It didn't take Adelia long to arrive at the expanse where the stables stood. She smiled at the sight and quickly headed for the entrance when she suddenly stopped short a few inches from it.
She blinked, remembering that she still had her bow and her quiver hung over her shoulder. The book she carried was fairly heavy, but it wasn't a problem.
She sighed. "Honestly… what was I thinking when I came here with these things?" She couldn't possibly go in with them.
Vin, the stable master, would not hesitate to tell on her to Saya if she went into the stable carrying her equipment. It would be too obvious she was going out to hunt, and she wasn't allowed to leave the castle without permission.
And even if she did have permission, someone would have to come with her… she didn't want that. She hated it.
Adelia turned her attention to the wolf who had followed her and saw that she had made herself comfortable on a patch of grass just a few paces away from the stable entrance.
With a small smile, she walked over to it and bent down, taking the quiver of arrows off her before placing it on the ground.
"I see that you have decided to be obedient today." She teased, and Meryl huffed in what appeared to be exasperation.
Adelia laughed softly. The wolf had a tendency to be meek when she was hungry. "Well, not that I'm complaining." She told her as she stroked the fur on her head gently.
Normally, each time they came to the stable area, Meryl would often try to follow her in, and it always took a lot of work to make her stay put outside.
The servants were mostly afraid of her, so Adelia always had to keep her in place herself.
The wolf knew very well that she would throw the horses into a frenzy if she were to go into the stables. Still, she tried getting in anyway, as if she found some sort of amusement in the idea of frightening them.
Adelia pursed her lips for a moment. "I want you to do something for me," she started, and the wolf lifted her head in response.
She placed her longbow and quiver, still full of arrows, in front of her beloved pet.
"Can you take these and go ahead of me?" She asked.
She couldn't take them into the stables, or Vin would be suspicious, and she couldn't cross the gates with them either.
For her benefit, it was better if the guards thought she went into town and not to the forest. Still, she knew someone would insist on escorting her.
But she already had a plan brewing to avoid that scenario.
Meryl simply stood up in response to Adelia's request, and she was quick to take it as a positive answer.
She hung her quiver over the wolf's neck and placed the bow between its teeth. The only thing that remained with her was the book.
"You know where we usually stay, so wait patiently for me there." She said and then furrowed her brows as she lifted a slender warning finger. "Now remember, do not follow the main streets and be as stealthy as possible. If you don't, you will scare people out of their minds."
Meryl's ears drooped at the reminder, causing Adelia to give out an exasperated sigh. "You spoiled wolf!"
The wolf huffed and nuzzled its owner's cheek affectionately before she took off; not towards the direction of the main gates, but a different exit entirely...
Adelia watched her until she disappeared, then stood from her place on the grass. She dusted herself with her book in hand as she headed into the stables.
It was a fairly large structure divided into stalls for warhorses of different colors... the interior smelled terrible.
Adelia tried not to wrinkle her nose in disgust. It was always like this whenever she came here, the stench was incredibly overwhelming to her, but she managed to maintain her composure.
She found Vin grooming and feeding the horses as usual. None of the stable boys were present at the moment, and only he did the work.
It didn't seem like he noticed her come in. So she felt it unnecessary to bother him and stealthily headed towards a familiar stall where a majestic, chestnut-colored horse stood.
This one was different from all the other horses. It was a nimbler species, and its physique was built for speed, unlike the others.
Her eyes brightened when she approached, and it peeked its head out when it saw her. She stroked its fur lovingly once, then quietly opened the stall doors to lead it out.
The horses in the castle's stables were always saddled in case of an emergency. The Veldon Duchy was situated at the southern border of Dalniar, so an attack from the neighboring kingdom was possible at any time.
Though the fort in the city of Lavim was their stronghold and nothing could get to them easily, the horses always had to be ready to send in reinforcements.
As far as she knew, they were maintaining some form of fragile peace with Galiminea...
The horse's hooves caught the stable master's attention, and he turned his head in the direction of the sound.
His eyes went wide at the sight of the young Mistress, and he hurried to bow. "Greetings, Lady Adelia." He then looked up at her with a smile. "I take it that you have come to see Salvia today?"
Adelia returned his gesture. "Hello, Vincent." She responded. "Yes, I have come to take her round the grounds. Is that alright?"
The stable master eyed the book in her hand subtly.
"Yes, of course." He answered immediately.
The young lady smiled. "Thank you. I shall bring her back as soon as I can."
Vin bowed again as she left the stables behind.
When she stepped out, she took in a breath of fresh air and looked up at her horse, then took her large book and put it into the saddlebags.
"Well, one hurdle is crossed, and it only leaves the next." She said as she led Salvia in the direction of the Castle's main gates.
They stopped several meters away from it, just enough for the people posted there not to spot her easily.
Adelia eyed the guards wearily before she mounted her horse.
