* * * *
Getting to the Omoral's borders, the gate guards stopped them suspicious, "who are you? And what business do you have in Omoral?" they looked at the guard that was buffed and looking at them with displeasure.
"We are guests, we are just passing through, on our way to Bayal," Raymond stated with a smile remembering that his master didn't want much attention to be drawn to them.
"Bayal? What business have you got in Bayal, where everyone is dying to leave?" another questioned further.
"We going there to search for a family member," Raymond replied again but the guard shook his head, "you seem suspicious. I can believe you are enemies of Silkon Valley! I could have you executed!"
"You wouldn't dare!" the guard pronounced irritated, "how dare you?! Do you know who you are talking to?"
"No do YOU know who you are talking to! I don't think you would want to get yourself killed so move!"
"Samuel, stop!" Raymond tried to stop the guard from doing something that could blow their cover.
"I know with this insolence that you are definitely from Silkon Valley! Men! Arrest all of them!"
"You wouldn't want to do this!" Samuel yelled and pulled out the royal seal making them widen their eyes, Raymond sighed feeling defeated. Now their cover is blown, his master will surely blame him.
They fell to their knees quickly, terrified of the consequences of their insolence. "So this how you treat civilians?! With utter disrespect and lack of regard! If we weren't with this seal, you would have accused us of treason and arrested us!"
"We... We... We... We are sorry for this... We apologize sincerely..." the guard stammered petrified to the bone. If it were the crown prince that he had heard of, they were surely going to lose their life, "there is no..."
"There is a problem!" Samuel stopped Raymond, "we will like to see your superiors! Where are they, this insolence would not go unpunished."
"Please... Please... We see sorry... We apologize... This wasn't our intention..." he begged almost in tears. "Can we just leave? Samuel, we are running late, the princess is dying every minute we waste here!"
"What is happening out there?!" Aaron's voice boomed loudly, Raymond looked toward the carriage. Nancy worked toward them and wiped her sweat, the heat was killing her.
"Master has asked me to inquire about what is going on?" Nancy said remembering not to blow their cover. Raymond rolled his eyes and glared at Samuel, he was sure this was why Aaron didn't want any of the royal guards to come, they would quickly get proud and start acting crazed.
"We are just rounding up, we are LEAVING!" he gritted out. Samuel glared back at him, "we are not!"
"Remember why we are here! Samuel, I don't think you are going to like what comes next!"
"I do not care!"
"About my mistress's life?!" Nancy was the one who inquired furiously.
"You will bring out your superior and you will be fully punished!"
"I don't think you want our MASTER involved in this!" Samuel rolled his eyes.
"I never cared!"
"Well, you will care when your BOSS gets to know of your negligence and misplaced priorities!" Raymond warned reminding the guard of the crown prince. Samuel, clenched his jaw angrily glaring at Raymond, and climbed unto his horse, before kicking it forward and moving swiftly into Omoral. The guards still in fear, moved quickly allowing the royal strangers to pass.
"What was that?" Nancy asked frowning worriedly at the guard who seemed very unpredictable, "it's nothing." Raymond said cut and dismissive, he climbed unto his horse leaving Nancy who walked back toward the carriage wheeler and sat by his side.
"What happened Nancy?" Aaron almost whispered, careful not to walk Irisa who was in a deep sleep up. "I think Samuel has blown our cover, your highness." Aaron frowned knowing it was going to happen Sooner or later, unsatisfied but knowing he could do nothing about the bastard's insolence and arrogance, he chose to keep shut.
Soon after they reached a small motel, where they were to stay for the night, before continuing their journey to Bayal the next day.
"The carriage wheeler and Samuel will stay in one room, Samuel, carriage wheeler and Raymond in one room, Nancy will stay in another. I will stay with my wife tonight." Everyone excluding Samuel looked at Aaron surprised at the last part of his instructions, he had never regarded Irisa as his wife before, why now?
Was it because she was dying? Irisa thought staring at him as he gave further instructions. Nancy held her lady's hands tightly. This was the first night she was ever going to spend with her husband. It was supposed to be several weeks ago but with the prince's treatment, it was impossible.
Helping Irisa toward the room at the end of the hall was the biggest of them all. Spacious and far from the other rooms, "are you sure you do not want to join me in my room tonight my lady?" she asked worriedly glancing at the prince who was being pushed by Raymond.
"I am, it fine. Do not worry everything will just be fine." she gave her maid a reassuring smile before moving slowly into the room. She crunch her nose, "why does it stink?" she said bitterly making all of them frown.
"It doesn't stink!" the motel manager said quickly and defensively. Why would this strange woman ever say "I am sorry for my wife's comment, she is pregnant." he lied smoothly, smiling. Irisa frowned, why did he say that? She wasn't pregnant and it does stink.
