Harvi

Chapter-21

Harvi's p.o.v-

We began our journey at sunrise. I was hoping to catch up with Yulip, Kiva and the twins but Zades didn't give me the chance. He commanded me to get on the blue carriage as soon as I came out in simple clothings which Zades instructed me to wear.

His people didn't objectify, no audible gasps or murmurings heard when he helped me get on the carriage. It almost, as if they weren't flabbergasted by the weird conducting of their Second Prince. It could be because those who tried to object were quickly gotten their heads off of their shoulders.

The mere thought of his inhumane brutally made me sick to my stomach. Not only was I warming the bed of the monster of a human, I was in fact living peacefully as compared to literally anybody who was under Zades's disposal.

We travelled day and night, stopping only for quick refills of water and rest. However, the night campings were magical for those who were genuinely thrilled for the biggest celebrations of the decades, as great Emperor was turning eighty summers, on the other hand Crown Prince was finally marrying their rival's daughter of King Leander of Janeques, Irkans which will bring two of the most powerful kingdoms together, hopefully.

Since we had to again travel early in the mornings, Zades would only come to his resting tent at midnight, after checking and taking the reports of the area where we stayed for the night. He would simply hold me close to his chest. He wouldn't speak to me at all and wordlessly caressed my head. I would listen to his heart beats while sensing his discomforts. It somehow became our routine, him holding me tightly while I struggled to sleep because of the clinginess.

Though it helped me to a certain level for making me figure out that I was, in fact, not a clingy or cuddly one and I was indeed a very patient person. The traits I didn't know I possessed. I woke up to an empty bed and messy bun. I sighed, Zades picked up a strange habit of playing with my hair that always seemed to end up more tangled after every time he was done making a messy hairdo.

The Islands only have a limited amount of land whilst covered with an endless amount of ocean. I have never been to villages after villages, it stunned me when I got to know there's actually lots of land as well. Ocean never put me on edge before, but land does. It did fascinate me though to see new sceneries and new climates whenever we crossed from villages to small towns and new territories. The power Zades held over the lands were both unsettling and incredible.

It shocked me on seeing the amount of influence and command he held over various races. Furthermore, the lands did have me on edge as every once in a while I would hear screeching sounds to sharp groanings. The forests were forbidden during the nights, we had to seek refugees to towns and villages boundaries. Zades didn't want to attract any unwanted attention, as the whole country was going to Qagghar, Zades made sure to have less convoy at his side.

People were already attracted to him like bees to a honeycomb. They were trying to follow their Second Prince but he was way whip-smart, he knew how to dodge the crowd. He would take the boundaries instead of open roads. He wasn't travelling in his robes but in a simple shirt, black pants and a hooded cloak to conceal his appearance. His white hair pulled neatly in a bun and under the hood.

I felt my carriage suddenly come to a halt. I slide the curtains to take a look. We were standing in the middle of a rough, mucky road. The trail afterwards became narrower. The trees rose higher up in the sky, indicating that we, indeed, were about to go through the passage of forest. The path seemed sketchy, too dull and had a distant foul smell covering the surrounding area.

"Miss, we are ordered to leave the carriage." Orvel, who was standing beside the open door with head tilted down to hear what the guard had to say.

I nodded wordlessly. I was tightly covered with a woollen cloak and put the hood on to conceal my face. I dragged my foot on the spiky ground, not trying to step on suspicious goo and brown-grey sludge. The noises, this time were intense and not easily missable.