Chapter 11: An Unwanted Guide

The carriage soon slowed, and began its long decent back towards the ground.

My eyes immediately snapped open upon feeling the change in the smoothness of the ride, and I then stole a quick glance outside of the window. It was nearing dawn, as the sun was rising; I had obviously slept through the night-- raking my mind, I realized that my sleep had been peaceful and blank; a good indication that nothing worse was beginning to take place. The carriage was seeming to be going back and forth in all directions; a bumpy ride that made me queasy-- my first motion sickness experience; maybe it had to do with the fact that my nervousness was at an all time high. I clutched the pouch tighter to my breast, now fearful that the carriage might explode or something before touching the soft muddy ground.

My fears unfounded, the carriage made a smooth landing upon the ground, and the doors were opened by the man I immediately recognized as the silhouette I had seen through the dark piece of glass that had kept us separated from him during our journey here; the driver.

He was a nice, well-to-do man, and he was exceedingly polite to me as he helped me from out of the stuffy carriage. I silently thanked him for my safety by handing him a small golden coin; one of many that the Queen had given me the previous day. He smiled, showing a yellow set of teeth, with several missing, and I returned the smile-- falsely however, for I simply wasn't in a smiling mood today.

Everybody, other than the young boy got off at this stop, and judging by his grumbles, I sensed that he felt great resentment towards me for taking out about five minutes from his "busy" life; as he waited, two more passengers joined him; an ancient man and woman who stole a glance at me before climbing into the carriage, and taking the empty seats across from him; I rolled my eyes in actual amazement-- did everyone know who I was?

After having shaken my hand firmly as a goodbye, the driver climbed into the front of the carriage, and I waved with the two obese women out of courtesy, as he closed the door of the enchanted carriage, and flew away into the lightening skies. It was then that I realized that I had no clue where he had left us; I hadn't really been given a grand tour of the world of the faerie, having only visited the palace on both occasions I had been there.

Turning to one of my fellow passengers to inquire as to our whereabouts, I realized that they had left already; obviously not wanting to keep me company, and I was now stranded in the strange surroundings by my lonesome. I heaved a heavy sigh, and then deciding not to let it get me too down, got a good look around me. I was in a village of some sort at the edge of a large forest. There was an inn, a café, and a man standing around in front of it. I snatched my pouch from off of the ground where I had left it, finding it to be both mud and grass stained, and ventured nearer towards the handsome man, hoping that he wasn't a serial killer or anything. He looked pleasant enough, "Excuse me…?" I began, but my timid voice was drowned out by his own booming one. He was screaming a name over and over again, and it was becoming quite unbearable to listen. After having come into a close enough range of his voice, I realized whose name he was calling; it was mine.

"BEATRICE!" he screamed, "BEATRICE HOROWITZ!" I shook my head in dismay at the notion that he was searching for me, and answered, "I'm Beatrice," I whispered, timidly, and noticing me, he turned around, "My, my," he began; I realized that he spoke with a heavy accent-- a somewhat unpleasant cross between French and German. It irked me; the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as he continued-- I wasn't being prejudice or anything; the voice was simply unnerving to hear, "I was not told how beautiful you were."

Oh, great, I thought, and he grabbed my hand, and bent his head down low to kiss it. I was disgusted by this rather bold move, and after having torn my hand from out of his, I casually wiped it off on the inseam of the blouse I was wearing, "Pardon my rudeness," I whispered, really not giving a damn of what he thought of me, "but why are you here and why were you looking for me?"

He chuckled to himself, "How rude of me!" he exclaimed, "But of course… but of course, we have not been properly introduced! I am the Viscount de Long Pre, and I have been asked by my aunt, the Queen of the faerie to escort you during your journey to find your missing lover-- I am a guide, of sorts."

