We have been riding the horse for the best for five hours and we are nowhere near our destination, or at least, that's what I feel after riding on a horse for so long. My bum is so sore already. I kept on groaning in pain when we hit the five-hour mark and I know I am starting to annoy Ian. When he had enough of my groaning and moaning, he halted the horse and he got off. He then faced me and said,
"I have had enough of your noise. Just tell me if you need a break and we will take a break. Now, do you want to get off of the horse or not?"
He glared at me and I was compelled to say something that I am pretty sure is quite embarrassing.
"I want to but my bum is so sore that I cannot move from where I am sitting right now. Help me, please." I said while looking like a helpless pup.
I kept doing that face until he finally relented and helped me get down from the horse. Once my feet were planted on the ground, I willed my body to stretch itself to remove some of the tension pooling around my bum and it definitely helped. While I was doing that, he gave the horse a bucket of water and an apple as compensation for carrying us all this way. And I just remembered something important.
"Do you, by any chance, know where I can wash off the grime on me? Maybe a lake or a stream nearby would do the job. I really would like to at least wipe off the dust that has accumulated on me. Plus I think I smell bad. I am a bit guilty of letting you smell the stench on me for five hours straight." I said to him. I felt my cheeks getting hot from my revelation just now.
He faced me but did not answer my question, though he looked like he is thinking about the answer. He looked straight at me and said, "There is a lake nearby but I would like to arrive at our destination before it starts to get dark. We are still nowhere near it. Plus, you do not smell at all, unlike the cretins that I have encountered in Tarrin. You are nowhere near their stench so you're good. Can you wait until we arrive at our destination?" he asked me with concern drawn on his face.
I contemplated what he said just now. I just realized that he has been sniffing me since this morning. I sniff myself and was surprised because I really did not smell bad at all like he said and because of that fact, I nodded my head in agreement and he nodded back in understanding.
"I have a problem though." I meekly said.
"And what is that?" he asked in all his curiosity.
I didn't answer for a while, debating if I should tell him or not. I was still going over the pros and cons of telling him when my mouth betrayed my mind and just started blurting everything out.
"I don't have any clothes with me besides the one I am currently wearing." I said before realizing my face had gone red from the embarrassment I felt after telling him that.
It took a moment for the words to sink in his head, a moment more before he started chuckling, and that chuckling turned into full-blown laughter. I instantly got annoyed at his reaction because it took me a lot of courage, and stupidity, to tell him that. Why is he laughing so hard anyway? Is it that funny when a girl tells a guy that she doesn't have spare clothes to wear? Or maybe he's thinking of taking advantage of my situation? The thought infuriates me more than his reaction.
I walked up to him and grabbed him by his collar, that gesture immediately made him stop laughing and looked at my eyes that are full of rage. But before I could say anything, he said,
"I thought you had two blue eyes? Why are your eyes of different colour now?"
Damn it! I let my rage get the best of me. I removed my hold on him and turned my back before he could get a second glance at my eyes. No one is supposed to know about my eyes. It is the one thing that will definitely get me killed before I could take my revenge. I calmed myself up to the point that I am sure that my eyes have turned blue again. Once they are back to their normal colour, or as normal as they could get, I turned to him and feigned innocence, or at least tried to.
"Exactly what colour were my eyes?" I asked in curiosity, though I already know what colour they would be considering I was infuriated earlier.
He blinked several times before answering, "I swear you had different coloured eyes earlier. One was blood red and the other was the colour of pure ice. But now that I am looking at your eyes again, they are the normal shade of blue. What just happened? Is that normal for you?"
I cocked my head to the side before saying, "I do not know what you are talking about. My eyes have always been blue. It's your eyes that are weird, what with their swirling colours of amber and green. Makes one think that they are filled with magic where magic is a myth."
I stopped when I realized what I just said to him. I should not have mentioned the word magic. I looked at him and there was a smirk plastered on his face. I am so screwed.
