The Journey

"Do you have my horse ready, Mr. Levin?" The royal advisor hummed in response as the king questioned while they were walking side by side in the corridor.

To fit in with the locals, the king once more got up early and packed a tiny bag with a few everyday outfits. Except for the king's brother, Savannah, the royal advisor, and a few guardsmen, no one knew where the monarch was heading. refused to take any apprentices with him despite much debate.

"Your Majesty, you should have someone accompany you."

"A thousand times, no Levin, I cannot."

The king turned to look at the advisor standing next to him, his arms crossed in irritation. He needed to travel by himself along the course he had selected. For the umpteenth time, they were arguing. The advisor had a closer relationship with the monarch, who viewed him as a brother. They were so caught up in their incessant bickering that they missed the person's appearance at the end of the corridor.

"You certainly should, your Majesty. I insist." A familiar voice caused them to turn their heads towards the direction of the end of the passageway.

"Princess Savannah."

"I'm not sure why you're going, but at the very least, bring someone so that your brother can feel secure." He was completely aware that if his Ezekiel learned, he would also insist. "We believe in you, brother, but it never hurts to have a shoulder to lean on." The king looked down at his feet and let out a loud sigh as he rested his hands on his hips.

"All right, but only because you addressed me as brother." He grinned a little.

The most trusted member of the king's army, the man he had trained with, was requested to go with him. He was his closest and most dependable guards because they had grown up together. As soon as he learned that the king needed him, he arrived and immediately gave his assent. The necessary preparations had been made, and every effort had been taken to prevent word of the event from leaving the castle. The monarch changed into one of his regular outfits and proceeded to the rear door, where his brother was already standing in front of him.

"Take care." As he spoke, Ezekiel tightly embraced his brother.

"You take care of yourself."

Ezekiel backed away while nodding. He had complete faith in his brother, but the recent events had him concerned. The infant was still asleep, and it was yet daylight. Aura was comfortably dozing in Savannah's arms as she cautiously carried her towards them.

"And you don't give them a hard time, okay?" Alaric said while lovingly petting his daughter's cheeks as she dozed off. " I promise to return soon." He mounted the horse while carrying his backpack on his shoulders. Following him, his guard climbed into another. Alaric sighed as he took one last look at the castle. "Conduct the coronation without me if I don't return in a month." Before Ezekiel could object, the king said that, turning around and giving his apprentice a small nod. Even if Ezekiel wanted to object, the words would not come out because of his hoarse voice that sounded like an order. Alaric gave the horse a small tug on the reins to get it moving.

Straight over their heads, the sun shined brightly. The trees and the dry earth underneath them shone like pearls in the sunlight that came from the sun. They have been peacefully riding their horses for the past half-day. Since it was noon and too hot for anyone to work or play outside, the streets were empty. There were a few open food and drink shops to accommodate any traveling pilgrims. Considering that they were still in the realm, the monarch made the decision to pause at one of the food booths.

"Your Majesty, I'll go have a look." As soon as the king got from the horse, the guard told the king. The king next him rolled his eyes and made a tsk sound. The guard was baffled by his sudden annoyance and was going to apologize when the king raised his hand to stop him.

"I'm a traveler. You shouldn't refer to me as a noble, Hermes." The guard instantly nodded after mouthing an oh in realization.

"What should I address you as, then?" He started to say something but stopped and apologized once more.

"Quit your constant apologizing."

"Force of habit, sorry."

"Call me Mikael. Yes, that's a nice name "He thought for a moment and then muttered. The king relaxed a little after what seemed like days. "Hopefully I won't forget it." Hermes laughed as he stated it in a mocking manner.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" A voice could be heard coming from one of the stalls. When they turned around, a woman was watching them out the window. Despite wearing a disguise, the king's hands instinctively moved to hide his face with the hood. It was better to be safe than sorry even though not everyone was familiar with the king's appearance. Hermes responded to the lady that they needed some refills and a place to relax because it was so hot outside after noticing the king's reluctance in his stance. The woman smiled and responded by nodding. "We have plenty of room here, so come on in."

The king and Hermes asked where they should tether their horses, pointing to their mounts. Still hanging on the window ledge, the woman turned around and yelled. Come out, Coco, and assist these two travelers. A young boy, maybe 10 or 12, came racing out of the house. The sun's rays had given him a tan and made his skin shimmer like honey. The king felt the boy was beautiful. Before them, Coco bowed and motioned for them to follow him. They both exchanged bewildered looks with one another. "He is mute." When the woman noticed their perplexity, she said, they nodded and went after the boy.

