Catharina

Chapter 9

"Explain to me, exactly what's it like to be princess of Adelidon?" Asher asked as we proceeded on. Neither of us were on Littlefoot, both were walking, he was holding the reins as we stepped in time with each other.

"It's a lot to take in. I honestly have no idea how I've carried on so far. I mean, yes it's the life I've always known and have been taught into, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be normal," I answered.

"Normal?" Asher scoffed, "Normal doesn't exist. I don't have a normal life, you don't have a normal life, no one has a normal life in Adelidon, Igathod, anywhere. Everyone struggles and somehow manages to carry on. You might want a normal life, but who's to say that's not what I do or some guy off the street who's begging for money?"

"I guess I never thought that far. I just figured everyone outside of my castle, has a similar life and that was normal," I said.

"Until you met me right? A huntsman?" Asher asked. I smiled. "But maybe that is to come in my favor. Maybe you'll teach me a thing or two out here to help me rule."

"Yes, because shooting someone can help you rule." I laughed. "Can you stop bringing that up?" Asher smiled. He stopped walking and looked down the hill. "Come on." He grabbed my hand and led me down the hill, a small village at the bottom of it.

"What are we doing?" I asked.

"We're going to go a little sight seeing," Asher said. I smirked. "Since when did you become a gentleman?" I asked.

"Five seconds ago," Asher answered.

*******

When we arrived at the village, it was filled with hustle and bustle. People were going every which way and that to get to their destinations. "It's so loud!" I shouted to Asher. I made sure to hold onto his hand tightly as we were pushed and shoved. He was my lifeline.

"And what is that amazing smell?" I asked, sniffing the air. Asher pulled me to a cart where an elderly woman with long grey hair smiled at us, baring almost no teeth. I smiled back at her.

"We want-" Asher started. I placed a hand on his chest. "Let me," I insisted. I cleared my throat and looked at the golden bread. "May we receive two loaves of bread, please?" I asked. My mouth was practically salivating.

The woman smiled even larger, her wrinkles growing, and nodded. She grabbed two small loaves and handed them over. "Two dalions," she stated quietly. I could barely hear her over the noise surrounding us.

Asher dug in his right pocket as I held my loaf of bread, as it heated my hands. Asher pulled out two silver coins. Dalions were our currency, I had heard enough talk about it when I was younger. I could practically tell you everything about it. I hated it though, all the problems about it; people not earning enough, people having too much and getting robbed from. It was just a problem in my eyes.

Asher handed over the coins, with my father's head engraved in them. The lady smiled and nodded at us. "Thank you," she croaked. I smiled before feeling water trickle my cheeks.

"Pardon me," I stated. I hurriedly ran away from her and found myself in front of a faded grey fountain sitting on a step as birds bathed themselves in the fountain's waters. I sat there for a while, my bread slowly growing cold. I had lost my appetite.

"What happened?" a voice asked. I looked up to Asher. He no longer had his bread in his hands. He finished it, I assumed. "That lady-" I croaked, "She- she's old and is selling bread for money. No sooner than later she'll die and all we could do was give her two dalions." I started to cry again, pulling my legs to my chest.

I heard Asher sit down next to me. "You know Princess, you did help her," Asher said. I looked up at him. "W-what?" I asked.

"Well, we gave her money didn't we?" Asher said.