Chapter 10: Welcome to the city

Sunlight painted the road like an old water painted canvas. The trees shading the eyes of the Princess as she rode her horse back up the path. The boy behind her gripping onto her waist like his life depended on it. His unbalanced seat was enough to tell he's never been on a horse. "You should focus on your balance with your shoulders" Shir tried to school him but the boy kept his frightened eyes on the ground. It was quite the drop for such a malnourished boy but Shir just sighed softly to herself, keeping her horse in a steady walk. "Never been on a horse?" Shir asked, her tone more tired than annoyed now. Rknom got on her nerves too much.

"No" the boy confessed, his boney arms shaking slightly as he gripped onto her for balance.

"It's not that scary- I mean, after a bit of practice it can be quite fun" she tried to answer politely but her tone had dropped to be more judgement at first.

"If you say so" the boy mumbled hushly to himself. His gaze kept examining the general things, such as the trees and even the sky in awe. "Was he raised under a rock? Why is he like this?" Shir thought to herself.

She kept wrapping her mind around any possibilities for this odd boy. Why he's so lost with everything? Why he just suddenly appeared after that monster flew off? But most importantly, why does he act like everything is new to him? After a moment of thinking, the Princess spoke up "do you remember much?". The boy turned his gaze to her, his head titled in a slight confusion as he thinks of an answer.

"N-no?" He stuttered, "well... I know my name, Eoviet" he then muttered.

"E-o-vi-et, Eoviet, huh?" Shir smiled softly back at him, having slight difficulty in pronouncing his name. Being on a horse she couldn't fully turn to see him. "Well, nice to meet you, Eoviet, I'm Shir, Princess Shir Gladius of Vallendrconis" she greeted back.

Eoviet smiled back but his gaze drifted as he went into thought. Shir felt as though he was debating something but then kept quiet. "So why are you here?" Shir asked in a more calmer tone. As much as she felt that Rknom overreacted, she couldn't ignore how suspicious he had been.

"I'm just... lost" Eoviet hushly responded, the quiver in his voice was too real to be fake. "Guess little Eoviet here is just timid, or he could have possibly lost his family?" Shir thought to herself, not entirely sure on how take this information.

"Know your way back home?" Shir asked, to which Eoviet shook his head. The boy looked so scared and down, something clearly had happened. It's just a matter of if this beast was the culprit or something else he is not talking about. With a hum Shir turned back to the road, it was already mid day and if she changed their pace to a canter then they would be back before sunset.

"Hey, Eoviet, you have a good grip there? If so hold on" Shir warned before making clicking her tongue makinh a noise whilst also adding a little pressure with her legs to change her horses pace to canter. Shir felt him grip onto her waist much harsher but she could also tell he was holding on steadily. Focusing on the road she let her stallion canter down the path. The buckskin whining in an excitment, even kicking a little playfully.

Shir cackled a little when she felt Eoviet bear hug her to stay on as he kicked, "relax! He won't buck you off. He's just playing" Shir re-ensured, hearing a chocked answer in return.

"Y-you sure!?" Eoviet asked, his voice shaking slightly but she did feel him ease up slightly as they continued down the path. A steady and swift canter sent the sounds of the stallions hooves clocking on the stone roads. His huffs as he continued his pace becoming insink with his movements. It was rides like these that reminds the Princess of the fun of horse riding. To canter down the road and to see her horse having fun was enough to make her smile brightly. To forget her irritable arguments with Rknom.

"S-so" Eoviet spoke up, his voice oddly deeper for a kid or a teen at that. "This horse your friend?" Shir forced herself to hold I'm her giggles but she ended up laughing at the question. Relaxing her legs and pulling her rains back for a moment told her horse to slow down into a trot.

"That's one way to say it, he's often called a royal mount but to be honest, he's just my pet" Shir explained, "I named him, Autumn".

"Pretty name" Eoviet complemented, now holding onto her shoulders for balance rather than her waist.

"Thanks, many think I named him Autumn because he looks like the colour of the leaves when it's Autumn. But I named him Autumn because I got him when it was Autumn" Shir explained with a grin. If given the chance she would go into all the little details of her horse, he really was her favorite pet.

"Interesting" Eoviet nodded in an awkward way, as if he somehow didn't understand her explanation. "The most to a pet I had was a giant moth" he added, a sheepish grin on his face. "Found him as a larva and thought it might be fun to raise one, he was a chubby bug but when he emerged he was gorgeous" Shir titled her head at that. A gorgeous mother? A giant moth! It sounded horrifying to her but Eoviet looked happy about so she smiled back.

"How does one "raise" a moth?" She asked instead, gently petting Autumn as he trotted down the path.

"Well, find a larva, feed it mushrooms then watch it grow fatter until it makes a cocoon then wait until they emerge" Eoviet explained, with not exactly the most excited tone. The path continued until Shir spotted another straight patch.

"Hold on tight" with another warning, Eoviet was able to prepare himself for when Autumn began to canter.

