The Hidden Princess

6

Sorry everybody for the ridiculously long wait. Hope you like this chapter and I'm going to try updating this one more often.

Kaleen groaned as the carriage hit another large bump and it jostled her from the sweet escape of sleep that she had been enjoying. She had already been in this godforsaken carriage for two days without stopping except for a few times to feed the horses and feed her. Other than that her father had instructed they ride until they reach the city of Valenfare. There she would be safe for a few days add the house of a dear friend of her fathers. Unfortunately, carriages made her very ill and she was quite miserable. Her misery was doubly so without the comfort of her harp to amuse herself with. For the past two days she had simply tried to amuse herself reading a few books she had managed to grab on her way out of her fathers keep. They were mostly romance novels and books about plants, but there was only so long you could read a book before getting bored. She long to get out of this carriage and stretch her legs for a few hours, but their destination was still a days ride away. With a side she changed positions to lounge across the plush velvet seat of the carriage and groaned in frustrated boredom. The unfamiliar maid sitting across from her giggled softly and Kaleen smiled at her.  At the beginning of her trip her father had rushed her into the carriage to meet a new maid who would be taking care of her in the capital. The woman had introduced herself as Layalyn but instructed Kaleen to call her Layla.
Layla was around Kaleen's height with mousy brown hair pulled back into a long braid that reached her waist, bright golden eyes, and a pretty face. She was currently wearing a simple sky blue wool and gown and a white apron.
"Are you bored, my lady?" She mused as she looked at the noble woman across from her and the noble woman scowled in annoyance.
"You have no idea! I am bored to tears and my legs hurt from sitting so long. Plus this carriage ride is making me miserably sick. I just want to get out of this stupid carriage" Kaleen grumbled and irritation and Layla raised an eyebrow at her as she opened her bag.
"I have some thing for the motion sickness. My brothers learned about it from Pirates that raided our hometown. A lot of people on the coast use it for seasickness" Layla muse does she pulled out a small glass vials from her bag and Kaleen looked at her with excitement.
"what is it? What herbs are used in this cure? I am quite fascinated to try it" Kaleen exclaimed in excitement as she focused her full attention on the woman across from her and the vial in her hand.
"Alchemist extract the oil's from the ginger root lavender plants and the licorice root. It has a quite bitter taste, but I would swear by it. On many of my voyage across the sea with my father I have had to use it" she answered with a smile as you slowly unscrewed the Of the vile and poured a small amount of the liquid into the. The moment the veil was opened the tangy pungent smell wafted over to Kaleen and she took a deep breath, her eyes whining at the refreshing smell. Even the smell of it helped settle her stomach, but she knew based on the smell it was going to be hard to get down.
"Take it" The main mused as she held out the Full of liquid to her mistress and the young woman slowly and carefully took the Full of liquid. She took a deep breath before dumping the liquid into her mouth and she gagged on the awful taste.
" I have never tasted something so bitter in my life" Kaleen managed to say through a tight face as her eyes watered at the bitterness in her mouth and the maid laughed.
"Honestly, the first time I tried it I threw up. You're doing better than I did, my lady. I promise give it 15 minutes and you'll be feeling right as rain except for the boredom. The only cure for that I have is conversation" Layla mused and Kaleen set up looking at her with interest.
"You said your father used to travel the seas. Was he emergent?" The noblewoman inquired curiously and the maid shook her head with a devious smile.
"No, my father was a pirate. After he found out about my mothers death he came and retrieved my brother and I and raised us on his ship" The mousy haired woman answered and her companion looked at her with wide green eyes, not believing her words for a long moment before finally speaking.
"You are the daughter of a pirate?! You must tell me more! What what is it like to grow up on a pirate ship? You must of had so many adventures! I have to know!" Kaleen exclaimed in a burst of excitement as she sat up and lean forward waiting eagerly like a child to hear her maid's story.
"I promise you it is not as glamorous as you would imagine. I had to learn how to sew my father sails, Cook, clean, and help with the bookkeeping. It was a lot of work, but I got to see ports all around the world. My favorite the Indarian ports across the sparkling seas where women wear beautiful clothing made of embroidered silk of all colors and the smell of the spices makes your mouth water for port..." The maid trailed off as the carriage came to an abrupt stop and both women leaned forward to look out the windows.
"What's going on?" Lady Kaleen called out the window to the guard and he frowned at her.
"It seems that the wagon wheel has broken a few spokes and must be changed before we continue on or we risk breaking an axle. Would you and your maid mind exiting the carriage for a little while. I promise this inconvenience won't take longer than an hour to fix" The guard explained as he dismounted his horse and opened the carriage door.
"Of course! That would be no issue. Take your time" Lady Kaleen announced eagerly as she stood up and the guard helped her step out of the carriage.