In a kerbside stall.
"Brother, where are you from? And where are you heading off to?'' One of the three men looked at the delicate-looking man in front of them, dressed in ordinary clothes.
"Are you a traveler?" Another man asked, looking at the black horse that looked expensive.
Esme adjusted the hooded scarf on her head slightly before dismounting the horse. Her waist ached as a sudden tremor shot through her back. It has been years since she rode a horse last. And her whole body was sore at this point.
Despite her pain, she managed to school her expressions as she pointed her finger at her throat before shaking her hand.
"You can't talk?"
She nodded. Disguising herself as a man was easy but she could not change her voice.
"Come here..." One of the men patted the seat beside him.
A hint of hesitation appeared in her grey eyes but it was quickly replaced with resolve as she sat beside them.
"Where are you going?" He asked swinging his muscular arm around her shoulder.
She stiffened before shifting in her spot, her face remained a little uncomfortable.
"What's wrong brother?" There were three men near the place including the owner of the stall and they all seemed amicable which came off as a surprise to her.
She pointed at her shoulders before pursing her lips hesitantly.
"He has been on a long journey. His muscles might have been sore," The man on her other side swatted away the arm from her shoulder, much to her relief.
She pointed towards the front.
"Are you going to the Capital City?"
She nodded.
The land of Visteria is a land filled with all kinds of wonders: from the great and powerful Empire to the majestic race of its kings who has been ruling it centuries after centuries. In the center of Visteria, encircled by the Empire, lies the beautiful capital city, where the Royal Castle is situated.
Visteria is seven seas away from the lands of Nevesray which was her birthplace. When they fled from their kingdom and came here, their aunt managed to settle them in a small village near the borders. And all these years, they have been limited to that place. She never thought she would have to come to the capital city one day.
"You have already stepped in the borders of the capital city. Where do you want to go from here?"
Esme glanced at them blankly. It was impossible to tell them that she was looking for the way to the Royal Castle.
"You don't know the way?"
She shook her head.
All the three glanced at her in contemplation.
She quickly ran her fingers on her face. She had smeared some coal here and there to make herself appear as dirty as possible. They should not be able to find anything wrong with her.
"Don't panic, brother. We will help you."
She blinked. These people were so kind and helpful, unlike the ones in their village and that really surprised her.
After listening to their advice, she handed them two gold coins and they were astonished. One gold coin equal to 10 silver coins was enough for a family to survive for months.
They refused to accept it but she forced it in their hands before mounting the horse,
"It seems like this little brother is a rich man in disguise," One of the men spoke up.
The other two nodded.
As Esme proceeded further into the forests, everything started getting dark around her as the trees and bushes were intertwining with each other from above, hiding the sunlight.
What was clear to her was that they strongly convinced her to not wander off towards the northeast way which will lead to the Royal Castle of Visteria. If only they knew that her destination was that place, she wondered what would their suggestions have been.
Though most people live in the center of the land, the forest to the northeast of the kingdom was shrouded in mystery. The forest was called Enchantment Forest and no one knows what or who is there in it.
The Visterians spend their lives in the center of the land, in the big and small villages. But the Enchantment Forest is a forbidden place to them.
It was dangerous but it was the shortest path to the Royal Castle. From the information she gathered, the other way might take a few more days more to reach the place and she did not have much time.
The woman with whom Arlan left was someone from the Royal Family and the faster she caught up to them, the easier it will be to get her brother back.
The deeper she went into the forest, the darker it became. The small rays of sunshine pervading through the gaps of the dense trees seemed to have disappeared as the birds returned to the trees, indicating that it was nighttime already.
She tightened her knees and thighs near the saddle and her grip on the reins increased as the horse neighed, slowing down its pace.
The moonlight made it possible to look at the way ahead even though her vision was not clear.
"You must be exhausted," She patted the horse's back and ran her fingers through his hair before alighting. She grabbed the oil skin bag hooked near its saddle before looking inside. "There is no water left," She mumbled while holding the empty water bottle in her hand.
Even her throat was parched by this time, let alone this poor thing who has been running with her weight on him. She leaned her head against his face, ''What do we do now...?"
The horse made a small noise as if retorting with a 'How would I know?'
A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she glanced at the sky only to be met with the darkness of the dense forest. But the moonlight still managed to escape from the gaps between the leaves and branches.
She missed her Aunt so much. She wondered what was she doing alone at this time and whether she had her dinner yet.
Esme inhaled a deep breath.
She stood up straight before closing her eyes and focusing on her surroundings. Her eyes snapped open, the exhaustion from before was replaced by a sparkle of excitement.