Once Prince Kelton could leave Palion City, he did. The pull toward Pride Town had started to fluctuate. The change triggered the anxiousness he was already battling with after being stuck in Palion City for almost an entire month because the snow continued to come. His frustration wasn’t waning with the work he did to help out those that lived in Palion City and, when night came, his heart felt like a giant was crushing it.
The roads were far from clear, but he needed to make any and all progress toward reaching Pride Town. The road conditions turned what would have been a one week journey into one and a half. He no longer bothered to listen to the gossip in the various villages, towns, and cities because he felt an even stronger drive to reach Pride Town. Something was going on with Lady Iredys or with the Dragonwoman and he felt like he was running out of time, that if anything more delayed him, he’d be too late.
Darkness had fallen once more and Prince Kelton called for camp to be set up. Despite his command, he remained on his horse and kept his attention on the road still ahead of them. He had sped through Hoff Town instead of stopping there for the night, just to appease himself by being a few more miles down the road. Only now that he’d called for a stop, he was feeling all the more desirous to keep going. His horse shifted under him, responding to his angst as the desire to keep going gradually grew stronger.
They were only a few days away from reaching Pride Town, provided the roads had cleared up some more and the last decrease in the pull, which had lasted quite a bit longer than usual, wasn’t the sign that he was too late. He was on the verge of kicking his horse into a gallop when he felt the reins pull in his hand. He looked down to see Sir Hamnet holding the reins as his horse stilled.
“Dinner is ready, My Lord,” he said.
Prince Kelton shook his head. He didn’t want to eat. He wanted to ride. He wanted to know what was causing the pull to fluctuate so dramatically.
“Please,” Sir Hamnet said.
Clenching his jaw, Prince Kelton dismounted. He left his horse with Sir Hamnet and entered his tent. He didn’t even bother taking off his boots as he lay on top of his bedding. Tears of frustration and exhaustion slid down his face. He wanted to find what was pulling at him. He needed to find out what it was. His tired and burning eyes fluttered shut before he fell into a restless sleep.
Iredys stood before him once more. Her belly was very distended with her pregnancy. A young man came out of the cottage behind her. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her deeply. She returned his kiss, leaning into the security of his embrace. He rubbed her hip and the side of her belly. His hand rose to the necklace holding the seven semi-precious stones. He lifted and kissed the diamond before kissing Iredys once more.
“I love you,” Iredys murmured to the man.
“No!” Prince Kelton screamed as he woke.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty, are you alright?” Sir Fran asked.
Prince Kelton shook his head. Trying to erase the dream from his mind, but the images remained. The gentle softness of Iredys’ voice as she confessed her love to another man pierced his heart. He needed to get to Pride Town. Grabbing his boots, Prince Kelton jammed his feet into them. He grabbed his saddle and reins from beside the entrance of his tent as Sir Houton and Sir Thomas stepped in.
“Prince Kelton?” Sir Houton asked.
He brushed past his two knights as he left his tent. He ran to his horse. He tied the saddle on swiftly, making sure it wasn’t too tight for his steed. He secured the reins, checked the saddle once last time before mounting his steed and racing off into the twilight. The sounds of his knights’ shouts were lost to the wind. Prince Kelton could barely see the road in front of him. Still, he ran his horse. His mind registered, but did not register, the road. The image of Iredys kissing another man still burned the back of his eyes. The tears that started to form stung his eyes burned as he struggled to keep them from spilling down his cheeks.
She can’t have married someone else! She can’t have forgotten him! She would have come back. Someone would have surely sent him word of her return or appearance, even if she didn’t remember fully. His horse slowed to a canter, its sides heaving from having to run in the frosty morning air. Prince Kelton’s tears streamed down his face. His chest felt tight. His head was throbbing from the pressure behind his eyes. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he did not hear the hoofbeats approaching him from behind.
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He only turned when Sir Droyn slowed to a canter beside him. Prince Kelton tried to wipe the tears from his face, but the snot running down his face and the spotted red ring around his eyes gave away his tears.
“Has the feeling vanished completely, My Lord?” Sir Droyn asked, concerned.
Prince Kelton took a deeper breath to try and steady his heart. “No,” he croaked. “No. It is strong right now, but….”
