Syl stared at Archid with a querying look in his eyes. Archid just smiles at him and turns away. He watches him walks towards the left side and taps three times on the ground, and after a few seconds, the ground started to shake. Syl was startled and was about to lose his balance, but he stops himself from falling. He looked around and saw that Ren is being supported by Nick. And felt relieved that he was alright. He looks back where Archid stood, and his eyes become round as a saucer.
"Are we still safe here?" Ren asks, scared at the earthquake that just happened while holding tightly to the Prince. He looks at Syl and saw the surprised look on his face. "Brother, what's wrong?" he asked, bewildered by Syl's reaction.
Syl didn't hear Ren at all. His focus is on the ground near Archid, and there was a stair going down the cliff. He was sure that the stairs weren't there earlier. But after the earthquake, it appears like magic.
He was so excited and runs towards it and stared at it for a while, and when he looked up, he stared at Archid full of excitement. "How did that happen?" he asked the King with a smile on his face.
Archid looks at his excited and smiling face and smiles back at him. "This is the secret of the royal family. I will tell you later, but for now, we need to go down first." he said and started to get down. "Be careful. The stairs are stiff and quite slippery."
Syl watches us Archid started going down the stairs, and he excitedly followed him. Ren watches his brother as he followed the King down, and he looks at the Prince beside him. "What just happened? How did the stairs suddenly appear from nowhere?" Ren asks the Prince with confusion all over his face.
Nick smiled and patted his head, and he walks forward. When he looked back, he saw that Ren was still standing in his place. He sighs and shakes his head and went back and grab his hand and pulled Ren with him. "I will tell you later, but for now we better follow them before the sun goes down." Ren nodded and followed Nick. Nick went first, and Ren gulps, and took a deep breath, and followed the Prince.
The four of them went down the stairs. While Syl looks around the sceneries with sparkling eyes. He wants to know how this stair happened. He really hopes that there are books about this magic stair. Archid walks in the front will always look back at the person behind him, and he cannot help but be glad that Syl is happy after that tiring ordeal that happened with them. He just wants this person to smile kike this without worries.
It takes time for them to get down that stairs, but when they reach the end of the stairs. People are already waiting for them.
"Your Majesty," Gerard greeted Archid and bows his head.
Archid looks around and saw that all his people are there. He nodded with satisfaction. He walks beside Gerard and taps his shoulder. 'Good, everyone is here. Prepare everyone, and we will go."
"We are ready, Your Majesty. We are waiting for your orders,' Gerald said. "Bring the horses for His Majesty, Princes, and for the consort's brother," he continued. A few soldiers walk towards them together with their horses.
Syl watch as the others start riding their horses. He decides to walk towards Gerard to ride with him. He was used to doing this because this how they do it before. He held his hand out to Gerard to help him up. But the general just looks at him, hesitating if he will reach out at the Consort's hand, sweat starting to come out from his forehead. He was thinking, how to reject the consort. And saw Syl looks at him impatiently.
"What is going on here?" Archid said and looking at his consort, and glaring dagger at his general.
Syl looks at the angry face of the King and sighs. "Can't you see Your Majesty? There are only three horses here. What should I do? walk? So I thought to ask the general to give me a ride. It was just like last time that we travel," Syl said while looking at the King.
"Then why not take another horse?" Archid asks with a raised brow.
"Haiss.... This stubborn person will not let me be just once," Syl thought to himself while looking at the King resentfully. He looks around and saw that everyone is looking at him, Except for the Prince, who averted his eyes and trying not to laugh.
Syl took a deep breath and clenched his hand to a fist. Suppressing his anger. "Alright! I don't like riding horses alone, that's why I need to ride with someone. Now can you let me ride with the General?" he blurted out.
Archid stared down at the fuming consort. He raises his brows and smirk. Every day this consort of his never failed to amaze him. He went down on his horse and approaches Syl..
"Why ride with the General? Now that I am here, you can ride with me." Then he immediately lifted the person and put him atop his horse before the consort makes any protest, and with a triumphant smile, he went up and sat behind him and grab his waist, and helps him sit properly.
Syl is irritated at first and now dumbfounded at what happened. He is about to scold the person who sat behind him when he felt him grab his waist and whispered in his ear. "Come on, sit properly, straighten your body so that you won't be uncomfortable later," he heard him say.
Syl felt that the hairs on his nape stood up and felt hot on his face. He immediately touches his forehead. That slight movement was noticed by the person behind him.
"Why? Are you feeling unwell?" and he touches his forehead too.
"No, I just felt hot earlier, but now, I am fine." Syl said calmly, but inside, his heart is very chaotic right now, "what the hell! what is wrong with me?"
When Archid is sure that Syl is doing good, he looked at Gerard and nodded "Let's go!" Gerard nodded and went to the front, followed by the prince and Nathan and Ren behind them with the other soldiers.
Syl look around the place, and all he could see are trees different kinds of trees. They are surrounded by trees. He lifted his head to look above him, and all he could see are leaves and little lights from the gaps of the leaves.
Archid watches Syl all throughout their journey. He saw the peaceful look on his face. "I hope I can give you the peaceful life that you deserved." He thought to himself and saw that Syl lifted his head to look above them, and Archid gently touches the side of his neck. "Enough looking above you may hurt your neck,"
Syl felt the hot palm of the King and stop looking above and stared ahead of them, "Where are we?" he asked.
"I thought you will never ask," Archid said jokingly. And put his arm around Syl's waist and rested his chin on his shoulder.
Syl was startled by what Archid did right now. He felt goose bumps all over his body. "What are you doing?" he asked, sounding irritated.
"Ahh... my consort doesn't need to be angry. I'm just holding you close so you won't fall off," Archid answered, not letting go.
"Really?" Syl answered back, not believing any words that the King said but didn't move. He is afraid that he might really fall off. And just return to his previous question.
"So tell me, where are we? Where are we going?"
Archid smiled when Syl didn't tell him to let him go and tighten his hold and decide to answer his consort.
"We are in Escondido,"