Matthew opened the carriage door and entered to sit across the king. "The laboratory is opened at 8am by that crazy doctor but Mr.Maxwell is concerned that the doctor sometimes spends the night there". The butler informed his king.
"We will be there by 6:30. I hope you reminded Wilson to take care of that doctor".
"Yes I did,sire".
"The dukes arrived two hours ago so did the Marquess and Jeremiah Dalton. They are already settled in, sire. The preparations are officially over and we only await for the ball to commence". The butler further informed the king.
"Hmmmm" the king only hummed as response.
"Where is she going?" The king asked with his eyes closed.
"What is there in Wollen?" The king asked again.
"Nothing of importance that I know of, sire. There is nothing but it is more of a trading town since most merchants live there" Matthew answered wondering why the king asked.
"Then after Wollen" Gavriel asked
"Comes, Dradfold, where there is the biggest farmers market in the province. It is mostly occupied by farmers, peasants and only a few merchants. Matthew described Dradfold for the king.
Softly chuckling Gavriel drawled "She must be running back home". Leaving a confused Butler who finally caught on that the odd maid wasn't by the King's side.
"Would you want me to fetch her, Your Majesty" the butler readily offered.
The king just asked instead "Where in Dradfold exactly?"
"On the outskirts of the town near the forest" Matthew answered Gavriel's inquiry.
Opening his eyes, Gavriel said "Make sure our guests don't kill eachother and spoil the mood. I will fetch her". With that said the king disappeared from the carriage leaving behind a black mist.
The butler just stared at where the king originally sat and knocked on the small window where the coachman sat for the carriage to start moving heading for the castle.
Florah now sat in a local carriage which was filled with people who had different stops. Sitting beside the old woman who held the little boy who had dozed off on her lap.
Florah introduced herself "I am Florah" she said looking at the woman. "Hmmm, am Esther" the old woman also introduced herself.
"Thank you for being so kind to me, Miss Esther" Florah thanked slightly bowing her head.
"It's fine girl. But in the future avoid travelling alone as you are a young lady, you are just lucky that your attackers didn't touch you" Esther warned not knowing that it was all a lie made up by the woman sitting innocently next to her.
"I have learnt my lesson well, Ma'am" Florah kept up with her lie, feeling a little guilty for lying but her best friend had taught her to do anything to ensure her survival and her lies were harmless. She justified her foul actions.
The local carriage travelled for about one hour dropping various folks at their stops before the coachman announced,
"Arriving at Wollen merchant Town!!"
Esther looked at Florah and said "This is our stop".
Esther woke up the little boy and stepped out the carriage with Florah following behind her.
"You are to walk over to the other side, you will find a carriage there heading for Dradfold". Old Esther told Florah who nodded and bowed to the departing woman who walked away in a hurry.
Florah looked around the various people carrying boxes on their shoulders hopping from one shop to another. There were different shops that dealt in different items.
Florah had her stomach protest in hunger and looked around to see a shop selling freshly baked goods displayed in a glass case.
Looking at the silver coin in her hand, she internally thanked Jeremiah for teaching her to always keep coins in her shoes because no one would suspect that her worn out shoes actually held some value.
She hoped she would find something to eat with one silver as the rest two coins in her left shoe were for her transport fare to Dradfold and she will start from there.
Florah made her way to the bakery, she opened the door for a small bell to ring on the top.
Making her way to the glass case, she asked the man standing behind it.
"Good afternoon, kind sir. Do you have anything here for a silver" Florah politely asked.
The man looked at the young woman and nodded "Oh yes, two of those buns are for a silver ma'am"
Florah looked at the said buns that looked less appetising than the other baked goodies in the case but had no choice than to choose those since they were the value of the money she had.
In the past she was used to going days without food but the more her episodes occurred, the more she craved food.
She sat outside the shop, eating her buns which actually tasted divine on her hungry tongue. Walking to the side Miss Esther had told her to go after she was done eating, she actually found the local carriage with a coachman calling "CALLING FOR DRADFOLD, STOP FARMERS' MARKET!!".
Florah squatted down and pulled out her coins from her shoe without any one looking, walking to the carriage she paid the fare which was one silver coin.
Sitting at the far end of the carriage, Florah kept to herself without making any eye contact with anyone.