“Then it is good. Do not despair just yet. With how much clearer the roads are, if we pace ourselves well today, we can reach Pride Town by tomorrow evening.”
He nodded.
Prince Kelton was grateful that it had been Sir Droyn who caught up to him first. Had it been any other knight, with the exception of Sir Hamnet, he would have been forced to slow down or stop and wait for the rest of his knights to catch up. A delay that would guarantee that he be forced to endure a third day of fluctuating drive and heightened desire. Something that would have already been impossible to endure if not for Sir Droyn and Sir Hamnet keeping the atmosphere light and encouraging.
He was just starting to feel confident in being able to reach Pride Town for answers when the strength of the drive waned again. The horses had not rested for long, but that didn’t stop Prince Kelton from kicking his horse up to a gallop again. Sir Droyn stayed with him to the best of his horse’s ability. The horses didn’t run for very long before they needed to slow to a walk again. Prince Kelton pressed his lips together. The drive felt so familiar now, but it was still foreign. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought someone had drugged him, and had continued to drug him, for this feeling to remain so strong for so long.
Shaking his head at his thoughts, he finally pulled some dried meat rations from one of his saddle bags. He and Sir Droyn ate and drank a little while the horses walked. When they were finished, they increased their pace—hovering between a trot and a canter. They stopped only once to let the horses get some water before continuing on. If they timed their ride well, they could reach Malaou City by nightfall; but even if they did not reach Malaou City, it would not be impossible to reach Pride Town by the following evening.
Prince Kelton and Sir Droyn arrived in Pride Town a couple hours after dark. The small town was quiet and most of the lights were out in the houses. As Prince Kelton walked his horse past the cottages near the edge of town, he couldn’t help but stop and stare at the one on the very end. He was puzzled when he felt the drive that had brought him here shift directions. Sir Droyn turned his horse and returned to Prince Kelton’s side when he noticed he had stopped.
“I heard whispers of a Seer here in Pride Town as we passed through Shounto Village,” Sir Droyn said. “Do you…?”
He stopped when Prince Kelton walked his horse back toward the cottage. The curtains had been pulled shut, but a very faint glow could be seen on the window seal. He hated to disturb people’s rest, but the pull had calmed in a way he had not experienced before as he stopped in front of the cottage. He looked at the place. The walls and roof looked sturdy under the thick layer of snow. None of the windows were broken, though the cloth covering the windows looked faded. Prince Kelton observed the cottage a little longer before he finally dismounted.
Sir Droyn followed suit. Prince Kelton raised the hood of his cloak to cast a shadow over his face. Sir Droyn did the same as Prince Kelton knocked firmly on the door. He could hear no movement inside, but not long after he knocked a black haired woman opened the door a crack. Her eyes held caution as she silently observed him and Sir Hamnet.
“Is the Seer in?” Prince Kelton asked.
The woman turned her head to look behind her before turning back to him. She held up one of her fingers to get him to wait then closed the door.
“She is cautious, but open,” Sir Droyn observed softly.
“But is she really a Seer?” Prince Kelton wondered quietly.
The two of them waited another moment before the black haired woman opened the door a crack once more. She handed Prince Kelton a piece of paper.
Prince Kelton accepted the paper then tipped it so he could see what it said.
‘Apologies, good sir. She is in a deep sleep and will not awaken until morning. Please come back then.’
He frowned. “Is there any way I can see her tonight?”
The woman shook her head then pointed to the note in his hands.
“Do you not speak because the Seer is sleeping?”
The woman with black hair looked down, a sadness crossing her face as she shook her head.
“You are mute?” Sir Droyn asked.
She turned to him then nodded once.
Prince Kelton held up the paper she handed him. “Thank you. We will return tomorrow.”
The dark haired woman nodded then closed the door once more.
The two of them did not leave right away. Prince Kelton turned away from the door and looked at the neatly written words on the paper.
“Do you think she is the Seer?” Sir Droyn asked.
“No.” Prince Kelton stepped off the porch and mounted his horse once more. “There is indeed someone else here.”
Sir Droyn nodded. He mounted his horse as well before the two of them headed further into town to get rooms at the Eagle Inn.