"You are correct, about what you said about magic. It turned into a myth when the empire fell. It became a myth when the royal family died because the magic sustaining the lands died with them. Though what made me wonder is that how the lands of the empire did not turn into a barren wasteland when the royal family is supposed to be dead. That is my mission, little Colette. That is why I am in this gods-forsaken land, to investigate why these lands are still flourishing after the royal family died from the rebellion that was instigated by the traitors who call themselves kings and queens of the five kingdoms." He explained to me.
So he knew about what happened back then. I may have been a kid back then but my memory was quite sharp for a kid who was about to die. Normally, a kid should not even experience something as gruesome as that. I just kept my mouth shut, fearing that it may betray, yet again, information that may just prove fatal for me. But what kingdom sent him to investigate? I am trying to rack up my mind and brain, trying to figure out which kingdom sent him to investigate, when all of a sudden, he grabbed my shoulder and made me look straight into his eyes. Luckily, I managed to do a bit of blocking on my part so that he won't be able to use his magic on me, if he has any to begin with.
"What are you doing right now?" I asked him in full curiosity because he did just grab me suddenly by the shoulder.
"How did you do that?" he asked me, his face is painted with confusion.
"How did I do what? What do you mean? What are you talking about? I don't understand you." I replied, hoping my act is convincing enough to get through that thick head of his.
"Stop playing dumb. I know you have magic and I have been suspicious of you ever since I saw your face. And your eyes earlier just confirmed my suspicions of you. You are the lost heir to the empire of Tairia. You are Jacqueline Colette Tairia, daughter and heir to the Tairia Empire. I have been looking all over the place for you. We have been looking all over the place for you." He paused, which gave me time to get out of his grasp and stood closer to the horse.
He kept on looking at me and continued his speech.
"We have been deployed ever since my brother, the emperor of Kasmira, noticed that the land isn't turning into a barren wasteland after your family was murdered and you went missing. We all thought you were dead, that's why he ordered for a search party to be formed to look through every nook and cranny of all the five kingdoms. It took us nearly two decades to finally get an inkling of where you are. Every other lead has been a dead-end."
He stopped talking when he saw the look on my face. I'm pretty sure it was a mix of dread, fear and panic; as well as doubt and confusion. Kasmira? He is from the empire of the beasts? I have only ever heard bad things when it comes to their empire. I heard they were cutthroat and merciless when it comes to intruders and trespassers. More so when it comes thieves, murderers, and those who take advantage of others by fulfilling their desires of the flesh without the consent of the other party. And I am now standing in front of one of them, possibly in danger of getting killed. I really need to keep my identity a secret, even if everything that he just spouted was pure truth.
"But I finally found you. After fifteen long years, you are still alive, yet you act as if you did not train to be a lady." He continued on but before he could say more, I stopped him by raising one of my hands. Thankfully, he stopped and stood in front of me, completely confused.
"I'm sorry, but I do not understand a single thing you had said just now. First of all, I am not some lost heir. My parents died at the hands of bandit's right after the revolt happened. The revolt turned the land upside down wherever you go. Second, my eyes have always been blue and I do not have magic. Third, I don't even know who the lost heir is. It is purely coincidence that I have the same name as her. The only difference is that I don't have a surname like her because I already forgot what it is the day my parents died due to the trauma it caused. And now that I know where you came from, I now know why you have those eyes." I tell him with my eyes squinting at the intensity of looking at his eyes.
"Oh, really? Pray tell me why you think that way." He taunted.
I clenched my jaw in annoyance and was about to mouth him off when we heard rustling in the bushes nearby. We both looked at where the sound came from and Ian immediately threw a dagger at the place where the rustling came from and something, or someone, jumped out of the bushes and up onto a tree branch. When Ian saw who the person was, he instantly relaxed his tense shoulders and signalled for me to relax but I did not heed his request. I was still on defense because he might know who the person is but I do not. Plus, after what Ian just told me, I do not dare put my full trust in him.
"Get down from there, Julian. You are scaring her." He shouted.
"I am not scared, you asshole. I am not some damsel in distress like you pictured me to be. I have been living on the streets for over a decade, so do not tell me what to do." I told him with every ounce of defiance I have in my body.
