Breakthrough

As we walked, I had time to think to myself.

That was the only thing I was doing lately, squeezing my brain out.

Nalilia grew and bloomed in marketing and agriculture. A land placed in the heart of fertile earth that was blessed with perfect weather and temperatures. The city where merchants could exchange the biggest numbers of goods in the whole country.

But I never included slaves.

Well, I still was not sure who was actually behind all of this, but I was scared my suspicions were funded. Especially after the night I spent at Clayr's whereabouts.

There was that little "business" word he spoke with my Brother, was I right to link it to this matter?

Was it against it? Or involved? No way I could find out. Why was I bothering my head with such thoughts?

"What's Gouen like?" The instinctive question left my lips on its own as we were making our way trough the forest, or as Lancelot called it "the fugitive road".

"Mh, a scary place?" He answered pointing a finger to his chin, looking at the sky.

The Knight recovered much faster that I could have imagined, or maybe he was not badly injured since the beginning, but he must certainly strained himself too hard.

"Scary?" I repeated his word as I settled the bag on my back, his hand on the bottom to help me lift its weight.

"Here, let me hold it." His chivalry side stood out, but I jolted forward before he could remove the sack from me.

"Uh-ah, you already have yours, injured people should just take it easy and let fit people help them." My quick stride divided us for a small period, before he could reach me in few steps, his hand now firm on the linen fabric as to pull me back.

"And since when you are a fit person?" The joke whisper came out meaner than expected.

"Since I'm not the injured one." I turned to point my finger at his chest, the bandages hiding under his tunic, no armour underneath this time.

"Fair point, Princess." He sighed, placing both hands on my shoulder to flat turn me back towards the small forest path. "Then, mind taking my weight as well?"

Extra luggage packed on my back all of a sudden, which caused my legs to tremble and nearly fall.

What was his carrying, rocks as souvenir? I guess a body armour was not light as a feather, just how much did I underestimate him, to wear such thing every day?

"L-Lancelot, you're attempting a Royal murder."

"Aye-aye, Princess." He giggled hoisting the heavy object off me. I was glad he was able to stand up and play after a rough night. I hid my puffed cheeks and chest, quite proud that my medication wasn't all wasted after all.

"Why would you define it scary, anyhow?"

"You surely lived in a different palace to have never heard of the stories from Gouen from the maids. Well, it's a city based on military and royal titles, the only way to survive is to either serve and fight, or be a noble by blood."

I could not grasp that unfamiliar concept at all, coming from a completely different background. Was I that curious to travel to that place, one day in the future? Or will it ever change to be safe to visit?

"Is that the reason they are buying slaves? To build a bigger army?"

"Who knows, or to fill the gaps of other odd jobs."

I dared not to imagine.

"But, if they are really making army all the time, wouldn't that be a big warning for all the other Cities?" Yes, I never took part of palace meetings in general, military or economy related, but I had no reason to not ask about it, especially now that I was not restrained any more. I had to get a bigger picture of everything if I attempted to survive outside Nalilia.

I thought that was the best first step.

"That, is a very good question, Princess. Gouen never made a move, there is no way to understand their motives and next plans. Also, consider that they might spare to make war to the counterpart of the trade, what could it be?"

"There's no way we'd know, right?"

And that's how the sun set, with a new experience coming next: camping.

A humid earth under our tired feet, the trees' trunks scratching our backs as we sat waiting for the small portion of vegetable soup to be cooked on the innocent camp fire.

Two sacrifices were made: food and lodge.

Was this a training on its own for me to become more independent?

"I don't like it." I said to myself hugging my bag to hide behind it.

"Being in the nature and feel close the place you've been living in for so long?" Lancelot mocked me, handing me a small bowl. He was used to it from training with the other Knights, I didn't want to hear anything from him.

"Bugs and strange noises." I clinched, crippling my nose at the smell of vegetable.

"Ignore them."

Lancelot was not in the mood to hear my daily complains, and who could blame him. If I was unbearable at the palace, just imagine the disaster I was making outside.

At the same time I couldn't stop.

"I miss my bed."

"Go back to Nalilia, then?"

I puffed my cheeks for the umpteenth time that day, but everything was so new and strange I could only compare it to my usual spoiled life.

"You know that is not possible." I fumbled with my lips on the bowl, tempted to pinch my nose before eating.

"Then act like the adult you want to be and eat, I will guard so you can get some sleep." He sat next to me, placing his swords at his external side. A guard is still a guard no matter what, to him.

"Does that mean I will have to guard as well?" The best I could do was scream at every sound. He shook his head, sipping calmly his portion.

When would he get his sleep? I did not question, feeling like I would get another telling-off by not leaving him doing his job and complaining. The tough job of being my royal babysitter.

We spent the so-called open air dinner quietly, listening to actual sounds of nature, from bushes rustling to birds getting back to their nests.

Before I could place my forced empty bowl in my companion' sack, a hand was topped on my mouth, the other clicking steel together as one of the swords became unsheathed.

Panic filled my eyes as I stared at Lancelot's figure hoovering over mine, his pupils fully pinpointed in attention. He lowered near my face, but his eyes focused elsewhere. Those crystals could reflect the faint light of the crackling fire we, but he was clearly caught by something I couldn't perceive.

"Don't speak. Don't move." I blinked twice, not being able to formulate an actual answer for him and his restrictions. The log was going to leave some evident grazing marks on my back, his strength forcibly pushing me as to melt our bodies to the ground.

"We're not alone."