♤♡The HALFLING Heir◇♧

Chapter 5: What's West

The western sea air tasted like salt and smoke, and the stern, foamy waves clapped back at the hull of the Dongfang vessel. Jennie sat pondering on the bow of the ship all dressed in brilliant soft Eastern green, her Tai silks and hair beating against the strong winds. She looked beautiful, she knew, she could see it in the stable men's eyes when she passed by and she saw it in the sailors too this morning.

It had been a year since that bear attacked her and Lisa but it feels like it hadn't been long at all, absentmindedly tracing the darkish white linings of scars on her thighs. Her only imperfection. An eternal reminder of the animal that gave it to her and the girl who took her away from death.

"You seem to be deep in thought, miss..." A deep voice called, startling the noble out of her meditation. Jennie turned around to meet a tall boy dressed like a footman waving his flat cap at her. "The other guys told me not to approach you but I was in need of some good company, all they ever talk about is rum and women." He said, taking a seat on the spot next to her. He seemed harmless enough and he just kept on smiling showing off his dimples. "Sorry if I was rude to interrupt your alone time, but I'm RM."

"I'm Jennie Ruby Jane Kim. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. RM." She replied, happy to have someone to talk to who seemed to speak decent Westen.

"Please, don't be so formal. I'll call you Jennie and you can just call me RM, a working lad from Kyto." He said, smiling as he lent Jennie his cap to keep her hair from messing but only messed it up some more.

"Kyto... So you're from the East as well? But RM doesn't sound like a Taito name." Jennie pointed out, playing with the loose threads of the hat.

"It isn't, in the east they called me Kim Namjoon. But I've been to and from the West so much that I decided to make a simpler name for myself. For the Westens to remember. I just developed a soft spot for it until I kept on using it.How about you? What's taking you west, Ojou?"

"You said no formalities, right?" Jennie teased the boy by nudging him on the shoulder. "This is my second time coming to Werston. I'm tasked to improve East-West relations, they want me to make friends with the Western royals before they present a treaty."

"Sounds boring. But I bet it's important." RM yawns, catching a splash of sea water and immediately scrunching up his face. "cough* It's getting pretty rough out here. Let's get you inside, Jen." He said, ushering the young miss away from the waves that were getting taller by the minute. Jennie nods following the boy below decks thankful that he distracted her from yet another pity session.

Look at her, making new friends already.

"Ah, Lady Jennie Ruby Jane Kim. It's our pleasure to welcome you to the Wersterschire palace, m'lady. Please follow me, the Prince and his Lords are on the race track this afternoon. They will meet with you shortly. The Queen instructed that you and your courtiers be led to the drawing room." A middle aged man in a taut blue coat said, giving her a low bow. Jennie is sure she's met him before, that annoying moustache seems too familiar.

Wow, Jennie thinks. These Werston servants are so formal. But that Prince's behavior of not meeting her arrival with her presence somehow irked her. She's met a handful of arrogant nobles before and she knew just how to deal with idiots like these.

"Hmm. It's a pleasure to meet you too, so where is it?" She asked, taking off her summer shawl brightly taking in the pleasant Westen weather. The weather was glorious and the air smelled fragrant despite the factories she saw by the shores as their G-Dragon boat passed. She preferred the Middlend summers nonetheless.

"To the drawing room, m'lady?"

"No, not quite. But you can take them." She responds, raising her hand towards RM and the other servant boys carrying her luggage. "But you can direct me to that racing track you mentioned and uh... a horse will be great." Jennie says, giving him a tight lipped smile making RM stifle a giggle.