Home At Last

I started to stretch when I realized that we were no longer traveling and there were other people around. I decided not to risk it with Bregan so close. You wouldn't expect it by looking at him, with him being 6ft tall, tan, with short black hair, and muscle. He was the ideal image of a knight, but he could be so childish. 

I started looking for my carriage where I could have Bregan ride along outside when I noticed there were a lot of people around. I had never paid Singkook much attention as it was a small town with not much in it. A dozen farmsteads dotted the roads, each with its own field of cucumbers. A public house that sat on the edge of what I suppose passes for a market area in a small town. A couple of rough stalls on the only flat bit of dirt in the otherwise grassy hills. There were a few trees here and there, but most had been cleared out to make the few houses around here. Not many people pass through Singkook either. Many caravans take the Silver Road along the Cersephone Sea. 

Usually, I see no more than a handful of farmers hanging around the public house, but now there were at least 10 men in the market area. All wearing light gambeson and armed with polarms and swords. They were obviously military as they were neat and orderly, even if they seemed more confused than anything.

I wondered what they were doing here as I didn't see any reason for them to be here. Sure, I had been delayed by half a day, but that wasn't too strange. I had been delayed by 3 days before due to a massive sandstorm, and the most they sent was a messenger. Bandits were unlikely as there was nothing to steal out here, unless you really like cucumbers. Besides, most of the farmsteads here were lands given to knights for their service. Any bandit out here likely didn't last long.

As curious as I was about the soldiers, I was more anxious to get back on the road. We were only a half day away from Fort Cliffront. But, as I scanned the nearby area, I couldn't find my carriage. Normally, it would be right outside the public house and I would just have to send Bregan to find the driver. A large, brightly colored carriage drawn by four horses is not something that is easy to hide. I looked at Arina and saw she was thinking the same thing.

"Where is the carriage?" Bregan asked, like I was supposed to know.

This was just perfect. My life was already bad enough. The least the world could do is let my carriage arrive on time. Worst of all, I couldn't even vent or get upset because Bregan was right there. I needed to get rid of him. I had been stuck on top of a giant bug with him for hours. I couldn't even chat to Arina because Bregan would say gossip is for staff not nobility. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Bregan," I started, channeling all of my authority. He was, after all, still my knight. "Go find the driver."

"What?" He stammered "But, what about the carriage?"

"The driver will know where the carriage is, so go find him," I said, doing my best to talk down to him. 

Which is kinda hard when they are 3 times my size, but there is nothing classier than some who speak like they are the greatest thing since cheese. Don't ask me why I don't really understand it.

Bregan looked at me with a mixture of amazement and anger. Like that was the classiest thing I had ever done. After a 5 second staring match Bregan turned on his heel and marched off towards the crowd of soldiers hanging around the market stalls. As soon as he turned his back I wanted to fall on the ground and cry, but I couldn't show weakness around him if I wanted any freedom from now until the wedding. The one good thing about it was that I would never have to see Bregan again. For now I settled for a deep sigh.

"You know he is going to be insufferable on the way home now," Arina said, giving me an amused smile. Funny how a smile from her could instantly make my day better.

"He's already insufferable," I retorted.

"Well, now he will be worse," She countered playfully.

"Not possible," I laughed. For a second I felt that everything was going to be ok, and I could do this. But, then I remember that Arina would be gone after the wedding and reality came crashing back in. 

"You worried about the wedding?" she asked.

"Not worried as much as just upset," I responded.

"I'm sure you will be alright," she said hopefully "Look on the bright side your father will not be there to command you and Stewcan doesn't seem interested in commanding you either. You can do what you want, meet new people. You could even talk to Princess Valaspire."

Leave it to Arina to look on the bright side of things. Though I wasn't convinced. Stewcan obviously wanted nothing to do with me. It was clear he disliked the wedding as much as I did. Though that didn't give him the right to ignore me and pretend I didn't exist. I was losing everything because of this wedding. My home, my family, my only friend. The least he could do was talk to me. 

However, even I had to admit that I liked the prospect of talking to someone my age for a change. I had wanted to talk to Valaspire many times before, but unlike Stewcan she seemed like she was actually busy. When I saw her in the halls she would be walking briskly like she was late to a meeting, and when I tried to set up a meeting, her lady in waiting, Melae I think, would say her schedule was full. I often wondered what she could be doing. I know It is not etiquette lessons, or if they were she was failing miserably.

I was about to respond to Arina with something witty and elegant when I saw Bregan approaching us with a look I had never seen before. A look of worry, concern, and maybe just a hint of fear.

As much as I like to make fun of Bregan, and compare him to a toddler, he was still a knight. A basic knight nothing fancy like a knight captain, or master knight, but a knight nonetheless. It's not an easy task to become a knight. In times of war anybody could join the military as a common soldier, but knights are different. They continued to serve even in times of peace, and trained constantly. They did just have to be good with a sword or spear, they had to be able to fight magic and mages as well. All that's to say anything that concerned Bregan was concerning to me.

"Your carriage has gone missing," Bregan said matter of factly.

"What about the driver?" I asked transforming be into the perfect young lady.

"Also missing,"

"Wher_"

"We should get on the road we are behind enough as is," He cut in.

"What are we going to walk there?" I snapped, a bit miffed he cut me off. And, he coaches me on proper etiquette.

"I have got us horses, and can buy a cart from a farm,"

I wanted to protest. Mostly about how he wanted to use my money to buy a cart, but something about the concerned look on his face made me think twice.

