Anyway, she dug herself out and she managed to find me amongst a pile of burnt up ashes. All the sand in her wounds really hurt, so I soothed her with some of my magic. It should at least numb her, and sometimes such numbness is needed to fuel her forward.
After all, my Rulia was running on fumes.
As we trekked across the desert according to my directions and with the limited provisions that Rulia managed to scourage from the debris, we talked a lot. She was finally willing to wear me on her kneck, which made the conversations more convenient.
I talked about how I was this fallen spirit wandering around the dessert and how she was my destined one, she scoffed at my story and told me all about her dysfunctional family and her sorrows.
The Cleridalle House.
In Kadoelia, the Cleridalle House was famous for being loyal to the King. It was the sidekick, the dog. Every generation of Cleridalles survived through the years for being a staunch loyalist or political follower.
As such, when the incompetent king had announced to send their only daughter to the enemy kingdom of Siodros as a tribute bride for their handicapped third prince, the Cleridalles had gritted their teeth and agreed. The exchange got the Cleridalles honour and official positions for the two sons of the house, and got Rulia packing for Siodros.
Naturally, Rulia was not welcomed. But unwelcomed by who? This requires more pondering.
Anyways, all Rulia knew was that the third prince, Aden Defluer, was a gloomy, vicious bachelor who doesn't love anyone nor have anyone who loves him in the royal family. He was only influential in the public because he had been a war hero before someone broke his legs during an incident.
Sounds familiar? Yes, such a plotline is familiar to many people who watched soap operas or dramas or romance novel. Because Rulia Cleridalle would be the individual who tortures and dismisses the prince before he became king.
She wasn't beheaded, if you wanted to guess. She was nailed to a hanging wooden beam because she often abused the servants with one. She bit off her own tongue.
Yup, she turned ugly in the future. But there's a reason for everything, and I'll be there to guide her.
For the better? Maybe...
Anyway, I did not tell her what was in store for her. What's the point? We can't even get out of this goddamn desert. Did anyone ever tell you how difficult it is to travel in the desert because the wind blows and then the entire landscape shifts? You can almost only see where you are going when night arrives and the stars appear. The temperature difference is crazy too. I had to bring Rulia into my dreamscape while maintaining the minimum temperature of her body to keep her alive.
Of course, that meant that I was enduring the cold on her behalf, but I was used to it by now.
Then, as she got weaker over the days, we would start conversing again to take her mind off stuff. Apparently, her favourite animal was the guinea pig.
"It's small and fluffy and it's not fierce."
"I would think an eagle is better. A guinea pig is partially incapacitated on a genetic basis. Round and fluffy doesn't help you survive."
"Nice things don't need to help you survive sometimes."
"But on the other hand, if we roasted a guinea pig now... Hey don't look at me like that."
"That's disgusting."
"Just saying."
We seem to be getting closer.