Although delayed because of the ambush, they made it to the Outlands. Eldon and Henry had been forced to sit up front with the coachmen of the other two carriages. There'd been talk about turning back and heading home instead. But knowing how close they were, Lord Berney convinced King Philip to continue onward.
They'd lost someone, though. Eldon couldn't shake the guilt of having not even known the poor man's name. King Philip had asked one of the coachmen to turn back and retrieve the body for a proper burial. He'd also demanded that Eldon clean himself up and change into something that wasn't covered in bits of flesh and blood.
Eldon obliged and did so when they took another small break for Ivy, who'd begged them to stop. She had to empty her bladder immediately. After Eldon was done changing, he found Elouise leaning against the carriage. He thought about walking over to her. Then Fayre approached her instead, and he decided it was best to leave them alone.
Earlier, when he had left Henry to fight off the remaining three attackers while he checked on everyone else, Elouise was attempting to fight off a trollbie with Sir Aaron's sword. The knight had been too occupied with a bow as he struck down a few creatures. The trollbie with Elouise was too quick for her and caused her to give up with the sword. She instead struck the filthy little creature down with her light while Aaron still had his back turned.
Eldon ran up to her and checked for bites in any visible area he could see. She waved his hands away, assuring him she hadn't been hurt. And then she'd hugged him tightly and whispered, "I knew this had to be their doing, and I was so afraid that you were going to hand yourself over to them."
Eldon couldn't deny how tempted he had been. Just to make it stop. Just to keep her safe.
After every trollbie had been killed and Henry was reunited with them, Elouise had pulled Eldon aside again.
With determination firmly set on her usually soft features, she said to him, "I know I said we would wait, but I think this trip would give us the perfect opportunity to sneak away and begin our journey to Beatrice's hidden spot in the Southern Eastern mountains." And she'd left before he could process her statement and give his response.
Thinking back to it now as the carriages came to another halt in front of the city's entrance, Eldon knew Elouise hadn't meant it. Well, she had in the moment. But he knew that if they went through with it, she would later find herself regretting it. They weren't prepared to take such a journey yet, and he knew she hadn't even brought the map with her. Leaving like that without a proper plan would lead to disastrous outcomes. He wasn't going to risk her safety like that.
Eldon carefully stepped off and onto the ground. Then he limped over to the door and opened it for the king. King Philip avoided eye contact for as long as he could, but he eventually nodded at Eldon and walked away. That was his gratitude, Eldon guessed. He nearly shut the door on Lord Berney, forgetting entirely about him. Berney slapped his hand against it, holding it still, and he glowered at Eldon as he made his way out.
Sir Aaron exited last and grinned at Eldon. Eldon smiled back at him, though he was slightly disappointed that Aaron's official squire (a certain someone named Booker, who'd rightfully earned his stay after rescuing Eldon) hadn't come along on this trip. Then again, Eldon supposed it was actually a good thing Booker had stayed home.
Henry was holding the door open for the women, offering his hand for each of them. Eldon's stomach twisted as he thought about how he had some explaining to do with Henry. He had no idea how that conversation would go.
Eldon figured it wouldn't come as a complete shock, considering Elouise had also accidentally revealed one of her abilities to Henry. Still, he couldn't imagine what Henry's reaction would be once he fully knew the truth.
Elouise stepped out of the carriage last and smiled at Henry before casting a glance in Eldon's direction. Eldon looked away.
As a group, they headed off together. Eldon stayed with Henry and Ivy.
The first things Eldon took in was the cool breeze and the assaulting smell of saltwater coming from the visible sea in the distance. The blades of the field were darker and taller here, reaching Eldon's knees and making the short trek to the gray brick wall a difficult feat, especially with the way he was forced to walk.
There were two armored women standing guard beside the entrance archway of the city. Each had a sheathed broadsword on their backs and short daggers at their sides.
Before King Philip could address them, one of them whistled out an odd signal. This had two men leaping from the wall above, and everyone took a step back. These two men landed on their feet with ease and bowed before standing upright. They were dressed similarly in casual clothing: worn-out sandals, baggy trousers, and shirts with brown vests over them. Eldon didn't miss the imprint that was made by a small weapon hidden beneath their loose shirts.
"Quite a display," he heard Henry mumble sarcastically, which made Gidget in front of them giggle.
"Good morning and welcome," one of the men spoke. "We have been eagerly awaiting your arrival, Your Majesty. My name is Samuel, and I will be escorting you to our Lord's home. My companion will take care of your belongings in the meantime. Please follow me." He whirled around and walked through the archway.
Everyone cautiously followed suit whilst Samuel's companion stayed put.
The guard to the right sneered at Eldon as he walked past her. He almost completely stopped, furrowing his eyebrows at her. She faced forward again, though the bitterness on her smooth face remained. Eldon picked up his pace to catch up with the others who had halted in the center of what appeared to be a small market. Samuel was currently speaking to the king, using hand gestures like he was thoroughly explaining something.