"Guide…?" I asked, raising a single eyebrow, "I am afraid she failed to mention that you--"

"She told me that you had not been alerted to my intentions!" he interrupted in a smarmy way, and I felt like slapping him across his smug face. He was quite condescending, and his voice was becoming increasingly painful to my ears, "After having seen you leave the palace upon the carriage, I am afraid that she realized that you would need some assistance along the way-- and what better way for a man of my status-- and quite single," he added, winking, "to spend a few weeks in the company of a pretty lady?"

"I'm afraid that I am not flattered," I whispered, angrily. What had REHtoMna been thinking…? Sending me off with an annoying little flea like this! I would simply have to have a long talk with her in my first letter. That was for damn sure, but for now-- just for now, I had to at least try to make the best of things. My stomach was growling with hunger, and I was feeling sicker than ever with my pregnancy-- or maybe it had simply been worsened by the Viscount's company-- I couldn't be too sure.

Trying to seem like a gentleman, and smiling as if he thought I had somehow been turned on by his false charm, he took my pouch from me, and groaned under its heaviness, though I was pretty sure it couldn't way more than fifteen pounds or so.

Trying my very best not to laugh, I opened my mouth to ask him where, exactly, we were, "So, what is this place, and where are we going?"

"This is the charming villa of Sentika, and we are here to rest for a day, and get a good meal in our bellies before venturing into the wood-- from there, we will attempt to retrace your departed lover's footsteps, and will hopefully be back at the palace for a romantic afternoon tea sometime next week."

I was horrified. A 'romantic' tea, I thought, Who does this guy think he is…? And, fuck, is he insinuating that he thinks my husband-- yes, husband. Not lover is dead…?

"I would sincerely enjoy for you not to speak to me so," I hissed, and with that, I snatched my pouch back, deciding I did not want his slimy hands on it, and then gestured for him to lead the way to our first destination.

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After having breakfasted at the café, he led me into the inn, and while he was upstairs fixing up our rooms, I chatted with the warm woman who ran the place. I found that her husband had mysteriously died many years before, leaving her widowed, and she had been forced to reinvent herself, and start her life anew. I took an immediate liking to the woman, and was of course quite glad that I was no longer in the company of the Viscount or whatever title he had-- he was quite annoying. After having refused that I pay for my room, he had flashed his bulging coin-purse in front of me, as if I would be impressed by it. I found it to be quite feminine, and I couldn't help but turn red from trying not to laugh in front of him; mistaking this for a rosy blush, he had paid for the rooms, and smiling wide as if he had finally won my love, had rushed up the stairs telling me to sit, while he made everything "perfect."

"Thirsty?" she suddenly asked, pulling out a large bottle of booze, and two crystal tumblers, after the Viscount had disappeared up the stairs.

"No thank you," I replied, "I don't drink too much."

"Are you sure?" she asked, "It'll be on the house-- it's the best in the town; manufactured by my brother and his wife."

"I'm sure," I replied.

"Suit yourself," she said, shrugging her shoulders, and then pouring herself an entire tumbler of the stuff; she drained it in three noisy gulps, swayed a bit, and then returned to her normal self, after having put the glasses and bottle away under the table; I noticed that there were many other bottles; some taller, some smaller-- she was obviously the barmaid as well as the manager, "Now, your companion," the woman suddenly said, lowering her voice, "I can't say I know what you see in him-- he's always here with some new dame every week-- although he's currently married to his twenty-third wife."

"Oh, really?" I asked, grinning, and then becoming horrified, "Oh, no," I whispered, "I'm not infatuated with him or anything-- actually, I think he's a pompous loser. I'm only stuck with him because a relative of his though it best that he escort me while I--" I hesitated, and then deciding not to reveal my intentions, I lied, "--am escorted to my husband's parents to spend a few days with them."

"Oh?" she asked, returning to her warm smile, "Well, just as a warning, girl-- watch him. He seems to have his eyes set on you, and in all my life, if I know one thing, it's this: Whatever the Viscount de Long Pre wants, he'll somehow get it eventually-- no matter the cost."

"Don't worry about me," I whispered, my eyes lighting up with all of the new information I had just received concerning my newest enemy, "I'm pretty sure that I can resist his-- charms."