Soul Nexus. Volume 1: Before Dawn

4

The night was getting colder and colder due to the ceaseless gusts of wind that arrived at random times and directions, moving and lifting the leaves and dirt while I swept the outside of the barn, completely alone.

A few hours after delivering the stone, Max and I were too busy cleaning, feeding, and watering about 20 adult horses, tremendously exhausted and several of them injured in their hooves.

It ended up being a hellishly long night; we had to tend to 10 horses each and put them all either in the hay barn or sharing a place in the stable with the castle horses, hoping there wouldn't be any fights between them.

Inside the palace, you could hear the music and people's speech. In the end, it was a party. It was a shame not being able to be there; I had always been interested in what those types of celebrations were like, where people dine, dance, and chat happily without any worry. I had never been invited to one, although it was clear why; a simple commoner like me wouldn't even receive an invitation in jest.

Now that I remember, Lidia also had parties like this for her birthday. Naturally, they were commitments to which they invited the kings' friends and children, rich children around our same age who would always try to approach her, but knowing her, they probably didn't even manage to talk to her. She always seemed so tense, and sad at those parties.

I think the only time she had fun on her own birthday was that time we both ran away to town. I promised her I would take her for a tour of the town. She thought it would be impossible to do, so I devised a plan (not entirely thought through, I must say) to get her out of the castle.

That time I sneaked into her room, climbing the vines of the East tower of the palace as always. It was the only way I could see her since her tutoring became more demanding.

I remember that morning. I thought it would be fun to scare her when I woke her. I poked her soft cheeks again and again until she opened her eyes. Of course, she screamed in shock when she saw me, but what I didn't expect was to receive a punch in the face from her. I complained about the blow, as her very upset face turned completely red, and she covered her nightclothes with the bedsheets. I didn't think she would feel so embarrassed about me seeing her sleep.

I brought her some of my mother's old clothes to wear. It was difficult to find something for her so that she didn't stand out too much. I had to look through my mother's things and see if there was anything that fit her height, the problem was that she was six centimeters shorter back then (although she's still just as short now, I think she's only grown a couple of centimeters since then). The only thing I found more or less according to her size were some old woolen clothes and a linen cloak to cover her head. The sleeves were a little big and baggy; however, it surprised me that somehow, she didn't look bad, and the clothing didn't clash with her face or figure at all.

We escaped from the castle secretly, without anyone seeing us as we slipped through the palace hall and the large central garden. The problem came when we had to get out of that enormous perimeter wall. If it had been me alone, it would have been enough to climb the old oak tree, since it's almost the same height as that very high wall. Lidia was not very good at climbing; she once tried it when she saw how Max and I did it, but she barely managed to climb a meter and ended up slipping off the trunk and falling. It was our fault for egging her on while making fun of her for not being able to do it.

Luckily, nothing happened to her, although the fall did make her cry. In the end, we ended up being punished for "hurting the princess" and received a beating with belts from Mom. But that was when I was seven years old.

Back to how we left the castle, there was no choice but to go through the secondary door. I had to think of a way for the guards not to see her, or else they would have recognized her, even if she was dressed differently. So, it occurred to me to use the hay cart we had in the barn.

I took Lidia behind the small buildings of the secondary military zone and the sub-wall that separated said area from the garden, the main courtyard, and the palace. As soon as we got to the stable, I took Tzar, one of the strongest horses we had, and moved him to the barn to put on the cart harnesses. I filled the cart with a small, discreet pile of hay, enough for Lidia to hide inside.

Lidia: 『 Will this really work? 』

Shun: 『 Don't worry. You just stay still in there, alright? 』

Lidia: 『 Alright. 』

The guards must always be aware of who enters and leaves through that door through which supplies for the royal family are always brought in. I mounted Tzar, and we approached the exit. They asked me where I was going with the cart. I used the excuse that the barn needed more hay, so I needed to go to town. They inspected the cart out of the corner of their eye and did not ask about the tiny pile in the back. In the end, they gave permission to leave, and after leaving the castle enough meters to avoid being seen, Lidia was able to get out of the hay.

Shun: 『 You see? I told you it would work. By the way, look up ahead. 』

Until that moment, she had never visited the town up close. She spent her entire life confined in that enormous bastion. It was the first time she got to know what the outside world was like. She was so surprised and hypnotized by the landscape; her eyes shined as she saw the houses and buildings of the city up close, the panorama full of the color of the merchants' carts, the people passing by, and the children playing in the middle of the streets.

As soon as we got downtown, I entrusted Tzar to the hay dealer for a while. We walked along the central avenue; all around, the harvest stands were crowded: fruits, vegetables, spices, clothes, skins, jewelry, and a little bit of everything that could be found. Everything was so colorful and loud, full of so much life.

It was so satisfying to see that smile so pure and full of joy. I didn't care at all about the possibility of being punished again for having allowed Lidia to be outside the castle for the first time, or the possibility of having been discovered at that time. It was absolutely worth the risk.

It's undoubtedly a fond memory. Although that was when we were still children, on her 11th birthday, five years ago now...

Shun: 『 Five years, huh?... Now that I remember, the weather that day was identical to this... Wait a minute! 』

What a fool I was! I realized too late. One evening, multiple guests, all from a coastal country; and a stone that only someone talented with mana could use... How did I not deduce it before if it was so obvious?!

Shun: 『 I can't believe it! How could I have forgotten?! I have to get in there, now! 』