Meeting At The Road

Freya slipped into a dimly lighted street and knocked on the last house's wooden door. A young man opened the door, holding a fire lamp in his hand.

"Lady Greyson! What are you doing here?" he said, but a voice from the inside interrupted him.

Freya looked at the man and smiled. "I need you to do something, Mateo," she asked. The man cast a glance at the inside as the noise increased.

"I will wait for you outside," Freya said, walking away while the man entered his house. She strode where people gathered, looking at the show of a group of people acting a story beside the long greyish stone shining in the darkness.

Freya blended with the citizens who stood looking at the edifice. Names of men and women who sacrificed their lives defending the kingdom. Lavender flowers grew around the memorial stone.

It represented an iconic symbol built after the war for the commoners. Whereas Nobles received all the gratitudes, commoners built this for their warriors.

"What is the work?" the man asked, standing beside her. He wore a grey coat over his white tunic and black trousers. He was tall with black hair and brown eyes.

"It's a surprise you are still living at that house!" she remarked. He had money not like the time she met him two years ago.

During that period, he was none but a violent troublemaker who beat thugs indiscriminately. He performed well in the kingdom's academy, but he lacked the backing of the wealthy elite due to his common background. His over-inflated ego hindered his job prospects, and he declined offers to work for corrupt nobles.

She offered him to work with her. In just two years, the funds she brought with her from her kingdom multiplied two times. For a fact, she never expected this success, making such wealth.

She gazed at him for a moment and darted her sight away. "I need you to look for a suitable house to live in the Hybra Kingdom. The house must be comfortable and big." Freya said.

The Hybra kingdom was a small kingdom sandwiched by three kingdoms, The Frowshire, Valian, and Lysium. It was one of the peaceful kingdoms and had a lot of beautiful scenery. If her escape succeeded, she would take her mother to the Hybra Kingdom. Living in the Valian Kingdom was a risky plan.

Knowing that Mateo's job as a merchant, he travelled a lot and made connections in many kingdoms. He sure soared as one of the wealthy merchants on the continent.

The man's eyes trembled. "I will take care of the matter," he said.

Freya frowned. She knew Mateo talked to his assignments more than to people. "I shall reward you for completing the old mission as we agreed," she said. Her lips curved upward.

The man's face paled, and his hands shook. "I didn't propose marriage to Felma because of the deal. I love her and want to make her my wife from the bottom of my heart," he said. His eyes glimmered.

'Now he turned into a sweet-talking man. What a transformation!' She knew the man's personality, and he was honest to the core.

When she offered him to get married to her maid, Felma, he refused. But she promised to help him make a name for himself, so he surrendered, but he suggested that if Felma refused him, he would never force himself on her.

A simple gesture was rare nowadays.

Things didn't work out as Felma rejected his attempts, but Freya kept her word and helped him. And he helped her to commercialise the funds.

She never thought he and Felma made such progress.

Although marriage was one of the solutions, she suggested for the few maids spying on her, to get rid of them, she never forced them.

"Why are you panicking? I came to congratulate you. Hope you have a happy marriage and many children," Freya said. Happiness welled in her heart. She wished the man a great future.

The man stared at her. "How did you know? I didn't tell anyone except..."

Freya pursed her lips together. She couldn't reveal her identity. "Why are you leaving the Capital?" she asked.

"I got an offer from Baron Ridesh to aid him in textile production as he owned many clothing shops in the kingdom. He wanted to be the sole manufacturer of textiles in the kingdom. I came from a small town in the south known for making fabrics, but in the capital, this kind of production is less adopted. The Baron offered a job and a mansion, but it will happen only when he gets everything wrapped," he explained.

'Nice for him to grab such an opportunity,' she complimented.

"Will The Baron do such a big project in a small town?" she asked. The Yanik town was small in both size and population. She was in the far south inside Marquis Veron's territory. It would be great to transport the goods easily, but the employees were less.

"No, the main project will extend to reach the Kalp territory."

'Isn't the Kalp the same place where the letter talked about?' Freya wondered. Why would the king allow someone to build many shops over a precious place? Besides, Baron Ridesh was one of Marquis Veron's men. And the Marquis was loyal to the king! 'Did the Marquis want to extend his territory?'

"Can I ask for a last favour…"

*

The next morning,

On her way to the kitchen, Freya met Lucas descending the stairs to the first floor. "Good morning, Lucas," she said.

"Felma, why are you here?" he asked, shocked when he saw her. His greyish hair glistered at the hallway's lights.

She stopped and stared at him, heading in her direction. "To get the king's meal, I think," she said.

"Today is the sixtieth of the month," he said, and she raised her brows. "His Majesty will stay the first and the fifteen days of every month with her majesty Rachel. You will have a rest until lunchtime. It's my fault. I should have informed you before."

"It's fine," Freya said and walked away.

What a discovery! At the tea party, Rachel seemed proud to obtain the king's favour. Freya thought they had a close relationship based on what she had heard from the maids' gossip. In the past few days, the king never visited Rachel in her quarter, last night was the first. She thought they fought but couldn't ask anyone.

'The king went to Rachel two times in the whole month only?' she wondered

Freya shook her head as the matter didn't concern her. It was the king's personal life, not hers.

Sneaking into her quarter, she dropped her tired body on the soft mattress and embraced a new world full of sweet dreams.