12 Hawthorn Empire

I wasn't entirely sure what prompted me to follow Wystan and make the first step up the wooden ladder. I know I should be trembling with fear deep within, especially when I'm in the middle of a thick forest with a man I barely know. He could have had bad intentions and killed me, or worse. However, perhaps it was excitement that negates the fear.

How would I not? With every step I took, it was filled with hope. With every step upwards, my mind was driving imaginations through the roof. It was a childhood dream of mine to see a real-life tree house! In its raw, wilderness glory! I mean, yes, Papa did make a tree house for me back there. But the interior was not so different from the playroom I had in the Palace. To be able to see one in the woods, to experience its natural habitat filled my blood with excitement like a little princess given her first diamond crown.

As I reached the ceiling or was it considered the floor? Oh, whatever! I was blown away as I staggered backwards. Unlike back at home, I could see the wooden planks being wonderfully crafted into shapes of wildflowers and animals, and the trunk of the tree was carved to be a built-in bookshelf. It was quite a magnificent sight that I dare say, my tree house is nothing compared to this.

There were rooms! An adequate sized living room, a complete set of kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Boy oh boy, I don't even want to find out how sewage works here! It was an extraordinary tree house, even as an adult I would wish to live in this!

There was working electricity, the water worked perfectly fine, water pressure was good, and the bathrooms - oh, one cannot imagine it was built a few metres off the ground. What's there to hate?

"Feel free to change into your comfortable attire in your room, if you wish." I jumped upon hearing his voice.

Wystan walked out from one of the rooms, in his casual attire with black cotton shorts and a loose grey sleeveless shirt. His shoulder and arm muscles were hard to ignore, not that it was overwhelmingly bulging. I caught a glimpse of his muscular abs when the morning wind blew from the opened window. There was no point in arguing that he was perfectly sculpted, as expected of a military person. But too bad, he's just like a moving sculpture to me and nothing more.

I entered the room that was allocated for me. It was a simple medium-sized room with a King-sized bed facing the bedroom door. I couldn't find my luggage anywhere, and as much as it was hard to believe, I opened the wardrobe nonetheless. What a pleasant surprise! All the clothes that I brought with me were already hung neatly inside. Hmm, there must be some back door for the servants to carry these since I didn't see them rustling indoors.

After changing to a set of comfortable clothing, I lingered behind, enjoying the luxury of having the room all to myself after a week of sharing. With the gentle breeze brushing my face, the chirping birds and the soft mattress mixed with the jet lag, I found myself slowly seeping into a nice unconscious transition.

It must have been around two or three in the afternoon when I woke up from my catnap. I sauntered to the living room to see our high and mighty King cooking in the kitchen.

"Lunch will be ready in a couple of minutes. I hope you don't mind seafood."

Awkwardness filled the dining table as we ate silently. I wanted to break free from this but remembered I was giving the silent treatment.

"I hope the place is not too shabby to your liking."

"No, it's a perfect holiday home."

One of his eyebrows raised at my statement, but he didn't comment on it. Why? Did I say something wrong?

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Actually... I was wondering what is our agenda here? Like, what's the plan? When do we see your people?"

"We'll be meeting OUR people in two days. Is there any other request you would want to be catered to?"

Right, I forgot. Both the Kingdom of Taaffeite and the Hawthorn Empire are now considered our people due to our marriage.

"No. I only have some questions. What is the tradition for the bride to stay here? Like, how long?"

"Traditionally as per custom, the King's bride stayed together with the King until death-"

"What?! Then how am I supposed to rule Taaffeite? The welfare of my Taaffeitians and all that??"

Wystan cleared his throat, a sign I took to silence me.

"At least that was the custom when the bride is from Hawthorn itself."

"And if the bride isn't??"

His emerald green orbs disappeared behind the eyelids as though he contemplated his next sentence.

"For the past centuries, there hasn't been any royalty marrying anyone outside the Hawthorn Empire. The royal historians are still going through the books at the moment."

I was so stunned that my jaw dropped!

"Are you a result of...?" I whispered unknowingly, not daring to finish that sentence.

"No. We, Hawthorn, married our own people."

Uh-oh! I almost made a grave mistake! I let out a nervous chuckle upon realising I nearly offended the Hawthorn Empire. What was I thinking? Even Papa and Mama are Taaffeitians! And here I am, about to carelessly accuse another nation of something they are not.