Nobody came to see her off. Only Vira, perhaps out of a sense of duty from the time spent together, or maybe she was simply ordered to do so, stood solemnly in front of the manor's door. She clutched her old black cloak in front of her chest, trembling slightly as the raindrops touched the exposed skin of her hands whenever the occasional gust of wind would blow in her direction.
'She arrived alone, and she departs alone. Poor little princess. Perhaps it would have been more merciful to drown you right after your birth, just like a kitten.'
The maid observed Aideen attempting to ascend the carriage steps, akin to a deer observing its fawn struggling to walk for the first time. Nobody attempted to assist her, not even the knights dispatched by the royal family to escort her to the Temple. When the princess' foot finally slipped on the wet wooden surface of the second step, Vira rushed just in time to provide the pitiful woman with her support.
Skillfully wrapping her sturdy arms around Aideen's thin waist, Vira prevented her from tumbling into the puddle of dirty rainwater.
"Oh! Thank you!"
The princess promptly identified the person hugging her waist – Vira's distinct scent, or rather her perfume, the one she had purchased during their last visit to the Capital's shopping district, permeated through her cloak and mingled with her own scent and the refreshing aroma of the falling rain.
Vira initially contemplated issuing another reprimanding remark toward Aideen but swiftly changed her mind. After all, these were perhaps the last minutes, or even seconds, she would spend in her company, and scolding no longer seemed so crucial.
"Lady Aideen... Ugh, never mind! In the Temple, there will be no one to look after you the way I do, so please... Just try to look after yourself instead. Be careful."
Though she acknowledged that her lady would not witness it, Vira reluctantly curved her plump lips into a faint smile and gently patted Aideen on the back, offering a final display of genuine care before her departure.
In response, Aideen smiled as well, enduring the stinging pain caused by her swollen cheek, and added in a quiet, almost careful tone,
"Thank you, Vira. I'm sorry."
"Yes... Well, goodbye, Lady Aideen. Travel safely."
With this final caring gesture, Vira assisted Aideen in getting inside the carriage and closed the door, signaling to the coachman to commence the journey. The man slapped the heavy whip over the backs of the big brown horses, and the carriage instantly shook as it began to make its way forward.
'Good luck, Your Highness. Forgive me for everything.'
Vira observed as Count Crueder's carriage vanished into the thick darkness of the night, ominously concealed by the heavy curtain of falling rain. Then, as discreetly as she had appeared outside the manor, she returned inside just as quietly, pressing her right hand against her heart and whispering ancient prayers with her head bowed down.
***
'We have been moving for quite some time... I have never ventured beyond the Capital. I wonder how long it will take to reach the Temple...'
Tonight marked the first occasion she left Count Crueder's manor after nearly a year of residence.
Aideen remained uncertain about her emotions. On one hand, the time spent with Constantine Crueder as her husband could hardly be labeled a "life" – perhaps "living hell" was a more fitting description. On the other hand, however, a familiar hell seemed preferable to the promised unknown.
Growing increasingly anxious, Aideen nervously clutched the folds of her skirt, seeking some semblance of comfort in the familiar action. She leaned her head closer to the carriage's window, almost pressing it against the glass, hoping to discern the pitter-patter of rain amid the cacophony of hooves galloping on the rough yet wet ground and the creaking of the shaking wooden frame of the carriage.
The rain had seemingly abated—an indication that a considerable amount of time had indeed passed, and Aideen's restlessness had finally overcome her reason. Carefully turning to face one of the knights seated in front of her, she inquired in an overly cautious, polite tone,
"Excuse me..."
The princess paused momentarily as she heard the man shifting in his seat. When nothing else followed that movement, Aideen found the courage to continue,
"How long does it usually take to reach the Temple? I am afraid I am not familiar with the lands outside the Capital, so I am simply curious. Please, do not interpret it as my attempt to complain."
The knight did not reply immediately. Instead, he uncrossed his arms, placed one of his hands on the wooden surface of the carriage seat, and started tapping his gloved fingers over it, creating a rather rhythmic sound—a sort of melody that momentarily diverted the princess's attention from her inquiry, focusing on the tapping sound resonating off the wood.
At last, his fingers ceased their tapping, and the man replied in a cold voice,
"Soon. It will be over soon."
As if his words were not merely a reply but a grim premonition, the moment he uttered them, the carriage suddenly stopped, and everything drowned in silence.
Time appeared to have come to a standstill, freezing everything else as well. Both inside and outside the carriage, there was an eerie silence and stillness. Only the rhythmic drumming of Aideen's heart resonated within her ears, as the rest of her body succumbed to an inner trembling induced by fear.
'What... What is going on?'