She couldn't go with Salvia through the secret exit Meryl had left from; someone would most definitely spot her, and she couldn't risk revealing the passage. No one else knew of it, not even her Father.
So, there was only one way she could leave this place without anyone stopping or offering to escort her.
She took a deep breath as a small smile tugged at her lips; anticipation of what she was about to do sent an excited chill down her spine.
She took hold of the reins. "Now, Salvia," she started. "Run."
She urged and kicked the horse's side, prompting a familiar sound from it as it reared and headed towards the gates at full gallop.
The guards who stood in the creature's path saw it heading towards them rapidly, and their eyes widened in alarm.
They all hurried to give way; most of their gazes held confusion, while the ones that were quick to process what was going on tried to call out to her.
"Lady Adelia…?!"
"Lady Adelia! Where on earth…?!"
"Lady Adelia, come back!" one guard called out loudly as she crossed the gate's threshold, with a suppressed smile. "Your father will be furious!"
"Lady Adelia!"
Adelia remained at full gallop until she had put a good distance between herself and the castle.
She looked back, her eyes lingering on the faraway gates as she rode. It would take some time before someone followed her on horseback, giving her a significant head start. No one would know exactly where she went, as war horses were considerably slow.
She turned away and laughed, a lovely sound of mirth that rang like silver bells.
Nothing brought her more thrill than riding a horse. It gave her a vivid sense of freedom.
She expertly reined Salvia toward the city of Lavim, toward the outskirts of the dense forest at its border where Meryl was likely waiting.
*~*~*~*~*~*
The distance from Veldon Castle to the city of Lavim wasn't great, and in a mere forty minutes, Adelia had already arrived at the edge of the thick forest.
Adelia reined her horse in, slowing it into a trot before coming to a stop. She dismounted and led Salvia by the reins into the forest, not venturing too deep before fastening her to a tree. From there, she continued on foot. The rest of the path was eerily silent.
There was a hidden area among the trees with a small, clear river a bit further in. It was where she and Meryl would usually come to stay whenever she felt suffocated at the castle.
After a few more minutes of walking, she finally arrived, and her eyes scanned the perimeter for a second before she found the wolf lying gracefully on a patch of grass at the foot of a tree near the stream.
"Meryl!" she exclaimed, hurrying to her side and taking a seat beside her.
"How you get here so fast makes me wonder sometimes," she said as she rested her head on the wolf's body.
Adelia scanned her surroundings and then spotted her bow and quiver lying on the other side of the large tree. She attempted to reach for them before a realization hit her. "Ah…"
The wolf's head perked up inquisitively.
"I just remembered that we will not be able to hunt freely, it isn't hunting season yet." She told Meryl dejectedly. "I'm sorry, Meryl. Some of the animals could be pregnant, and I don't want to accidentally harm any of them. We could have made do with rabbits, but I didn't spot any on the way here."
Meryl huffed and rested her head on her forelimbs. Adelia sat up and eyed the wolf warily.
"I'm sorry, I really am. I wouldn't have suggested it if I had remembered… but on the bright side, we're here, and we can stay as long as you want or until it's time for lunch...?"
The canine turned its head away and huffed again, prompting a sigh from Adelia.
"Fine, I'll make the servants give you double servings of whatever you want to make it up to you."
Meryl's tail wagged happily, and she turned her gaze back to her owner.
Adelia pursed her lips at the wolf's reaction. "You sly wolf! To think you made me make such a tall promise!" she exclaimed. "Sometimes I truly wonder if you're—"
The canine looked up at her with its sapphire blue eyes, its expression unreadable.
"...nevermind."
She sighed gently, laying her head on the wolf's back again. There was a strong scent of sandalwood in the air, and she wondered where it was coming from. Still, she did not dislike it; it gave her a strange sense of comfort.
Adelia closed her eyes. Well, at least she made a good decision by coming here.
She needed to clear her head, and this was the perfect place to do it. Thoughts of that letter had been disturbing her mind ever since she received it.
Once, while hunting with her father, she had stumbled upon this place by accident. It intrigued her, so she had Meryl mark the trees near it to warn other animals to avoid it.
It was a relaxing place for her, and she would often come here whenever she was done hunting or when she needed to be alone, either resting under the tree like she was doing now or soaking in the river.
Adelia's gaze unconsciously moved to the water, and she stared at it longingly for a while, contemplating whether or not to dive in.
She made up her mind soon enough and abruptly stood up from her place on the ground.
She looked down at Meryl. "Keep watch for me like you always do, alright?"
The wolf merely grunted and closed her eyes, causing Adelia to shake her head good-naturedly.
Adelia looked around before proceeding to take off her clothes. Her sleek white dress pooled at her feet at the base of the tree, along with the rest of her undergarments.
She gently slipped into the water and sighed as it embraced her delicate skin.
Meryl watched her swim freely, both of them unaware of a simple black coat hanging on a high branch of the tree the wolf sat under.