this lady that has kept us waiting here?" Nicholas heard a voice questioning from the nearby carriage.

"Yes, doesn't she know that the man is sick and must not stay out for long?" Another voice rang out.

"What if the sickness is contagious? Does the man need to spread it to us as well?" Another voice asked.

"The man already said the disease is contagious, what an unfortunate being," a man said sympathizing with the man inside the carriage.

"Are you here to sympathize with him, if he knows he is sick, he shouldn't have come and showcase himself in the first place," another person butt in.

"The thing that is paining me is the fact that the man sound so energized," a man said aloud as he pointed out.

"Shush, he is a bad omen, don't let him target you, don't just talk anyhow," another man cautioned the man.

"We have important thing to do, other than to wait here all day, doing nothing," another voice rings out.

The man was hearing all their conversation from inside his carriage.

"Yes, that is right; they all have to wait, including the lady," Dan said sitting down and collecting the teacup from the lady and sipping the tea.

"Hmm, who brew this tea?" Dan asked.

The lady smiled and said nothing

"Don't tell me, it is you, when did you know how to brew a tea, the last time I checked you don't even know the difference between a water and a colorless tea," the man said. The lady frowned. "Don't take it so serious, I was just pulling your legs, but there does seem to be a time that you couldn't differentiate them," the man said. "Can I get more of the tea from you?" The man said finishing the tea in one gulp.

"You can't, you don't even know how to drink a tea, you didn't savor it and you just gulp everything inside the cup all at once," the lady said.

Inside the lady carriage, the lady was playing with Jasmine hair as Jasmine slept, she wasn't bothered with having to wait here for some minutes, because, she was sure by now that the onlooker would have spread the deed of the king cousin at the kingdom gate and was sure it would have gotten to the king, it won't take long for the king to figure everything out.

She still can't believe that Dan was here, he must have something up his sleeve. If not, he would have gotten angry at her harsh response.