The Usurper's Queen | COMPLETED

12 | rose without a thorn

The plague-ridden town was at the edge of Terrawyn, and only miles ahead was Edmund's domain, the duchy of Cindertrappe. Like the town we stopped by earlier, Cindertrappe also experienced yearlong winters, with only brief springs sandwiched tightly in between. For the time being, it was snowing heavily in Cindertrappe, while at my hometown in Rhyland, way down south, it was summer.

The carriage passed by rows and rows of shops and establishments, and I could see the folks bundled up in scarves and jackets, and only the pink tips of their noses could be seen poking out. The buildings were dark and menacing, and each house was surrounded by incredibly tall and sharp fences. The tip of the fence was narrower than a needle, and I could only imagine what it would feel like if someone were to get impaled by it.

There were small carts set up on the streets, and a delicious, warm smell wafted in the air. I could see people flocking around the carts, and the vendor opened a large pot, releasing steam into the air.

"What is that man selling?" I asked Edmund, pointing at the cart.

"Ah, that. During winters, many vendors would sell hot foods, such as beef or chicken stew, porridge and sweet red bean soup. Over here, they do not crave for ice-cream like you do, Anne," he chuckled. As he spoke, the carriage grew nearer to the cart, and the smell of the braised meat and spices made my mouth water. "You should've just told me that you are hungry," he said amusedly and patted my head gently.

He then slid a small divider open and handed a few coins to the horseman, and not long after, he came back with several bowls of hot broth. We gave three to Claudie and her children, one for the horseman, and two for Edmund and I. I had been starving for two days now, as all that was available to eat was the cold, bland rations that Edmund brought with him. He had brought cheese and jam along with the wheat bread, but I could see that Claudie's children were absolutely famished and starved, so I let them eat it all.

The broth was warm and tempting, and it tasted strongly of peppercorn and ginger. It was quite gamey, but I was so hungry that I did not mind. I gulped down the hot soup in seconds, but I noticed that Edmund had not even touched it, not a single mouthful.

"You can give it to me if you don't want it," I said while nudging him, and he passed it to me with a grave expression. I gave him a concerned look, and asked, "What's wrong Edmund?"

"I must halt our trades with Terrawyn as soon as possible. I don't want the plague to reach my people, Anne," he sighed while pinching his nose bridge. "I shall send word to your father that you are safe, but I cannot let you return to the capital yet. I must make sure that you are not infected, Anne. In fact, I won't let any of my people leave. It is too dangerous."

"Then, for how long shall I stay here?" I asked.

"A month at most. But you do not need to worry, Anne. I will make sure that you will be very comfortable here," he assured, but I already stopped caring when I heard the word 'month'.

"A month? What will I tell my father then?" I panicked and buried my face in my hands. My reputation would be ruined then, and Lisbeth and Corinne would rejoice at my destruction.

"I am your betrothed, Anne. I'll just say that I wanted to show you around here before we are wed," Edmund chuckled. I then noticed that he lied a lot, although most of his lies are intended to protect me. But what if one day he lies to implicate me?

In the late evening, we finally arrived at Sterling Castle, where Edmund had resided for the past fifteen years of his life. The castle was fairly new and built in the gothic style of the past century. The stone walls were vividly white, the arches tall and looming, and there were massive windows spread all over the walls. It was very different compared to our own Winterbourne Castle down south, which was warm and airy, with small man-made pools and surrounded by flower beds, handpicked from the finest breeds.