But Eldon's interest was quickly directed to the sights that surrounded them.
Gone was the tall, scratchy grass. The grounds were dry, solid dirt with the occasional drawings carved into certain spots. Aligning the walls were small and colorful tents. Some with tables and others with just a rug in front of a seated merchant displaying various items: fruits, meats, bread, jewels, and fabrics. A few sellers were occupied by travelers browsing their merchandise.
As he looked around the semi-crowded streets, he realized the Interlopers proudly ran their businesses just like any other region. He saw lighter colored adobe complexes beyond the market varying in heights beside one another, and he smelled roasting meat somewhere off to the left. Kids of different ages were chasing each other through the archways that led to other sections, but they eventually came back through the market.
They weren't savages like most assumed. They were just... people.
Samuel walked again, and the group went with him. Eldon was left behind, still indulged by everything. But he wasn't totally forgotten.
Creeping up next to him, Henry spoke, "None of this is what I expected."
Eldon turned his head, locking eyes with him.
Henry frowned. "I feel a bit terrible."
Eldon leaned in closer to him, whispering, "It ain't lookin' so bad, but that's 'cause we haven't talked to the Lord yet."
Henry laughed lightly, nodding in agreement. Then, together, they went after the group.
---
Lord Udolf lived at the very end of a long, curved path that separated him entirely from the liveliness activity of the city.
It was a manor—a grand building made entirely of adobe. Although, it was darker in color, giving it more of a reason to stand out from the rest. There were two rows of small glassless windows, and a single large one in the very center that led out to a balcony covered by an iron fence. A porch with arches wrapped entirely around the bottom, and flowering vines were growing around some. There was also a tower on each side of the building that had sharp, triangular roofs and a dark blue flag placed at the tips.
Various guards patrolled the premises. Dressed in leather jerkins, chainmail, and armed with the same weapons as the women guards out front. They each wore painfully exhausted and stern expressions and refused making any sort of eye-contact.
Samuel stopped in front of the archway leading inside and turned to face the group. "Go on ahead," he said, gesturing with his arm. "He is waiting for you just through there." He then moved out of the way for them.
Eldon and Henry exchanged curious glances.
King Philip wasn't disturbed by this ordeal as he headed in without any questions. The rest of the group had no choice but to follow. Eldon could tell by everyone's face that they were all nervous. Eldon half-expected them to get caught in the middle of another ambush, which really wouldn't surprise him at this point. He also wouldn't be shocked if Udolf had conducted the first attack and was now disappointed that they'd arrived in—mostly—one piece.
Sat on a throne made of stone and jewels, the man himself was resting his chin in his hand, smirking at them as they came into his view.
"Oh, Goddesses," Henry said under his breath. Eldon's lips twitched at that.
As they gathered around, Udolf stood and descended the steps. Eldon tensed, noticing how the young man looked straight at Elouise.
Still, Udolf bowed to King Philip first, and said, "I am so delighted to have you here, Your Majesty."
"Yes," King Philip answered coolly. "Thank you for inviting us."
Udolf's interest in the king was short-lived as his attention fell on Elouise once again. He moved forward, nearing her. Eldon had to forcefully prevent himself from getting in-between them.
With a smirk on his face, Udolf took hold of Elouise's hand and said, "Your Highness, it is such an honor to be in your presence again." Then he kissed her knuckles.
Eldon rolled his eyes while Henry released a quiet scoff.
Afterwards, Elouise folded her hands behind her and quietly thanked Udolf. Udolf went ahead and greeted the rest of the group with a wave and a nod like he was just doing it for the sake of not seeming rude for otherwise ignoring them. He then readjusted his dark blue cloak as he turned and called out for someone named Merek.
Merek came running from around the left corner, dressed in an outfit that looked to have been patched together by old rags. Eldon looked down, reminded of when Mary had no choice but to make him new clothes out of old ones. It was weird how that was no longer a part of his life.
Merek inhaled a sharp and shaky breath. "Y-Yes, my lord?"
Eldon furrowed his brows and glanced back up. This young servant wasn't even going to try disguising the immense fear he had for his master. And Eldon suddenly wished they could just go back to the cheerful normality of everyone in the square instead of this disturbing nonsense.
"Is everything set and ready?" Udolf asked the poor soul.
"Y-Y-Yes, my lord."
Udolf tilted his head, staring down the boy with a faint arrogant smile on his face. "You may relax, Merek. This is a time to be cheerful. We have guests."
Merek sighed and nodded before rushing off.
Without another word, Udolf escorted the group in the direction Merek had left in. They eventually reached a dining area where a wide and round wooden table had been set for them.
