They all looked at her with shocked faces.
"What are you sayi—"
"Yes! I agree! You should go with him." Astra interrupted the Archduke. "That will put my mind at ease." He added as he sighed in relief.
"It's decided then," Titania said as she got off the bed and was planning to wear her slippers, that was until the Archduke reacted violently.
His composed demeanor began crumbling down. "There's nothing decided here." He said in a stern voice. "She'll just be a hindrance."
Astra and Titania looked at each other after witnessing the Archduke panicking.
It was a first, and it makes the two sadists smile out of happiness and glee. "Well, I promise I wouldn't be a hindrance, your grace." Titania sarcastically said as she smiled at him.
"Indeed. Trust Titania on this." Astra added, and then he teleported himself out of the room.
Titania began humming as she skipped towards the door, but Sylvester immediately blocked her with this dark aura surrounding him. "You can't come with me."
"P-Pfft!" Titania struggled as she laughed and even spat saliva to the Archduke's face. She couldn't believe that the time for Sylvester's unchanging expression to drastically switch would come.
Sylvester rolls his eyes as he wipes the spit that got on his face. "I'm serious."
Titania suppressed her laughter. "Hi, Serious. I'm Titania." After saying that, she again burst out laughing and even stumbled on the floor while holding her tummy. Sylvester couldn't fathom that the girl in front of him was dead for a day, yet she's being a nuisance now.
"Stop."
But that didn't make the young lady stop. Instead, she began crackling as if she had gone mad. The expression on the Archduke's face becomes darker as he continues to watch Titania laughing on the floor.
"Fine!" Titania stopped as she wiped the tears in her eyes due to too much laughter. "If you ever hinder me, I shall leave you to die alone." She flinched upon seeing how serious the Archduke became. He must feel pissed with how Titania acted, but it is still satisfying for her to see.
"Tell the maids that the Lady has woken up."
The Archduke went out of the room with a grim expression, and Blaze followed him from behind.
After seeing that the Archduke left, Titania lies on the floor as she looks up at the ceiling. Behind that laugh, she's still feeling anxious about the news Astra has told.
There wasn't a time when she felt scared that she might lose her life without meeting Ashley for the last time. They might be thinking that she's a weird fellow, but she's just masking her true feelings.
"I'm scared."
Titania closed her eyes as she suppressed her tears from falling. She knows that she shouldn't focus on the negative side of things. But being in a foreign land, where you have to survive from people aiming to lock you, is more challenging than her being in the hands of her Father.
"Milady!"
Marie came rushing into the room and quickly hugged Titania. "I was worried to death!"
The anxiousness that swallowed her slowly faded away as she felt the genuine and sincere feelings of the young maid. She thought that she wasn't alone; after all, there were still people in this place that cared about her.
"I have decided!" Titania said with confidence after Marie let go of her hug. "I'll do my best not to get in the Archduke's way."
And so, the day of their expedition towards the Southern Alynthia has come.
"Please take care of yourself, Milady." Marie sobbed as she let go of Titania's hand.
Titania giggled as she looked at Marie's face. "Why are you crying? It's not like I'm gonna die."
"You are going to if you don't pay attention."
Titania's mood became sour after hearing the Archduke. "Let's go, Ebony." She frowned as she watched the Archduke ride his horse named Ebony. He must like the horse more than Titania, knowing that he's kinder towards Ebony.
"Hey," Titania turned back to Astra after he grabbed her hand. "Use this only for the sole purpose of emergency." Astra gave her an object that she couldn't understand. She just nodded and placed it in her bag.
"Let's go, milady. I'll go with you until the gate." One of the Imperial Knights said, whose name is Ryker. He was the one who found Titania on the battlefield. The voice that she heard back then belongs to him.
Ryker lifted Titania and made her sit on his horse, "Don't fall behind." The Archduke said as he nudged Ebony's body and made her run. Before Ryker could even get on the horse, Sylvester departed.
Titania was getting impatient as Sylvester was slowly escaping from her sight, "Hurry." She said and made the horse run as soon as Ryker got on.
They raced to the gates, which excited Titania; since this was her first time riding a horse, it was a thrilling experience. "Hurry! We could beat that man."
"T-That man?" Ryker felt dumbfounded but still yielded to Titania's commands. He is an innocent man who idolizes the Archduke so much that he would take care of everything essential to the Archduke, including the woman who is to become his wife.
Ryker speeds things up, and they steadily pass by the Archduke.
"How's that sucker!" Titania screamed due to excitement and made the man behind her laugh at her cuteness.
When they reached the gate leading out of the Archduke's land, Ryker went down and was about to help the lady get off the horse, but the Archduke pulled her down and flicked her forehead.
"Ow! You're such a sore loser, you know." Titania rubbed her forehead as she glared at the Archduke.
"Stop moping around and get on Ebony." The Archduke said as he made Ryker lift Titania again and placed her above Ebony, the exquisite black horse.
'Ugh, if I knew that I'd end up riding with him, I shouldn't have come,' is what she thought as she frowns.
"Please be careful," Ryker's innocence makes Titania feel blissful.
Titania nodded as it made her smile. "You too."
As if flower blooms with these two genuine kids smiling at each other, the Archduke got in between and made Ebony ran at a speed of light without telling Titania, making her feel scared and bewildered.
