Kingdoms

Part 5

"when are we stopping" Braden asks with a snarl.

"You can ask the driver. I could go for a quick stretch." Says pope Norman

"Caden shrugs. Sure why not." Braden switches  her seat to the seat next to Caden  and calls for the driver to stop through the opening in the front of the cabin.

The three of them stop along the long wide winding road that they were riding to stretch their legs that were put to sleep after sitting for so long. Once the door was open, the smell of cherry blossoms and wet grass filled the cabin. Brae stepped  out followed by Caden, then pope Norman. a large, ragged looking, old stone wall towering as high as the eye can capture and going for miles each way. Caden struggles a bit to keep his balance on the way out of the cairrage but catches himself just in time to see Braden approach the large wall.

"we're almost there" pope Norman says exhaustedly

"Why is it so tall?" Brae asks placing a curious hand on the wall. Her hand sinks in as if the wall isn't even solid. "Woah" she says intrigued by the feature. She take her hand out to examine it. It's perfectly fine so she goes to do it again. "It kinda tickles" she explains. Caden smiles his crooked smile and walks up to the wall placing his hand not to far from hers. In comparison her hand is obviously much smaller than his by at least an inch or two.

"I urges you two not to do that. It's a safety feature so that no one can get through except through the one, and only one,  door.  The wall will suck you in if you let yourself go far enough. Interestingly enough There are also no pipes going  through the wall" the pope explains "inside it has its own water supply. It can hold the majority of our six kingdoms for three years in case of a disaster. it goes down two miles under ground and..." he pauses. Almost like he's catching himself.

"And?"Brae asks excitedly, starring at pope Norman intensely. Almost tripping on her way back in the carriage. Inside the carriage is black fuzzy leather seat coverings and a redwood frameing and walls. Along with a small sliding door at the front to communicate with the driver and  Windows on either side. The top is covered with silk. Elegantly patterned to fit the reddish tint of the carriage cabin

" I'll leave the other things for you to find. Some things need to be seen to be believed " the pope explains following her in, Then Caden.

Brae perks up. Her curiosity is surely peaked. She spends the majority of the rocky carriage ride starring out of the window imagining all the wonderful or horrible things she might find behind the walls, laughing at her thoughts every once in a while.

"I'm glad to see you laughing" Caden says smiling at Brae

"the wall is curious . The thought of what could be waiting for us in there  intrigues me." Brae explains

"And you have a good reason to be" pope Norman says

"Will you not give us even the slightest hint?" Brae asks shifting in her seat

Pope Norman looks back out the widow " you'll see child. Soon enough. The door is just up the road a ways"

Brae crosses her arms and looks back at the window making Caden chuckle "what's so funny?" Brae asks now aggregated at not knowing. Her attention shifts back to pope Norman. "please tell me pope Norman please" making Caden chuckle again. The pope does nothing but smile "her eyes become filled with determination. Caden sits back and relaxes while watches her get restless.

"Do you not like surprises anymore?" Caden asks. "You used to love surprises"

"I don't prefer them. I like to know.  and when I don't-" Caden interrupts her

"Yes I know what happens when you don't get what you want." He says still smiling his crooked smile "You're a stubborn little thing" he whispers under his breath. The pope is sitting quietly tucked in to the corners of the cabin bobbing his head up and down almost falling asleep but being brought back by the sudden rocking of the cabin going in to potholes and over rocks.

Brae gasps,  her attention shifts to the window "were here!" She yells waking up the pope. He jumps and makes a small grunt sound. Caden jumps and the squeal of brae's voice. "Gets up! We're here!" She squeals again, hitting Caden's leg as hard as she can. He puts his hand on his leg and breaths in heavily

"Did my eyes look closed to you?" He asks sarcastically now dizzy from watching Brae bob up and down so quickly in her seat.

"Where here" she says again attempting to hold back her excitement

" I like you better when you despised the idea of being here"he says under his breath

"What?" Brae asks

"What? Oh. Nothing" Caden says with a smile "look! were here"he says pointing toward the window and mocking her.

"Tone it down. Pope Norman says" can a man get some much needed sleep around here

Caden thinks for a second "no" he says. Brae cuts in

"we're here"  she repeats. Caden looks at Brae. We get it. He says.

"No no no you don't understand" Caden sighs

"Ok what?" He asks anticipating the answer

"We need to get out" Cade leans back in his seat.

"Why?" He asks. Caden sits in silence for a moment not breaking eye contact, then begins to speak.

"Beeccaauussee" she drags "we...are...here!" Caden puts his hand to his chin. Feeling his perfectly groomed beard with a straight face his eyes still glued  to Brae's.

"Yes very interesting indeed." He mocks again. Brae sighs and leans back in her chair too.

"Your impossible"

Caden laughs as he reaches for the door handle and signals for her to leave. "Ladies first" he says with a genuine smile. She stands abruptly flicking her chin at Caden and steps down off the carriage. Caden follows her.

"We,ll be out here pope norman." Braden says as he steps down backwards off the carriage. He gets a nod in return followed by a low growl. Caden breathes out through his nose almost as a giggle but not really. He closes the door and turns around only to find Brae all the way across the wide gravel road, he squints to see her through the dense fog that started to form a few miles back. she looks so small compared to the large stones used to build the wall. She's about to knock on a gigantic wooden door outlined in metal and without handles.

"Brae!" Caden yells in an attempt to stop her. Brae turns around

"What?" She asks as if she is doing nothing wrong

"What are you doing? Just wait for pope Norman to get out here"

Bares expression becomes disappointed. 'Aren't you the least bit curious?"She asks as she makes her way over to Caden. Carefully avoiding the larger rocks. 'Where's your sense of adventure and curiosity. You used to be so free. Without a care in the world"

"Things have changed sense we were children. I had the chance to see the world for what it really is. We shouldn't talk about me I'm not that interesting

Brae stops once she approaches Caden " I disagree. You just told me you saw the world which makes you very interesting. I want to hear all about it"