Chapter 4When they finally arrived in the town of Nyeacre, the men all breathed a deep sigh of relief as this was the st leg of their journey before finally returning to the capital, where most of them called home.

  “We will be staying here for tonight,” Frederick told her. Showing her into the foyer of a small inn at the centre of the town. There weren’t many rge inns here so the men would either be staying at other ones or camping as they had done previously.

  “You’re staying here too?” She questioned, aware that none of the others had followed them.

  “Yes we will be staying in the rooms upstairs,” he advised her, gesturing towards the stairs. “They only had 2 rooms left here.”

  Camellia nodded before following the proprietress to her room and settling down on the bed. She hated to admit how much she missed the luxuries that came with being a noblewoman. She hadn’t bathed properly in over a week and her clothes would most certainly need to be washed. Perhaps even multiple times to rid them of the smells she had been producing.

  She started to wonder if Frederick had noticed that about her. What did he think about her when she was all grimy and sweating? Was he repulsed by her smell? She wasn’t sure why she was so anxious about all this now but fact of the matter was, she needed a bath.

  While she soaked she breathed a deep sigh of relief and the warm water soothed her aching muscles. She didn’t want to say anything but the seat on the carriage was not an ideal bed and her back ached something terrible.

  On queue, a couple of maids entered the room carrying some food and a change of clothes before grabbing her old soiled clothes to be washed. She thanked them before they left and exited the tub to dry herself off and enjoy the food they had brought. By the time she was done, it was pretty te and most of the people in the lounge area had retired for the night.

  Camellia then realised that she didn’t actually have anything to drink and wondered if anyone was downstairs that might be able to supply her with some water. She quietly crept out of her room, making sure to close the door softly behind her and made her way down the stairs and into the bar area.

  As expected, there was no one here. The fire was still lit though which suggested that someone must be around as it would need to be extinguished at some point.

  “Are you quite alright?” A voice called out from behind her, making her jump slightly. She turned around to see Frederick standing at the bottom of the stairs dressed in a loose white linen shirt and tight trousers, his feet bare. She didn’t know what it was about it, but it made her heartbeat slightly faster. She would have put this down to the fact that he had startled her slightly, but this elevation in her heart rate had become more and more common each day.

  “Frederick,” she started, a shy smile pying on her lips. “I didn’t expect to see you there.”

  “Should you be wandering around this old inn on your own at night,” he questioned, stepping towards her. “Dressed in nothing but your shift and a gown?”

  Perhaps she was misunderstanding but he seemed somewhat annoyed.

  “Do you have any sense of personal safety?” He sighed as he walked over to her and wrapped her in a throw he had found on the back of a chair in his room. He then fshed her a dazzling smile as he gazed down at her softly, causing her cheeks to flush a brilliant shade of red. “Come, let’s have a drink and then head back to bed.”

  He led her over to a seat that was situated in front of the firepce, the soft glow of the fmes illuminating both of their faces. After a few moments, one of the men who worked the bar came out and Frederick requested a couple of drinks before turning his attention back to Camellia.

  “Have you ever had alcohol before?” He questioned, having ordered her an ale.

  “I have not,” she responded, “but perhaps there is a first time for everything.”

  They both chuckled to themselves slightly before clinking their cups together and taking a drink each. Camellia shuddered as she felt the sensation of the alcohol in the back of her throat. “I can’t say that is pleasant,” she joked, pcing the cup down with no intention of picking it up again.

  “Ah yes, perhaps you would be better suited to wine,” Frederick noted, downing his ale with ease before ordering another for himself and a water for her.

  “Not long now till we should be in the capital,” Camellia mused, her gaze fixed on the fire as she watched the fmes dancing around.

  “Have you been there before?” Frederick questioned, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

  “I have not,” she responded. Despite her family ties and connections, Grandiok was so far from the capital that travelling there to attend a social event was almost an absurd undertaking and they were better suited to her older sister anyway.

  “What do you pn to do when you get there?” He continued, after all, he had wondered what a noble woman with no experience was pnning to do in a pce like the capital.

  “I should like to find a pce to live and work,” she expined, having imagined the life that she might have in the capital many times during her travels. “Perhaps as a barmaid, or in a guild somewhere.”

  Frederick stared at her for a second, the way the fire lit up her face entrancing him almost. He knew she wouldn’t st very long in the city. Not a city like the capital. It was a grandiose dream that was bound to end in heartbreak and he had no intention of letting that happen.

  “Why not come and work for me?” He suggested, his eyes averting to look into the fire before returning to her face as she turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise.

