Leaving for Melan: the first step

The next morning...

"Edgar, do remember the white and gold carriage that passed by us yesterday?", Cordelia asked Edgar in front of his parent's house. Meredith was also with them.

"Yes, I remember", he answered,

"Did you see anything peculiar on the carriage? Something like a symbol or flag?", Edgar looked up, trying to recall, "Yes, at the front of the carriage, was a symbol of a flying Phoenix surrounded by a circle", Edgar told her.

Cordelia had a serious look on her face as she already knew which kingdom that had that symbol. Except the kingdom was not a kingdom, it was a principality that was located at the far south of the Continent.

"Your Highness-",

"I told you to call me Cordelia", Cordelia interrupted.

"Cordelia", Edgar pronounced her name which sound very heavy on his lips, "Is the person sitting inside that carriage have something to do with massacre?", he inquired,

"Yes", Cordelia answered curtly.

"How are you, my princess?", Meredith asked with a bemused expression on her face.

"I don't know but something tells me that that carriage was coming from Evalon. The Phoenix symbol on that royal carriage is the logo of the principality of Melan", Cordelia spoke.

"So you are saying that the Grand Prince of Melan was the one inside that carriage?", Meredith asked.

"He was the one. So far, we meet no other carriage apart from the white one throughout our journey yesterday because the route we took is the only that lead directly to Evalon", Cordelia explained.

"It means that the Monarch of Melan was the one who created the massacre", Edgar was trying to confirm.

"He could be", Meredith said,

"He is the one!", Cordelia's voice was fierce, "It cleary point to him that he was the one that destroyed Evalon. Why was it his carriage we saw before we got to Evalon?"

Edgar and Meredith kept shut and allow Cordelia's words to sink into their minds. She was right about that.

"Edgar, can you take me to where maps are sold?, Cordelia asked him.

"Yes, it's in the market. I can take you there", Edgar answered and started to go down the road while Cordelia and Meredith followed him.

...

"This is a detailed map that shows all the Kingdoms in the Continent", The calligrapher sitting behind the counter said as he gave Cordelia the map. Cordelia unrolled the rolled up map to take a look at it contents. Her gaze looked intensely at the map in her hand, looking for the location of Melan which finally was spotted on the south.

"This is it, This is Melan", she pointed to the bottom of the map. She raised her eyes to the calligrapher and asked for the price. The calligrapher said the price and Cordelia who did not have any money at hand, removed a golden hairpin from her hair and gave it to the calligrapher.

"This should pay for the price, you can keep the change", Cordelia said before walking out of the map shop. She showed the map to Edgar and Meredith.

"I am going to Melan", Cordelia announced.

"Today?", Edgar asked,

"Yes and I am going alone"

"Let go with you", Meredith came to stand in front of her. Cordelia was like her only family now and she couldn't bear to be left alone.

"No, I am going to Melan and I am going alone. You cannot follow me", Cordelia spoke with a unfazed gaze.

"You are going to meet the Grand Prince?" Edgar questioned with a curious gaze.

"I am going there to kill him", Cordelia said sharply before walking away from them. Edgar and Meredith glances at each other.

When Cordelia reached the cottage, she went straight into the house, she rummaged the small load she brought with her from her previous journey and at last, she found a dark hood. She wrapped her body with it before going out of the house. Edgar's parents weren't home for they have gone to their place of work. Cordelia then went to untie one of the horses and pulled it by it rein to make the house move forward.

When Meredith and Edgar got to the cottage, Cordelia was already on the horse, She was ready to go.

"Cordelia, wait", Edgar shouted to stop her, "I have something to give you", he quickly said before sprinting into the cottage.

Meredith came and stood beside the horse horse to look at her.

"I really wished you would take me with you", Meredith started. "We can kill him together",

"I wanted to have revenge, Meredith and I want to kill him myself. I want his blood on my hands", Cordelia seethed.

"You don't have what it takes to kill a Monarch, you cannot do it by yourself", Meredith was trying persuade her to take her with her.

"I have and I can. You don't understand, Meredith. This man ruined my home, our home", Cordelia's eyes watered but no tear fell, "let me do it alone and bring back the good news of his death", Cordelia finished.

Edgar came out and handed an old compass to Cordelia, "You will need this too, not just the map"

"Thank you Edgar, Take good care of Meredith and apologize to your parents on my behalf for not saying goodbye to them", Cordelia said before facing Meredith, "Have a good life and await the good news".

Cordelia snagged the horse reins which caused the neighing of the horse before it started to gallop down the road.

Edgar and Meredith continued to watch Cordelia leave until she disappeared from their sight.

Cordelia looked back at them one last time before facing forward. Forward to her mission, as she left for Melan.