The Missing Regent (A "The False Prince" Fanfic)

SEVEN

The next morning came quickly. I had not slept well in a while. Last night was no exception. Roden had slept very peacefully, but I struggled to get a good night's sleep. I could not wait to get back to the castle and see Imogen. I missed her so much.
"Roden," I whispered, "Get up. We have to get going if we are going to make it to the castle by sunrise."
Roden mumbled something and started to get up. With his arm around my neck, I helped him to a small chair across the room. While he rested, I made my way to the dish of water Dawn had put in the room, sitting on a rounded table next to the bed. I closed my eyes splashed my face with water. A part of me wanted this all to be a dream. Unfortunately, it still seemed that the devils were not done with me...yet.
I opened my eyes again only to hear Roden snoring. I turned around and Roden was fast asleep in the chair. He must have been so exhausted.
I nudged Roden awake. He grunted as I put his arm around my neck to help him up. Together we slowly walked down the stairs. Roden grimaced every time he had to put pressure on his left leg. When we had finally reached the bottom of the stairs, I stopped to thank the owner for his kindness and hospitality. The owner of the inn smiled and gave me a quick nod as I guided Roden through the wooden doors.
Mystic was tied to a small post just outside the inn. She let out a quiet whinny as I approached her. With my free hand, I stroked the arch of her nose. She was more energized and very well fed thanks to Dawn.
Using the little strength I had left, I helped Roden mount Mystic. Once I had comfortably climbed onto Mystic's back, I tugged on the reins and Mystic flew forward.

                                                                                         ***

Dawn lived in a small neighborhood just on the outskirts of Libeth called Ethar. It was not far from the inn where Roden and I were staying at. Riding into Ethar, I noticed that there were not many houses, most of them being limited in size. Dawn was standing outside an ash-colored house. Her house was bigger than most houses in Ethar but was still minuscule compared to other houses in Libeth. She waved at me and smiled. Hazel appeared behind her and waved. I steered Mystic towards Dawn and Hazel. Once Mystic had come to a complete stop, I slide off my saddle to greet them.
Noticing the absence of Serena, I asked, "Where's Serena?"
"She's inside...still sleeping," Dawn replied, "She was exhausted after her trip from the pirates."
"Good. Let her sleep." I exhaled. I was glad Serena was getting the rest she needed. She had come a long way from the pirates.
"Please, come in and have something to eat. You must be starving Your Majesty," Hazel gestured towards the door.
"Thank you...and please call me Jaron." It has been years since I became king and I still wasn't used to people calling me "Your Majesty"
"It would be an honor Your Majes— I mean Jaron."
I helped Roden off of Mystic's back and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. Dawn tied Mystic to the fence and gave her an apple.
Roden clung to my shoulder as we walked into Dawn's house. Dawn hurried to find a comfortable chair for Roden to rest. I carefully lowered Roden into the chair and propped his leg up on a wooden stool. I sat down at the round table in the kitchen while Dawn prepared me a meal which consisted of a single piece of buttered bread, an apple, and a large glass of milk. She placed the food in front of me and I took a moment to breathe in the delicious scent. I had not eaten since I left the castle. I took a bite of the buttered bread and smiled. It was nice to have a simple meal. At the castle, every meal I ate consisted of all the food in the kitchen. I savored every bite. I turned around to see Roden shoving the entire bread into his mouth. I laughed.
"What?" Roden asked noticing my amused expression.
"Don't you ever chew your food?"
He rolled his eyes and took a big gulp of milk. From the hallway next to the kitchen, I heard a quiet giggle. Serena stood in the entrance to the kitchen leaning against the wall. I spun around, startled by her sudden appearance.
"How did you sleep?" I asked as Serena sat down at the table.
"I slept well...probably the best I've ever slept in my entire life," she replied taking a bite of her bread.
When we had all finished eating, we hurried out the door to prepare Mystic and another horse named Sapphire. Dawn grabbed some items from the bedroom and stuffed them in a small satchel. I helped Roden get onto Mystic's back. I untied Mystic from the fence and used the little strength I had to swing my leg over her. Dawn, Hazel, and Serena appeared to the left of me. Sapphire and Mystic trotted alongside one another. I looked at Dawn and she nodded. We had a long journey ahead of us.