Renée

Chapter 14

The town just north of the estate, though it's labelled a town, really isn't one. It's the capital of the Ashern province, Peirpont. With a population of around 50,000 that's been flourishing for years, it's become more of a city.

The biggest city used to be located just south of the manor, and they built the Ashern estate with this in mind. The south gate is where the nobles, aristocracy, and knights enter, while the north gate is where staff and deliveries enter the estate. But a massive earthquake centuries ago reduced the city to nothing. Instead of rebuilding the city where it was, the people relocated further north, just northeast of the Ashern estate, and have been there ever since.

Because of this location, the city of Peirpont has become the epicentre of trade for not just the province, but the entire Kingdom of Carney. The Ashern province is the only one that borders both the Eckle Empire and the Democratic Republic of Gillvett, making it fairly diverse city.

But though I say all of this, Peirpont has two major downfalls. With the foothills of the Cyiad Mountain Range to the east, and the Keen River cutting through the city and flooding every spring, it's a disaster of a location.

Though the sun has only been in the sky for a short while, the city is already wide awake and bustling with activity. The sound of people talking fills my ears as the smell of freshly baked goods floats around us. There are carriages and wagons trotting down the roads, carrying both passengers and goods.

"This is incredible," I say as I look around in awe.

"Renée!" A hand grabs my upper arm and drags me me back. A speeding carriage flies past me, stampeding over the place I was standing just seconds ago.

My eyes widen. "My God..."

"Are you alright, Lady Renée?!" Maryanne asks.

"I'm... fine..."

"You need to pay attention to where you're going!" Nigel yells as he releases my arm.

"I am."

"You're looking around like a tourist in a big city for the first time." He sighs.

"Well, you're not wrong..." I mumble.

"I'm aware, but we want to be inconspicuous, not to make it obvious," Nigel says.

"Alright." I glance towards Maryanne. "But if we want to blend in, you're not allowed to call us by our titles, Maryanne."

"I couldn't!" She frantically waves her hands through the air.

"You're going to have to if we don't want to get caught," I say.

She stops waving her hands and blinks before slowly nodding. "Yes... Renée..."

A smile forms on my face at her words. I look over at Nigel. "Now, what is the best place to get something to eat, since I'm still hungry."

"Let's make our way to the shopping district." He motions down the cobblestone road before glancing towards me. "And please, watch where you walk."

I roll my eyes as Maryanne and I follow him down the streets. Nigel has been to Peirpont many times, so he knows his way around better than I do. As he leads us through the streets, I take in the city as inconspicuously as possible. It's incredible. All the buildings are made of intricate brickwork and looks a lot like the old European architecture I would have seen in Italy, and it's very stunning.

And it isn't long before we arrive at our destination. "Welcome to the shopping district." Nigel stops.

"This is beautiful," I mumble as I glance around. "What are we going to get to eat?"