The wind gently caressed Ara's face as she leaned her head against the carriage window and watched the passing landscape. She had a spectacular view of the lush forest in refreshing weather, but she was in no mood to appreciate it.
After returning from the battlefield, Ara had collapsed as soon as she entered the inn. She felt as if her body was being torn in all directions by a leash. It was hard on her poorly untrained body.
She signed, as she recalled her conversation with Hamon, but deciphering it was like falling into a maze. Why did he accept the proposal? She had a clear reason to marry him, but Hamon had no reason to accept. With that handsome face and the fact that he was a crown Prince, he could choose someone better than her. When he first questioned her for helping him, he didn't seem to believe her very easily. So which part of her did he like?
' I don't know why he accepted to marry me just like that?' She thought internally. He had been disgusted with her until she took off her helmet, perhaps it was because of incompatible sexual orientation because she looked like a man in that armor suite? A variety of thoughts aroused in Ara's mind. Their encounter had been brief, and she didn't fully understand his intentions.
She remembered the image of him when she looked back at his figure for the last time. Despite blood seeping through the white bandage, what stood out in her mind was those mesmerizing red eyes, that looked straight at her with undaunted expression. She felt as if she had seen them somewhere before. Had they really met in the past? It was driving her crazy, but there was no way to find out unless he tell her.
'That's enough Ara, stop thinking about him. Everything went the way you planned it anyway.' She consoled herself internally. She didn't want to care about any body right now but her family, anything else could be forgotten, as long as Hamon becomes king and removed Cornell from becoming king, nothing else will be needed if her family was kept safe. If she could make herself a princess, she could also make herself a powerful queen, and eventually make Cornell pay for his evil deeds. And after that she didn't care whether she was banished out or not, she will change the future.
' He said he would visit me in fifteen days, so I'd better be prepared then.'
Emma looked at Ara the entire time staring out the carriage window, then spoke to her in a whisper. "My lady, did you get to meet him that night?" Emma was the only one who knew that Ara had gone out that night without anyone else knowing. After leaving and returning at dawn the next day, Ara had been in dazed state ever since. She looked like a lovesick girl, and Emma was curious about that night event, but she couldn't asked because of the guards.
Ara noticed Emma's strangely shinning eyes and knew she was curious about that night. "Yes, I did met him. Thank you Emma." She thanked with a soft smile. She was thankful to Emma for that night or else she wouldn't had escaped the guards that easily.
"O-oh...You don't have to thank me my lady, I was happy to be of help to you." She replied with a flushed face. But what was bothering Emma was why had they skip lady Danielle's birthday banquet, when they had brought a lot of gift for the lady. After returning to the inn at dawn, her mistress had suddenly said she was not feeling well and wanted to return to the Boxton mansion. Not only did her mistress not eat properly on the way back, but she had been staring blankly out the carriage window the entire time. Emma was wondering who this man could be, who was keeping her mistress this stressed out, or did something happened that night? Emma's mind ran wild with the possibility of what might have happened to the young mistress.
The two of them lost in their own worlds as the carriage quickly took them back to Boxton mansion.
A breath of fresh wind tickled Ara's cheek, she turned her face towards it and appreciated the endless array of trees passing by. The clear cloudless sky and tranquil breeze made her strangely excited. While her mind was caught up in her complicated thoughts her heart knew this road was headed back home. The thought of seeing her father, her brother and her sister again made her smile faintly. It was nice to have a place to return to, she would endure thousands of trials to protect it.
As soon as the carriage arrived at the mansion, the main door opened and Anne's voice rang out. "Sister Ara!" Anne ran towards Ara and lunged herself into Ara's arms before she even fully climbed down the carriage steps. They held on to each other as if they had been apart for years, and Ara hugged her sister tightly and smiled.
"I'm finally home, Anne."
"Yes, I missed you sooo much."
"Me too, did anything happened while I was away?" She asked while stepping down the carriage steps, and holding her sister's shoulders.
