The Eternal Queen

Chapter 29: Ardele

The guards escort us out, and the prince walks with me to my room. I grab my black bags, and other items before we head off down the stairs. We go out the front entrance out into the courtyard where an armored wagon and carriage are waiting.

He places the bags in the back of the wagon. The group we are traveling with has a formation planned. The carriage and the armored wagon is in the middle, while everyone else surrounds the carriage on horseback. I wrinkle my nose; it would be way faster if the prince just rose on the horse as well.

"The carriage is for you, Lady Ardele."

Seriously? I swallow my pride, trying not to make a scene here. And I thought that the carriage was for him. Is the crown prince seriously that dense? I am sure I can outride him on horseback for goodness sake.

"I will kindly pass, your highness," I amicably sneer. "It will save a lot of energy to leave the carriage here. We need to leave now if we want to make it to Illea in time."

"Yes. Get in the carriage, and we will leave."

I tilt my head at him letting my true emotions come up the surface. Back off.

Striding over to the stallion standing on its own, and I mount it quick. The surrounding crowd turn their heads at me, and I kick the stallion forward ignoring their speculative glances. In my peripheral vision, I can see the crown prince shake his head before calling for another horse.

A huge ogre comes by my side on large horse to match his size, grinning.

"You do know that you mounted the crown prince's prized stallion, don't you?"

I grip the reins tighter, but I keep a pleasant expression on my face. "Ah, no I did not."

The ogre snickers in amusement. "Lovely."

A handsome griffin shifter trots over on his stallion before sending me an angelic smile. "Hi. It is nice to make your acquaintance, Lady Ardele."

I tip my chin down. "Likewise."

The ogre rolls his eyes. "I would advise you to steer clear of Daniel. He chases after anything with a skirt."

The griffin shifter snorts. "You wound me. I am standing right here, Nathen."

The good-natured bickering continues, and the crown prince breaks them up. The trio are a good-looking bunch together, and some of the ladies have taken notice.

"We are leaving now. Get into formation."

The crown prince dismisses them, and the two kind creatures wave in parting. Daniel blows me a kiss, earning a slap at the back of his head from Nathen, and I grin. I disregard the crown prince's gaze, and soon we head off east to the human kingdom of Illea.

Hours pass by fast, and so does the light. Night has fallen, and we still are continuing our path through the night. Midnight comes and goes, and finally the crown prince stops us all, calling for a break.

There are fourteen people in the group, and they are all very sweet. Some split off into pairs to gather supplies to set up camp. We stopped at a dense forest next to large stone landform.

The imps start a fire, and some of the crew gather around the fire for warmth. I am not in the mood for conversation, so I find a quiet spot by a tree. Leaning back on the trunk, I enjoy the sound of their laughter.

Taking a swig of my water canteen, I let the liquid wash down my throat and I groan. My goodness, it feels so good. When I travel, I sometimes forget the value of simple items. Most creatures overlook the simple things in life. Water brings life, love brings prosperity, and condemnation brings learning.

I spot the prince sitting alone on a flat rock to my right. Looking down at my hands, I eventually sigh and push myself up. He likely wants to be alone, but he looks dejected in a way. The prince does not greet me when I settle down next to him on the cool flat surface of the rock. Offering him my water canteen, he takes it, gulping down some water.

I look out at the troop again, and now they are telling crazy stores by the fire. I laugh when Daniel tells a story about how he had to harvest ten buckets of barley to impress a girl, only to realize that she was only using him to do her work as an excuse to meet with her lover.

"How are you holding up?" the crown prince grunts.

"I am doing fine. It is nothing new."

A moment of silence passes, and I return my attention onto the campfire stories. It seems as though the campfire makes it easier to speak freely and unabashedly. I wish that I could join them, but what I even say? 

The stories in my life are quite bleak. Tales and personal memories are spread around the circle, and I contently listen, leaning my jaw on my hand comfortably. This is the warmth that many strive for that many don't reach. It is a shame truly.