Betrothed

Chapter Twenty-Three: Balen & Olivia

Henry examined the old man's face. In his mind, he looked past the gray scraggly beard and smoothed out the wrinkles under his eyes. Yes, it was Balen after all.

"Balen," Henry began to smile. "I haven't seen you..."

"In ten years," Balen finished the prince's statement.

"Yes," Henry lowered his head, "I guess it has been ten years since..."

"Since you were fifteen," Balen interrupted, staring down his passenger. Henry hung his head even lower.

"Yes," Henry replied. "I was fifteen."

"No matter," Balen replied. "In spite of our history together, you need to understand that above all, I am a loyalist."

"What do you mean, a loyalist," Audrianna asked.

"I mean, Your Highness," Balen answered, "no matter what the crown has done to me, or how I've been treated, I am—and forever will be—loyal to the kingdom of Nadeau and to the crown." Audrianna smiled, and slapped her hand on the stocky shoulder of Balen.

"You're my kind of fellow," the princess remarked. Balen turned and looked at the beaming princess. He then looked back at Henry and announced, "Let me take you to my house in Pachenthou. There's someone there I want you to meet." Henry's eyes grew wide.

"You don't mean..." Henry stammered. "She's not going to be there, is she?" he asked looking fearful. Now Balen smiled a mischievous grin and without a word, whipped the reins to tell the horse to continue trotting.

"Who's she?" Audrianna asked. No one answered.

As the wagon rolled down the road, through groves of trees, and past several villages, Audrianna watched intently at the changing scenery. The further east the wagon drove, the less green everything became. As they passed by farms and villages, Audrianna began to see a recurring image painted on the sides of barns and houses. It was a triangle with a line centered over the top. After seeing the same symbol three times on three different buildings, the princess leaned forward and placed her hand on Balen's shoulder.

"Mister Balen, sir? What does that mean?" she asked, pointing to one of the images.

"That, Your Highness, is the symbol for balance. It is a peaceful protest of the Nadeau people to request a queen that would help temper the roguish behavior of the prince. The people desire the kingdom to be like it was in the days of Luella the Beloved."

"So, it's a symbol representing me?" the princess asked.

"That depends. Do you temper the behavior of your betrothed?" Balen asked in reply. Audrianna's head dropped as she thought. She then lifted her head in response.

"I don't know," she answered. "But he always has a nasty temper when I try." Balen roared with a jolly laugh.

"You might be the one the people have been hoping for," Balen said, laughing as he spoke. Henry folded his arms and slouched on the bench of the wagon as they continued to ride down the road leading to Pachenthou.

After a couple hours of the wagon rattling and shaking as the horse pulled it down the path, Balen pulled back the reins bringing the horse to a stop.

"Are we here?" Audrianna excitedly asked.

"Where were you hoping to be?" Balen asked.

"Pachenthou. Are we in Pachenthou? I've never been to Pachenthou!" The princess began to wildly bounce in the back of the wagon.

"Actually," Balen commented, "you have been to Pachenthou. Many months ago, on your way to Nadeau from your home out east." Audrianna stopped bouncing and stared at Balen wide-eyed. "But we are not in Pachenthou. This is my home. We are close to town, though."