𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 ✔

Chapter Twenty-Nine

The first two of the four long days it took to get to the summer palace were mind-numbingly boring, despite having such wonderful company.

By the middle of the second day, we had all run out of things to talk about. Leaving nothing but extensive bouts of silence, occasionally interrupted by one of us asking the coachman to pull over so that we might relieve ourselves in the woods.

At night, we stopped at inns, that had been chosen and paid for in advance by the queen, to eat, sleep, and change. Then we'd continue on our way after breakfast, lunch was small and enjoyed in the carriage, though it was hard to enjoy anything whilst bumping consistently and almost dropping everything I tried to eat.

Watching the landscape go from large hills and thick forest to lumpy plains with the occasional wooded areas, then back to forest again, was delightfully awe-inspiring in its own right. I had never traveled before I and Cordelia ventured to the palace, and even then, I thought that ride was lengthy.

But, after spending four days in a carriage, I understood just how disappointed those who had been sent home on day one had felt. Many traveled a week or more to participate in the Courting, only to be immediately disqualified and forced right back in their carriage to make the same awful trek back home.

When us suitresses departed, all of the carriages left the spring palace at the same time. We traveled in a convoy of sorts, with several guard details positioned throughout to protect us from bandits and kidnappers alike.

However, the weather was one of those things that no one could have predicted.

On the morning of the third day, a thick fog rolled in just before we were set to enter one of the larger forests in the area. The air was so muggy that we all refrained from drinking to keep from having to open the carriage door. Attempting to avoid letting in too much humidity into the already warm box.

"I hate to have to open the door, but I really need to relieve myself." I finally announced after desperately trying to hold it in for an hour.

"Don't be, I'm just glad I am not the only one." Sheera laughed, "I'll ask the coachman to pull over."

After the carriage came to a halt, I climbed out as quickly as I possibly could, Sheera followed in toe.

"Do either of you need to go?" Sheera asked one last time.

"No, I will be fine for several more hours." Merona smiled.

"As will I." Rheda shooed her cousin, "Quickly shut the door, it is already warm enough in here."

"We will be back in no more than five minutes. If we haven't, do not hesitate to send someone after us." Sheera's tone shifted, sending a chill down my spine.

"Of course." Rheda's expression hardened.

Sheera shut the carriage door and we quickly made our way into the thick forest, just far enough from the road not to be visible to the other carriages as they passed by.

She chose her tree, and I chose mine. The embarrassment of relieving oneself in the forest wore off after the third time of doing it. Though, it was really difficult not to get piss on the skirt of my dress, with it splashing and all.

Just after I had hiked up my dress to a reasonable height not to get it filthy, and began, I heard what sounded like footsteps approaching me from the direction Sheera went.

"You've already finished?" I laughed, "You must teach me how to relieve myself as fast as you."

Off in the distance, Sheera's voice echoed, "What are you on about? I just started."