Suspicious Foreigner

After searching for some time and asking countless servants, Adelia finally located where the coach was packed—the carriage house.

Among the group of Knights they had come with, Edward sat on one of the many stone slabs scattered around, wiping at his sword with a rag.

As soon as he spotted her approaching, he quickly stood up, a serious expression on his face.

Adelia had always known the Knight as a playful man; his dark hair was unruly most of the time and of the much she had seen him training, she was aware that he carried battle scars.

"My Lady, is something the matter? Has the Duke called for me?" he inquired.

Adelia plucked at her scarf casually as she responded, "No, everything's fine." Then she stopped and looked up at him. "I want you to take me on a tour round the city."

Edward blinked, trying to make sense of the unexpected request. "You know I can't do that, my lady. The Duke—"

"Father has given me permission," she interrupted firmly. "I wouldn't be here if he hadn't."

The Knight hesitated, but he knew Adelia well enough to understand that she might have gone on her own if he refused. Reluctantly, he agreed, "I see…"

Still, that skepticism remained on his visage.

Adelia pursed her lips. "I'm not lying."

Edward chuckled. "I never said you were."

"You don't have to say it when your face already does."

The Knight sighed. "I can't argue with you on that." He relented. "Give me a minute, while I get my horse."

Adelia nodded and a few minutes later, Edward returned, already mounted on a beautiful black stallion.

He extended his hand to her, she took it and seated herself on the saddle behind him.

"Where would you like to go, my Lady?" Edward asked without turning to look at her.

Adelia responded nonchalantly, "Anywhere, as long as we're not here."

Edward sensed something troubling her and inquired with concern, "Did something happen inside, my lady?"

"It's… It's not something I would like to talk about," she murmured, burying her head in his back.

"...I understand." Edward gently urged his horse forward, leaving the estate behind as they galloped into the city.

Edward had suggested they go to the market first. When they got there they found it bustling with people of different origins, riding a horse in the middle of a crowd like that was bound to attract unwanted attention.

Adelia eyed Edward's stead. "Why don't you go and keep him at a horse's inn?" She suggested. "They'll take good care of him while we attend to our business."

The Knight looked reluctant. "I understand…" He voiced, staring at the horse wearily. "But I'm not a fan of public stables and Neither is Gastrid."

Adelia blinked. "Gastrid?" She echoed uncertainly.

"Yes." Edward looked at her as if to ask, 'is anything wrong?'

"That is what you named your horse?"

"...yes." The Knight answered again. "...You don't like it?"

"It's ridiculous." She stated plainly and Edward laughed.

"I know, but no one has ever told me that to my face before." He explained. "You were the least expected, my lady…" then his eyes bored into her. "You must really be in a sour mood."

Adelia's eyes widened before she hung her head apologetically. "I'm… I'm sorry if I sounded rude."

"No, it's fine. But it's not like I can do anything about his name now…" Edward stated and the horse huffed like it understood what its owner said. "I'll go and keep him at the inn, it's not too far from here. So stay put and wait for me."

Adelia nodded but the Knight narrowed his eyes at her incredulously.

"I'm serious, my lady." He warned. "No wandering."

The young lady managed a smile. "I promise."

Edward gave her a reluctant nod before he started to rein his stallion in the direction of the horses' inn but he kept glancing back at her until he was completely out of sight.

Adelia shook her head; surely, she wasn't so untrustworthy, was she?

She turned her attention to the bustling street before her; though she wasn't the only noble among the crowd, a lot of people were still looking her way. It was almost like she stuck out like a sore thumb.

Adelia was beginning to get uncomfortable with their stares and attempted to cover her head with her scarf, when she heard a calling hiss from somewhere around her.

"Psst!"

Her head swiveled to find the source of the sound for a few moments, until

her eyes settled on a strangely dressed woman behind a battered stall a few paces from where she stood.

The entirety of her clothing was purple.

Her blouse was sleeveless and it revealed most of her belly, her skirt was long and tied around the waist revealing a single long slit at the right side with the most beautiful embroidery Adelia had ever seen.