The manager stared at the strange couple and nodded walking out of the room to give his guest some privacy, "why would you say am pregnant when I am not!" Irisa asked furiously.
"I am sorry, but these people are suspicious, they are violently looking for people from Silkon Valley. The water hemlock only grows in Silkon Valley, if they get to know we will get in trouble!" Irisa clenched her feet weakly.
"Leave us, Nancy," Nancy bowed a little before making her way out of the room and shutting the creepy door, "are you acknowledging me as your wife now because you know I am dying?" Aaron frowned.
"I told you before the party that I want things to change between us! I want us to start afresh and put all that I did in the past behind us."
"Behind us? Aaron when we got to the party you still scolded me and treated me coldly! I don't think you understand how hurtful your behavior is, and I am not going to allow you to treat me like I am your wife when you know I am dying!" he shook his head.
"That is not it, I want you to be my wife Irisa, as I told you before I want to give us a chance."
"Us? They were never an 'us'. You treated me like I am a burden that is all there is to it! I wish that I hadn't begged for your attention like I did. I practically wasted my last few weeks on you! I will not waste a breath longer." she walked toward the bed with displeasure. He sighed and stared at her, she moved around doing nothing in particular.
"Where are you going to sleep tonight?" she suddenly asked after a moment of silence. He frowned, "I thought we could just share the bed since there is only one bed in the room."
"I am not sharing a bed with you! I should just leave and stay with Nancy for the night, it would be best for everyone." Aaron shook his head, "there is no reason for that," she turned to him giving him an exasperated look.
"What exactly do you want from me, Aaron? Because I am tired of all this,"
"I want us to start anew, please I sincerely apologize for what happened on the night of the ball, things with my family have been..." he paused contemplating the words to use, "painful and humiliating?" Irisa completed for him, to which he simply nodded sadly.
"What happened? Why does your family hate you so much? Why does nobody respect you?" he closed his eyes and shook his head, "my paralysis has been a major issue for me."
"What happened? How did you get paralyzed? What happened to your face?" she asked softly, treading carefully. She was sure that topic was sensitive for him but not sure if he was going to answer her, "I was fourteen, I was coming back from a village near Young city. I heard a commotion outside and I just... I tried to find out what was going on, by the time I knew it they were in the carriage, yelling and screaming at me.
I didn't know what to do, I panicked, tried to get out of the carriage but before I could get out, the carriage fell, I was almost out, I struggled to get out but to no avail."
"How did the accident affect your eyes?" she asked, although she had heard of tales thru were not reliable, "I tried to run, I weak, they shot an arrow at me and I fell into a bush of thorns, and now I am half blind."
"I am sorry you went through all this, it must have been horrific for you," he nodded slowly and looked down, "it was horrible, soon after I was shipped into the old manor. My old caretaker had to beg for three days for me to be seen by a physician."
"Why would they do this to you? They are your family are they not?" he shook his head smiling sadly.
"They are things that you just can't understand, princess and I wish that I could they you something but I can't..."
"YOU CAN NOT ENTER!" They both frowned and looked toward the door and heard hush voices, "what going on?" she asked and stood to her feet and limped toward the door, she glanced at Aaron and opened the door to find three men who were dressed in a guard uniform.
"Is this the famous first princess of Kaley?" a man smiled and the three guards fell to their knees and courtesy. She frowned and glanced at Raymond and Samuel, "what is all this? And do you know who I am?"
The man was quite old and looked to be around the Emperor's age. He was short, with long brown hair and a meat mustache. His brown eyes matched the color of his hair and his shoes, "I mean no disrespect your grace but I was informed by the border guards that we have a very important guest in our mist and I was surprised that you are staying in this nameless motel, it is very dangerous don't you think?"
Irisa smiled softly, giving Raymond a look, understanding immediately, he pulled Samuel into the room, "It is no problem but I do not who you are but I surely know for border patrol to be reporting to you, you must be very important."
"I am your highness. I am sorry for whatever inconvenience from the treatment you received when you entered Omoral, we are usually very hospital and would never do anything to stop a royal from entering. Omoral is after all the emperor's possession." Irisa nodded and looked toward the men that had followed him.
"I am sorry but why are you here again?" she looked back toward the man who was staring at her as she guarded the doorway to her husband, he almost scoffed, if he knew it was that useless thing that was coming he wouldn't have bothered, he thought it was someone important.
"I am King Edge, the ruler of Omoral, I am the one the long as put in charge of the affairs of the Omoral city." Irisa nodded.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, but I still don't know why you are here?" she asked again feeling weird as the men that followed king Edge were staring intently at her.
