As soon as the sun rose in the sky, the two ladies, one carrying an average suitcase in her arms and the other holding a small drawstring bag with the sword hanging down her waist, were already walking down the corridor.
The latter's face showed a lack of sleep while the maid beside her was walking unbothered, but would sometimes throw a stupid glance at her lady who went glancing in every corner they passed and ready to hide anytime.
"Your grace," Sandra called out when they exited the main castle. To which Mona went stiff and instantly became red in the face. "Oh, I thought it was him." She then added.
"Sandra!" Mona yelled and glared at her. But the maid only smirked at her and continued walking towards the front gate where several horses were on standby and some uniformed knights were tending to each.
Mona frowned and went ahead also, but when she got closer to the people, she erased her frowning expression and plastered a smile on her face.
The knights who welcomed them bowed lightly and greeted her, but they kept their distance from her. Only one came and spoke to her cheerfully.
"Miss Mona! Why do you look so sleep-deprived?"
Her smile quivered as soon as she heard those words. She tried to answer, but before she could, the man who spoke got his head slapped hard at the back by someone.
"You mustn't tell a lady she looks haggard that bluntly." Said the knight who hit his comrade.
She gave them both a crooked smile and answered, "You just said I looked haggard though, sir Lucaz."
"Did I?" He asked seriously, which made the other knights laugh and reminded him of what he just said. "I was just stating an example to him, my lady. I wasn't referring to you at all."
"Lucaz, you've become so bold! How dare you lie in the lady's face?" Pierre shouted and jabbed him in the back.
The two went arguing about random things and Mona can't help but just sigh at them. When the sound of the hooves of an overly excited horse reached her ears, she immediately whirled and found her horse running speedily towards her.
Lucaz and Pierre stopped arguing and gaped in shock at the sight of the approaching Nyx. They were too stunned to run away while the other knights already secured their safety.
"Miss Mona, watch out!" They both shouted after recovering from the shock, but their effort was unnecessary since Nyx pulled a stop just before he bumped into her. He neighed first before nudging his head on her shoulders.
"Did you miss me, Nyx?" Nyx flicked his tail sideways and nudged her more. She caressed his luscious black mane and rubbed his chin.
Mona was so delighted to see her horse that she didn't notice the looming shadow over her. She almost shrieked in shock when she felt herself lifted from the ground.
Looking down, big familiar hands clamped on her slender waist and put her above Nyx. She gulped down the lump in her throat and voiced out her thanks without glancing at the man. She pretended to fix her cloak and busy herself checking her posture.
When the hands left her waist, and the man moved away, only then did she breathe out a relieved sigh.
"We'll get going now." Kyden declared and mounted Frost. He gave Marcus a last look, who bowed in return and looked at her. She nodded at him and showed a timid smile, quite guilty that she was tagging along with the Grand Duke despite his busy schedule. But her chest felt light when the attendant returned her smile with a genuine one.
She pulled the reins and started to head off when her eyes drifted to the front, meeting the Grand Duke's solemn gaze.
As soon as their gazes met, Mona immediately averted her eyes and focused them on Sandra, who was silently enjoying her ride beside her. She clenched her teeth and pouted when the maid gave her a knowing smile.
Beside Sandra was another horse ridden by Shelly who peeked at her and asked, "Why are you so red? Is your skin so sensitive even from the morning sun?"
"Shut up." She answered and buried her face in Nyx's thick mane.
"Are you okay?"
But the voice of the man who asked startled her, and she lifted herself to look at him. Relief flashed on her face and her heart even felt lighter.
"I thought you weren't coming." She answered, giving him a nervous smile.
"I pondered about your words. And I felt bad that you keep thinking I only see my sister. Which is... a bit true. But still, I want to know more about you. Mona."
She stared at him upon calling her name and gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you, Luven."
The marquess went stiff and averted his eyes. It landed on the man riding a horse approaching them with a grim face.
"I don't remember letting you come with us," Kyden asked in a dark voice.
Staring back at the Grand Duke with the same intensity, Luven answered, "I was invited by Mona."
The Grand Duke shifted his gaze to her, which made her lower her head immediately, "I-I felt bad that we're leaving him while he came to visit me..."
"You should have told me first," Kyden answered coldly.
She bit her lips and answered in a lower voice, "I'm sorry...your grace."
The atmosphere became colder, one may think it was due to the fall season when rainy days were approaching, but Mona could feel it was the Grand Duke's aura that was making the temperature turn lower.
When the Grand Duke's horse began to run faster, all the horses followed immediately. Their goal was to reach their next stop before the clouds gathered rain and poured it down on them.
