Guard

Chapter Six: Celia

EMILIA

A tall and wide brick wall entered our view after riding for two long hours. Sounds of people chattering and children playing could be heard from a distance.

"Your Majesty, welcome to Celia." Cassian said as we slowed our horses down.

As our horses walked through the entrance of the high arched wall, the sounds I heard earlier only from a distance filled my ears and so many sights I came to see, all at once. The sound of people talking, the sight and sound of children laughing as they chased each other, weaving their way through the crowd, sellers yelling out to passersby to advertise their products, the sound of footsteps and the clog of the hooves of horses and the wooden wheels of the wagons turning over each stone in the ground.

I didn't realise I had stopped for so long when a loud and angry "Hey!" from behind brought me back to my senses. I looked back to see a visibly angry old, stubby man sitting on his wagon of goods while his horse pulled it along.

I guided my horse, whose name I learnt to be Onyx, to the side so the man could pass through.

"Sorry sir, I didn't reali-" I started to apologise but he didn't let me finish.

"Watch it lady." He growled as he passed by slowly, showing me his fist. My eyes widened in surprise. How could someone be so rude? Clearly he wasn't done. He pulled on his horse's reins causing him to stop next to me. "Who do you think you are? You don't own-"

I heard a whinny from Cassian's horse Fiona and almost immediately, Cassian swiftly manoeuvred her to come in between the man and I. The man's eyes travelled up to meet Cassian's.

"Move along." Cassian ordered him.

"I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to that-"

"I said, Move. Along." He ordered again.

The old man growled at Cassian and sat back down. He looked forward, took the reins and the waved them twice causing his horse to move forward once again, then just like that they were out of sight.

"Are you alright Your Majesty?" Cassian asked me.

I took my eyes away from where the old man had gone to meet Cassian's. As blue and his eyes were, they didn't show much emotion. Mine on the other hand probably showed a lot because Cassian told me he could see I was a bit shaken.

"I'm fine." I said looking back in the direction of the old man. "I honestly didn't see him or hear anyone come up behind me. I didn't know he was there."

"It's alright Princess, it wasn't at all your fault." Cassian reassured me.

I sighed. "I guess, I'll have to get used that here won't I?" Looking back to Cassian.

He simply looked around at the people around us. "Unfortunately yes. These people live difficult lives, and sometimes it comes out in the way they speak to others." He replied.

I nodded as I took in his words. It hadn't even been a day and I had already had an experience of life here.

"We should head to the living quarters arranged for us." He suggested. I agreed and followed his lead as he lead me through the crowded street.

The deeper we were into the town the more I saw. People lived very simple here. Their living quarters were small, it looked like it could only fit one bed and nothing else.

People washed their clothes with their hands, with a bucket of water and a bar of soap. Some didn't even have soap. Then they would hang their clothes on any kind of object in and around their house.