I groan out in agony due to my aching neck, making it painful to look left and right. I woke up from an uncomfortable sleeping position wondering how I managed to twist my neck and body in such a way I can't imagine.
This ride is loud and bumpy; it feels as if we are moving through a rocky road. I wonder how far we've gotten and how long has it been since we departed. The sun must be above us as I feel the heat from the ceiling of this carriage.
After massaging my neck with my eyes closed, feeling so exhausted, I scan the carriage to see how they are doing. My eyes landed on the large knight that took over the whole seat in front of me. Rhys laid with his arm covering his eyes, his mouth agape, a drool running down the side of his chin. Amused, I can help but giggle at the sight of him. I've never seen him so vulnerable.
I diverted my eyes away from Rhys' disgusting drool and toward Faye, who sat quietly beside me. My eyes widen with wonder when I see her sitting completely still, in tranquil with her eye closed. Her breathing is slow, her chest rises and falls, she's able to rest soundly even with this bumpy ride.
The peaceful look she holds relieves me. Faye felt pressured about this trip for days that I never once saw her rest. She handled restoring the castle and taught me in the afternoon; she must have been so tired with all her duties.
I grit my teeth when I felt the stinging sensation on my neck; I continue massaging it. I notice that the closed curtains beside me are swinging left and right, the ray of sunlight peeking through every opening it gets. I move closer to the window, taking hold of the curtains as I take a look outside.
My stomach does backflips upon realizing where we are. I accidentally look down, my eyes widening when I notice that we're near the cliff. It's a long way down; the trees huddled together below us would save anyone falling but with a low chance.
As this place is unfamiliar, I'm sure we're somewhere above a hill. Thus, this would only mean that we already made it past the town of tinkers, and we're in unfamiliar territory.
I sit back, calming my heart with the sudden fright I got. I don't know how long we'll have to travel, but my stomach lets out a weird sound letting me know that it's lunchtime and I'm hungry. I swallow, not wanting to disturb my exhausted company; they have gone through so much to let this trip happen.
I move my foot, accidentally kicking a bag that laid on the ground beside my foot. The tiny opening reveals what's inside, and it's the jar with Frida's memories.
Bending down, I pick the jar up, holding it on my lap. I look at it with hopeful eyes. The image of Jack, sitting by the side of her bed, holding his wife's hand, runs through my mind. The bow that he made laid on my right, my very own beautiful weapon.
Jack has so much faith in me that I'll save his wife from death that threatens her. No matter what, I can't let him down. I'll do my very best and save Frida.
"Hey, Rose. Are you alright; what do you need?" Faye croaks, surprising me.
"Did I wake you?" I smile apologetically, seeing her tired eyes forcing themselves open. Even so, Faye still looks so beautiful, she's probably the same age as my mother, but she looks so young.
She shakes her head, "I can't rest so well with the carriage moving so much. I don't know how that beast is dead asleep," she motions towards Rhys who's mouth is still agape. His arm moved away from his eyes, showing his pretty and long lashes. How is that man gifted with such beautiful features? But his personality unfortunately lacks.
However, he looks so calm. I tilt my head, admiring the sleeping Rhys; this being the only time that he's silent. I should enjoy this time while it lasts.
I feel Faye pushes something on my shoulder. I turn to see that it's a box containing some snacks, packed by the kitchen for our journey. Thanking her, I open it to meet with various kinds of food. It included bread, tarts, and crackers. I'm surprised that everything fits inside this snack box.
I picked from one of the tarts that called my name upon opening the lid and enjoyed it, offering some to Faye, but she passed. The carriage went quiet again, and I munched silently.
"Faye, have you been to Thapabia?"
She nods, "with your mother."
My mouth drops, feeling astonished, " and in what circumstances did you have to journey there?"
"Blossom, Rosetta, and I journeyed to Thapabia to join forces with them against the Queen of Beorene. They have the strongest army except that they can only fight underwater."
"So how did-"
She chuckles, "great flood?"
"You're serious?" I ask in disbelief.
"No, it wasn't as great, but Thapabian's needs water. The war reached even the waters- however, we already were prepared."
I nod. My mother went through war, and it's still so hard to believe. Arriving here should already have awoken me, but this all feels too bizarre. I never expected appearing in fantasy land, filled with mystical creatures, talking plants, and castles. And my mother was a Queen. No matter how much I rub my eyes to see through all this clearly, doubt is still holding me back.
I sigh, "calm down, Rose," muttering to myself, avoiding the need to start overthinking. That's when the carriage comes to a forceful halt. Faye thankfully holds me back, preventing me from flying forward. Rhys hits the headboard of his seat before falling on the ground with a grunt, waking him up from his deep slumber.
Rhys groans, rubbing his head. His eyes shoot open, flaming red from the disruption, "what in Bohr's name is happening!"