Kingdom of Fablemarch
"Where would you sleep?" Meredith inquired, suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the day on her body.
"I can sleep with my soldiers," Huntington reassured.
Meredith felt grateful; she had no idea how she could repay the man.
"Thank you so much…" She trailed off and added, "Lord Huntington."
It was so foreign on her tongue, calling someone a lord. She was used to using the word 'sir.'
Huntington laughed and replied, "If it's weird for you, you can just call me Chase."
Meredith sighed in relief; she needed to adjust to this world's customs.
Chase started leaving the tent. He bid Meredith good night and reassured her that there would be guards on duty the whole time.
Meredith nodded, and now she was alone with her thoughts.
When she was cleaning herself, she didn't even find the stab wound that had killed her. It was like she had been transported into another world. Maybe tomorrow morning she would have more answers than questions, but right now, she was just exhausted and ready for bed.
She lay down on the hard mattress, and then it hit her that at least in her shitty apartment, her bed had been soft and comfortable.
Meredith woke up to the sound of loud banging. She stood up as fast as possible, her heart hammering in her chest.
Chase entered her tent and was surprised to see her in such a state.
"Calm down," he reassured.
"Did something happen?" Meredith questioned, her bare feet cold on the ground.
"It's just how we wake everyone up," Chase explained.
Meredith calmed down and sat back on her bed.
"We'll be going back to Fablemarch in a moment," Chase continued.
"Are you someone important?" Meredith wondered out loud.
It seemed to her that Chase was the leader of the army, given that he had his own tent and the plans on his table.
"I'm the prince of Fablemarch," Chase smiled at her.
Meredith felt stupid, again. Of course, Chase was someone important. It was obvious from all the signs she had seen, but she didn't expect he was prince important.
"Oh my god, I'm sorry I took your tent," Meredith exclaimed.
"I offered it," Chase replied. "Don't worry."
Meredith felt her toes grow cold and tucked them under her thighs.
"I'm sorry I can't offer you proper clothing, but when we get back to the palace, I'll make sure someone attends to you," Chase promised.
Meredith nodded. Chase was too nice to her—she was practically a stranger, yet he was still willing to help her out.
"Come, you'll ride with me to Fablemarch."
She heard a soldier tell Chase that everything was ready.
Meredith stood up. Chase was straight out of a fairy tale. Aside from having a good heart, he was also handsome.
It was the first time Meredith had ridden a horse. She had to sit sideways because her skirt would ride up, and she didn't want to end up flashing the whole army. She hugged Chase tightly, afraid she would fall off.
Chase sensed her actions, and his laugh vibrated through Meredith's body.
"Don't worry, you won't fall."
The ride was short, and Meredith was thankful for that.
Chase dismounted the horse and assisted Meredith.
"I haven't asked your name," he said.
Meredith felt embarrassed, and stupid… again. After all the help she had received from Chase, she had completely forgotten to introduce herself.
"My name is Meredith, but people usually call me Red," she replied as she hopped down from the horse. Chase caught her.
"Okay, Red, welcome to Fablemarch's palace," Chase gestured to the palace standing in front of them.
The building was in Gothic style, its design intricate and detailed. The windows were made of stained glass, and a huge pointed arch sat between two elaborate towers.
"I'll have the scholars ask about your condition, but for now, let's get you some clothes."
Meredith nodded and followed Chase. Before she knew it, she was dressed in a long, elegant white dress that cinched at her waist.
She sat in the library, alone, waiting for Chase to bring her news.
Chase arrived with an old man in tow. He looked at Meredith with an inspecting eye and asked, "Are you sure you're not from here?"
Meredith could only nod in response. She couldn't prove anything aside from her work clothes. The man whispered something to Chase, and he dismissed himself, leaving Chase and Meredith alone.
"I'm sure you have a lot on your mind right now," Chase said, taking a seat beside her and gazing at her gently.
Meredith's heart started beating faster. She was now hyper-aware of Chase's handsomeness and thought he was such a gentleman.
However, it was gnawing at Meredith why Chase was chasing a werewolf, so she decided to ask.
Chase's face turned serious. "We planned an attack on the werewolves yesterday because we knew the blood moon would weaken them."
Meredith gulped. It seemed like she had gotten caught between a battle.
"Fablemarch used to flourish in harmony with the werewolves, but during the moonlit festival, one of the werewolves attacked my sister," Chase continued, his expression still grim.
"It awakened fear among the people of Fablemarch, and thus we established my army, the Order of Silver Crescent." He paused, looking at Meredith to gauge her reaction.
Meredith had nothing to say. She simply waited for Chase to finish.
"We are determined to bring back peace and tranquility to our kingdom," Chase said as he stood up from his chair.
Meredith looked up at him in awe. Compared to Chase, her life wasn't that bad. The man was basically trying to avenge his sister, while Meredith had been struggling to survive paycheck to paycheck.
Well, she was supposed to be dead by now, so maybe her life was bad.