GLADIUS // Eret X Reader

3

You didn't wait to dive into preparing for the journey - political trips were always more drama than they were worth, but now with the war as a backdrop for this embassy the stakes were higher than you were comfortable with. There were cultural customs to be read up on, and kingdom history, and you had to practice the king's address that he had written up, just to make sure you fully understood what he wanted from this.

Not to mention the actual packing and planning for the trip itself. Picking what you needed to bring with you was always a struggle - not helped by the fact that your mind had this annoying habit of going, 'well, what if we need that pair of shoes and we don't have them?'. Even with the help of a few of the maids, it was still an effort to get everything paired down to just two bags.

It was three days after your meeting that you met your military escort - a young man named Simon from one of the smaller villages down south, who had been assigned as you escort as a sort of redemption mission. You recognized him vaguely - he was the captain who had been sent after the Totem map and returned empty handed. You weren't surprised that he had gotten assigned to something as low-ranking as this, but you were glad to have him anyway.

He introduced himself with a knock on your door one morning, and you opened it to find him standing at attention, blonde curls neatly tied back into a low tail, dressed in uniform. He stooped into a quick bow when you opened the door. "Y/N." He greeted formally. "My name is Simon of Marram, and I have been assigned to escort you across the eastern border."

"Ah." You said, smiling politely as he stood back up from his bow. "You're my escort then."

Simon nodded. "It is an honor."

You chatted with Simon for a while - letting him do all the formal introduction bits about his credentials and things, while you were more concerned with whether or not he would be good company on the ride over. For someone who had earned the king's disapproval enough to be removed from his ship, he seemed like a nice man, and you were happy to have him on the journey.

Just knowing that there was someone nearby who knew their way around a sword was a comfort - you were nervous about this journey in the first place.

It was another three days since Simon introduced himself before it was time to go, and you found yourself making your way out of the castle in the early morning, heading towards the palace stables to get on the road. Everything had been loaded onto a pair of horses the night before - meaning you could get on the road right away.

You did your best to just enjoy the early morning birdsong, but as you walked you couldn't help but feel a little more nervous after each step. It wasn't every day you got sent as an embassy to plead for help during a time of war, and the support you earned from this could change the tide of the war. You steeled yourself as you walked into the stables though, ready for a day of riding.

You weren't expecting to see Deirdre there, chatting with Simon as they waited for you. Purple eyes flicked over to yours, and you nodded, smiling thinly. "I wasn't expecting anyone to see us off." You said.

"Well, Etienne wanted to make sure you and your escort got off alright." She said. "So I offered to see you go." Deirdre's eyes flashed, and she smiled.

You smiled back, but you could spot the true intention behind the king's want to see you off in an instant. This was a final reminder of what exactly you were going on this trip for, a pair of eyes from the king before you left, just to make sure you remembered what you were told. As if the royal address packed with your things wasn't reminder enough.

Deirdre watched as you made towards your horse, stepping up into the stirrup. "Need a hand?"

"If you don't mind." You said. Deirdre extended an arm, and you used it for support, boosting yourself into the saddle fully. She held onto you until you were secure in your seat and then she drew her arm back to herself with a smile. "Thank you." You said.

"Of course." Deirdre said, folding her arms behind her back in that formal stance you always saw the twins in. She glanced over at Simon, still smiling politely. "I wish you both the best on your travels."

Simon nodded respectfully, grabbing the reigns of his horse before turning to you. "If we leave now and keep good pace, since it's just the two of us, we might be able to make it before nightfall."

"That would be preferable." You said, taking the reigns of your own horse. It would be risky enough traveling through the countryside when pillaging tribes were attacking anything that moved - the undead creatures that the night brought would only make it worse.

"We'll be off then." Simon said, turning to nod once more at Deirdre. He spurred his horse forward into a walk, and you did the same, heading out of the stables and into the misty morning clouds.

You turned back once to wave at Deirdre as you set off, and she returned the gesture before disappearing into thin air, leaving only a few purple wisps of magic behind. You spun back around to face the road as it came, easing your horse into something more of a trot to keep up with Simon.

You really did hope you were able to make it across the eastern border before nightfall - already the low hanging mist in the air was making you nervous, thoughts of war reports about sneak attacks from pillaging tribes dancing in the corners of your mind.

You shivered, refocusing on the road. You just had to make it to the eastern border.