Jewels of the Crown

♛ 12 ♛

The trees around us move at a slow pace, travelling back towards the kingdom. I want to join them. Ever since we left the outer gates of the town, and travelled over the bridge with the crystal clear water below, I haven't been able to stop crying. We haven't gone far or even left the boundaries of the kingdom yet, but the tears can't stop. I try and keep them quiet, not wanting to let onto any of the party that I am crying.

Seeing how all of the people of the kingdom, came out into the streets to see me off, looking somber, made me feel worse about this whole situation. Part of me regrets ever going into the kingdom in the first place, and now not only does the castle know, but word has spread to the rest of the people as well. I wouldn't be caught up in this whole situation if I had just gone along with all of the rules put in place to keep me safe.

I lift one of my hands, wiping at the tears with the back of it. I roll my neck, trying to relax and stop the tears from falling any more.

"I suggest that we stop," Faron calls out from behind me. I turn to look over my shoulder and only get a glimpse of his face. His eyes are focused beyond me, and I return my gaze to the front to see Thane's back.

"Stop?! We just got started, and you want to stop already?" he calls back in a mixture of surprise and outrage. "We're never going to get there at this rate," he mumbles. I have a feeling he hadn't intended for any of us to hear.

"Just look at Adellia. We can't continue with her like this," Faron responds, moving his horse around me and speeding up so he is beside Thane. They exchange a look and Thane pulls to a halt, turning his horse sideways so he can have a better look at me. I don't want to imagine what my face looks like. Thane takes a look at me, examining my face.

"I'm quite alright, no need to stop," I tell them. Thane continues to stare at me before he turns to look into the trees on the side of the road with a sigh.

"No, we should stop. I've been worried about the packs slipping," he says, obviously lying. I know it's so that I don't feel bad, and to give me the time to recover, but I don't want our journey to be hampered every time that I am remotely upset. I'm a big girl, I can ride and cry. Thane was attentive to the packs before we left, so I doubt that one of them is loose.

Thane jumps down from his horse, and so does Faron, who walks toward me on the horse. He reaches up to give me a hand down, and I feel a warm feeling rise inside at the fact that he's worried about my wellbeing. I slide down the side of the horse, my feet hitting the road below us. I hear the other two guards join us on the floor, and I look to them, realising that I haven't be introduced to them yet.

Like Thane, they are wearing the uniform of a guard, and as a result, I can't get a full view of their features as some are hidden by their hats. They're both about the same height, standing at a couple of inches taller than me. Their physiques are similar to Thane's - trim and toned. Their faces are older but don't look as nearly troubled as Thane's does. It makes me wonder what the difference between them is.

"I don't think we've been introduced," I tell them, sniffling, trying to get past the whole tears thing. I don't want them to feel like I'm weak.

"Jimmy, your majesty," one of them says stepping forward, his head going down into a slight bow. His beard brushes against his chest as he looks down.

"Adellia please, and it's nice to meet you." I turn to the other guard who turns his back on me and walks in the opposite direction. I move my head back, raising my eyebrows, but quickly brush it off. I guess I wouldn't be so welcoming to someone who was the reason for me going on a potentially dangerous mission either.

"That's Phil." I nod, a forced smile on my face. I never though about the reaction of other people to the idea of the mission, and I feel selfish for that fact. I pick my skirts up and walk to the side of the road, and up onto the bank there.