"A tree?"
"No, it is not a tree."
"The grass?"
"No."
"The sky?"
"Christine, the sky is not green." Erik sounded angry, but had a twinkle in his eyes.
"I know," She laughed. "But I was running out of things to guess. Can you please tell me what it is so we can stop this ridiculous game?"
"It was the willow tree."
"We passed that ten minutes ago!"
"I know." He shrugged. "I was trying to make it difficult."
"You always make it difficult." She mumbled.
"That I enjoy doing."
Christine looked at him. "You are in a good mood."
"Would you rather have me grumpy and unsociable?" His mood darkened a bit, for play.
"No." A smile came to her face. "I like when you are like this, it makes me a little calmer."
"What worries you?" Erik pulled his horse closer to hers and they rode a little bit closer to each other.
"I have told you a million times what worries me, Erik." She sighed. "The war, the people, the country, money, and… Cecile."
"Cecile was fine when we left." He assured her.
"Yes, but what if she isn't when we arrive home again?" Her eyes became distant; leaving Cecile was beginning to get to her. She had actually thought that it would not this hard but obviously, it was. "I would not be able to stand myself if she became sicker after we left."
"She will be fine." His hand reached for hers and touched it gently. "If need be, then we will go home immediately."
"I know." They stopped speaking for a moment before Christine giggled a bit. Erik gave her a strange glance. "I suppose this is our honeymoon."
"I suppose it is." He smiled a bit, and suddenly it became very quiet between the two.
"Too bad there are guards around." She looked at the two in front of them and the two in back.
"Why is that a problem?" His brow lifted and she just looked at him. "Right."
-
Christine walked around the village that they stopped at to rest up a bit. No one looked at her, bowed to her, or even paid her any attention. Little glances here and there, but other than that nothing. Although she was glade that no one recognized her even in the peasant clothing. Erik stood behind her with a ragged cloche that covered his head. She shook her head at him, but understood why since there were not many masked men traveling around besides the king. Despite all that, she found a great freedom in no one recognizing her. No one judged her on what she wore because everyone basically wore the same style of clothing.
She looked at the tiny knick-knacks being sold in the stalls at the market. Picking up one of them, she saw it was a little porcelain fish. It looked sweet and innocent with the miniature golden fins and great blue eyes that stared up at her.
"I will give you two loaves of bread for this fish." Christine bartered with the vendor, as she pulled two loaves of bread out of her sack.
"Make it three." He smiled at her.
"Deal." She returned the smile and gave him the bread. "Sir, do you have some hay and a box I could wrap this in?"
"A present for someone?" His wobbly body got off his seat and looked around for the hay and box.
"My daughter actually." Her eyes softened, and the man noticed.
"I'll give it to you for free then." He took the fish gently from her hands and waved away the bread. "My wife has more than enough food at home."
"But Sir…"
"No buts." The vendor gave her the boxed animal as soon as he was done. "I insist! My children are far too grown up for them to let me give surprises like these any more. Surprise yours and that will be my payment."
"Thank you, Sir."
"You're welcome."
-
"You are spoiling her rotten." Erik began to ready himself for bed, the moment they entered the room at the inn.
"It is just a small little trinket." Christine shrugged and took off her cloche. "It is not like you have not already."
"How many more days till we arrive in Liren?" He asked as he began to take his shirt off.
"Four, I think." She looked around the room, anywhere but at his bare chest. Even though Erik's taunt muscles were very nice to look at with a small dusting of hair on the top.
"How many more towns?" Sitting on the bed he took his shoes off.
"Perhaps two." Her eyes stared shamelessly at his back looking over a few scars here and there but those made him, in a way; perfect. She noticed that he sat on the bed. She stared at the bed letting her mind wander a bit, unfortunately, she did not notice him stand up and look at her with a slight smile on his face.
"Christine?" He called.
"What?" She suddenly snapped to attention.
"Do you not like the pattern of the bed?" His brow lifted, obviously humored at catching her staring at him so blatantly.
"I was actually just admiring the detail." She retorted and moved about the room readying her self for bed. Erik smirked at her comment and went about doing the same thing.
As they settled down Christine noticed that there was only one bed, and that one bed was really only big enough for the two of them. It was not big like Cecile's, Erik's, or even her own bed. There was not going to be any room for them to move around or spread apart. In a way it made Christine excited for she would have an excuse to be in his arms, but at the same time she was nervous. What if he expected something of her right now? She knew that they were going to have to eventually consummate the marriage, but she really did not want it to be here.
Erik noticed the conflict and decided to just lie down. "Goodnight, Christine."
She looked at him, almost in surprise, but decided to just lie down next to him and get into his arms. Smiling contently, she let out a yawn. "Goodnight, Erik."
-
"We shall go through the mountains," Fredrick, their guide spoke as everyone prepared the campsite.
"Are there not enemy scouts in the mountains?" Christine looked at him.
"The enemy is everywhere we are." He shrugged. "Scouts are very clever, they can spot anything ten miles away."
"The forest would be safer to pass through." She finished the last tie to the tent. "The mountains have too many loose boulders."
"And the forest has too many leaves."
"I trust the leaves more than I trust the boulders." Her eyes had narrowed at the man that was obviously not use to having a woman command him.
"Majesty." He turned to the king. "The mountains would have fewer scouts."
"The forest would have just as many I suppose." Erik shrugged. "But Fredrick who was that man you were speaking to on the street yesterday?"
"My cousin, Sire."
"Really?" He lifted a brow. "The family resemblance was inexplicable then. Funny how he wore gold and green under his cloche, the colors of Plantne." The man fell silent and Erik rounded on him. "Tell me, Master Fredrick, how much is the Viscount paying you?"
Again, silence.
"What is in the mountains?" Erik demanded.
"Scouts."
"How many?" Nothing. "How many!"
"A dozen or so." The man swallowed.
"In the forest?" Erik questioned, Fredrick was afraid to even take a false breath and everyone around him stared in fascination and horror.
"Only half of what is in the forest." He answered, and then closed his eyes. "Please Sire, I have not told him anything!" The young man began to beg and Christine looked at him in disgust. Erik just stood there, seeming not to care. "I swear he knows nothing!"
"He knows nothing?" The king stared at the man.
"Nothing." Fredrick nodded, seeing just a bit of hope.
"I hoped you were paid well."
"What…"
"Take him in the forest, kill him, and let his body be eaten by the wolves." Erik waved him off as the man protested and the guards rounded on him. "And if there is any suspicious between the rest of you, you shall share the same fate."
-
Yes I know I am horrible at updating. But I am going to try extra hard to update this story every week! It is my new resolution! Please tell me what you all think! And of course thank you to my beta for telling me to update and checking (you guys should really thank her). Anyway thank you for reading and please review it helps get me going!
EV
PS I am soooooooooooooo sorry about the wrong update that was my fault and was not meant to be there!