Udolf told them to sit wherever they pleased. And although he said that he still picked Elouise's seat for her—the one to the left of him. Elouise made a face of disapproval. But when she met his eyes, she smiled and allowed him to pull the chair out for her.
Henry sat next to her while Eldon sat in-between Henry and Ivy. King Philip was across from his daughter and eyed Udolf suspiciously—finally. Berney sat to the king's right, then Aaron, Fayre, and Gidget.
They were served a soup first—a reddish-brown liquid with a few vegetables floating above and chunks of what Eldon hoped was just red meat. But he wasn't about to complain about food. The servants gave them a piece of bread to go along with it. Eldon ripped off a piece and dug in, grimacing at the acidic taste of the soup. Henry grinned awkwardly at him before giving it a try for himself and doing the exact same thing. His reaction was way more prolonged, though, and Eldon chuckled at him.
At least the potatoes and carrots were good.
The chatter during the meal wasn't much. Udolf and King Philip rambled on about a few political matters before Udolf grew bored of that discussion and moved his interest to Elouise. Eldon paid more attention to that. Henry, on the other hand, was too pleased with the third course (brown rice with black beans) to notice what was going on at first.
Udolf kept touching Elouise's arm or hand. Elouise kept stuffing her mouth to avoid talking, opting for just nodding and humming responses.
"This is actually delicious," Henry said quietly to Eldon, except his smile faded when he took in Eldon's intense stare. "Is something wrong?"
Eldon blinked hard, shifting his eyes to Henry's. He subtly pointed toward the scene with his chin. Henry looked. Then they were both openly glaring at Udolf, but they quickly turned their heads down and resumed eating like nothing happened once Udolf caught them.
That didn't prevent the man from addressing Eldon, though. "I haven't mentioned what an honor it is to have such a hero in my presence."
All heads turned to Eldon. King Philip, in particular, was staring him down. Eldon wasn't sure where to look. Anywhere but at Udolf, that was for sure.
"I know months have passed since, but I still hear your name being praised anytime I head west." Udolf briefly paused to take a sip of his wine. "Seeing as you are here, I suspect you have earned yourself an important role within the royal family."
"He has been appointed as my personal knight," Elouise proudly explained.
Udolf lifted his eyebrows. To her, he said, "Your own guard? Oh, how very fitting—"
"He is still in training," King Philip interjected, squinting at Eldon. "Though he has... proven himself to an extent, it is standard procedure. After all, he is a mere peasant boy with no prior professional experience."
"And I feel that is unnecessary for him to go through such rigorous training," Elouise chimed in, moving her food around her plate with her utensil.
"The captain would disagree with you, darling."
"Then it seems the captain does not have as much sense as I formerly believed."
"Are you truly arguing this with me right now, Elouise? Have you no shame acting this way in someone else's home?"
Elouise furiously dropped her fork, causing it to clatter against the wooden plate, and bits of her unfinished rice flew out. She sat back, and Eldon felt some relief as he assumed that meant the end of that.
But it didn't.
Elouise put a hand above her chest and said to Udolf, "My apologies, Lord Udolf, but do you not agree that it is quite insensitive to ridicule someone in front of others?"
Ellie, stop, Eldon mentally begged, wishing she could actually hear him.
"That is enough, Elouise!" her father shouted, pounding his fists on the table and rattling the dishes. Elouise didn't seem to care.
Henry yanked on his collar like it was suddenly choking him, then he sunk lower into his seat. Ivy bowed her head and mumbled something that Eldon couldn't understand. Fayre and Gidget gawked at Elouise. Udolf was practically laughing, and Eldon wanted to kick him in the face.
Aaron was the only person who looked unaffected, which Eldon kind of envied.
King Philip huffed and scooted his chair back, causing an obnoxious screeching sound across the stone floor. "I think we are done here."
"Yes," responded Udolf, clearing his throat. "Merek can show you each to your rooms. You may find that they are not as grand as the ones you are used to, but I hope you find them suitable, nonetheless. We can meet again outside once you've each settled in." With that, he stood and exited the area.
Everyone else got up as servants piled in to clean up their dishes.
Eldon stood in place as he noticed Elouise moving around Henry to get to him.
"Elouise," her father hissed.
"She is embarrassing all of us," Lord Berney bitterly mentioned.
Before she could speak to Eldon, King Philip gently grabbed Elouise by her upper arm and pulled her away. She protested, which hardly helped her case. Berney, Aaron, Fayre, and Gidget rushed after them, leaving Eldon there alone with the cousins.
"This trip is not as fun as I'd hoped it would be," said Ivy.
Eldon and Henry murmured their agreements before noticing Merek was waiting for them to follow him. Henry offered his arm for his cousin, and they walked out together while Eldon trailed behind them, wondering if things could possibly get any worse than they already were.
~~~~~
Things are going great so far...
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