Nyx was so excited that he ran faster than the other horses. But Mona made sure to rein him back whenever she would get closer to the Grand Duke.
It was because she still didn't know how to face him after hearing what happened from Sandra. Although what he did was merely for the sake of her welfare, for her, it was her first kiss.
She blushed at her thought and shook her head to clear it. But her mind became so naughty that it even recalled her shameful dream of her reenacting the kiss between them, but in a more romantic way.
"Argh!" She exclaimed in a low voice and buried her head in Nyx's mane while they continued running. But her sudden actions made her horse neighed which almost threw her out of her mount. "Whoa! Easy, Nyx..."
"Be careful." She turned her head towards the voice to answer. Only to see the man she had been avoiding riding his horse beside her.
Too late to avert her eyes, she answered meekly, "Yes."
She gripped the rein tightly and shifted her gaze away. She searched for Sandra and Luven and found them in the middle of the group. She intends to walk slower and let them catch up to her, but Nyx looks like he's enjoying the company of the pristine horse and even walking closer to him.
In the end, Mona just focused her eyes on the road, not giving her companion any glance at all. Afraid that her flushed cheek will be exposed or her mind might imagine something naughty.
But her focus was easily broken when she felt an intense gaze from her side. She kicked Nyx twice to make him run faster, but the damn horse was so engrossed in staring at the handsome white horse, ignoring her kicks at all.
"Why do I feel that you keep avoiding me?" Finally, the Grand Duke asks the question she doesn't want to encounter because she doesn't know how to answer him.
She laughed nervously and responded, "Y-You're just imagining things, your grace."
"And I told you to call me by my name already." He demanded.
"I really can't call you like that, in front of your people."
"Then just do that when we're alone." He replied.
Mona's face flushed red after recalling her dream again. The reason why she was sleep-deprived. After Sandra mentioned the kiss, she kept thinking about it and could not sleep at all. But when sleep finally visited her, she dreamed of that embarrassing scene and shook her mind the moment she woke up. It's like a remnant of the dreamcatchers giving her a good dream.
When she didn't answer, Kyden raised her hand and everyone stopped.
"Let's take shelter from here, first." He declared.
Only then did Mona realize the drizzle becoming stronger and heavier. It was still noon yet the sun was already hidden behind dark clouds.
Luckily, they just passed the northern capital and there are still some smaller inns and diners on the outskirts of the area. One knight checked them all in and the others took their horses to the inn's stable.
After giving them rooms, Mona immediately took her keys and pulled Sandra and Shelly upstairs. The inn was small so all girls are sharing one room only.
As soon as the room was opened, Shelly went straight to the bed and lay flatly, exclaiming, "Ah, finally! I'm already sore just after riding a horse for half a day! What more for the following days?!"
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault," said Mona while standing by the door.
Sandra put down their luggage and responded, "It wasn't your fault, my lady. It was his grace's fault for tagging her along."
Shelly gaped at Sandra, and asked incredulously after, "Do you always talk like that about the Grand Duke?"
"Like what?"
"Like blatantly blaming your master."
Sandra raised her eyebrows and answered sassily, "I'm just spitting facts. Don't blame my lady just because she can't travel through portals."
"I wasn't blaming her. I'm just saying my body hurts from riding a horse!"
When Shelly's voice became higher, she immediately intervened in their conversation and suggested going downstairs for lunch. They both agreed and went outside.
But when she remembered that there might be a chance that the Grand Duke was there as well, she made an excuse and said, "Oh! You can go ahead first; I forgot I still need to write a letter for the Saintess."
Sandra stared at her and answered, "How about your lunch?"
"You can just take it back here once you're done eating."
"Okay."
The two women finally left.
She went to bed and lay on her front. Spreading her arms straight over the bed's space, she sighed deeply as she buried her face in the soft mattress. When a knock came on the door, she didn't bother to lie properly nor look at the door and just answered.
"Come in." The door opened and closed. "Did you forget something?" She asked in a muffled voice. Her face was half buried in the sheets, while her legs were overhanging on the bed since she wasn't lying properly.
But answers didn't come and the bed moved as if someone lay down as well. She rolled away from the presence and ended up lying on her back as she intended.
"So, why are you avoiding me?"
Shivers went down her spine as she heard his deep and cold voice, paired with his sea-colored eyes drilling a hole in her dark orbs.
He took a handful of her silky black hair sprawled on the bed but some strands escaped his hands. He brought it to his lips and kissed them, then he spoke in a sweet yet thrilling manner, "Answer."