Edward is infuriated because he needs to accompany the little blonde girl on her pointless trips. Ever since he became her bodyguard, he has been escorting her and doing her errands almost everyday.
He also ought to show her around their place so Gloria would understand what kind of culture they have. Gloria was excited about this, so she immediately thought about what kind of items and souvenirs she would buy.
"Yey! We're going on a trip!" She gleefully exclaimed as she happily skipped towards the gate of the castle.
"Aw, come on! Why are you so fired up? It's not like we're going somewhere else. They will probably get mad at us if we do so." Edward protested.
He is probably displeased since he would waste his time being with her instead of practicing her sword skills.
"But--- But----" Gloria fiddled her fingers in embarrassment.
"It's my first time going out to another place aside from my home, Your Majesty." She reasoned as she put on her awkward smile.
"What? Haven't you ever gone out? Like for real?!" Edward asked in surprise, which made Gloria nod her head to confirm it.
"Well, that's too bad then. I've been to a lot of places when I visited my cousins. So that's why something like this is nothing new to me anymore." Edward said as he shrugged his shoulders.
Gloria pouted as she had taken this statement as an insult to her.
The maid interfered when she noticed that the prince was getting out of line again. "Your Majesty, please, do not provoke her any longer. It seems that Lady Gloria is a type of person who rarely ever goes out since it has been the proclamation of the High Priest to put his daughters in a sanctuary. But due to our impending treaty with them, she has been sent as their representative." The maiden defended her side.
Then the lady gave a short glance to the girl as if she was asking her to confirm what she said.
Gloria nodded, "Yes, that's right. I am supposed to be accompanied by my sisters. But because my elder sister is currently busy, and my twin sister is currently feeling ill, I was the only one who came here. Anyway, I gladly accepted since I don't want to stay in that sanctuary."
"Huh?" Edward was baffled when he heard this new information. "So that means you don't get to play outside that much?"
"Yes..." Gloria felt ashamed of that fact.
For that reason, Gloria's cheerful voice changed to a somber tone. It seems that Edward had made her even more upset so he felt guilty.
He thinks that if he put himself in her shoes, he would feel disappointed by that as well; He would've felt lonely not being able to play with friends.
So he said to her to reassure her, "Fine, I'll bring you to a lot of places as much as you want."
"Really?!" Gloria's eyes sparkled, being ecstatic.
"Mhmm... Y-yeah." He scratched his nape, not knowing if he was serious about it as he only spoke out of the spur of the moment.
"But that doesn't mean I already want to play with you, but rather I am simply following my father's orders." He sternly said as he was crossing his arms.
"Well, if you say so~ Let's go then!" She grabs his arm in excitement.
"W-wait!"
He almost tripped from the pulling force, but fortunately enough, Gloria was able to lean closer so she could catch him. But the movement has made their skin touch each other.
Edward felt a sudden shiver since he's not used to being in the presence of girls.
"EW! GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU WEIRDO!!!" He shouted as he backed off to a considerable distance. His cheeks were burning from pure awkwardness.
"Oho~? Prince Edward's face is as red as tomatoes. Are you perhaps feeling flustered?" Gloria grinned, amused by his cute reaction.
"NO AM NOT!!!"
"Yes, you are~"
"I TOLD YOU IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!"
"Hmm~ If that's the case, let's race to the carriage. Whoever loses will pay my purchase first!" Gloria said before running away.
"I---- Huh?" Edward couldn't react to her challenge, but he soon began to chase her.
"Wait! That's too sudden! At least let me prepare for it!" He was already almost behind her due to his trained speed.
"It wouldn't be fun that way!" Gloria laughed as she tried to speed up even faster.
They ran together until they were out of sight.
"Ah, it must be nice to be young." The servant lamented as she watched the two of them. Then she later caught up with them in a calm manner.
Several minutes have already passed since they have hopped into the carriage. And the two children were continuing their endless banter as she wouldn't know if they were getting along or not.
She sighed for a moment, thinking it was already getting out of hand, so she cleared her throat in hopes of stopping them. "Please settle down, you two. If you want to be respectful as children of high status, please behave as much as possible."
"Okay." Both of them answered in chorus.
Finally, there was a moment of peace among them.
At the present moment, Gloria was playfully humming to herself and swinging her knees. Meanwhile, Edward was leaning against his arm by the window and was staring at the skies above.
The weather of the day is clear. Perfect for an outing, as they would say.
Anyone can predict that it is almost impossible to suddenly have a rain, even though Edward has been hoping for it to happen.
