After a 2 hour trip, we finally could see the village of Chambery; there was neither a wall to protect the village nor a gate. We stepped to the village, and immediately I saw people in the village scared of Geri, and they were skinny and wore rough clothes. On the way, a lot of people were scared and stepped aside until we reached the centre of the village, and there was one family that greeted us. The family's condition was not the same as that of the other people in the village; they were not skinny, wore appropriate clothes, and seemed a little fat. We stopped for their greeting.
The man or the father said his first greeting to us
"Greetings to her highness, envoy; we have expected your arrival in this small village." Behind him were his wife and his daughter.
The man seemed to be in his 50's, and his wife looked quite young in his 30's, and his daughter seemed 13 years old.
Aldea dismounted her horse, came to them, and answered, "Greet to you too.."
"It seemed my lady's escort was a little bit tired of the trip; that was my lady's greeting, like our commoner.."
"Is that so??" Aldea smiled awkwardly.
Zoe immediately intervened with them while still mounting the horse "Like what you said, sir, that this lady may be a little bit tired from the trip, it may be great if you state your name for this commotion of stopping her highness envoy."
"Apologise for my rudeness. My name is Rudyard, and the two people behind me are my wife and my daughter. My wife's name is Malta, and my daughter's name is Florence. For this commotion to stop her highness envoy, we want to greet her highness; we have worked hard to make this place." took a glance at Geri. "It seems her highness has a unique pet."
"You have worked hard to make this place?? From your statement, that you have overseen this village, when there was no baron that was appointed to this village."
"Yes…May I see her highness??"
Zoe looked at Aldea and moved her head towards me..
Aldea came to me and said, "it seems he wants to meet your highness."
"Really, he wants to seek an audience or just greet me…"
"I think he just wants to greet you directly."
"Lead the way…" I jumped from Geri, and Aldea led me, and Louis came along beside me.
The man was surprised that the girl who was walking towards him with two escorts was not from the carriage but from above the beast with some common clothes, he asked Zoe..
"May I know who she is??"
Zoe didn't answer his question..
..
When I almost reached him, Zoe moved back to the envoy with her horse.
In front of him, I asked him, "State your name and your behalf for stopping the envoy."
The man and his family were confused..
"Let me ask this again, state your name and your behalf for stopping the envoy."
"This man's name is Rudyard, and I want to see her highness.." He answered.
"Just that? You stopped the envoy…"
"This man has worked hard to make this village, so maybe…"
"Ahh, you have other interests, so you want to seek an audience with her."
"May I see her highness??"
"Well, you have already seen her.."
The man was more confused "I don't know the meaning of that."
"It seems you don't know the appearance of the princess of this kingdom. Just to make it clear to you, let me introduce myself. My name is Caroline, the First Princess of This Kingdom, so you already have seen 'her highness'."
He and his family were surprised and shocked that in front of them was the princess, and he immediately kneeled in front of me..
"I apologise, and please forgive me for my rudeness for not knowing your highness; we beg for your forgiveness."
"I don't want any commotion; just stop your kneeling and stand up…it said that you governed this village when there was no one who oversaw it."
He stood up and said, "Yes, your highness, I have worked hard.."
"Really?" I looked around, and it seemed the terms of his hard work were different from mine. "As you can see, we have just arrived in this village. How about you show me the residence that I will live in?"
"I apologise again, and please forgive me to tell this to your highness, that the baron residence still can't be occupied."
"The reason for that?"
I saw him sweating. "It..still..be..ing renovated..so it can't be lived on."
I smelled something that aroused my instinct. "Does his majesty mention renovation of the residence?" I asked Louis.
"I don't recall his majesty mentioning it, your highness."
"It is quite a problem that we don't have a place to live, is it right, Louis??"
"Yes, your highness, it will be troubling us."
"So what will we do?? Hmmmmmmmm…"
"May I give your highness a suggestion?" Rudyard said.
"Speak!!"
"Your highness and the envoy can stay in the inn of this village,"he suggested.
"That's a great suggestion, is that right, Louis??"
"I think it's great too."
Rudyard said, "So, it sett—."
"BUT..how long will the renovation be going?" I asked
"It takes around a month, your highness.." He answered
"It is quite long for a renovation, is that right, Louis??"
"Yes, like your highness said, it is quite long for renovation.."
"Maybe the workers don't want to rush it; maybe it's our fault that his majesty suddenly appointed me as the baron of this village, right?"
He seemed to be sweating more than before. "It..is..not..Your highness fault..It is my fault not to keep watching the renovation."
"Well, if it's your fault, then in return for your fault, how about you pay the inn for all the accommodations?"