  “What do you mean?” She questioned, as eventful as this past week had been, she was not keen on the idea of living and working on the road for the rest of her days.

  “I have a grand estate just north of here, we will be visiting on our way. There I can put you under the employ of our housekeeper where you will have your own room and three provided meals a day.”

  It felt like he was staring her down as she felt this immense pressure from his gaze. But at the same time, there was a tender warmth behind his eyes that made her feel safe. Perhaps this was it? Living as a servant in an estate much like her old home, cleaning linen and serving dinner. She wouldn’t have to worry about running out of money in the capital before settling into work. It felt a bit too convenient if she was honest.

  “That is very kind of you,” she mumbled, still trying to mull over the idea. “May I think on it?”

  “Catherine,” he began, shifting closer to her. “I cannot expin why but I want nothing more than for your comfort and happiness. Life in the capital is not the dream that you are imagining. At my home you will be safe and cared for. That I can promise.”

  She gazed up at him for a moment, her heartbeat racing in her head as his face came dangerously close to her. This didn’t feel like he was offering her a job, it felt like… a proposal.

  A moment ter, he pulled away, realising how close they came to bridging the gap between them.

  “My apologies, I got ahead of myself,” he chuckled, trying to lighten the sudden tense atmosphere. “Besides I am engaged to be married so this is very improper.”

  Camellia’s heart suddenly sank and she felt a pit deep in her stomach. This was a feeling she knew all too well. As her sisters proved how much better they were than her. How they got everything they wanted because they weren’t a disappointment.

  But this was different, this didn’t just make her feel sad. She felt angry for some reason. Perhaps because he had not disclosed this information before putting her in such a predicament. Or maybe it was because she felt like he had just offered her a proposal only to reveal that he was not avaible for taking.

  “Is something the matter?” Frederick asked, gazing down at her as she clutched on tightly to her goblet of water.

  “I am quite alright,” she replied, standing up suddenly and throwing the bnket he had wrapped around her onto the seat. “I believe I shall retire now, I need to get some rest.”

  “Of course, I shall esco…”

  “That is hardly necessary, I am merely walking up a flight of stairs. If anyone tries to kidnap me on the way I shall call for you,” she expined before pcing her drink down on the table and practically storming away. This shouldn’t have been affecting her the way it was. What was she thinking anyway? That this lord was going to fall for someone he thought was just a commoner. Ridiculous.

  As she walked away, Frederick looked on with a smirk on his face. This was going just as he had wanted it to.

  The next morning, Camellia ventured downstairs to get breakfast, hoping to take a turn about the town while Frederick attended to the business that they had here.

  “Good morning miss,” a Knight called out to her. “I have been asked to escort you today.”

  “Oh I see,” she noted, “I do apologise but can you remind me of your name?”

  “It’s Illrif,” he replied, standing up very straight and puffing his chest out. “Don’t worry, I will protect your life with my own.”

  “I should hope that will be unnecessary as I hope to only attend a couple of shops today,” she said, chuckling to herself slightly. Although, she had learnt from her previous mistake and made a conscious effort to ensure that she always picked up her dagger before she went anywhere. “Have you eaten?”

  “Yes ma’am, but I am happy to wait for you to indulge in some breakfast before we leave,” Illrif advised her, not moving from the spot he was stationed at.

  “Thank you, I will,” she confirmed before heading over to a table and ordering some food. The food here was delicious, with a rich bone broth served on the side that really filled her up. She was going to miss this when they went back on the road.

  After filling herself up, they headed out into the town to have a look around the local shops. She didn’t have a lot of money on her but she should have been able to afford some new undergarments that she was in desperate need of and she could perhaps sample some of the local delicacies on offer here at the market.

  Something that stood out to her about being dressed as a commoner was that no one stopped to look at her or point at her. She was just another average person going about their daily business with nothing extraordinary to speak of. It was quite refreshing.

  She stopped at a market stall that was selling an odd looking snack that consisted of fried octopus tentacles. “Illrif, what is this?”

  “That’s Octoruan, it’s the local delicacy here in Nyeacre since it is a port town,” he expined, purchasing one for himself and digging in greedily.

  “I’ll take one thank you,” she requested, taking one from the dispy and handing over some coins to pay. She took a whiff of the fragrance, it was somewhat salty but not repugnant. Then she took a bite out of it and to her surprise, it was delicious. It was chewy but the saltiness mixed with the fvour of the octopus was a real treat. How she wished she had enough money to buy several more. But that was not the lifestyle she lived now.