Gloria became bored with what she was doing, so she decided to have a look outside. From the oher window, she can see the almost faint figure of the enormous mountains that stretch miles away. Beneath it is a vast forest filled with pines and spruces alike.
But because it is not the winter season yet, the whole field is not all covered with white snow. Instead, they could almost paint the entire horizon with color green if it weren't for the tiny houses nearby them.
"Wow!!! There are a lot of houses over that mountain!" Gloria commented in awe. "Are they perhaps working in there?"
"Well, of course, duh?!" Edward sarcastically answered, thinking the answer should be already common sense.
Gloria was dumbfounded.
"What else would they do in the mountains? Of course, they are living and working in there. Baschlain is known for its trademark for lumber and minerals because of that mountain alone. That's why the citizens out there are probably a bunch of lumberjacks or miners. They could be hunters too." Edward explained.
"Oh... I see that's amazing! While on our nation, Gaswallam, you cannot see something like this. It's all filled with tiny shrubs, to the point that you could barely see any thick forests." Gloria described her homeland.
"Sounds like a barren wasteland," Edward commented as he wore a mocking smirk.
Gloria was furious from his insult, so she defended herself, "Hey! Not really! We could also get some lumber and mine some gold and iron, and we could hunt too!"
"Not like what we have though." Edward stifled a laugh, finally being able to pay back.
The maid was already almost on the edge of snapping when the carriage stopped. It seems that they have already arrived at their destination.
"Phew. Finally, let us get this done already so I can have my rest." The maid mumbled to herself as she waited for the coachman to open their door.
When they came out, they witnessed the bustling scene of the marketplace, which is Baschlain's central trading hub with the other kingdoms.
It is nearby the forest for convenient transportation of lumber and minerals. Although this location can be prone to attacks from bandits and thieves, the citizens aren't worried since the knights are always standing on guard.
The knights in silver armor immediately saluted and gave way to them as soon as they saw the young prince, to which he responded with a greeting gesture.
Gloria felt nervous because of the knight's presence flaunting their armor and sharp weapon like they are the symbol of their pride. She's now used to seeing this, so she feels uncomfortable.
Edward quickly noticed this sudden change in her behavior, so he took advantage of this.
"You scared?" He grinned.
"N-not really!" She shook her head sideways.
"I never knew that the Valoreans are b-barbarians like they said..." A hint of disappointment is present in her voice.
The knights were surprised when they heard it. So they were about to shift to their defense mode, but Edward halted them with a gesture.
"What? Who said that?" He asked, being serious.
"My brothers and sisters... It's not like I agree with them though! I also came here to prove them wrong. But it seems that..." Gloria once again became wary of the sharp blades that the spears possessed.
"Ohhh. Are you talking about the weapons? Ah, don't worry about that. They're using it to protect the people and not harm them. In other words, they are the heroes of our kingdom as they keep the invaders and all bad people away!" Edward proudly said, having a respectable image of knights in his mind.
The knights feel honored by his words.
"Ah, I see... You have a point indeed, your Majesty." Gloria understood. "Your people must've had a hard time protecting yourselves with only your capable hands."
"Yeah. Thanks to your ancestors, we've been pushed away!"
"It's your fault we're having a hard time fighting on the borders just to maintain the peace!"
"Curse the Godswells!"
The knights united in insulting Gloria's people. While the loitering crowd just stood and watched, not wanting to interfere.
Gloria remained silent since she was aware that it wasn't their ancestor's fault that their God has abandoned them. But for some reason, she felt guilty.
Since the Godswells abide themselves by the will of God, they cannot simply torment the people who despise their own God. And that's why the war between the Valoreans and the Godswells was going on for ages until today when the peace treaty is already being settled.
However, there are still some loyalists who are against this idea and are still fighting each other. Edward also disapproves of whatever his father is planning to do.
But...
"Silence!" Edward commanded with a loud, serious tone.
He is now the center of attention.
"This girl here..." He pointed at Gloria, "is a descendant of the Godswells. However! She is also the daughter of the Head Priest, Saint Geoffrey himself. She was sent as an envoy to initiate a peace treaty with us, Baschlanians, to finally put an end to the war."
He paused for a moment as he looked at them, making sure to remember their faces.
"I know our wounds are still not healed from the war, and you cannot find it in your hearts to forgive. I understand that. However! My father, King Desmond III, must've noticed an even bigger problem that's why he agreed to have peace in the first place. He must have a reason, so you need to put your faith in him as his loyal subjects."
The people were astounded when he gave a speech defending the Godswells. Even Gloria herself was bewildered.
