Wild Strawberries

Isabelle rode a horse for hours in a wind and showers. She spoke to the guard accompanying her. At first, he was hesitant to speak to her but soon he spoke of his wife and kids that waited for him at home, and how he decided to be a knight one day and got recruited. Isabelle listened to his sorry attentively which made the man very keen to share more and more.

Hours have passed and Isabelle finally reached the city that the botanist might have spoken of. She found the healer and enquired about the plant.

"I do not have it." He replied which shattered the last of Isabelle's hopes. "If you need it desperately, I can get it in three days."

"Can you?" Isabelle's eyes glimmered again.

"Certainly."

"Please, sir."

"Come back in three days and I will have it. It'll cost you."

Isabelle bit her lip in thought.

"How much?"

"A gold coin and two silvers."

The price was exceptionally high. A worry that she was being scammed passed though her mind. She thought carefully about her next words.

"Sir, I will only pay once I have a plant."

"It is hardly worth my effort to get it with nothing upfront."

"I understand. I will give you my hairpin today, and in three days you will have the coins in its place, but only if there's a plant. I need it whole." Isabelle took out a golden hairpin which was worth about half the demanded price.

"You drive a hard bargain."

"We have a deal."

"We do." He agreed as he checked the hairpin.

Isabelle left the cold Northern town with satisfaction, but also a worry as to how she was going to get that plant and escape Annette, again.

By the time she was reaching the castle, the night has set. She entered quietly with the guard after returning Midnight to the stables. She was worried that Cassian was going to jump out at any given time. But he didn't. She was climbing up the stairs when someone else startled her.

"I thought you run off." Samuel grumbled.

"No." Isabelle shook her head. "It was a little further away than I anticipated."

"Myself and Matilda, we covered your back. His highness was told that you were in the city."

"Thank you." Isabelle sighed with relief. She didn't anticipate either of them to do so. They were, after all, Cassian's servants. They were loyal to him.

"Did you get it?"

"No." Isabelle looked disappointed. "I found a person who will have it in three days but I'm worried that I will not be able to collect it. Not without getting noticed."

"Tell me where and who and I will get it."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes. For a small price, of course."

"What is it?"

"A sparring session."

"Once I get my plant." Isabelle rolled her eyes.

"That's a deal."

"Thank you, Samuel."

"No worries. Good night."

"Good night." She run up to her chamber excitedly as the few lamps flickered by.

What Samuel didn't say was that Matilda didn't have a single objection to hide Isabelle's absence because she so hoped that finally Cassian and Isabelle's relationship can bloom with her caring for him. It felt like a positive sign. Samuel wasn't as excited for it to be a possibility, but he was happy that he could do something to please Isabelle and which didn't harm Cassian.

Isabelle's mood improved up until she walked past Cassian's chamber. That's when she remembered the lack of the wedding ring on his finger and a ban on the trades. But she had time to think about it and she devised a plan.

As the morning came, Isabelle had breakfast with Annette and Cassian through which she remained silent. Her focus was still on Cassian's bare finger and his cough that didn't seem to ease off.

After breakfast, Annette was keen on a slow morning and doing the embroidery.

"Do you think we will have beans for lunch?" Annette asked with a scoff. The new diet was clearly bothering her.

"The last few months before harvest are difficult and if mismanaged can lead to famish." Isabelle replied as she embroidered baby's breaths into a silk handkerchief. Annette was embroidering something else beside her. It was one of the few activities Isabelle didn't mind.

"Well, yes, but aren't we in the castle?"

"Indeed." Isabelle nodded.

"I so wish for a luxurious dessert or a steak."

"You know, now is a perfect time to harvest wild strawberries up in the Galbore's mountains. They're truly luxurious and only few can ever have them." Isabelle mumbled. "Perhaps, they should think about importing food from other kingdoms to fill in the gaps?"

"Wild strawberries? Never heard of such a thing!"

"They are sweet and slightly tangy, and honestly, better than the beans."

"Interesting." Annette looked up at Isabelle. "What are you stitching?"

"Flowers."

"Oh, that's good. The white thread looks lovely on the blue satin."

"Thank you."

"After lunch we shall read more prose."

"Of course."

Isabelle was curious where her new plan was going and whether it will come into fruition. She was surprised that it worked as quickly as it did.

At lunch, she sat at far end of the table, eating a meal made of beans and root vegetables.

"Cassian, I had an interesting conversation with her highness earlier."

"Yes?" Cassian looked interested at Annette.

"Apparently, there's now a season for wild strawberries in Galbore. I have never eaten them."

"Adeline, do you like them?" Cassian turned to Isabelle which surprised her.

"Yes, I do, your highness." She answered honestly.

"Her highness has said that they're sweet and delicious. How I wish I could try one."

"I see." Cassian studied Isabelle as she was focused on her plate. She looked up and caught him glancing at her. He seemed to be contemplating something.

After lunch, Isabelle was given a short break to give Annette some time to prepare the next lesson. She slowly made her way to the room they used for lessons.

"Your highness." Samuel sounded behind her.

"Oh, Sir Asselin." Isabelle turned around realising that Samuel was cautious of how he spoke to her with maids down the corridor.

"I have had an interesting question this afternoon that I am yet to answer. I thought you might know the answer though."

"Me?" Isabelle furrowed her brows.

"Perhaps, could you tell me where one could find wild strawberries?"

"Well, one could find them up the Galbore mountains. Galbore is the only place in the world that has them."

"That's sneaky." Samuel whisperers with a smile as he saw through Isabelle's plan instantly. "Thank you, your highness. I will inform his majesty as soon as possible." Samuel finished loudly, bowing his head respectfully and leaving. Isabelle smiled behind him. Her plan was working.

She suspected that a single query or question from Annette will get Cassian to buckle eventually. She didn't expect it to reach Samuel yet.

Somehow, this made prose and poetry, which was as dry as a desert, a bit more bearable.