"If it is your highness accommodation, I can affo–"
"Not just me, as I said all the accommodation, it includes my knights and my maids accommodation, and do you have some ranch or barn in this village for that beast and these horses"
"Right..Right..Sure…I will try to arrange all the things, your highness.."
"That's great; now lead the way to the inn."
Aldea was back to mount her horse, Louis and I came back to the envoy. The man talked to the family to get home, and he led the way to the inn. In the location, people around were surprised that there was a noble carriage in front of the inn and a beast, only Aldea and Darryl stayed in front of the inn. Rudyard booked all the rooms in the inn for a month, not just the rooms, but he booked the backyard, and the ranch behind the inn. It said it was the only inn and tavern in this village, the first floor used for tavern, and the second floor used for the rooms.
He handed all the keys to me "I hope you enjoy your stay in this village, your highness."
"Sure..but I think you misheard somewhere that I would not just stay but work as well.."
"Forgive me as well your highness."
"You sure have behaved seeking forgiveness..You can leave, and meet your family.."
"Thanks, your highness."
He left..
….
…
..
.
After he left, everyone started to take out the stuff from the carriage to the rooms, and the people from the inn—two girls and one man—came to help too, and I was just sitting in front of the bar and drinking because Louis prohibited me to help too.
I could just see everyone passing over and over again. A woman behind the bar counter tried to talk to me.
"It is so rare to see a noble stay in the inn..".
I was bored, so I tried to have a conversation with her "Is that so rare for a noble to stay here?"
"Yes, it is so rare. On what occasion does my lady come to this village?"
"I come here to work in this village."
"May I know what my lady's occupation is in this village? For a noble in this village."
"I will become the new baron of this village."
I saw that the woman was surprised.
"Oh my!!! My lady will be the lord of this village, but there is still the lord of this village.."
"What do you mean by that? Is there another baron in this village?"
"That man who paid all the things for my lady—I think he is the baron of this village.."
"Hooo. Do people in this village think like that?"
"I think they do.."
This is quite interesting.
"How do the people think that man is the baron of this village?"
"I believe it's from the count of this county. A year ago, the count came to this village, and he brought the man to oversee this village, and the people thought that man was the baron and that the count appointed it. Honestly, we commoners do not know how the nobles appoint someone to oversee or govern, so we just believe that man is the baron."
"Who is the count of this county?
"I believe it's Sir Regis.."
"I think Sir Regis will acknowledge me as the bar–"
Suddenly Louis approached me and said, "Your highness, all the stuff has been moved to the room.."
The woman was confused "Your highness?? Are you perhaps from the royal family or some sort of that?"
"Ahh? I believe I still have not introduced myself; my name is Caroline, the Princess of this Kingdom. Just address me as the baron of this village."
She was surprised and shocked "Ahhh, forgive me for my behaviour; I can't recognise the princess of this kingdom."
"It's alright that you couldn't recognise me; even that man could not recognise me in the first meeting. I believe because of these clothes that you and that man could not recognise me. And are you the owner of this inn?"
"Well, my husband owns this place.."
"So those two girls who helped carry all the stuff from the carriage are your daughters?"
"Yes, they are.."
"They seem like great children."
Louis was still standing behind me "Your highness, I believe it's great if your highness takes a rest right now.."
"Well, because my companion starts annoying us with this conversation, let's continue the conversation. I especially want to know about this, Sir Regis."
"Sure, anytime and anywhere. I hope you enjoy your stay, your highness."
Louis and I started to walk out from the counter and towards the room.
On the way to the room, Louis asked me, "Who is this, Sir Regis, that your highness is talking about?"
"From what that lady inn told me, he is the count of this county; on the other hand, that makes me subject to him."
"What are you talking about, your highness? You are the princess; how a royal family becomes a subject to someone."
"That if you see me as the princess, but now I become a baron, no matter what family I came from, that baron was the lower of the peerage nobility rank, so it makes me the subject of this county."
"That is absurd, your highness.."
We arrived in front of the room in the corner, and Louis led me over to the other 7 rooms on the floor.
"Everyone is waiting inside for your highness."
"Everyone? Why?"
Louis gripped the handle of the door and opened the door. I saw everyone inside the room, Aldea and Darryl were standing beside the door, Elpis and Cail sat in bed, Aalis and Ame sat in another bed, and Zoe sat in front of the desk.
"Why is everyone here??" I asked.
Louis walked in front of me "There is something that we want to discuss with your highness."
"What is the matter that all of you want to discuss with me?"
Louis walked to Zoe "You can stand now; give your highness the seat."
Zoe stood up, and she was standing with Aldea and Darryl. Louis brought the chair to me. I sat in the chair..
Immediately Louis started to say, "Let's just make this clear and simple to your highness; I believe there is something fishy in this village."