In the morning, Morgan and Lance woke up and Lance started getting breakfast ready. The movement inside the ten woke Myrrh up. She followed the two men outside. She sat down on a rock, rubbing her eyes vigorously she was still tired from getting up last night. She was suddenly jerked awake by some sharp smell.
"What…"
"Sorry just needed you to get up."
"What is that…?"
"Pepper it does wonders for colds and waking people up."
"…"
"Sorry but we need to get moving soon."
"…okay."
They ate breakfast and got everything packed up. They were soon on the way through the forest that separated Grado and Rausten. The brush was thick and so were the bugs in the air around this time of day. Myrrh wasn't sorry she had two other people to talk to because she would have been very lonely otherwise. She learned many things about the men she was traveling with, the history of the Rausten theocracy and two very detailed ways of stealing things without getting caught and pick pocketing.
Meanwhile there was an extensive search of Rausten castle was underway. L'Arachel demanded that the premises be searched. She had deluded herself that maybe Myrrh had returned after she had flown off. Eric was sure she hadn't and was worried that by this search, many of the yet uninformed staff of the castle would become wise to the romance occurring. He went to find L'Arachel to confide his fears as they had become friends since the night of the party.
"Madam L'Arachel?"
"Yes Eric?"
"Have you told anyone else about you an Myrrh?"
"No and I don't intend to."
"Oh well there has been some talking amongst people."
"Such as?"
"Some of the cooks and a pair of the scribes were talking."
"Oh well maybe I will soon."
"I just think maybe it would be better to tell them instead of them finding out yourself."
"Good point…Eric I need you to do something for me."
"What…"
"The kingdom needs an heir…when I pass on, I don't think I will have any children otherwise…"
"Madam…I'm just a guard…and besides…you don't really want this."
"No…but I am a princess…I have my duties…and i…"
"You sound like Myrrh."
"Yeah…"
"You two are rubbing off on each other."
"Yeah we had an active night…"
"What do you mean?"
"I tried to…physically stimulate her."
"Oh did it work?"
"No she jumped away after I got to her…well you know."
"That doesn't surprise me."
"Why not?"
"She's shy you probably need to try to ease her into it."
"Oh thanks."
"I wouldn't have known from experience."
"You still haven't?'
"Hey neither have you."
"Good point."
"I'll get back to work then."
Eric walked out of the room and down two flights of stairs and then ran out of the castle. L'Arachel had essentially asked him to make love to her. The fact that she had asked him didn't scare him but the fact of the class difference did, if someone were to find out he would be stung up as a criminal, Mansel had cracked down on people who married outside their class and several people had already been hanged. He wasn't a cruel ruler, just conservative. He reached his house and slammed and locked the door behind him. He ran into the kitchen and literally cowered under the table for fear someone had overheard them.
L'Arachel still sat in her room where she and Eric had talked. She didn't know why she had asked him, she wondered if he would ever come to work here again. Dozla interrupted her thought when he came into the room.
"My princess what is the matter?"
"Oh…Dozla its nothing."
"That young guard sure came out of here in a hurry."
"Oh yeah i… made another indecent advance…"
"But L'Arachel you said you love Myrrh why do you advance on a Man?"
"I didn't really want it it's just…I…"
"Have duties…"
"Were you listening in Dozla?"
"My lady forgive me but I do not trust that guard and I didn't want something to happen…"
"I'm grateful for the concern but I happen to trust him very much."
"Oh then I shall respect your wished from now on."
"Thanks…"
"Do you think he will come back his shift isn't over."
"I think we can afford to give him a break."
"Very well."
"We'll get him back tomorrow."
But he didn't show up the next day, or the day after that. Dozla began to wonder if he ever planned to come back, or if something had happened to him. He hoped not he had grown quite fond of him, besides L'Arachel needed a guard she could trust. After four days he was certain something was up. He decided to visit Eric's house personally. Upon arriving he found the door was locked. He went around to check the windows and he saw Eric drinking some tea at his kitchen table. Eric put his cup down and looked around and saw Dozla; a look of terror came across his face and he ran out of the room.
"Eric I'm not here to hurt you."
"…"
"Come out I know you're in there."
"…"
"Look I heard what happened and I just want to tell you…"
"It was her idea! I don't even think she really wanted to!"
"I know it was her idea I was just going to say…"
"I didn't do it! I was just looking for the Dragon lady!"
"I know and I was going to say I'm glad she asked you."
"Wait what?"
Eric's head came out from under the table.
"You are?"
"Yes you were probably the only guard there that wouldn't have jumped at the chance."
"I am?"
"Yes but that doesn't mean it was the right thing to do."
"What?"
"She is your employer you should try to follow her orders."
"But Dozla…how can you say that…"
"I know but…"
"Well if you should know, I almost did."
"Oh…"
"So are you going to rip off my head?"
"No I'm just here to ask you to come back."
"Oh well I was hiding because I thought…"
"I believe I was the only one who heard your conversation."
"Good…I guess I could come back."
"Good you come back tonight."
"Okay."
Dozla left feeling elated with himself. He had finally had a conversation with someone smaller than him by himself and without anyone else nearby. Dozla came across as a frightening person in his opinion. He hoped that L'Arachel would not try the same stunt when Eric came back. He went back to the palace and up to L'Arachel's room.
"Well?"
"He said he would come back."
"Good."
"L'Arachel I think it would be wise to not ask him about this again."
"Oh the advance…look I don't even like him I just."
"Have an obligation to give the country an heir."
"And since…"
"Wait why could you do that with Myrrh?"
"…"
"Well?"
"…Is that a serious question?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"…"
"You look at me like I don't know what I'm talking about."
"…I'm not sure you do Dozla."
"Why not?"
