Lysandra was taken aback, not expecting the elderly woman to be this rude. "But of course I will pay for the rooms. I wasn't expecting they'd be free." Lysandra replied. The woman suddenly burst out in a warm laughter. "Oh he is going to like ya. You've got some spunk in you." The woman still had that smile on her face. "Don't tell him I said so, but I like you already." She winked before being interrupted by an unknown man.
"Oh, come now Mary, don't be so mean." A deep voice called from behind. Lysandra looked around and saw a man getting up from his seat. He was nearly 6ft tall, his hair light brown brown. He looked somewhere in his mid 30's with a scar going over his cheek towards his upper lip. Wondering who this man was, Lysandra looked at the table where the man had come from. She spotted one more man sitting at the same table. "You know, Mary, the duke already paid for the rooms for tonight. Lady Atar I presume?" The man had turned to Lysandra and held out his hand for her to shake.
Lysandra was confused to say the least. She didn't know who this man was and the Duke had paid for her stay?!
Was this their way of greeting? A handshake? In the capital a lady could only bow. Awkwardly Lysandra shook the man's hand. "Lady Atar, and you are?"
The man had a rough chuckle, scratching the back of his head after pulling his hand back. "Ah the name is Brion, Captain of the guards of the North." He bowed his head as if trying to conform to capital standards. The man spoke with a thick foreign accent.
"The duke has instructed us to escort you, Hannic and I." The man pointed to the table he was sitting at and the other man got up and walked over as well.
"Hello Milady" the second man greeted. He was almost as tall, blond, blue eyes. He bowed to Lysandra. "My name is Hannic, I oversee the wolves of the North. We will be guiding you through the forest. The duke asked us to give you this as well." The man now known as Hannic, handed over a small package with a note to Lysandra. "The duke insisted that we come to escort you. That way your guards can return to the capital."
Wolves? What was this man going on about? He was joking right? Nobody in their right mind would dare to keep wolves as pets. Looking at the small package in her hand, she felt that it was light and wrapped in a basic brown paper. Meaning it couldn't be of high importance. She shoved the package in the pocket of her dress.
"Return? Are the guards not coming with me to the North?" Lysandra questioned looking over at Hannic.
"Your coachman and guards will indeed be returning to the capital Milady, only you and your maid will be coming with us to the North. This information has been relayed to your father, did he not inform you of this?" Brion asked.
Her father wasn't one to withhold information from her, then again it wasn't like she knew the guards who were with her any better than the men right in front of her. "Oh I see." Lysandra started. "Something to drink and a meal for me and my maid would be lovely though." She said looking at Hannic.
"O-o-of course," Hannic flustered and walked over next to the older woman. "I'll help Mary." The young man offered.
"Do take your seat dear, some snacks will arrive soon." Mary warmly said as she pulled back a chair for Lysandra at one of the empty tables.
"Milady, did you hear the guards are returning tomorrow?" Daisy walked in confused holding their bags for the night.
"I'm aware. It seems that father left out some information regarding what the duke wrote." She turned to Brion but the man already returned to his seat. Hannic had been walking after Mary, making good on his word.
The inn itself was rather quiet. Besides her current guards and the new ones from the North, the tables were empty. Being seated already Lysandra took the package Hannic had handed her and placed it on the table. Daisy soon joined her at the table. "What is that, Milady?" Daisy inquired.
"A package from the duke it seems–" Lysandra put it down on the table and opened the note that was with the package. Written in poor handwriting she read:
"Use when needed.
-Khan"
Use… when needed? She could barely read the note. It was different from the previous letter she had received. Was this really written by the Duke? This note was written by someone named Khan, the Duke's first name wasn't known in the capital. Could this be the Duke's name? Khan? He was known by his nickname the demon of the North, but not by any human name. Lysandra opened up the package and found what seemed to be a piece of parchment. What the heck was she supposed to do with a piece of parchment that had a symbol on it that she couldn't even read?!
Daisy looked at the paper and then turned to Lysandra. "Well that's uhm– unique." Daisy said clearly trying to be polite. Lysandra rolled her eyes and stuffed the piece of paper in her pocket together with the note. "Useless that's what it is. I can't believe the guards are heading home tomorrow and instead of five we will only be escorted by two through that so-called cursed forest." Lysandra noticed she was getting cranky. Afterall, she had barely slept these last few nights.