"Also! There's another important thing!!! My father might haven't announced it yet. But as per his order, this girl is an envoy who is under my protection. So if you dare subject her to prejudice again, I will fight you myself."
Various reactions emanated from the crowd. Some are amazed by the bravery of the young prince. Some find it cute since he is acting like a knight-in-shining-armor. Some despised how he protected the Godswell and left already.
Meanwhile, the knights felt disgraced. If they attempt to hurt the Godswell again, not only they will fight the prince, but they would also go against the King's orders, which is considered treason.
They're not afraid of the prince and his ridiculous act. But they fear the King's ferocity, so they silenced.
"Also, there's one more thing, aren't you supposed to be on your guard post? What are you doing idly in here, huh? Do you want me to report your names to your commander? I know all of your names..." Edward said in a threatening matter.
"W-we apologize, your Majesty! We just arrived to escort the transportation of lumber from the Western side of the forest. We'll immediately return to our post after we have successfully achieved it. Once again, we apologize for our rude manners, so if you would excuse us..." The knights then left in a hurry.
Edward heaved a sigh of relief once he realized he had already lost his princely composure. It's tough for him to maintain that kind of image.
The crowd cheered and clapped once the young prince finished his speech. Edward just responded to them with a bow.
"That was splendid, your Majesty!"
"Well said, indeed!"
"My worries have been gone now, since our future lies in your good hands!"
"Haha! Thank you, everyone
! Please do not mind us and continue what you're ought to do!" Edward said.
So they soon slowly dissipated as they should continue their business as well.
Edward sighed again. "Now that's finished, where was I again?" He slowly turned to Gloria to see her reaction.
The poor girl was crying out her tears, touched by his speech.
"WHAAAAA---" Edward dropped his jaw in surprise.
She sobbed. "Thank you for that, your Majesty! I had thought you were just another bad person who would disgrace our family's name. But it seems I am wrong about my impression of you. Please forgive me, and thank you for saving me as well!"
She hugged him as she cried.
"Ha?!" He pushed her away. "Don't get too high of yourself, Godswell. I'm just doing my job. Besides, those knights lack nobility. It's because of them that our troops are getting weaker every year. How dare they leave their posts and pick a fight against a girl instead?! That's so lame and unmanly! I can't believe it! I ought to report them!" Edward ranted while stomping his feet on the ground.
"ANNIE!!!" He called out his servant.
"Yes, your Majesty?" The maid quickly came.
"Quickly report all those knights who said rude things to this girl! Make sure to list all of their names and request an order of dispatch to all of them!" He angrily said.
The maid was wearing a poker face since she was watching this whole time. And she realized that his actions were indeed unpredictable and hypocritical; since he was also saying rude things to the girl while they were still in the carriage.
She decided to let it slide because she was already quite tired to even think about it. "Much obliged, your Majesty. I would also report all of your doings since this morning, if you may."
"Of course! Report all of it to father, so he'll know that I'm a super reliable and strong bodyguard. If he sees me like that, I'll finally be able to join his army." He seems to be looking forward to it.
"Yes! Please tell him how he saved me today!" Gloria seems to be supporting him.
The maid was glad, seeing that the two have finally quit bickering each other. But she also hoped that Edward would also stop his tendency to cause a ruckus out of nowhere because it is getting troublesome.
"If you may excuse me then... Would you be fine with yourselves?" She highly doubts leaving the two of them together.
"Yes! I think we'll be okay! As long as Edward can protect me, I'm sure we will be fine!" Gloria seems to be confident with what she said.
"Yeah! I can do anything because I'm brave and strong! Don't worry about us. We can do the errands on our own and go to you as soon as we are finished." Edward is also as confident as her.
'Well, if you say so, my job is to only collect your purchases anyway. It's not like I should babysit them all day. I feel lazeeehhh. But it's too dangerous to leave them on their own. Because if they get hurt while I am away, the King will probably kill me. That's the kind of situation I would like to avoid.' The maid thought.
"Well then, let us have an agreement. You two are not allowed to go anywhere other than the marketplace, and you must also return around 4 pm. Please meet me in the library at the central plaza once you have finished your purchase." The maid suggested for her convenience.
She was confident that it doesn't pose any risks since she would probably know from the vendors if they attempted to go out of the marketplace. Plus, she gets a chance to rest while waiting for them to do their own thing. It was an easy bargain for her.
"Okay." They both agreed to the terms.
"Also, here is your allowance from his Excellency, your Majesty. Please use it wisely." The maid gave him the pouch of coins.
After they settled that, they separated their ways.
- To be continued