The road was bumpy which caused the carriage to bounce a lot. Vuwen Village is located in a remote area surrounded by mountains on the east and west while the forbidden valley is on the north.
The Capital was in the east. So to go to the Capital, people from Hukile Province have to pass the Hukile Mountain range.
The Hukile Mountain range has many low-level beasts and monsters roaming which cause the passengers to be escorted by mercenaries or Guards.
"Little Loir, are you really fine?"
Sugel was worried because Loir's face was too pale and he was shivering from the cold too.
"I am fine Uncle Sugel, Just the journey is bumpy nothing much."
Loir was quite fine even though he looked like he would faint the next moment.
This is his unique physical condition from birth, A little change in environment will affect him harshly.
Jace was driving the Carriage at the moment while Loir, Theon, and Sugel were sitting inside the carriage.
Jace was humming a song.
Loir felt the Lyrics a bit familiar.
"Sing a bit loud Guard Jace."
Jace said cheerfully.
"Alright, Sir Loir."
(*A/N: Song from a Drama, Not my own.)
"We have narrated a Story about~
How a Queen belonged to her King~
Hm~
Listen, Sweetheart! ~
Where Sweetheart? ~
Everyone was part of their story of Love~
The Silver Doll and the Golden Doll~
Then it was caught by the evil eye~
Dolls went crazy~Dolls went Crazy~
Listen, Sweetheart! ~
Where Sweetheart? ~
When you'll leave me here~
Will you ever miss me there? ~
Hm~
I'll capture you in every moment~
So I won't be part of any tales~
So that you won't feel any talks~
(We have everything, See what we lack?)~
(We are the poem of Love, See Us)~"
Jace stumbled.
"Ah...I just remember this much."
Sugel thoughtfully spoke.
"Is this sung by a bard? The Love tale of King Nexus?"
A bit confused, Jace asked.
"King Nexus? That tyrant King?"
Theon sighed.
"Yes Sir Sugel, It is certainly King Nexus's love tale."
Loir glanced at Theon and Sugel.
Jace was confused for a while.
"But isn't King Nexus a tyrant, He also had a lover?"
Theon glared at the idiot Jace.
"If King Nexus didn't have a lover, how do you think his descendents come from?"
Jace was surprised. Oh Yes, The current Emperor is a descendent of King Nexus.
"But then why did he has the title of Tyrant?"
Theon chuckled while Sugel said.
"Actually he was betrayed by his lover later, but his love story was really a sad one to remember."
"And this song sung by the bards is a 300 years old if i remember correctly."
"King Nexus's lover was an elf, The The Empress Dowager was extremely against this relationship but King Nexus still married his lover but his lover was there to revenge for her dead lover and King Nexus was betrayed in the battlefield by his lover."
"It is said that Empress Dowager saved King Nexus at that time and died because of saving the weak Emperor. Later King Nexus lost his emotions and became a tyrant."
Jace sighed. That lover is really bad! Bad woman!
Loir glanced at Jace, Theon and Sugel.
"There is another side of the story."
The three looked at Loir who looked out of the window. A bit melchony and narrated a story.
"There was a boy who was timid and coward due his father's strict training. When his father died, the child of 7 had the huge pressure to lead the nation but there was someone supporting him from the back. When he was weak and cried in the dark his mother will pat him, wipe his tears and coax him. When he made a mistake he was scolded but not harshly."
"When he was sick, his mother will stay beside him, if he didn't eat properly due to work he was glared at badly until he rested properly. One day he fell in love with a gentle girl and against his mother's wishes married her."
"That girl gave birth to the crown prince and the mother became a grandmother but the mother still didn't talk to him due to ignoring her warning. Later in a critical battle the boy was betrayed by his lover, The blood loss was severe but to save him his mother gave up her heart blood and died."
"Later, The boy had no one. No one to scold him, no one to be there when he cried, no one to coax him, no one to advice him...The boy lost his whole world. His enemies lived but his loved ones left him alone to face the harsh world."
"He was the King Nexus."
"She was his mother, Empress Dowager, Empress Selena."
Jace was in daze, from this story he remembered his mother. He will never listen to his mother's words and then will be scolded as he didn't take her advice to heart.
King Nexus...
Loir lowered his eyes, The Biography of King Nexus is still in 'those' ruins...
Sugel frowned after hearing the story while Theon sighed heavily.
"Mother is a great creature. She will give her everything just for her children."
At night the fire was lit in the middle while the carriage was parked near a big tree, Loir slept in the carriage and others slept outside near the fire, It was cold at night in mountains.
Loir couldn't sleep tonight so he sat up and recalled the words of a certain book.
-Sadness...you will know it when you can never hug your mother again.
She will become a part of your memory...You just miss her, how she talked, laughed, and made you cry.
You will regret those actions you did against her...you will wish to see her once, just once more...I just miss her too.
I didn't know the words 'Missing someone' until I reached to my mother's embrace but she wasn't there anymore.
-Biography of King Nexus.
Loir looked up at the night sky. Nexus...what about people who don't even get the chance to get that motherly love? What should they feel?
A huge roar disrupted the thoughts Loir had.
He became alert but before he could do anything, Sugel came inside and saw him.
"Don't worry nothing happened only a wild beast strayed here. Guard Theon and Guard Jace can handle."
Loir clenched his hand and nodded.
The roar continued, The sound of sword clash with flesh. Then another harsh roar.
After a while the surrounding became silent.
Sugel carefully opened the door and saw Guard Jace smiling cheerfully.
"Sir Sugel, Everything is fine but we need to move, The blood scent will alert other beasts."
Sugel nodded while Theon drove the carriage at night.
Loir who didn't get good night sleep, slept.
He had a nightmare.
A very...bad nightmare. Loir's pale golden eyes were full of confusion at the moment. An unknown pain flashes from his eyes but soon all emotions vanished as if they never existed on his face.
The carriage was still moving but Jace and Sugel were sleeping soundly.
It seems only Theon was awake.
"Sir Loir, you woke up, the breakfast is in the box on the left. You didn't eat anything at dinner too, eat up."
Loir had a headache at the moment when he heard Theon's voice.
"It's okay. I will eat later."
Theon became silent then asked softly.
"Sir Loir, Where did you hear the backstory of King Nexus?"
Loir glanced at the closed window of the carriage.
"In a book."
Theon seemed to have realized somthing.
"Oh, In the library at home?"
Libraray at home?
A lot can happen in life to know many things.
Home...
Loir seem to smile.
His life never had a home.
Theon didn't hear any answer and thought that Loir went back to sleep but he heard Jace's scream.
"It hurts!!"
Then Sugel's voice came.
"Are you alright? Come up."
Jace felt aggrieved.
"Sir Sugel, I fell face down, do you think i am fine and the carriage is so bumpy that I hit my head on the luggage! You still ask if i am fine?"
Loir mocked.
"Guard Jace, you just fell down, you didn't die, get up."
Jace looked at Loir with his eyes wide open.
"I never knew you were such a Sir Loir, Sir Loir."
Loir and Sugel laughed.
Jace screamed when the bump came again.
"Can someone help me up?!"
Sugel gave a hand and Jace hugged his arm and became emotional.
"Only you are kind to save me, others want me dead, such a cruel world it is."
Sugel struggled to save his arm from Jace's hands while Loir smiled sweetly.
"I didn't want to kill you before but I don't know about future now, how cruel the world is truly~"
Jace flinched and then cried to Sugel.
"Sir Sugel, This child smiles so devilishly!!"
Sugel sighed.
"Leave my arm.."