Once Lillian had awoken and the duo was out of bed, neither of them said anything about the cuddling incident. The princess seemed to ignore the whole situation, even though Kia could swear she was at least half-awake throughout the debacle. But nonetheless, the whole situation passed by as if it was something they did every day. Kia didn't know what to think of that, should they talk about it? Or should they just ignore it? Apparently, the decision was already made and Kia had no intention of switching it up.
Between the both of them, the camp was packed up and ready to go in a matter of minutes and they were ready to head towards the town. They had gotten better at cleaning up the site and packing up became a job that was done in minutes. Kai was going to miss camping and the seclusion it brought, But she was also ready for a change of scenery, she hadn't seen any once else besides Her Highness in a whole week and she might have gone crazy if it didn't change soon. Talking to a picture of her dead father didn't really bring the comfort another person provided.
They walked down the hill and onto a road that led through fields filled with flowers, from the map it told Kai that this would take them to the town. The field looked like a painting, with the wind area of light purple flowers. They were slowly and carefully blowing in the wind and seemed too delicate to touch. Although that didn't stop the princess, who walked over and picked a flower out of the ground and continued walking. Kai ignored her and led them to the town.
Another thing that was driving Kai crazy while they walked on the path to the town, was the silence, in the beginning, it was nice and relaxing and now she couldn't stand it anymore. She felt like she had absorbed too much of it and was now drowning. She had run out of thoughts to think and memories to remember, so all that was left was emptiness. She took a breath and decided she had hit rock bottom, which means speaking to Her Highness.
"Are you happy to finally be surrounded by other people and not in the woods?" Kia laughed. She turned towards the princess to see her face, something about her face flipped a switch in Kai's mood.
"Yeah," she replied, she was definitely unsure about what Kia was doing, but Kia didn't care.
"Me too," Kai continued, but then the conversation came to a screeching halt. She didn't know where else to go and she realized she hadn't needed to make a conversation with someone in a long time. During her years of training, there wasn't time for talking, only working and fighting.
She sensed Kai's confusion and took it upon herself to continue the conversation, for some reason, even though Kai did not need the help, especially from Her Highness."Have you ever been hiking like this before?' She questioned.
"No, but I also thought camping was fun and I wanted to try it," Kai answered.
"Me too!" Lillian exclaimed, "But we never had time, so I have not until now"
Kai laughed, and rolled her eyes, "Why? One of your servants couldn't take you?" She didn't know why she always went back to being mean, but it filled her with something she couldn't describe.
The princess turned her head to face Kai and shot her a death glare, but Kai didn't falter. "Not that you would care, but life was pretty busy, therefore we didn't have much time for things like camping or hiking." She sighed and turned her head back towards the path and the flower in her hand.
Kai knew she had to be kinder, but it was hard when this snobby princess was getting on her nerves.
She decided against speaking and went back to her thoughts, no matter how boring. She was mad at herself for always arguing and fighting but she couldn't help it, and why should she. She had spent years training to be hard and cold, why should she change now?
The rest of the trip was as boring as the beginning and time seemed to pass extra slow. She decided to take notice of things as they walked, like the different rocks, clouds, and trees. She remembered learning about trees when she was in beginning school before she left for training. But everything had been pushed away except for fighting and following order, they seemed to have turned the warriors into robots instead of fighters. And before Kai knew it they had reached the town and were heading for the inn.
* * *
They had decided to stay in a small inn near the edge of the town. The town itself, Warlington, was a small farming town with a few shops and homes along a single street. The shops were all smaller and have the same color pallet, brown, white, and red. Bricks seemed to be the main material for all the shops, and the roads. It was reaching the end of the day, and people were slowly heading away from the closing shops.
The town did have a mayor who lived in a mansion on the outskirts of the town, opposite their rooms. When the citizens heading home say Princess Lillian, they become eager to say hello to her and give her a tour of the town. She turned on her princess's face and gladly expected the tours and questions. Kai had to admit she seemed very good at being a people pleaser.
Kai didn't get the appeal of living in a small town such as this one. Her home kingdom, Rathen, was a large one. It had many sections and was full of people. There were sections for homes, markets, and the military. It was a bustling town, especially during the summer. There was always something happening and Kai found the busyness relaxing, it was one of many things she missed about home. Warlington was the exact opposite, it was slow and calm, no hustle and bustle.
Kai decided to step back and check into the inn while the villagers showed Her Highness around their beloved town. Kai and the princess were in separate rooms, thankfully, across the hall. She got their rooms all setup, checking in and paying, and she unpacked her own room. Kai took time to lay out her clothes and let the old ones wash, she double-checked her inventory and organized her muddy bag.
When she finished, Kai noticed another letter from General Hoax, and just like the first time, her heart dropped. She sat on her bed and read the letter.
Dear Warrior #268,
We have written to check up, now that you have reached the first town you are on the next level of the mission. Remember, don't talk to too many people and stay focused. We also wanted to remind you, that you have been ordered to get to know the princess, make her comfortable with you, but don't get attached. We know how to lash out consequences if something were to happen.
Non-Far Domande
From,
General Hoax
Much like the last one, it reminded Kia of the consequences of not following orders and telling her to get close to the princess. The letter ended with the motto Non-Far Domande. Kai took less time digesting this letter compared to the last one and by the time she had fully comprehended everything, she heard a knock at her door. The princess had returned, from her adventure and tour through the town. and walked in without being given permission.
"Uh, hello," Kai said, her voice filled with annoyance.
"We have been invited to a ball," she sighed, holding up an invitation.
Kai didn't know how to react. She had never been to a ball and definitely did not bring a dress. "When is it?" Kai asked.
"Tonight," she answered, she sat on Kai's bed, which made Kai fill up with anger and even more annoyance.
"You can borrow one of my dresses, come on," she said, rolling her eyes
"I don't need to borrow a dress!" Kai snapped, why couldn't she get the message and leave.
"Fine, but you still need to come and help me. This is my first ball in a long time, and I want to look good, even if it involves your opinion, I am willing to suffer." She retorted as she rolled her eyes.
"Why would I help you?" Kai accused.
"Because you owe me," She fumed.
"WHAT! I do not! You slept in my tent an-" Kai began, her voice rising in volume. Immediately after, she realized what she had said. Neither of them had brought up the night in the tent, and Kai really did not want to dissect what it meant. She instantly stopped, feeling her face grow red.
The princess seemed to be turning red as well and cleared her throat. "T-t-that doesn't count! Now let's go, we only have a few hours!" She demanded as she headed out the door.
"Fine, whatever," Kai sighed in defeat, something in the princess broke down every barrier she had built. She left her room and followed the princess to the room across the hall.
And that was how Kai got invited to her first ball.