Chapter 34: Snapdragon Kingdom

~Arika's POV~

As she stared out the window, she noticed concerning details as they approached the mountains. The trees lacked any leaves and were bent in odd shapes, the road was filled with hazards like holes and rotten tree logs. Though they lived in the mountains, it seemed far more dreary than Arika could've expected.

While she knew the kingdom wasn't in its best state, the land seemed deprived of more resources than what Sin-Vira described. Dead trees still standing meant within recent years, they weren't receiving any source of water.

Arika was tasked to lead a team of forest management. A seasonal task to ensure crops, trees, and shared rivers were in good conditions. To fix the Snapdragon's landscape would take half a year just to remove the dead trees.

"Geez…" she mumbled and looked over to see Sin-Vira, who kept his hands folded on his lap and staring down at the floor. He was visibly tensed and occasionally the corner of his lips twitched.

Arika smiled and pat his shoulder. "You're pretty quiet for once. What's go you so tense?" she asked with a giggle. He tensed his body up more and raised his head.

Once he relaxed, Sin-Vira lowered his arm before releasing a heavy sigh.

"Sorry. It's just a few things about this visit that worry me. Dealing with your father was a bit intimidating but all he did was threaten me. But my mother isn't very fond of you in the slightest. I'm worried about leaving you alone with her. She can act civil one moment and be your worst nightmare the next. I'm also unsure about how the public will respond to your arrival." He exhaled a sigh and leaned back into his seat. "Everything about this trip will just be stressful and I don't think either of us could be ready for it…"

Arika tilted her head to the side with confusion. "Will they even know who I am? I don't recall ever making an appearance in your kingdom." Though she would have to take responsibility if her sister had visited. Given Sibylla's taste, she'd have a list of excuses to never make the effort to see this kingdom.

Sin-Vira scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Mother dearest made an announcement earlier today. Though she made it sound more like a warning than just a simple heads-up. They'll likely associate you as a threat before you can introduce yourself."

Arika frowned deeply at his response. This mother of his seemed much more spiteful than she imagined. She likely made the announcement just to make things more difficult.

"I won't be intimidated by her. Even if it takes up a large chunk of our time, I'll work hard to gain their trust." She removed her hand and held her hat tightly. "Though I'm sure I'll be needing your help. Can I rely on you to assist me with conversing with them?" she smiled sweetly at him.

Sin-Vira stared at her before laughing. "You can drop the dialect to start! We aren't very formal around here, so you doing that will only intimidate them!" He then grinned. "Besides, I like it more when you're being yourself, darling!" he teased while leaning close to her.

Arika could tell her face was getting red and felt a sudden knot where her soul was. It didn't feel bad, but it made her nervous. She assumed seeing his face was the cause, she plopped her hat on Vira's head which covered his face.

"Well thank you kindly, beloved. I'll just be myself then!" She laughed when he lifted his head and saw his frown. Something so bright and colorful contrasting his dark clothes made him look silly. She tried speaking, but all she did was laugh in her little hit.

Sin-Vira kept the hat and slightly adjusted it so he could see. Seeing him in it made her feel a bit less anxious as they passed through the gate.

Besides the gloomy villages, all she could see was dirt, dry grass, and large rocks. The few residences she saw were slumped over and were covered in black markings and bandages. The only vibrant colors she saw were lanterns leading up to a hole in the mountains.

"Welcome to the Snapdragon Kingdom. Try not to get too depressed," Sin-Vira spoke with a sigh. When the carriage slowed to a crawl, Arika noticed Ivy standing outside with a book held tightly in her arms. "She'll be with the whole time and make sure we stay on task."

He opened the door and exited it while keeping it open for Arika. She noticed him still wearing the hat and giggled. Ivy simply shook her head in disappointment.

"Vira, beloved? I didn't know clashing colors were your style!" Arika pointed to her head as she exited the carriage and patted down her dress. Though she didn't feel pain, the ride was quite… rickety. Arika could only hope none of her joints loosened.

Sin-Vira yanked the hat off of his head and cleared his throat. "I-Ivy, I know we have a schedule, but do you think you could help with this?" he asked while ruffling Arika's hair.

"Hey! Doing that isn't gonna make it look any better!" Arika pushed his hand away before turning to Ivy. "I can wear this for the time being. I rather not ruin your schedule for my own mistakes."

Ivy stared between the two of them before sighing. "This is why you always plan for something to ruin your planning. There's time to fix this mess, I rather you look presentable when you have tea with our queen." She flipped open the book and scribbled something down before slamming it shut. "We'll take you to the dressing room to fix this. It'll be a bit of a walk if you don't mind?"

Arika shook her head. "I could walk for hours! But if it'll take a while, could you inform me of these mines on the way there? Please try not to leave anything out, the more I know, the more I can do to help!"

Sin-Vira turned to face the trail of lights Arika saw before. "There's a lot to say about that hell hole…"