She was adorned in expensive looking jewelry from head to toe. Both her arms were covered with gold bangles that jangled with the slightest movement.

And around her waist was a gold chain with tiny bells attached to it, so that when she moved, they would ring.

But what was most suspicious about the woman was the silk scarf she wore on her head that covered the majority of her face.

Adelia had never seen anyone more strangely dressed in her life.

Her eyes lingered on the stall for a bit longer and she caught the woman gesturing for her to come over.

Adelia looked around her to check if she was appealing to someone else but no one was behind her. So she looked back at the stall and gulped before she pointed at herself.

"...Me?" She mouthed.

Only heaven knew how the woman saw her through the opaque scarf she wore, but she quickly nodded and gestured again for her to come.

The thought to ignore the woman completely, crossed Adelia's mind; she looked far too suspicious! Not to mention that there was nothing on her that didn't scream 'foreigner'.

But then again, why did the woman want to speak to her of all people?

She was curious.

So she swallowed again and began to move forward, praying that nothing bad was going to come out of what she was about to do.

Adelia stopped many inches from the front of the battered stall and peered at it intensely, she wasn't keen on going any closer.

The strange woman faced her and grinned, her bangles and bells jangling in kind.

"Come closer, closer." She urged. "How am I supposed to communicate properly with you when you're so far away?"

Adelia shifted her weight then took three slow steps closer to the stall. She wasn't so far away now, but she wasn't at arms length either.

The woman laughed. "My goodness child, you do not have to be so cautious." She told her. "You act like I am going to swallow you whole if you were to come any closer."

The young lady eyed her. "How sure am I that you wouldn't?"

"Ah…?" The Strangely dressed woman mused inquisitively. "You might be right." Then her grin widened. "But a Seer is no cannibal."

Adelia furrowed her brows. "A Seer?"

"Yes." The woman answered excitedly.

"I don't believe you."

The woman laughed, a very lovely sound of mirth. Adelia thought it was beautiful.

"Seeing is believing, no?" The acclaimed Seer proposed.

Adelia hesitated. She had heard enough from her parents that although Seers were real and a lot of them populated the markets, the true ones were extremely rare.

It wasn't possible to find a true Seer manning a run down stall just anywhere.

"Do I have to pay?" Adelia asked after a while of contemplating.

The woman tilted her head inquisitively. "If I say no?"

"Then this is a waste of my time."

"Oh?" The Seer drawled. "How unusual… fine then, you will have to pay. Whatever amount you choose."

Adelia huffed, aware that the woman had just made the decision on the fly, but that only made her more skeptical about the authenticity.

Still, there was no harm in trying was there? It wasn't going to take too much from her, after all.

Even if it was fake.

Adelia reached for her braided hair and plucked one of the ornaments from it, then she summoned a bit of courage to go close enough to the stall and drop it on the rough surface.

"Here." She offered.

The woman picked up the ornament and examined it. It was an ornate hair piece intricately designed around the edges with pure gold.

"A fortune…" The woman voiced as if in a trance. "I shall sell it for pouches and pouches of gold…"

Adelia's lips twitched in amusement at the woman's reaction, then she watched her tie the hair piece into her skirt.

The woman stretched out her hand. "Your palm." She ordered.

Adelia hesitated again but reluctantly brought up her palm for the woman to examine.

The Seer took it sharply, making the young lady flinch. She attempted to pry her hand from her iron grip but the woman grasped it tightly, too tightly, unwilling to let go.

Enough to make Adelia rethink her decision…

The seer soon began to trace her fingers on her palm and she shivered. She had never mentioned it to anyone but she was extremely ticklish.

Still, she was in public and couldn't burst out laughing, so she tried her best to maintain composure. The Seer's lips curved, like she could sense her struggle.

A few minutes later, the woman pried her eyes away from Adelia's palm and looked up at her. A mysterious smile formed on her lips.

"Ancient," she said. "Powerful, wise, yet… wounded."