Holding the front of her dress, Heidi placed her foot down from the carriage. The Duke’s man stood holding the door for her, his tall and bulky frame making her feel small as she passed in front of him.

She had reached the eastern empire, Bonelake and the dull weather and grey sky didn’t help the anxiousness that built in her chest. The Duke’s man dipped his hand in his jacket pocket to pull a piece of paper. Reading what was written in it, he asked her to follow him and they began to walk on the wet moist ground.

Reading what was written in it, he asked her to follow him and they began to walk on the wet moist ground

Heidi noticed that there were no water patches yet the mud beneath her shoe felt loose and soaked. Perhaps it had rained not too long ago, she thought to herself. She couldn’t deny that there was just something melancholic about this place; as if the melancholy had been stubbed behind this beautiful scenery.

Howard had warned her to be careful which conflicted with what she had heard about the Bonelake empire. Though she lived a life of a frog in a well that didn’t mean she hadn’t tried knowing what was there beyond the life she led with the Curtis’. She had heard good things about all the Lords until now, be it the west, north, south or east. The south Lord was a middle-aged lord, therefore, she didn’t hear much about him from the women she got the information from. Their lord was a man who was in his early forties who kept his work close to himself, he was quiet by nature.

Seeing the guard suddenly stop, she halted, seeing him looked around while a crow that had perched itself on a tree cawed. It didn’t seem like they were in a town but instead, they had stopped at the outskirts of the main town of Bonelake. There was hardly anyone in sight and when she did spot a man he happened to disappear into the thicket of trees.

Distracted by the cawing of the crow, she turned to look at it. By the size of it, it was a small one and it seemed like it was observing them just like she was observing it. Hearing the sound of a distant carriage she whirled her head to see a brown one head towards them but when it came towards them, it didn’t stop and instead went past them. After a few minutes another one came, this time the carriage was black in colour along with four black horses heading towards them.

Her adoptive family had let her go by herself, alone in a land where she knew no one. Only God knew what kind of people she would meet in this unfamiliar land. She had thought she could escape from this reality, free herself if possible from the clutches of people who dominated her life but here she was going to be a political bridge to keep an agreeable truce between the north and the eastern empire. A marriage she wasn’t keen on but this was the crashing reality with what she would have to live with. Life could get worse if she took a miscalculated step, thrown back to a place which she feared.

Seeing the carriage stop, the Duke’s guard asked turning to her,

“I hope you have your envelope which master Scathlok entrusted you with, Ms Curtis?”

“Yes,” Heidi replied clutching the envelope in her hand along with her dress.

She wanted to run away but she was sure she wouldn’t be able to go too far with the Duke’s guard around her right now. A young looking coachman got down from his seat and came to where both Heidi and the guardsman stood. He had long blonde hair that was tied into a pony with a black ribbon.

“Ms Curtis?” the coachman asked her and she nodded her head feeling her heart begin to beat again due to nervousness. The coachman then looked around to see if there was any luggage before he spoke, “If you could follow me to the carriage milady,” he bowed at her.

Her hands tightened in protest but she walked towards the open door which the coachman had opened for her. Inhaling air, she got inside the posh carriage and she heard the coachman speak politely to the Duke’s man.

“I am sorry Sir, but this will be all from your end. I’ll be the one to take the lady to see the Lord.”

“I have ordered from my master to stay with the lady until I see she is completely safe,” the guardsman stated looking at the coachman in front of him with narrowed eyes.

“And I have mine to obey,” the coachman replied promptly.

“But the lady-”

“Please, Sir. I insist you leave the lady in my care .” Heidi saw the coachman’s lips set into a firm line, keeping his tone polite as before, “The orders are very clear and I am to take only the lady from here. I assure you the lady will reach the Lord’s mansion safely and no harm would be brought to her,” to end his words, the man then bowed his head, closing the door of the carriage and went to sit in the spot to get the horses ready while leaving the Duke’s man standing at the side with a grim expression.

Heidi didn’t dare to take a look at the man outside the carriage knowing he already had his eyes fixed on her and she was thankful when the carriage had finally started. On the way, she felt herself sink and now that the guard wasn’t around her, she wondered if it was possible to escape. Who knew, this would be the only opportunity she thought to herself but the question was if she would be successful. Luckily for her, before they could reach the Lord’s mansion the coachman made a small stop at a town which was on the way to pick a small package from a local man.

“Um, excuse me? I… actually need to,” Heidi said looking at the coachman uncomfortably.

“If you could hold on until we reach the mansion-”

“Please,” she pleaded, eyes strained on him. The man stood there quiet until a sigh left his lips.

“There’s a local inn here which has the facility which is right there,” he pointed his finger towards a worn out building, “Let me take you there,” he said beginning to head there.

“That’s alright! I can manage that myself,” she said quickly walking behind and saw him smile.

“This particular town might not suit your taste, milady. Do not worry. For precautionary reasons, I will wait here outside until you are back,” he replied as they reached the inn, “You’ll find the room if you walk straight and then take a right.”

“Thank you,” she murmured and when she stepped inside the inn, she understood what the coachman actually meant.

It looked nothing like an inn! It was more like a local public house where drinks were served to the men. The strong stench of alcohol invaded her nose. Her head down, and not making any eye contact with any customers, she walked straight as the coachman had instructed her. She felt odd walking in the middle of the ragged men with her expensive dress. The place had quietened down as the people in the room watched her make her way. When she reached the end she realized this place had no backdoor and the only entrance and exit was the place she had come from.

Locking herself in the bathroom, she covered her nose because of the smell. She closed her eyes in despair, unable to think what else to do. It seemed like she had stayed there for far too long thinking about her escape when she heard a knock on the other side of the door.

“Ms Curtis, are you alright?”

“Ah, yes,” she replied closing her eyes before she opened the door to see a worried look on the coachman’s face, “I am sorry for making you wait,” she apologized.

“You needn’t apologize, miss. It had been twenty minutes since you stepped into this place and I was worried that something might have happened. Shall we go then?” he asked, showing his hand on the way to the exit and she nodded walking back to the carriage.

“How long until we reach the mansion?” she asked him.

“It should take less than half an hour,” he replied standing next to the carriage looking behind her and she turned around to see a mansion far from where they were which looked small.