A Gift

When they stepped out of the building, the sun was quite low in the sky, surprising Oriana.

'What?! How much time did we spend inside?' 

She wondered how time passed so quickly that she didn't even realize it. 

Their carriage was waiting for them by the entrance. 

After she and the prince were seated inside, Oriana thought they would be returning to the royal palace, but she noticed minutes later that their carriage was heading in the opposite direction, towards the outskirts of the city. She didn't dare ask Arlan anything and waited to see where he planned to go next. 

The houses and buildings of Nefer soon thinned, until they left the city proper. They passed the river and the carriage seemed to pass through a slope, as if climbing up a rather steep hill.