"Because tow women cant…"
"But then how do you plan to…"
"No what I mean is they cant get pregnant from it…."
"Really?"
"… Yes…"
"Why?"
"…"
"Well?"
"It just doesn't happen…"
"Oh alright."
Dozla left L'Arachel to her thoughts. She went to get ready for bed. She got back to her room after a bath. She was drying off when she noticed something. She ran her hands down her chest and felt the skin there, it had become smoother than it was usually. Her nipples were perking at her touch. "I'm such a pervert." She thought as she got her nightclothes on. She went to bed and fell asleep rather quickly. She woke up in the morning to some sort of commotion going on in the main hall. She went down to find there were several guards talking.
"What's going on?"
"Oh my lady. Apparently Carcino attacked the border last night."
"What?"
"Apparently they were driven back but it still a pretty bold move."
"Yes…have any of you seen Eric."
"Oh the new guy? I think he might be in the kitchen getting some breakfast."
"thanks."
L'Arachel went to the kitchens and found eric sitting at the table eating.
"Eric…"
"Eeep, oh its you…"
"Yeah…"
"Well I had better get back to work…"
"hang on you come with me."
"…"
They walked back to the main hall. She pulled him over to the nearest corner.
"I wanted to talk."
"oh…no…"
"What I'm not angry…"
"Oh…"
"But I wanted to know something…would you have?"
"Uhhh…I probably would have but…"
"Okay then I just wanted to know."
"Why?"
"Because I still might need you."
"For my..."
"Anatomy? Yes."
"Well that's comforting. Why me?"
"Because you look easy to manipulate to do what I want."
"Really?"
"No but you are an honest individual. That would make a nice quality in a ruler."
"But what if it's a girl?"
"Then she gets married to a good person."
"An if she…doesn't like men?"
"Then she does what I do."
"Oh so the cycle could continue forever?"
"Yep."
She walked away leaving Eric in a state of confusion. To think that she only valued him for his…well he needed to get back to work. He went up to the roof and looked out over the city. It was quiet since most people had stayed home that day after news of the attack. He felt someone behind him and turned to see Dozla.
"Oh its you too."
"Yes I was making sure you were still here."
"I wasn't going to leave."
"Good we need loyal people here in these times."
"Why aren't you fighting."
"Oh I will need to soon but I have not yet been summoned."
"I wish I could go with you."
"No I need you to stay here with L'Arachel."
"Why?"
"Because you are one of the few people she talks openly to anymore."
"Oh I thought it was because of my anatomy."
"…I have no idea what that means."
"Never mind, I'll look after her."
"Good thank you."
"When do you think you'll have to leave?"
"I don't know but it must be soon."
"Okay well I'll be ready."
"Okay."
Dozla left and Eric resumed his patrol route. He now wished he could go off to war too. He knew nothing about comforting royalty. He had been romantically involved with one woman in his life, a mercenary named Marisa but it didn't last too long, she had to leave because she was assigned to someone fighting Erika and she hadn't come back. Eric wished he could say missed her but the truth is he saw romance as just an annoyance in the big picture. He soon heard someone calling his name. He went to find L'Arachel at the stairs.
"Whats up?"
"I got a little lonely and needed to talk to someone."
"Oh okay."
She came up.
"So why are you up here?"
"This is where I patrol."
"Oh. I think you need to get a more exciting route."
"Actually I'm fine with this."
"You're kinda boring Eric."
"Sometimes."
"So have you ever been with a woman."
"Yeah once."
"Ooooh so you're not completely hopeless."
"Hey!"
"Well I just thought I'd ask."
"Okay well stop with the jokes."
"Awww your not fun!"
"Well you wouldn't like it either."
They watched the sun sink further in the west.
"Do you suppose Myrrh is okay?"
"I hope so."
"Me too."
"Well we can only hope that she can find a way through the border but with the country like it is…"
"I don't wan to think about it."
But L'arachel didn't know she might have wanted to think about it because leagues away three figures were slipping through the forest that bordered Rausten. They had to move quickly to avoid the patrol parties guarding the borders. They suddenly bolted into open air and made a run for the nearest cover. Myrrh sat down next to the rock they hid behind.
"..I…cant…do that again…"
"Don't worry Myrrh chances are we won't need to."
"…Good…I "
"So Morgan what now?"
"Well we need to get to Rausten castle."
"How far?"
"Maybe three weeks if we ran fast."
"…What…"
"Sorry Myrrh but it's a big country."
"Oh and we might need to get some supplies too, where is the nearest town."
"I dunno but we should get moving."
"Yeah myrrh are you up for a run?"
"…No could we get some rest…?"
"I don't know…Morgan are we safe here?"
"I'd rather we get somewhere like a cave."
"Okay let's go find one."
They soon found a small cave in which they were slightly cramped but other than that they were comfortable. Morgan got a fire started and they sat down to talk.
"So when do you think we'll get to Rausten?"
"Well maybe in two weeks if we went non stop but…"
"We'd get tired."
"Oh…well I hope…L'Arachel is okay."
"I've never met L'Arachel."
"Is she nice Myrrh?"
"…She's okay…"
"That's no way to talk about someone you love!"
"…How do I talk about them…?"
"They have to be the nicest, best looking and most wonderful person you have met."
"Unless you've had an argument then they are an insensitive jerk who doesn't know anything…"
"Until you make up and then they're wonderful again."
"…Oh…okay I'll try…"
"Okay let's hear it."
"She…she is…the nicest person…I've ever met."
"It needs a little work but you've got the idea."
"…"
"Okay then lets get to bed. We have a busy day ahead of us."
They all went to sleep. Myrrh curled up thinking of how her adventure was almost at an end. She couldn't have been more mistaken it was only the beginning.
