17 Bonelake- Part 1 (1/2)

Holding the front of her dress, Heidi placed her foot down from the carriage. The Duke's man stood holding the door for her, his tall and bulky frame making her feel small as she passed in front of him.

She had reached the eastern empire, Bonelake and the dull weather and grey sky didn't help the anxiousness that built in her chest. The Duke's man dipped his hand in his jacket pocket to pull a piece of paper. Reading what was written in it, he asked her to follow him and they began to walk on the wet moist ground.

Reading what was written in it, he asked her to follow him and they began to walk on the wet moist ground

Heidi noticed that there were no water patches yet the mud beneath her shoe felt loose and soaked. Perhaps it had rained not too long ago, she thought to herself. She couldn't deny that there was just something melancholic about this place; as if the melancholy had been stubbed behind this beautiful scenery.

Howard had warned her to be careful which conflicted with what she had heard about the Bonelake empire. Though she lived a life of a frog in a well that didn't mean she hadn't tried knowing what was there beyond the life she led with the Curtis'. She had heard good things about all the Lords until now, be it the west, north, south or east. The south Lord was a middle-aged lord, therefore, she didn't hear much about him from the women she got the information from. Their lord was a man who was in his early forties who kept his work close to himself, he was quiet by nature.

Seeing the guard suddenly stop, she halted, seeing him looked around while a crow that had perched itself on a tree cawed. It didn't seem like they were in a town but instead, they had stopped at the outskirts of the main town of Bonelake. There was hardly anyone in sight and when she did spot a man he happened to disappear into the thicket of trees.

Distracted by the cawing of the crow, she turned to look at it. By the size of it, it was a small one and it seemed like it was observing them just like she was observing it. Hearing the sound of a distant carriage she whirled her head to see a brown one head towards them but when it came towards them, it didn't stop and instead went past them. After a few minutes another one came, this time the carriage was black in colour along with four black horses heading towards them.

Her adoptive family had let her go by herself, alone in a land where she knew no one. Only God knew what kind of people she would meet in this unfamiliar land. She had thought she could escape from this reality, free herself if possible from the clutches of people who dominated her life but here she was going to be a political bridge to keep an agreeable truce between the north and the eastern empire. A marriage she wasn't keen on but this was the crashing reality with what she would have to live with. Life could get worse if she took a miscalculated step, thrown back to a place which she feared.

Seeing the carriage stop, the Duke's guard asked turning to her,

”I hope you have your envelope which master Scathlok entrusted you with, Ms Curtis?”

”Yes,” Heidi replied clutching the envelope in her hand along with her dress.

She wanted to run away but she was sure she wouldn't be able to go too far with the Duke's guard around her right now. A young looking coachman got down from his seat and came to where both Heidi and the guardsman stood. He had long blonde hair that was tied into a pony with a black ribbon.

”Ms Curtis?” the coachman asked her and she nodded her head feeling her heart begin to beat again due to nervousness. The coachman then looked around to see if there was any luggage before he spoke, ”If you could follow me to the carriage milady,” he bowed at her.

Her hands tightened in protest but she walked towards the open door which the coachman had opened for her. Inhaling air, she got inside the posh carriage and she heard the coachman speak politely to the Duke's man.

”I am sorry Sir, but this will be all from your end. I'll be the one to take the lady to see the Lord.”

”I have ordered from my master to stay with the lady until I see she is completely safe,” the guardsman stated looking at the coachman in front of him with narrowed eyes.

”And I have mine to obey,” the coachman replied promptly.