Chapter 2

This time they sat around my fire, restoked to life, keeping a distance from my pallet. They ate and joked and paid me no heed.

“Ah, the priestess is awake, and not nude to my disappointment.” One of the men rose and I recognized him as the man with Lady Allison.

Not understanding what was happening I, nevertheless, rose and began to gather my things.

“No, no,” the man took them from me, “Come, break your fast with us, I have a proposition for you.”

I counted fifteen soldiers plus the lord. I could still dance out of this. So I nodded and let him lead me to the fire.

I recognized Robert and the other men that woke me the previous morning. Robert nodded his head in recognition.

After settling me with a portion of rabbit and broth, the lord sat across from me and stared at me like I was an exotic animal.

“You slept quite soundly, not very safe for a pretty woman like you, all alone.”

“No one dares touch a Priestess of Mauta,” the words were out before I remembered I was in a foreign land.

The man sat back, “You were protected then? Your country’s laws protected your order?” I didn’t understand, the confusion must have shown on my face because he continued, “The law didn’t allow men to touch you?”

“Law?” My voice cracked. “Men did not touch us because it would be death to do so, we need no law to enforce fact.”

Now he looked confused but the emotion was fleeting as he smiled again, “What’s your name?”

“Isn’t it polite to introduce yourself first? Unless you are claiming me as your prisoner?” I swallowed a mouthful of rabbit. The meat quite tender for having been made at camp by a bunch of soldiers.

He laughed, “Quite so, I guess our nations do have some similarities after all. I am Matheas--”

“Prince Matheas of the Empire of Sol, third born of King Tyrell,” Robert cut in.

“No need to bore her with the details,” the prince snarled.

I realized the Lady had referred to him as “Your Highness”, still it made no difference to me. “I am Kaela.”

“Kaela, beautiful name,” Matheas was all smiles again.

I finished my breakfast, “Your proposal?”

“Ah, yes, I propose we travel together, you’ve nowhere to go so why not come see the capitol? We travel fast and safe and…” he looked around, his eyes landing on the stew pot, “we’ll feed you.”

The offer was a blessing since I was not trained to survive off the land but I had to ask, “Why?”

Matheas blinked, “Because they’re a bore,” he swept his arm at his men, “And female company is always entertaining, you especially.”

“Okay,” I said simply and went to finish packing.

Matheas didn’t move right away. Then he burst into a smile, “Okay, she says. I guess that means you’ll grace us with your company?”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I turned around, ready to go. “Yes, are we leaving?”

The men walked for hours, even though they had horses. Their pace was fast enough for me to struggle. Matheas walked beside me pretending not to notice that they’ve slowed down a third time because of me.

“Let’s take a break, lunch sounds good.” He signaled Robert who called out orders.

I sighed in relief as I sat down on the only tree stump in the clearing. A couple of the men dragged a large branch for seating. Plopping it next to me, Matheas sat down. The men worked fast, building a fire, setting up their supplies to cook lunch. Some even went in search of more rabbit or squirrel to cook up. Robert barely had to call any orders at all.

Still my legs burned with the exercise.

“For someone to so easily take on two guards but to have such low stamina,” Matheas smiled as if that meant he was prying any less.

“The Islands are not so vast and it doesn’t take so long to dance with two partners.” I rose to start a series of stretches to ease the tension built up from walking in my feet, calves, and thighs.

Matheas’s eyes widened while Robert smacked some heads to turn away.

“What, pray tell, are you doing now?” Matheas asked.

I was bent over, right foot in front of the left, my forehead touching my right knee. I breathed deeply feeling the back of my thigh release, my calf stretch to its limit.

When I moved the left in front of the right, I answered, “I see you don’t stretch here either. It’s not so surprising then that the guards’ range of motion was limited.”

“Stretching?” But that was all he said while I finished the full set.

After he brought lunch over much to Robert’s chagrin. No doubt here, leadership also rarely served themselves much less others.

He kept watching me throughout the meal but blessedly stayed silent.

Once everyone ate, we repacked and moved out again.

“Would you show me this ‘stretching’?” For some reason Matheas blushed when he asked.

“Stretching is not sexual,” I replied.

The blush deepened as he held up his hands, “Of course not, you were moving muscle, correct? I could see that,” he mumbled the last part, his eyes shifting away from me.

“Then yes, if you wish,” I sighed, hoping it would just be him and not a spectacle for the men.

We walked for several more hours before camping for the night. The sun was still up so I didn’t know if we camped out of consideration for me or because we found a good camping spot.

Again, the prince watched me eat. It didn’t stop me.

“How long till we get to the capitol?” I asked needing the staring to be over.

“At our pace?” He seemed to think deeply, “About three more days—or three more nights more like.”

So the fourth night everyone would get to spend in their own beds.

I nodded and finished eating. Taking out my bedroll, I lay down and proceeded to sleep.

The next three days were much like the first one. Except Matheas insisted on doing stretches with me. The first time I touched him to correct his posture he jumped. The men snickered and Robert smacked them.

“You have a very...sure touch.” I obviously hurt Matheas’s pride.

“I’ve been doing this my whole life, it is as natural as breathing.” His insecurities were not my problem.

He stuck with it though and by the third day a few other brave souls joined the stretching sessions. I helped one stretch out his sore neck and another get a “kink” out of his back. Both became quick converts to daily stretching.

At dawn on the final day, a giant wall appeared on the horizon. I sighed. I was definitely far from home. The men’s demeanor seemed to relax and re-energize at the same time. They picked up their pace though it was probably another several hours of walking to get to the gate.

The men chatted about what they would do once they got home. I envied them. They would see their families and friends soon and I couldn’t be farther away from mine.

Matheas walked close to me, “Will you come see the castle? Once I report to Father, I can show you around the city.”

The last four days were exhausting enough. I shook my head, “No, I think it is best if we go our separate ways.”

He frowned, “This isn’t like the port city. While we get travelers here it is far rarer and they are mostly seasoned merchants that abide by our customs.”

Basically I would stand out like a sore thumb, again. Before I could reply Matheas called Robert over.

“Your sister is a dressmaker, correct?”

“Yes, sire.”

“Can you introduce Kaela to her? Maybe she can help her figure out an attire that wouldn’t stand out so much.”

“No, it’s okay,” I tried to stop him.

“Tell her to bill me,” Matheas ignored me, while Robert turned to me, “No, he’s right, you do not wish the same misunderstanding to happen again.”

But I would never wear a dress like the Lady gave me.

“There’s no harm in meeting her, is there?” Matheas patted my shoulder.

I couldn’t argue with that so I stopped trying.