chapter 2

"Do I ask the men to prepare the horses?" comes the muffled voice of Jack after knocking twice on the door.

"Hold on; I am about done," I tell him.

A light chuckle escapes his mouth. "You do know I can sleep through a woman's dress time, right?"

"Well, this woman on the other side of the door is your sister. Not just any lady. Where did you hear that from, anyway? Pub houses?"

"You insult me, Valeria. Pub houses?"

"Hah. It's not like you're above visiting one or two of them."

"I do visit, but not for the drinks nor the camaraderie."

"I know," I say, and I try to straighten my curls. I drop the hand mirror and consult the bigger one, appraising my looks. Not bad at all. "You don't have to visit a pub to drink. Even passersby hear gossip from the mouths of loquacious men."

"Ah," he says from the other side, obviously seeing what I mean. One thing about my brother Jack is that he is a very good pretender. He hides the fact that he knows so much about a topic so that he can learn more about it from whoever claims to understand it better. People do pass him for a simpleton. Even Killian. But not me. I know what Jack is capable of. And I respect him for that. I grab my coat, the one with a hood, and don it. Then I open the door and step into the hallway.

Jack gives me a look of disapproval. "A coat with a hood? Are you trying to disguise yourself?"

"Yes," I admit. "But not entirely.

"I see," he says. "But you never answered my initial question."

"Being what?"

"I asked if I should tell the men to get the horses ready."

"We aren't going with escorts, nor are we going with horses."

"And why is that?"

"Because we shall be walking all the way to town," I say, and I step around him, heading for the stairs.

At the time we walk through the gates, the sun still sits on the horizon, gearing for it's ascent to the zenith. Swallowed flap their wings in flight, heading right into that burning circle of heat, returning from their journey. The air smells dusty and like horse dung because of the droppings that follow all the way to the outpost.

I look at Killian walking beside me. "How does it feel to talk with me outside the gates?"

"I know what you mean, Val. It's been a whole year. But let's hope we get there before the sun peaks," says Jack, and I can tell that he is more concerned about the heavy clothes he has on his body.

"I know a short cut we can take," I say.

He looks at me with utmost surprise. "Oh, do you now?" And shakes his head. "How long have you been having these clandestine walks?"

This makes me laugh. "You say it like I go to meet a secret lover in the woods. Please, this is nothing like that."

"So why do you do it then?" my brother demands.

"Will you have me remain in the manor feeling neglected day after day like I'm some stowaway?"

"You aren't any stowaway, Valeria."

"Yes, I know that," I say, leading us away from the beaten path. We cut through some trees and begin to head up an incline.

"We are going west."

"Yes, we are. West takes us away from the main roads, where the beauty of the cobblestone streets can be seen from afar and put in awe. My route takes us right into the villages. I don't like coming to see the people in the town here as royalty. I prefer equality. After all, we were once like them. Amongst them."

"Until Kilian decided to pluck you from us."

I say nothing to this.

"Was this what you wanted to show me?"

"Far from it, dear brother. I want to observe what is going to happen once we reach the town, and I need you to make a conclusion on it."

"This confuses me," he admits.

"As it does me," I concur.

There is no beaten path here. Just low grass kept this way by the people of the town. We get to the town, and it is as jaunty as ever. The cobblestone street is a blessing to all, as people happily move without the fear of dust. Beyond, not so much.

I put up my hood now. Beside me, Jack notices and frowns.

It doesn't take long for us to get noticed. Better clothes, and the only people who aren't engrossed in chores or gossip. From the corner of my eyes, I notice the stares. From the men and the women. Even the little children have to stop playing so that we can pass.

"Where exactly are we going, Valeria?"

"Just follow me. Are you seeing this?"

"The townspeople? Yes. But they don't stare this way. Wait, they're staring at you," and he chuckles.

"What is funny, Jack?"

He says nothing.

I turn left onto another street. There are a lot of men on this one, and they are bolder than the lots we passed.

"What's she coming to do here again?"

"Gerald doesn't listen. That's his chat mate."

"Who is Gerald?" Jack asks.

"Trust me, whoever Gerald is, he is the least of our problems."

"What problems?"

A young lad steps right in front of us, making us stop in our tracks. "Gerald isn't around today," he blurts. "Gone away."

"Where?"

"A journey. He needs to restock his pub."

"Pub?" Jack says this and steps forward. "And who are you?"

His eyes move from Jack to me and back.

"Obviously, he wants us to leave," I say.

"Is that so, lad? She's Lord Killian's bride-to-be. Which makes her free to do as and go wherever she pleases."

"She doesn't deserve him. She is not like the rest of us."

"Say that again, lad, and I'll make sure you'll have no teeth to eat your supper this night."

The lad takes a step back, and men from the sidewalk begin to form a circle around us. "Did you in any way make these people angry, Valeria?"

"It's what I wanted to show you. See? It isn't just Killian. It's the townspeople too. And they have rejected me. What do you think Killian will do? Whose side will he choose? A neglected woman or a united people?"