Chapter Eleven: Dunmar
The horse trotted toward us and stopped In front of him, neighing generously as he stroked it's back
"Shhh it's okay. I'm here"
He said to it gently and I blinked.
So he could be this soft to a horse but not to another human like him?!
I shook my head and ignored the thought "Your horse is really beautiful. What's it's name?" I asked and he answered "Leroy". I moved to stroke the horse's hair but it moved back and grunted disapprovingly.
I blinked in surprise "Why did he move back? I'm not dangerous" I protested and moved to touch him again but he snorted and used his tail to whip me.
"Hey!" I yelled and rubber my behind. The stranger just snickered "Leroy doesn't seem to like you much. And it's a she, not a he" he said and my jaw dropped in surprise "oh... he's a she? She's a he? I mean a she? Wow...I didn't know" I stuttered while I tried to regain my stance and the horse snorted again.
What is it with this horse anyway?
The stranger jumped on top of the horse "We have to get going now, before they get here" he said and held out his hand to me
"Get on" he commanded and I gulped and looked around "Isn't there another horse that I could, maybe ride on?" I asked with a low voice and he stared at me incredulously "What do you mean? You don't deem it worthy to ride with me?" He asked as his brows creased but I was quick to protest
"No! That's not what I mean! It's just, you're a royal and I'm nothing but a servant. Besides, I'm a maiden. I'm not supposed to ride with a...ahem...man" I said as I tried to avoid his eyes.
He scoffed "Do you know how to ride a horse on your own?" He asked and I looked up at him "I don't"
He nodded his head
"Good! Now stop arguing with me and get on the horse" he commanded again and I bit my lower lip before taking his hand and getting on the horse.
I had hardly gotten my balance when I fell off the horse "Ow!" I whined and he scoffed "Typical females" I shot up at him and snorted silently
'Typical royals'
I got up on the horse again after much difficulty and we rode for hours until we came to another kingdom. "Where are we?" I asked him, confused.
I had never been outside Leweltchia before and this was a new experience
"Welcome, to Dumnar" he said as he urged the horse on and she moved forward. I gaped at the big gates of the kingdom and stared in awe. I was so sure the inside would even be more beautiful but I was shocked when he took another route instead of the front door "Wait, I don't understand. Why aren't we taking the gate? Where are you taking me?" I asked, frightened, and he sighed
"You don't expect me to carry an escaped convict inside the kingdom through the front gates now, do you? Are you that dumb?" He scoffed and I chuckled in disbelief "I am not dumb! I'm just surprised that we didn't follow the gates. You could have at least explained it to my understanding instead of insulting me with it!" I fired at him and he kept quiet.
We rode in silence until we got to a corner of the wall where he pushed a stone and the wall opened. I moved uncomfortably on the horse and she snorted
"Stop squirming, you're making Leroy uncomfortable " he scolded "Well, she isn't the one that was supposed to get killed but is now walking through a wall, is she?" I whined but he didn't say anything and we just went inside the wall.
My eyes widened in surprise when I found myself inside a medium sized room, with a bed at the side and a small table at the corner. It had no windows but a small door
"You'll be staying here for now. No one knows about this place except for Madam Anis. I'll send her to you shortly. In the meantime, change your clothes and freshen up. You smell terrible" he said and tried to walk past me but stopped
"You're bleeding"
he said and touched a strand of my hair, inspecting it closely.
I tried to move away from him when I saw that he mistook my hair strand coloured red for blood when he spoke
"Wait! This isn't blood. What is this?! ...