"Fine. But, we still need a drive. Arina, go find Parchy." 

Luckily, an insect the size of a small house is hard to miss. Arina found Barbados outside a small farmstead munching happily on a goat. She found Parchy inside talking to an old friend of his. He agreed to be our driver. Meanwhile, Bregan and I found a cart that was big enough to hold me and Arina. It was full of farming tools, sacks of flour, and barrels of beer. Bregan unloaded and hitched up the horses, while I paid for the cart. Bregan wouldn't tell me where he got the horses, but there was something familiar about them.

In no time we were making our way towards Fort Cliffront. The cart was nowhere near as comfortable as my carriage. I was dusty, rickety, and full of splinters. It had no proper seating save for driver's post where Parchy pluck strings on his lute and kept one hand on the reins. Me and Arina sat legs crossed in the cart, and Bregan rode next to us on a chestnut horse. He seemed on edge and would often ride ahead or veer off the road to investigate things. He was so distracted that he didn't comment on my poor poster or lack of etiquette. Then again it was pretty hard to look proper when you are in the back of an old rickety cart. I thought I might look like a normal farm girl on her way to a different town. Dressed in comfortable travelling clothes riding in an old cart through the countryside without a care in the world. I would have revealed in the thought more if Bregan's attitude wasn't putting me on edge.

We arrived at Fort Cliffront at dusk without any incidents. I spent most of the journey chatting to Arina about her family, the other severant, and general gossip. It was nice to be able to chat with her, and it kept my mind off how strange Bregan was acting. 

The night at the fort was the same as any other time I had been there. I exchanged pleasantries with the commander and the 2 other knights on duty. During peacetime the fort only ever houses a handful of knights, and sometimes local militias will use it during bandit hunts. However, mostly it is occupied by cleaning staff and craftsmen keeping it in top shape should the fort ever need to be used. I got to sleep in one of the few private rooms with Arina. Bregan got to sleep in the Barracks. 

The next morning Bregan did not look like he had slept at all, but I did have much time to ask about it. Immediately after breakfast we were back on the road again.

"What's with him," I asked under my breath. After about half a day of traveling.

"Ants in his pants?" Parchy suggested. For an old man he sure did have good hearing.

I shook my head. "He has been acting strange since he went into the public house." 

I looked over at Arina hoping she might have a suggestion. But, she was busy leaning over the cart railing looking towards the front of the cart.

"Is that Spots?" She gasped.

I heard a horse snort like it was responding to its own name.

"It is," she said with disbelief. "And, the horse Bregan is riding is Mudpie." 

 I sat up and looked over Parchy's shoulder to see what she was looking at. One of the horses pulling the cart was grey with a black muzzle, and the other was white and covered in brown spots. Or, was he brown covered in white spots? Either way that one was definitely Spots.

"You know them?" I asked.

"I have seen them in the castle stables."

I looked up to see if I could spot Bregan but he had ridden off the road again.

"I knew they seemed familiar, but what were they doing in Singkook?" 

Arina shrugged. "Might have something to do with the way Bregan is acting."

I sunk back onto the base of the cart. It was strange. Really strange. No matter how I thought about it, I could think of a single reason why horses from the palace would be in Singkook. Part of me wanted to ask what had happened in the public house, but the other part liked being able to sit and lounge about. That part won the brief internal argument, and I decided to let Bregan handle whatever it was. After it was about time he made himself useful. Only later would I come to curse my laziness.

Another 5 days came and passed as we started to approach Fairenhold. We spent our nights in towns or forts, but every morning Bregan looked worse than before. Arina had been trying to speak to him, but he continued to brush her off. 

"You should talk to him," Arina urged for the tenth time.

"Why?" I said dismissively.

"He is your knight, he has to tell you the truth if you ask," She said, trying to keep the irritation out of her voice. 

We have had this conversation many times before with more or less the same result. I looked up at Bregan who was barely staying on Mudpie. He looked gaunt as he slouched over the reigns. Part of me was enjoying seeing him like this. He looked as bad as he had made me feel over the years, and I wanted it to last a little longer. Even if I did ask him I doubted it would make a difference. After all, how could I do anything to help? He was a knight, anything that scared him was far above my ability to help with. 

"We are almost to Fairenhold," I said. "He will calm down once we are there."

Arina looked unconvinced, but didn't press the issue. She could probably tell I was not going to change my mind. I shifted in the cart trying to get as comfortable as possible. It wasn't easy as today I had to look presentable when we arrived in Fairenhold. Which meant the biggest most uncomfortable dress, heels that were too tight, makeup, and hair done nicely. All of this before breakfast. Couple this with a bumpy, splintery wagon ride and my mood was as sour as it could be.

Bregan's mood didn't improve when we got to Fairenhold, or even when we got to the palace. In fact he seemed more on edge than ever. Arriving on an old cart was a little embarrassing, but luckily only a few people were around to see it. The whole place was strangely quiet. Even the palace guards appeared to be missing. I would have to ask my father about that.

I stepped off the cart and brushed myself down, and tried to look as lady-like as possible. Despite the aches and pains of having been sitting for way too long, I think I managed it well. Bregan stepped off his horse and fell flat on his face. I suppressed the urge to laugh.

The third sun had set early today making this afternoon chillier than usual. It was nice to be back at the palace. Even if it would be for the last time. As Arina went to help Bregan, I went up to the grand entrance of Morrentien Palace.