Mortimer, Mortimer (On Hold)

Chapter Five

The carriage shook with vicious motion, as Warric and I were jolted awake. I fell off into the floor and landed with a thud.

"Olathe, are you alright?" Warric said, outstretching his arm. I pulled myself up and sat beside him.

"I'm sorry Yer 'Ighness, the road be awful rough in these few patches. We're going through the paths between the Mountains of Flint. We'd be in Rowforth in a few days time, Yer Majesties." The driver said opening the window latch behind him and quickly closing it.

I scooted back up against the carriage wall.

"This is dreadful." Warric growled.

"What is?" I snapped back. "Or should I say, 'which part of it?'"

"Well," Warric started, "this is all dreadful, to be honest. Yet I'm just meaning that we've been stuck in this blasted Carriage for two days, and will be until we hit Rowforth. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, just stuck in this da-"

"Alright." I said chuckling. "It's not so bad. After all, I was stuck in a room with nothing but hay to sleep on for I-dunno-how-many or so nights. This is much more comfortable." I tested, kicking my legs out and propping my ankles up on the bench adjacent to us.

"Well that would have been awful too." Warric huffed. "That wasn't my decision."

"Oh, well, where was I supposed to go then?" I laughed. "I wasn't proposing it was your fault."

"If it were up to me," Warric said, "you wouldn't have been sent to the castle in the first place." He said firmly. A smirk inched across his face, "However, I'm not complaining." He smiled, putting his arm around me.

"You got the short end of the stick anyway, Warr. I ended up as Queen, inherited more than I could ever dream of, and was rewarded for all the years of hard work, and all you got was a bride with no dowry and lost an arm." I laughed. Warric laughed too.

"Yes, you might be right, but let me ask, are you content?"

"What?" I was puzzled.

"Are you happier now, without work and debt and the pain of your family's affairs?"

"Of course, Warric, you know I am. This life is a heaven compared to that nightmare." I smiled meekly, looking down at the floor of the cabin.

"Then I didn't really get the short straw did I?" I looked up at him, confused. "You're happy, and that's all that matters to me. I've strived for so long to make someone pleased and feel loved, and the world should know that I'll curse myself dead before I give that up." Warric whispered in a throaty growl of a voice, kissing the crown of my head. I smiled and sat back in my seat.

We rode for several more miles until around noon, when the Coach Master decided it was time to give the horses a break, and the passengers one as well. Several guards walked the miles on foot, switching with the ones in carriage cabins. We had just entered the perimeter of Rowforth, and were on edge as we were on lookout for Dracoth. The ground was lush and green, just barely chilled by the breeze in the fall-ish kind of air. I stepped out of the carriage and was assisted by Warric. I stretched backward and leaned down.

"What are you doing?" Warric laughed.

"Taking off these ridiculous things." I scoffed throwing my shoes into the coach cabin. I stretched my toes out and curled them under, taking in the damp, spring fed grass.