  After some more walking around, she changed directions to head back in the direction of the shopping district when something occurred to her. Illrif had seemingly disappeared. Where had he gone?

  She looked around, trying to remember where she had st seen him, but couldn’t figure it out for the life of her. It was no big deal, she thought. If she headed back towards the inn he would probably catch up with her at some point.

  She made her way to a local linen store where she purchased a couple of undergarments to repce her old ones that had become torn in multiple pces due to excessive wear, before leaving and making her way back down the road towards the inn.

  As if out of nowhere, she felt someone clutch onto her arm and yank her into a nearby alley before covering her mouth to make sure she couldn’t scream. It was far too loud out there for the muffled screams of a woman to be heard.

  “What do you think? This one should fetch a fine price, don’t you think?” A dirty looking man announced, his deep brown eyes piercing through her. She thrashed around as he pinned her up against the wall, eyeing her up and down.

  “She is very fair, I’ll give her that. A bit pin though,” another one commented. “Plus she’s ft as a washboard.”

  They were talking about her like she was some sort of property. To sell at the next avaible price. This made her angry. She should have been scared, they would have liked for her to cower in fear of them but the look in her eyes made them somewhat disconcerted.

  “What’s up little dy?” The first man chuckled, twisting some of her hair in his fingers. Perhaps it was the sparkle in her eye that stopped him from noticing her pull the dagger out from her garter and in a swift movement, she stabbed him in the neck and yanked her bde free, causing his blood to start spilling onto the pavestone.

  “What the fuck did you do?!” His accomplice screamed as he watched his friend bleed out on the floor. Camellia tried to take this opportunity to run but as she exited the alleyway, he grabbed her by her hair and started dragging her back, causing her to scream in pain. “Why don't you shut up?! You're gonna pay for what you did!”

  “And this is why I told you not to leave any enemies alive…” a cold, angry voice called from the entrance of the alley.

  Startled, the man looked over to see a rge Knight towering over him. Frederick had heard some of the commotion and come running and despite the scene before him, he remained perfectly composed. Camellia took the opportunity to stab her attacker in the leg to make him let go and she sprinted as fast as she could to stand behind Frederick.

  “Please forgive me,” the man cried, tears falling down his cheeks as the pain in his leg became unbearable. But he did not meet the eyes of someone forgiving. Not today. “Mercy please, I beg you.”

  “No.” With a swift swipe of his bde, the man was dead.

  “You there,” Frederick called out to one of the guards. The guard came over swiftly and seemed to instantly recognise exactly who Frederick was.

  “Yes Captain?” He questioned before he gnced down the alley to witness the bloodshed that had occurred.

  “Get this cleaned up,” Frederick demanded, his tone icy and dark.

  “Of course sir,” the guard replied, watching as Frederick grabbed Camellia by the arm and practically dragged her back to the inn.

  When they arrived back he set her down on a seat in her room before he began pacing back and forth in front of her. She had no idea what to say, her heart was racing with a mix of so many emotions. Fear, anger, despair and… exhiration? Is that really what she felt after just stabbing a man to death?

  “Where is Illrif, he was meant to escort you today?” Frederick began questioning her, his usually calm demeanor repced with something between anger and worry.

  “I lost him in the crowd at the market,” Camellia replied. “It wasn't far so I figured I would be alright walking back alone.”

  “Catherine,” he began, pcing his hands on the back of the chair behind her and looking her dead in the eye. “How in the hell am I supposed to protect you when you go fannying around dangerous port towns on your own. They could have had you on a boat and out of reach in no time!”

  “But they didn't!” She snapped back, pushing him away from her and rising to her feet. He seemed somewhat taken aback by this, but quickly regained his composure.

  “On this one occasion, you did well. But by letting one of them live, you almost ended up dead.” Frederick sighed, pcing an arm above the firepce, standing there in quiet contemption.

  “I am going to buy you a sword and teach you how to fight,” he began, strengthening his resolve. “If you learn from me you should be somewhat decent in no time.”

  “A-are you sure?” She questioned, this all seemed very sudden.

  Frederick shook his head and heaved a deep sigh again before turning, causing Camellia to back up and fall back into her seat.

  He moved across the room and knelt down in front of her, gncing up at her with a steely gaze. “I am going to make it impossible for anyone to take you from me, do you understand?”

  She didn't. But she nodded anyway. If that was the case, what about his fiance? It felt like it was clear that he wanted her, but if she felt the same way, she would have to do something about that.

  “Good. Get some rest and I will call you for dinner in a little while,” and with that he exited the room, leaving Camellia to contempte his words and what all this meant for her.