The horse ended up throwing Rina off more time than she could count, till her rear end felt like it was bruised. It annoyed Rina immensely and grated on her nerves, she couldn't believe riding a house actually required a skill of its own.
"In a situation where I desperately need you, you've shown me how useless you can be." She snapped at the horse as she wrapped the rope around her wrist and began to lead it forward while walking in front of it.
Rina wasn't sure of where she was heading to, she didn't have a destination in mind. The voice had told her that she'd have to meet her companion first before she'd get given her first assignment.
Rina wasn't looking forward to either of the two things.
As she walked through the streets of the kingdom which she grew up in, but didn't get to explore because apart from her being unable to leave the house without being escorted, she also got no urge to actually explore at all in the past.
She had a cape draped over herself to hide her identity from anyone. As she walked, she could her whispers from different groups of people gossiping.
She ended up subtly slowing down beside a group of women seriously gossiping like they were getting paid to.
"The king apparently got murdered and it was undoubtedly done by an assassin." A woman spoke, sounding like she witnessed it happen.
"We might have believed he was betrayed by someone in the royal court, but every member of the royal court is dead as well. So, who could have done it?" Another woman asked, appearing quite perplexed.
Rina felt engulfed by a pleased feeling as she listened to them speak about the killer like he was some king of almighty being, therefore stroking her ego but also making her a little irritated because they had all automatically assumed the killer was a man.
Rina was about to continue walking when their next topic made her pause.
They had moved from the topic of the king's secret killer to who'd succeed the throne.
Rina briefly remembered the voice berating her for having no interest in succeeding the throne which rightfully belonged to her in this world.
In her own defense, she had no idea this life fully belonged to her. She lived every day thinking she'd one day disappear from it and float away the same way she found herself in a baby's body.
"I believe since Sir Sinclair is no more, and his wife and rebellious daughter got thrown out and casted away, the throne would fall to the next in line, which is his brother's family." A short woman spoke up this time and Rina found herself rolling her eyes in irritation.
"Well, I'm glad princess Marina wouldn't get to succeed the throne, she's unfit to rule with her haughty and barbaric attitude." A woman spat out and Rina scoffed. She could remember beating up the woman's daughter for getting on her nerves many years ago, it's undoubtedly why she sounded so bitter right now.
"Sir Sinclair's brother has a son, it feels more befitting for him to become king."
"Yeah, you're so right. It feels very fitting."
Rina rolled her eyes and tugged the horse along with her as she continued on her journey, having heard enough.
She never liked Sinclair's brother who's technically her uncle in this world. She hates his guts as much as she hates his son's. Just like his father, he never bothered to hide the fact that he believed she wasn't fit to rule whenever he came by along with his parents. He was always present whenever the royal extended family were expected to visit the palace, and whenever all the children were urged to spend time with each other, Rina always refused to hang out with them. That's undoubtedly what made him hate her more, because along with the rest of the extended family, he believed she was always too full of herself.
The voice had said she could come reclaim the throne once she's done with the entire mission. She guessed that's something to look forward to, because she must return and get that swine off the throne which rightfully belonged to her at all cost.
Rina walked until the day darkened and she had to stop for the night at a cleared spot in the forest she had been walking through for almost two hours.
She was beyond irritated as she lit up a fire and searched for some apples for the horse.
"You're gonna have to start being useful if you want me to keep feeding you, and that means no throwing me off tomorrow." She warned the horse as she fed it a bunch of apples.
She ate a few fruits before resting against a tree and silently wondering when she's gonna meet her companion, one which she wished she didn't have to work with.
She briefly wondered what her companion was gonna be like, but she decided not to dwell on it, because it wasn't like it was gonna matter since the damned gods had decided to have some fun with her situation.
Well, it's her fault for not being careful enough in the first place.
She silently reminded herself.
She wouldn't have gotten stabbed from behind if she had been extra careful.
~~~
Once the day broke, Rina put off the rest of the fire and gathered a few supplies which she might need on the way.
She tried mounting the horse this time, and just when she thought she had gotten a hang of it, the horse threw her off and she sighed in annoyance as she got to her feet. She contemplated leaving the horse behind but decided against it at the last moment as she began to lead the horse forward, a scowl plastered across her face.
She took two steps forward when she heard rustling sounds, causing her to stiffen as she glanced around, jaw tense and entire body at alert. It sounded like someone was carefully moving through the forest, to probably catch her off guard.
Had she been tailed? She silently asked herself as she frantically glanced around, and then she silently cursed herself out because she had no weapon on her.
She ended up picking a stick which looked strong enough, and then she moved as light as she could, towards the part where the sound had emitted from.
She carefully pulled the large leaf obstructing her view, expecting to see someone with a sword or something, but what she saw was something else entirely, which made her mouth drop open in shock and disbelief.
Right before her, was someone crouched– a girl, but that wasn't the shocking part… the shocking part was the ridiculously large wings connected to the back of the girl.
The fuck…?
Rina blinked once, unable to comprehend what she was staring at.
She took a step back and a sharp rustling sound filled the air when she unknowingly stepped on a stick, causing the crouched girl to sharply glance sideways, green eyes staring right at Rina in the next moment.
Rina stumbled backwards this time, just as the voice echoed in her head, shocking her to the very core.
"Here's your companion, dear villainess!"