Although Melisa was quite surprised by the news of her marriage plan with Prince Alexius, Melisa felt she could still breathe because King Dillion only wanted them to get engaged first. The engagement would be a time to judge whether Melisa was fit to be a future queen or not. Since the one Melisa was marrying was a crown prince, she had expected that there would be such a test to show her worthiness.
Becoming the future queen they wanted was Melisa's main goal, as she knew the fate of her kingdom depended on whether or not she was accepted into the Sigmund Kingdom royal family. Melisa prepared to not hold a sword for the rest of her life because of that. She dressed up and acted like a true lady because that was what the Sigmund Kingdom wanted from her.
"My Baby."
Melisa smiled when her mother called out in a trembling voice because she knew her family still found it hard to accept the fact that she was leaving as a tribute. They had all anxiously escorted her to the carriage that would take her away, even though Melisa knew that her family was very busy because their kingdom had just gained its peace.
Even Lady Violet, her brother's fiancée, traveled the fastest to see Melisa off to Sigmund's kingdom. She had been Melisa's best friend since childhood. Just like her family, Lady Violet was filled with tears as she watched Melisa leave.
"I'll be fine. I have Teresa with me."
Hearing her name being called, Teresa who had changed into a maid's outfit bowed respectfully as the rest of the royal family looked at her. Teresa seemed to be still struggling a little to shake off her knightly habits. But from her expression alone, everyone knew that Teresa was trying hard to fix it all.
Teresa was an honorable knight of the Cyrille Kingdom. But since the Sigmund Kingdom couldn't possibly allow a female knight to enter their kingdom as Melisa's companion, Teresa had to leave it all behind and pretend to be a servant in order to stay by her master's side. The rest of the royal family was also sad for Teresa. King Marlo personally approached Teresa and patted her shoulder once gently.
"Teresa, I leave Melisa's safety to you."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Teresa replied straightforwardly when King Marlon spoke to her, and it put the king at ease for some reason. In the end, the time to leave had finally come. Melisa knew that delaying her departure would only make her family sadder. Therefore, she rushed over to her family to give each of them a final hug.
"Mother."
"We will definitely see you when we get the chance to do so."
Melisa nodded after hearing her mother's solemn words, then released her hug to switch to hugging her father.
"Father."
"Father's little daughter..."
Her father's quivering words made Melisa a little sad. But again, Melisa hid her sadness with a small smile. The hug with her father didn't last long either, as she still had to hug her brother who had suddenly turned whiny.
"Brother."
"We will fight here to become a strong kingdom, Melisa. When we can stand on our own without needing anyone's help anymore, I promise that I will personally pick you up from Sigmund's Kingdom and take you home."
This time, Melisa laughed at her sister's words. Her gaze was so warm, as she released their embrace to look at her brother who looked sad.
"You will only trigger a war by doing so. But thank you, Brother. If we really become a powerful kingdom in the future, who knows I might also have a little power to change the laws that keep women from moving freely in the kingdom."
"Alright. I'll make sure you can do that in the future."
Melisa and her sister both smiled before they finally parted ways. Melisa then looked at the last person in her family who had cried first. Melisa laughed, then hugged Lady Violet as tightly as she could.
"Sister-in-law, please take care of my brother from now on. I know you'll be a great companion for her."
"Hic, alright. You must also promise that you will live well in the Sigmund Kingdom."
Melisa couldn't promise anything that wasn't certain. The girl could only smile before she replied to Lady Violet with a simple answer.
"I'll try."
Melisa took a long look at her family before the carriage moved forward. In her sadness, Melisa could only hope that she would never forget the faces of her beloved family.
***
As the news of Melisa's departure spread throughout the kingdom, the streets, especially the streets in the Royal Capital of Cyrille, seemed to be filled with people who wanted to join in the departure of their princess. Seeing those people made Melisa more certain of her choice. Thanks to them, Melisa was no longer too sad, even if their carriage finally officially left the territory of the Kingdom of Cyrille.
After leaving the Cyrille Kingdom, they immediately went in the direction where the capital of the Sigmund Kingdom was located. Their procession managed to attract the attention of people wherever they went. Although the Kingdom of Cyrille was a small kingdom that could not compare to the Kingdom of Sigmund, Melisa's family had made sure that their daughter would not be in trouble, even if she was leaving as a tribute.
Melisa's procession consisted of twenty skilled horsemen, with each of them surrounded by two luxurious horse-drawn carriages containing Melisa and gifts for the Sigmund Kingdom. Melisa's family did not forget to include her valuables in the carriages. They hoped that with these familiar items, Melisa would -at least- not feel so alone when she lived in another kingdom.
"Do you like the view outside, Your Highness?"
When Teresa noticed that Melisa couldn't stop staring outside for the entire journey, the woman decided to ask Melisa directly.
"This is my first time going outside of the Cyrille Kingdom. When I see places that look so different from our kingdom, I can't help but feel curious about them."
Melisa answered Teresa's question honestly. There were indeed many things Melisa didn't know out there. Because of that, she couldn't stop observing and being amazed every time she saw something new in her life.
"In that case, would you like to see it while riding a horse, Your Highness?"
This time, Melisa could only shake her head, even though riding a horse was her favorite activity.
"Brother said there are no women riding horses in the Sigmund Kingdom. From now on, I must get used to living like this, Teresa."
The answer sounded cruel, even to Melisa herself. Riding was Melisa's way of breaking free from the things that bound her. The fact that she could no longer do so only emphasized that Melisa's freedom had truly been taken away since she agreed to the terms made by Sigmund's Kingdom.
"At our current pace, we will only reach the border region of the Sigmund Kingdom in two days. Right now, no one has recognized you in this place, Your Highness. You are still free to do as you please. I will personally guarantee that."
Melisa saw the earnestness in Teresa's eyes. And because of her selfishness, Melisa finally chose to follow her heart for one last time.
"Can I do it?"
Teresa smiled. "Of course you can," she replied confidently.
Afterward, Melisa's elaborate clothes were changed on the train, and Teresa stopped their journey to have someone switch places with Melisa. The people who escorted them were all confidants of King Marlo. Therefore, each of them gladly allowed their horses to be ridden by Melisa.
"How do you feel, Your Highness?"
Melisa smiled happily as she was on the horse again while the people around her looked at her proudly. A sense of day instantly came over Melisa. Melisa vowed that she would do anything for the people in her kingdom who had always treated her so well.
"Being on a horse makes me feel free. Thank you everyone. I'm really happy to be able to do this one last time."
Although the people were sad, they kept smiling to keep Melisa's feelings in check. Their ride was intentionally a little slower after that. It was all to let Melisa ride the horse a little longer before they entered the border territory of the Sigmund Kingdom.