She then ate like there was no tomorrow that the food didn't last long in the plates and the bowl. Having a full stomach, Cataleya then went to get something from her bag. It was a map which she marked where she originated and where she would journey to get to the seaport fast. She would take a detour to cut atleast a day of travel. She had no idea if that would be wise since she was planning on taking a trek in an unknown terrain with only a horse.
There was a huge possibility that she will be lost.
But just like running away, she had to take some risk in order to get success on her endeavor. Marking the map, she already decided to take the road of forbidden valley. After a while, Cataleya didn't spend much time trying to over think on many things or she'll only get stressed out.
She was now on her bed and fast asleep for too much exhaustion on her body.
Meanwhile, in the estate of the Briston, the marquis and his heir, Cxenon had discovered that all of Cataleya's maids were found highly sedated with a herb in the tea.
The butler stood stiffly by the door as Cxenon was seething mad at that very moment.
"Send people in the nearby town and search every nook and canny of the place. " Cxenon ordered the butler who then started leaving from there. But then he stood frozen when greeted with a pair of crimson eyes of a duke from the south kingdom. He bowed briefly before him and left there with an order from the young master Briston
"Your words are right, your grace. She did runaway." Stefan had spoken in low voice, not wanting to add stress on the Bristons.
Adelard didn't say a word as he looked around the empty room of the woman he met at the ball. The maids were on the couch, lost on their dreamlands.
The marquis as well as Cxenon, approached the duke with embarrassed face.
"We will soon find her. Cataleya always did this in the past but we always managed to get her home." Cxenon tried salvaged the situation but the duke's silence was enough message that he wasn't interested to hear the excuses.
Instead of saying anything about the situation, the duke turned away from them, leaving there with the chief knight behind him.
Stefan threw a last look of the Bristons before he joined the duke's side. "Perhaps you want to stay for a night? Put them at ease that you're not actually that mad?"
"Deploy all of the knights to search for that woman." The duke said as he went on walking away from there.
"I will do that but where are you going?" Stefan asked and stopped asking when the duke shoved the coat he wore on his direction. The chief knight attempted to straighten it out since it was made out of expensive materials.
The duke pulled up the white sleeves to his elbow as they already outside the mansion with the convoy of knights in there.
"First, rid of these men and send them on real task instead of following me around." The duke said.
"We still need to leave men to guard your well being. You're the south kingdom envoy and the possible heir to the throne. Your life is as valuable as the king himself."
"Zip your mouth since you 're starting to annoy me." The duke said and turned to him. "I'm leaving and don't ask me where I will go or I'll cut you in half."
Stefan raised his hand in defeat and let the duke started walking away from there. When the other knight started following the duke, Stefan stopped them from doing so. The duke would always do this kind of stuff. He would do this quite often, disappearing out of nowhere and then returned after many days. He had no idea why and where he would go.
The duke turned away from the chief knight and Stefan was once again amazed on how the duke just disappeared in the dark.
Dawn came and Cataleya woke up in a heavy knock on the door. She turned a sleepy eyes on the wooden and heavy bolted door. She wasn't answering whoever was behind the door in hope hat that person will leave her be.
But when the knocks came a little urgent, she bolted up from the bed, grumbling in drowsiness. She didn't unlocked it and stayed near the door.
"What is it?" she asked.
"The horse is ready for you, miss." Came a gruff reminder from a man that she thought was one of the sons of the owner.
Cataleya was reminded on why she was in that place right that very moment and her blood was awaken.
"I'll be ready in five minutes," Cataleya said and didn't wait for any reply as she went to her bed. She grabbed her bag full of her treasures, slid on her cloak and mask on her face. She then ran to the door and found the man stood there in waiting.
"If you could please follow me, miss. Father ordered me to accompany you into your horse." The man said.
Cataleya nodded and followed him exiting on another door which temporarily led them into a dark hallway. She was surprised when they came out in a place where the horses of the guests were put for a night. Approaching her beast, Cataleya then turned to the person and then climbed up into the saddle.
"I put the full payment in the bed. Give my thanks to your dad." Cataleya said and the man nodded to her.
"Thank you for staying with us." The man said in a poort attempt to be cheerful to make the client such as her to check in for the next time around.
Cataleya then started to gallop away from the inn. The chilly air fanner her face and the dark road would slow her own but no matter how small, she should be increasing her distance away from the Bristons.