"You shouldn't smile like that to other men when you're beside your Fiancé." Titania couldn't believe the reason why the Archduke is acting like this now. 'I know that we have to fool everybody else, but can you give me a freaking break?' she thought.
"Bigmouth, coming from the man who always disses me like a rap star," said Titania as she closed her eyes due to too much wind because of how fast they were going.
They have gotten out of the Archduchy path connecting to the straight path towards the capital's first gate. Since there are two gates, the one at the end of the Caltram Forest and that leads you inside the city.
Now, to reach the Southern Alynthia, they must go past this forest first, and they'll reach the vast land. They must go straight and just follow the path. It would probably take them three days if they didn't bother to rest, but the minimum is five days to reach the Sherfield City in the South.
"Fix your cloak," said Sylvester as they encountered a noble's carriage passing by.
Titania didn't even bother, "With how fast we're going, do you still think they could recognize me?" Sylvester just sighed.
It was a first for him to be answered without any respect. Before, the usual response was beheading the person, but he couldn't do that to the Fairy Queen.
When they reached the large gate, the guards greeted the Archduke with the utmost respect. They immediately noticed Titania, who forgot to wear her cloak properly, "Uh— Is the lady coming with you, your grace?" One of the guards was hesitant, but he wanted to do his duty the most, so he didn't let his fear consume him.
"Yes. Titania wanted to go with me." The Archduke hid his annoyance and bid the guards farewell after that.
"This is why I don't want to bring you. Nuisance." He whispered to Titania, and the girl couldn't retort since it was her fault that she forgot to cover her face.
As the sun sets, the darker the surrounding becomes. This leaves the two with no choice but to camp out in the woods, considering that there are no lodgings near where they are.
It was good that they brought some sleeping bags and other necessities. Sylvester made a fire while Titania cuddled with herself. Due to the sudden decrease in the temperature, the nighttime in Alynthia is much colder than any other place.
"How much longer?" Titania asked out of boredom while waiting for the food that Sylvester was cooking.
"Start helping then; it might be done sooner."
Titania ignored the Archduke and just lay on her back as she stared at the night sky. It was different than the Earth's night sky, the stars were visible, and as if she's in a mountain, she could see everything clearly.
Back where she came from, there was lots of pollution. Nina couldn't even take a deep breath whenever she went out because all she could smell was the smoke coming from the cars on the street.
"The stars are so pretty." She smiled as she reached out her hand and pretended to grab the stars. 'If Ashley is here, she'll surely love this view.'
When the food was ready, they started eating. The Archduke was astonished because he couldn't see elegance coming from the lady in front of him.
She looks like one of the knights that came to his first battle experience when he was fifteen. 'Even Ryker is more elegant than her,' is what he thought as he shook his head.
Titania continued stuffing her mouth with food; who would have thought that traveling would make her feel famished. "How much longer till we reach the destination?" she said with food still inside her mouth. This made the Archduke look at her with disgust.
"Can you stop talking while eating?" Titania shook her head.
"You're not hiding your rudeness, so can I." She gave him a smug look.
Sylvester sighed, "Just stop making a mess than you already are."
Titania mockingly imitated what he said, making him sigh once again. He wanted to finish the mission faster since his symptoms are not specified; sometimes, he suffers from a headache, but other times are normal. The longest was a week. That was the longest time where he didn't have any headache or ringing in his ears.
Another day of riding a horse has come for the two. It's been three days since they departed from the capital. Titania is now dying out of boredom while she is slowly slipping from Ebony. This made Sylvester irritated and immediately stopped Ebony from walking.
"Do you want to fall off?"
Titania sarcastically nodded her head lots of times as she stared at the Archduke's eyes. They're now passing the Triangular Woods headed to Azmar Village; it is the village at the peak of the southern part of Alynthia.
The Sherfield is at the near end of the land. Next to the Lair Deamhan, that's why it is famous for attacks and ambush from the said beings.
"Can't we stop for a minute?" Sylvester did his best to calm himself due to the young lady's requests. She's acting like that during the whole trip. She does whatever she wants to do and would create trouble for the Archduke.
'It was better when she couldn't look straight in my eyes,' is what the Archduke thought as he let Ebony rest near the threes while Titania wandered through the woods.
"Don't stray too far, or I'll leave you." Titania just waved her hand in agreement with what the Archduke said.
She roamed her vision as she explored the woods. Whenever she passes something interesting, she picks it up like a kid. Titania didn't expect to reach the other side of the road quickly since she thought that this place was much more prominent.
Her forehead creased when she heard an unfamiliar noise coming nearby. She turned around to find the sound source, but all she could see were trees and greenery.
As she continues walking, she stumbles down upon a broken branch of a tree, making her trip and fall on the ground.
"Ouch." She said as she got up while clapping her hand to get rid of the dirt. "Ah." She blinked thousands of times when she saw a strange creature.
"AH!" She screamed, making the creature frightened, and it quickly ran away.
"What was that?" she tried to think about things that could look the same as that orange thing. It has a tail and animal-like ears on its head.
"Wait!" Titania ran in the direction where the creature went. A smile formed on her face due to the sudden thrill she felt.
She chased the creature until they reached the road where the Archduke and Ebony were taking a break. The creature ran to the middle of the road when suddenly, a big carriage arrived.
"Watch out!"