"We have come to collect you, I mean the Empress wouldn't be happy if she heard you all stayed in a crappy hotel and why you were here."
"I am not sure who informed you that we were here but we will very much love to be left alone, we only stay for the night." King Edge tilted his head.
"Why? Is there something you are looking for?" Edge asked suspiciously. Nancy walked toward them quickly, she had heard the commotion from her room and knew they were a change of plan, "m'lady, what is going on here?"
She looked toward her lady who was barely able to stand and supported her quickly but tried as much as possible to make sure nobody noticed, she remembered the clear instructions, Aaron had given them to not speak about the poisoning of the princess to anyone, it was better for everyone.
"I am sorry who you to ask me what my husband and I are in our father's land? I mean, after all, the emperor owns all of Kaley and you are but a mere custodian of his possession..." King Edge glared at her, what a bitch! Who did think she was?! Her father wasn't even a king like him!
"How dare you speak to our king like that? Remember that your father is a Duke, not even a king!"
"Insolence!" Nancy yelled and Irisa scoffed and looked toward who had spoken, one of the king's men, what a mistake! She was going to use him as a scapegoat to make sure they do not think of coming to them again.
"Is this how you train and encourage, your..." she eyed him from head to toe, "... Servants, to speak to royals?"
"Your highness it's not like that..."
"Knee when your betters are speaking!" they all fell to their knees except the king, who now looked feasibly angry. He bowed his head knowing she still had the power to punish him. "I don't know who you are and why to speak so freely in the presence of a royal but your insolence and uncultured manner as spew on our perception on how the Omoral communities treat their royal."
"We are so..."
"I am not done speaking! You will not interpret me again king Edge! if you cannot train your inferiors then I will help you too!" she scolded the King who could do nothing but look down in anger.
"I am so..."
"I said KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT!" she shouted and almost fell, King Edge frowned and looked at the way Nancy held her tightly.
"As I was saying, we are not going to be disturbed for anything and I swear to God if you cross me I will make sure your precious little Omoral is given to another person, do not test my abilities!" she threatened.
"May I speak your highness?" The king asked, he knew that any wrong move everything would be gone. She nodded, holding Nancy tighter, Nancy worriedly looked toward Irisa who was slowly sipping out of consciousness, already shaking and finding it hard to stand.
"I sincerely apologize for whatever inconvenience we have caused you. You are right, the whole of Omoral belongs to the royal family. We will not bother you again"
She nodded, "I am going back now, enjoy your stay in Omoral, if you need any help then just ask any guard you see, they will immediately bring you to me," She smiled as they courtesy and walked back downstairs.
"M'lady!" Nancy yelled as she fell into her arms, Samuel rushed out of the room, his eyes widened, and went into action quickly picking her up and bringing her into the room quickly, "what happened?!" Aaron yelled, Raymond pushed him to his wife who was turning now burning hot.
"She... She is dying! Where is the syrup? Where is it?" Nancy ran out of the room to find the antidote she had kept in her room. She couldn't have imagined that the poison would be that fast. She pulled out the syrup and ran back into the room.
Aaron swallowed and snatched the syrup from him, "what happened? Why is she like this?! This syrup shouldn't have worn off!" she shook her head not knowing what to say to the man whose eyes frantically moved around her body, which was now shaking.
"She is very cold! Why is she cold?!" Samuel yelled touching her, the syrup was administered but she kept getting colder and colder. Nancy swallowed, tears fell from her eyes, and her lady's eyes started bleeding, making her look toward Samuel and Raymond.
"The syrup! It not working! What are we going to do? She might die!" Samuel yelled at them, "let us find a physician! He could help us!" Nancy suggested walking toward her lady's feet and holding them tightly.
"Let..."
"You will not!" Nancy glanced at Aaron furious, "My lady is dying! Do you think they care if we are Vallian's or not?! They came here! They saw us, they saw her and I am sure they have heard of the princess that saved the crown prince's life!"
"You will go nowhere Nancy, you will not defy your master's orders!"
"Why are you so cold?! Why would you rather see your wife die than do something? Is it because you are paralyzed?!" she yelled furiously.
"Insolence!" Raymond yelled, "you do not speak the prince like that!"
"Oh please I do not care if you are a prince or not but you are the most stupid person ever! How could you think that staying in this stupid hotel will be a good idea? She agreed to this nonsense at the expense of her own life and health and to save your brother! No thanks, nothing! I am going to find a physician and you will do nothing to stop me!" she turned and ran out of the room.
Aaron looked up to Raymond signaling for him to go after her, Samuel wiped her face away, worriedly, he didn't know the woman personally but she seemed very jolly and happy and he didn't think that death was her destiny.
"Can you be wet clothes, so I could place them on her?" he nodded and ran out of the room.