Once Shir felt that he was comfortable enough, she clicked her tongue again, where Autumn playfully naighed. Speeding up from the comfortable canter to a faster gallop. Speeding down the road and carefully around the bends. Shir began to feel Eoviet grip around her waist again with the faster gate, though this time his arms were not shaking. He seemed relaxed as Shir began to approach the gates of the city. "Alright, Eoviet, I can't have you hugging my waist like that when we enter so please just hold onto my shoulders" Shir requested, pulling the rains back so Autumn knew to slow back down to a trot.

"Ok" Eoviet nodded, moving his arms off of her waist, moving to hold onto her shoulders. The main street of the city was buissy today. It usually is but with the introduction of an alliance, Montes citizens had visited the capital. With a huff, Autumn was able to trot down the road, the people moving out of the way when they saw the royal armour the Princess wore. Shir felt the curious gazes as they trotted through, "they must be curious as to why he's with me" she thought. With a quick smile and wave she clicked her tongue again when the road was cleared. Allowing her horse to canter through easily.

The streets were full of stalls that held all kind of goods. Either it be the gamey meat that can be hunted in the valley all year round, fish that can be caught from the docs, a good days trip up north. Or the jewls and ores found in the mines the kingdom runs. Even the products of the farmland that the country side citizens sell into the city. Every stall and shop had their own unique wares to sell. Many different markets could be seen up the main road, they grew more expensive the closer they got to the castle. The last main market being jewelry stands that held the jewls of flawless gems.

Even some potions or enchanted items can be sold here, of course, most of their supply comes from Toney. Even of the mage isn't an enchantress, he had the skills to mimic basic enchantments with the troll parts. That was something that always amused Shir. She couldn't give too much of a damn to listen to Tonies ranting of his studies or spell practice; but she could listen for days on ends of how he processes the trolls glands and brains to extract their magical properties that can make weapons powerful enough to set off sparks. Or how he had showed her the process of turning an ice or blizzard based troll to a dagger that can cause a layer of frost on whoever it had stabbed or slashed.

That being the main dagger that Toney carries with him whenever he goes out on expeditions. Always saying it is "better that have it and not need it, then to need it and not have it". Every time she hears him say it, it feels like a quote. Maybe his mentor had taught him the phrase?

"Open the gate!" One of the guards called when he saw the Princess. "Short hunt?" He asked, confusion and a little concern in his tone. "Nice to know they can tell a slight difference" Shir thought to herself, her stallion walking through the gate.

"A citizen needs to talk to the King" she explained back, Eoviet just about visible behind her. She hadn't noticed just how timid he had looked as she made her trip up the city. "Probably not used to the city? I mean, I'm pretty sure he's from the country?" Shir guessed with a half shrug.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the King, Princess" the guard spoke apologetically, running up to the Princesses side. "I was on guard at the throne room when he dismissed me. Told me to ensure that he and King Shev were not interrupted as they their a meeting" the guard explained. His armour clunking as he walked in a faster pace beside Autumn.

"A meeting, huh? Guess they'll be hours" Shir sighed to herself, "thank you, Jayce". Shir dismissed him, the guard bowing and going back to his position as she stirred, Autumn to the stables. At the side of the castle and just behind the mage tower, the smaller arch made only recently for a more continent access to the stables.

"I could take you to Toney" Shir suggested to the timid boy behind her, "he may be able to help you out. I mean, this monster that attacked your village was magical right? He may have answers" she explained. Reaching the main courtyard that the stables had, she dismounted, holding a hand our for him to get down safely. With a nod, Eoviet jumped down, looking around with curiosity in his eyes. "I know, the castle houses a lot of horses and even a few mules. It's a lot to look at for a first visit" Shir chuckled softly, leading Autumn to his stable where she could take off his tack so he can graze out in the fields.

"What's a mule?" Eoviet asked, his shy tone showing his embarrassment of the lack of knowledge. Shir nodded as she unstrapped her saddle.

"It's a hybrid, a mix of a strong horse, like Autumn here and a donkey, a smaller but more hardworking mount" she explained. Placing her saddle and saddle pad on the stable door, she then removed his bridle, setting that ontop of the saddle. "Mules are great for moving heavier loads, mainly used here as mounts though. They tend to be calmer in nature so we use them to teach the younger ones how to ride" Shir smiled, amused by the wonder in Eoviet's eyes.

"Do you think I can learn? I mean, it looks like fun if you're not stuck behind someone" Eoviet asked, gently and hesitantly petting Autumn's shoulder. The horse huffing a sniff when he did, Eoviet moving his hand up to pet his snout.

"I don't see why not, just act like your my new servant or something" Shir shrugged, her tone almost dismissive. "No-one would bat an eye if they thought you were a new servant looking to learn how to ride to help me or any of my siblings with delivery jobs". Eoviet nodded, though his slight look of offence didn't go unnoticed. Shir only shrugged it off as him being used to being free out in the country and not being under someone's command.