He just looked at me, amused at what I just said while he waited for Julian, or whatever his name is, to come down of the tree he was in. When he finally graced us with his presence, he got a good look on me before his eyes went as wide as saucers. Why is his expression like that? It makes me think twice about coming along.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I cautiously asked him.
"It's just; I never thought I would get to see the lost heir in person. I mean, I never doubted that you would be alive but to see you in this state, you rather look pitiful." He said without hesitation.
I just rolled my eyes at his remark before saying, "I am neither pitiful nor your lost heir so back off."
I said those words with venom dripping every word. He must've felt them because he was taken aback by what I just said. He looked over to Ian and he just shrugged at his questioning eyes. Bastard, he is a bastard. A real piece of work. I rolled my eyes again and forgot that my butt was still hurting from the hours spent sitting on the horse. I got up on it again and almost took off with the horse in tow but I listened to my better judgement and told them, "What are you waiting for? A storm? I thought you wanted to arrive at our destination before the sun sets, is that wrong?"
I looked away after I said that because I saw the smirk slowly forming on Ian's face. They are so convinced that I am the lost heir, no matter what I say. I will actively deny that unless I find them trustworthy enough for me to reveal the truth to them, and my plan to bring down the five kingdoms. I looked through my peripheral view and saw them shrug at each other before Ian got on the horse behind me and started walking the horse in the same direction that it was heading earlier.
The silence was a bit deafening so I broke the silence by asking a question that I have been asking ever since Ian caught me. "So, where are we going? What is our destination? Would you mind telling me that now?" I asked with fake annoyance and awkwardness behind my words.
The bastards not only ignored me, they also ignored my question. I scoffed and said, "So now you're both ignoring me?"
"Yup. As long as you deny your existence and identity, I personally will ignore all your inquiries about the mission. IT will be a need to know basis, just like I said to you earlier when you asked the same question." He said behind me while, pretty sure, smirking his face off.
I hate him and his guts. If I ever get the chance to pummel him to the ground, I will definitely pummel him until his face is unrecognizable and ugly.
I looked over to where Julian was standing and waited for his answer but he remained silent for the remainder of the walk because in no time at all, we had arrived at a house in the middle of nowhere. I cocked my head to the side and watched in amazement because I can definitely sense that there is something odd about the house that we are in front of. I just can't point it out, the anomaly of the situation of the house. It looks like any other house you see in the capital of Thera but it exudes that of something else. It's hiding something underneath.
I kept my calm and act like nothing is off and just go with the flow. Yeah, I should have done that in the first place. And I shouldn't have used my name. I just realized that now of all times. That was a dumb move on my part. Oh well, might as well keep up this charade of mine until I get to the bottom of this farce that Ian and Julian are doing right now.
Ian stopped the horse right in front of the house and he got down before helping me down the horse. I was still amazed at the house that the pain of my butt did not register in my mind until I was standing right in front of the door. I massaged my bum to relieve some of the pain but I just heard chuckling coming from Ian, which just fuelled my anger more. I breathed in and out a couple of times just to calm my anger before I do anything stupid again. I ignored his chuckling and I looked over to the door again and kept on wondering what is hidden behind it.
Julian saw my wonder but did not say anything about it. He kept his mouth shut and his opinions to himself, which I find quite gratifying. He's not the bastard I thought he would be. He waited for Ian to open the door but before that happened, he looked over at me and said, "Relax, we won't hurt you. At least, none of them would dare to hurt you. They probably know they'd die before they could get their hands on you. Though for assurances sake, I promise to protect you, even if Ian won't." he smiled after he said that to me. He really has a way with his words. They just melted my ever so cold heart, but just a tiny bit. I simply nodded and followed them both inside the house as if they own the damn thing. They probably do, by the way they are acting.
When we finally get inside, I now know why it felt odd. Someone is using magic to make the area larger inside than it outside. It is truly amazing, magic. What is more amazing is how they actually do it, how they sustain it just so they could keep this massive space inside a tiny house. I wonder who is doing all of this? I got my answer when another person appeared right before me.