The child led them to the back of the building, where a few other horses were tethered. The hens were scurrying about. The stable appeared to have just been built because it was tidy and well-kept. The king studied this location and pondered how he had never heard of it before. They tied the horses in the shade, and the child pointed to a door that appeared to be the entry, the back door. The young child sprinted to the door and unlocked it for them. The king patted the boy's hair and entered followed by Hermes. And the boy dashed outdoors to chase after the hens, picking up and petting one of them.

The door took them into a large room with benches and a few people eating and conversing there. The hall has four doors on each of its four walls. One led them inside, while the other three were located on each wall. From one of the doorways, the woman who had earlier welcomed them approached them and smiled. She greeted them and directed them to sit on one of the benches. The area was cool and well-ventilated despite the sweltering weather outside. Near each wall, various potted plants were positioned. The king and Hermes sat down and asked the woman for water after finding an open seat. The king gave his hood a slight rise and peered about.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Hermes, who sat across from the king, stated. He was wearing a soft smile.

"Yes, it does." The king replied with a small chuckle, thinking back to the earlier times when they had trained hard and managed to avoid punishment. He recalled escaping the castle with Hermes and the royal counselor to tour the marketplace before the troops arrived to look for them.

"What food would the two young men prefer?" The woman returned carrying two glasses and a jug of water. She filled each glass with water and waited for their answer. Hermes responded by saying that some bread and curry would be good. The woman grinned and turned on her heel, returning to the door from which she had just come. Perhaps that is the kitchen. "Right away, sir." She sang on her way before closing the door and disappearing inside.

"Hermes, don't you think this place seems new?" The king whispered. His voice was low, and he was leaning against the desk with his arms crossed over it. Hermes naturally leaned forward to pay attention and nodded. The king continued when he kept silent. "I can't recall if I processed this inn's request,"

"Perhaps you forgot,"

"You know me better; I don't forget things, especially state affairs."

The young boy who had earlier brought them inside emerged with a chicken in hand and smiled broadly at them. An individual who was seated on one of the benches questioned, "What did you bring, Coco?" The child raised his arms to display the chicken while chuckling. The man motioned for him to approach while offering him candy that he had pulled from his pocket. The king and Hermes were so focused on the boy that they didn't notice when the woman approached them with the food.

"Poor boy, he works hard." When the voice suddenly interrupted them, they jerked their heads around to look at the woman, who chuckled a little at their reaction. "He's the lone kid who got left behind, possibly because he's mute."

Confounded, the king exclaimed, "Left behind?"

"Hmm," the woman murmured as she arranged the dishes for them. "This building was previously an orphanage. Some children were adopted, while others just left to survive on their own."

"So, this is brand new?" Hermes enquired.

"Yes, I suppose the word would be "renovated."" The king finally remembered what had happened a few months before and nodded. He had authorized the reconstruction of the former orphanage in writing. " I'm so grateful to the king for this." Her face briefly dropped as she sighed. "I hope he's handling the abrupt death of the queen well." When Diona was mentioned, the king's palm tightened beneath the table. He tried to contain his tears while maintaining his composure. Hermes expressed gratitude to the woman for the food after anticipating the king's sensitivity.

The king and Hermes eventually decided it would be best to continue their long journey after they had received adequate rest and food. They thanked the woman for her hospitality and gave her the cost of the food plus a small gratuity. "You appear to be a merchant." The woman exclaimed while glancing at the tip. "You are the first to make a tip. I'm grateful." Before them, she bowed.

"It's the appreciation," stated the king.

He glanced around for the little boy and found him sitting in the corner, chewing on his bread. The child immediately raced in his direction when he heard the king call out to him. He smiled while continuing to eat the piece of bread. The king knelt to match the height of the child. He took a gold coin from his pouch and urged the boy to extend his palm. He smiled and put the coin in his little hand. The child gave him a cheery glance before turning to gaze at the coin. He inspected the coin with keen eyes. It didn't even adequately fit his tiny palm. With his small arms, the young boy gave the king a hug.

"Never hesitate to visit the castle if you ever need anything. The guard will take you to a nice man if you present this coin." The king spoke into the boy's ears in hushed tones. "Okay!" He murmured, taking a step back, and the boy simply nodded joyfully.

The king and Hermes then untied their horses and started their journey. The young boy waved them off. "What did he tell you?" the woman asked the boy, who was smiling cheerfully and shook his head, refusing to tell her and ran inside. The woman simply laughed and walked inside to work.