11 Sovereign Republic Coronia - Part 1

The journey took us almost a week.

We would travel from morning to evening. There was a set route, with carefully chosen places to rest, enjoy the various scenery and to sleep at the best and most secure inns on the way. If it weren't for the many pauses we did on the road, we might have saved up to a day of travelling, if not more, but Father said we should not haste and instead enjoy the vacation. I thought he was exaggerating, but on the third day, I was thankful for every layover on the way, because I couldn't sit still anymore. Although cushioned, a carriage was a carriage, and once we left the vicinity of the city and entered the Southern Region, infrastructure was getting worse. The road was bumpy, and even the thick cushions couldn't prevent an ache in my back and behind. Mother looked as gracious as ever as if she was sitting on clouds, so I dared not complain.

On this journey, I talked a lot with Mother, which gave me the feeling that we became especially closer. She was so well-read and educated that even I, a citizen of the modern era, was humbled by her vision. Although she seldom went out of the estate, she knew every nook and cranny of the lands, was well versed in flora and fauna and, even though we never talked much about politics, I guessed from the few sneaky remarks she exchanged with the head guard that she at least had some insiders. I wondered how she accumulated such knowledge when she never went to court. Was it Father who told her all this? I guess the two of them talked about more than just vows of love each time they met.

After crossing the border station for a few kilometres, I fell asleep. Apart from the farmlands, nothing much was in sight for hours to end, so it got quite dull at times. Behind the farms were some forests until those also thinned out. The heat had risen, turning the brittle soil into a wasteland. This switch in scenery was between the borders. Watching this part of the desert was interesting, but sooner or later I got used to it and involuntarily closed my eyes. The hot desert wind had lulled me into sleep.

When I opened my eyes again, the carriage was silent and dimmed by the curtains. Mother was also asleep. I smelled the fresh scent of herbs and flowers.

With curiosity, I opened the curtains to take a peek and wondered if the scenery outside had changed.

"Whoa!"

It changed! Since we entered Coronia, the view has turned twice already. We have left the farmlands and forests of Florencia behind, riding through tongues of the desert and were now entering the prairie. Coronia was the most prominent force in the south; its lands span from the south coast to the east coast. South-east was a big patch of desert, hard to cross, so we followed the trading route through the south-west, that was closer to the Mediterranean seaside. The desert here was only a small patch, not as hot and still got some regular rainfalls. And when the season was right, those barren patches of cracked soil would soak in the heaven-sent water like a dry sponge and turn into the most beautiful piece of greenery you were able to imagine. That was the time life came back to the desert.

Far from us, I could see a shepherd who had brought a big flock of sheep here to rest and feed. The grass grew as tall as his thighs. There wasn't only grass, but many herbs have grown in between, so a few young girls came to pick flowers and valuable herbs to stockpile and trade, their laughter rang across to our carriage. I gripped the frame of the window, wanting to follow them and dive directly into the grassland. Bended by a breeze of wind, the grass looked so soft and comfortable.

"Haha, Young Miss looks like yer ready to jump out of the carriage at any moment." A rough voice brought me back to reality. It was the voice of our head guard, a formidable general of Father's first squad, Sir Ledford. He would always ride next to our carriage to ensure our safety and carry out Mother's instructions. If anyone were to attack us, Ledford would be the last hurdle they had to overcome.

I nodded and confirmed his guess right away.

"I am fighting with myself here."

The guards who could hear our dialogue broke out in laughter, and we started to exchange stories while savouring the view. Soldiers, as I found out, liked to gossip and as much as maids they possessed various interesting stories to tell.

Ledford has been with Father for a long time and even received ennoblement, I heard. They were fighting shoulder to shoulder during the war with the northern Empire, and afterwards Father granted him the title of a Baron, rasing him from the masses. He was bigger than father by a head and almost twice in width, a sturdy giant with muscles like a bear. He had carried an axe, a shield and broad sword into battle. The other soldiers said the weight was immense, but it wouldn't slow him down the least bit, and one swing of his could take down as many as five men. He was a beast on the battlefield - though the Duke was even more fearsome than Ledford. I wondered if they were joking with me, boosting Fathers strength in Mother's and my presence. I couldn't imagine Father standing in the battlefield, hacking and slashing seemed not to be his style.

Father prepared for 30 veterans of his first squad to escort us to Coronia. Those were the soldiers who went through life and death struggles with him. They were the best of the best. When I first saw them, they gave off a fearsome and bloody aura as they stood tall and silently in front of us. To my admiration, next to those rough men, Father, who looked a lot more pleasant to the eyes, didn't seem to be too much out of place. And though he wasn't even armoured and armed, one felt he had the highest authority in the bunch.

But wasn't Father a little bit overprotective, sending us with so many men? Florencia was on good terms with Coronia; trading happened daily, the route was deemed to be safe. I thought half of the numbers were more than enough, but Father insisted on sending them with us, saying they could use the time as a vacation for themselves. I didn't dare to utter a single word afterwards.

I wondered if I could enjoy this vacation when a bunch of tight guards were following us. But to my surprise, I enjoyed their company very much. Mother would often talk to them as if they were good friends. They treated her with respect, and I could see they trusted Mother unconditionally, and occasionally they exchanged jokes and secrets about Father. Later, when they saw me listening in with rapid interest, the soldiers would include me into their conversations as well, telling stories of the battlefront and myths about the neighbouring nations. On the third day, they would call me "Young Miss" and "Missus" with a feeling of closeness as if they had accepted me. And I didn't think they were scary any more. They were more like a bunch of rough men with soft hearts. They looked like grizzly bears, but they were filled with cotton. You could see Father's influence on their behaviour. I liked them very much and soon remembered each of their names.

Their unity was unmistaken, as they could move around in an orderly manner even though they were big and sturdy men. Dressed in armour and armed with swords, they were ready for battle at any time. They carried various scars like battle trophies. Ledford, for example, had a deep and hideous scar running through his face. He said that the opponent's sword had almost taken his left eye, but he was lucky that he slipped on a puddle of blood at that time, falling backwards and so avoided a disaster. I was shocked and relieved at the same time that all those men were able to laugh now even though they had experienced such fearsome things in the past. Listening to their stories, I felt deep respect towards those soldiers because it was thanks to them that we live in peace now. I think they earned this vacation more than I did.