"Ah, yes....father kept sending letters that he was coming home, but he didn't come, but another letter came in today, that he's on his way back home."
"Father is coming today?" She mumbled in a questioning voice. Her father was always busy as the kingdom's commanding general, and most of the time he stayed at a residence in zari to work there. Ara was in charge of the household, while Henry was in charge of the soldiers of Boxton. Every commanding general in Findara has their own soldiers to train. In the past it was normal to not have seen her father's face for a long time, but the situation was different now. From Ara's point of view she had not seen her father since after nineteen years, she felt nervous and excitement twist in her stomach.
"Then I guess I'll be in charge of the menus tonight."
Anne spoke up confidently as if she had already made the plans for the menus. "I already told the kitchen cook to prepare father's favorite foods." Anne's proud and expectant look for praise was so cute that Ara gave Anne's cheek a stroke. "Well done. Now can I handle the household to you?" She asked with a smile on her face.
"No, I have you to do that, I don't have to do it myself." She replied with a pouted lips.
Ara felt a little pang of guilt at Anne's innocent words. If Ara truly married Prince Hamon, then Anne will be in charge of managing the Boxton household. She stroked her hair and said with a soft voice. "Someday, if I happen to get married, you will be in charge, so from now on you should learn to handle everything by yourself."
"Oh, relax sis, I still have a lot of time before you get married." She remarked with a cheesy smile.
"No one really knows, maybe one day I'll met my Prince charming and fall in love at first sight. And maybe you will also find your Prince ch-"
"I'll never do that, I don't believe in love or marriage nonsense!" She voiced out with a pouted look.
"I know you'll change your mind once you find your Prince charming some day." Ara teased her sister.
"No! I'll never have someone I love more than you!" She said while folding her hands in front of her chest. Ara looked at Anne with a little worry, but on the other hand she was grateful for her sister's kindness. Ara was overwhelmed by the feeling that she was as important to her family as they were to her.
"Me too, I can never love anybody like I love my family. You all are precious to me."
"You said it the wrong way, you're supposed to say, Anne is the most precious to me." Anne corrected with a cheesy face. Anne's correction made her laugh, her cute little sister always did. Ara took a step towards the mansion, while taking Anne's hand in hers. "Let's go inside."
"Yes, sister Ara, and tell me about your journey."
"Ah, well....."
Anne's question reminded her of those long arduous days in the carriage. Ara had met with Prince Hamon and fought off soldiers, but that was hardly a story to tell. "Well....It went well, nothing special happened." Ara didn't speak after that. The servants who had been waiting for them at the main door, soon approached.
"My lady, where should we keep the stuff in the carriage?"
"Take everything to my bed chamber."
At her orders, the servants held one of the large luggage trunks in each hand in an orderly fashion. They followed behind the two sisters walking hand in hand. The pair was a beautiful sight to behold.
Ara found it hard to adjust to this new life, as she had not lived for a long time as a noblewoman, but she didn't let it show on the outside and walked gracefully. She was the beloved daughter of a general and she's also the woman in charge of the household, she had to keep her balance. It was also important to understand the grievances of the people of lower status and to not act overbearing. Since childhood, she had been paying more attention to this area. As she played the role well in her past life, now the Boxton servants were well organized.
Anne spoke again while swinging her sister's arm. "Tell me, What got you home early, Hmm?"
"Well....I had an upset stomach in the middle of the journey." She answered. Anne had been curious, why Ara had returned earlier than she thought, but Anne's reaction to this was a bigger storm than Ara had anticipated.
"What? What did you eat?!"
"I'm alright now-"
"So that's why you got home earlier than I expected..... Let me go get the physician right away."
"You don't have to, I feel bett-"
"Wait in your room, I'll be right back." Anne said while she ran off.
Some minutes later.
Anne brought the most famous physician in the north to check up on Ara. Ara had a lot of work to do, but she was forced to lay down in bed and sleep until sunset. The problem did not end here, something that she didn't know about, was happening somewhere around the training hall.