Read Part 1 Here
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The crowd had dispersed but Madeline felt like her heart had been trampled on so many times. She watched the carriage and troop move ahead, their silhouettes a small dot in the distance.
“She would be okay.” A voice said, startling her from her thoughts. Madeline turned to find Penelope, the pregnant woman.
“I am going to be so sad. And alone…” her voice broke at the last word, head bowing as tears poured down her tightly shut eyes.
Penelope held her as close as her protruding stomach would let her,
“No no Madeline. You are not alone. I am here remember.”
Madeline’s quiet sobs reached only the ears of Penelope as the carriage continued on in the distance.
The carriage juggled from the cobbled road and the weight of its passengers. The coach driver was with his face down, face still covered by the hood. The sun was at its peak, shadows growing by the leaves and bushes.
Roma couldn’t resist. She had never left the lines of Wormhare. Always tucked by her mother’s side even during the days of the local market.
Roma lifted the thin material of black lace that shielded the small cut window of the coach. Her red pouty lips formed an ‘O’ as they travelled on. Little gasps of wonder escaping her each time with every scene.
Ashton sat beside her, not too far but not near enough. His eyes would not leave her, like he feared she’d disappear should he close his eyes. Her curiosity amused him greatly and the corner of his lips tipped up in a smile.
“We are going to the Kingdom?” She turned to ask all of a sudden, hair whipping around with her and whacking him across the cheek.
Ashton nodded, “The Land of Fae.”
“That name could use a lot of work. I used to hear stories as a child but I thought we called it that because we were as always, not privileged to know anything about the magic realm. Mama also called it that.”
Ashton raised a brow, “You are soon to be queen. You can name it whatever you wish.”
Roma’s face fell, like a bad habit, she sucked in her bottom lip, chewing on it.
“That could leave a bruise.” Ashton said with concern.
“It does. I’m nervous. What if they don’t like me? They already tried to kill me.”
She had turned to face the window again, watching two birds swirl mid-air. Their bright colors warming her heart. She’d not seen anything like it.
“I like you.”
They both remained still, only the sound of the hooves and the jiggle of the coach between them. Roma knew within her that she should turn and hash this out. But for some reason, she couldn’t. She’d always thought she was brave. Perhaps she wasn’t when it came to the matters of the heart.
“How long would it take? To get to Fae?” She asked instead.
Ashton’s heart sunk a little. She was deflecting and he hoped to the high heavens that it was because she was still bashful and not because she…
No. He refused to think about it.
“A day or two at most. Depends on the current of the Poignion river.”
At this Roma turned, eyes alight,
“River? Do we get to swim?”
“You know how to swim?”
“Of course. There’s a small lake just at the back of the village. I go there for a swim.”
“Hmm.” Ashton rumbled, “In clothes?”
“Uh… sometimes”
Hey eyes drifted from his face, cheeks red as a tomato. Ashton’s face darkened.
“You swim naked?”
“Who swims dressed?”
“Anyone could be looking. That is very unwise. And unsafe.”
Roma’s eyes turned to slits, her earlier embarrassment dissolving and peeling back to reveal anger.
“I don’t think we’ve known each other long enough for you to spill all the advice in the book, grandpa.”
As soon as she said it, she reared back, her hand going over her mouth. Her face ripening again. Ashton threw his head back and laughed, the sound so unfamiliar the coach driver startled, his hand on the reigns slipping a bit, causing the horses to sway in discomfort.
The coach dances with the movement and Roma finds herself snug against the hard planes of the man with her. Her body heats up, the reaction so sudden and uncommon she detaches herself almost immediately, turning back to the window. Ashton doesn’t speak, content with watching her back.