"Here you go." Marry walked over, putting down a bottle of wine and the snacks on the table. Meanwhile her guards had taken a seat at one of the other tables and already called for beer, it was clear their job was done. "Thank you." Lysandra said as they were served a platter of cheese and bread.
"Do let me know if you need anything else, did you ladies take the lake route?" Mary asked as she put down the glasses for the wine. Daisy looked up after taking a bite of the cheese. "Lake route? I don't think so, we only saw forest and wasteland for days." Daisy answered.
"Oh dear?! Wait, when was the last time you ladies had a bath?!" Mary asked, shocked. Lysandra looked a little embarrassed. "The last town we stopped in was four nights ago." she answered. Mary's eyes popped "You idiots!" she called at the guards Lysandra's father had hired "Why didn't you take the lake route! There are several inn's down that road. I will hurry up and draw some baths for you girls upstairs."
"Who are you calling an idiot, you old hag!" The leader of the guards got up but before he could even get close to Mary, Brion stepped in. "You are telling me, you took the ladies down the wasteland route?" Brion glared at the man.
"Yes we did, it's the fastest route up here to you savages."
Brion clearly wasn't amused by the man's comment as he grabbed him by his collar and pushed him against the wall. The other guards quickly got up but the second Brion stared them down, they froze. "Let me make one thing clear. You are extremely lucky to be alive, there are multiple things that could kill any of you in the blink of an eye down the wasteland road. If the Duke's fiance had died whilst getting here, you would have had more to fear than just your own life. Do you understand?!" He let go of the guard and tossed him back at his men.
"Do enjoy your meal, Milady." Brion said before returning back to his seat. The other guards had gotten up as well with their swords in hand, ready to fight. "Stand down! All of you!" Brion bellowed. He used a tone of voice that demanded authority. "Either you're a good guest to Mary's inn or you can leave right now!" That settled the hired guards right down. All swords were sheathed again and Brion sat back at the table with Hannic.
Lysandra's heart was racing– Had she heard that correctly? Dead? In seconds?
Quickly taking a big sip of her wine. The guards returned to their table clearly understanding that calming down was their only option.
Daisy stuffed herself with some pieces of cheese. After Mary got back downstairs she brought over two bowls of stew and another bottle of wine. To her it must have seemed Daisy and Lysandra needed it. With dinner served, they quickly ate and headed upstairs to their rooms.
"I can't believe those idiots almost had us killed." Daisy stated when she entered the room Lysandra would be staying in.
"A wasteland road, with nothing but danger?! What were they thinking?!" Daisy let out a slew of curses right after. It was rare for Daisy to curse at all. The maid gently guided Lysandra to the bathroom and helped her get in the warm water.
Lysandra was sitting in the tub as her maid tended to her. She had stated so many times that she could wash herself but Daisy always insisted it was her job, even if Lysandra told her it wasn't necessary. Daisy took great pride in how well her Lady was taken care of.
"Well atleast we are almost there. Just two more days till we get to the North." Lysandra looked at Daisy who was looking around the bathroom. "I didn't think they'd even have warm water all the way up here. Not to mention that there is actual plumbing, just like the capital." Daisy looked over at the pipes as Lysandra was left speechless.
"What? Oh come on Milady, you were thinking the same. These people are called savages back in the capital. Yet this village has hot water and plumbing. Whereas the last two inn's we stayed in didn't even have that." In private Daisy was always outspoken whilst out in public Daisy was the calm collected one.
Lysandra chuckled. "You have a point. The last town felt more like a village that was about to fall apart than be considered anything by any imperial standard." She leaned her head back letting her mind wander for a moment. She recalled the diaries her grandfather had left for her and Ambra to read.
Would Ambra still be alive?
Hope and pain conflicted her mind. Even if Lysandra was all the way up in the North. She needed to write to her father that she was alright. The man didn't look too great when she had left. He had always been caring towards Lysandra and her sister. Losing Ambra had taken a toll on him, even if her father didn't want to openly admit to that.
"Well alright—but don't get your hopes up. Maybe this is just an exception. Besides, the Duke of the North is said to bathe in the blood of the men he kills out on the battlefield." Daisy said and instantly covered her mouth.
"I'm sorry Milady. I–"
Lysandra let out a deep sigh.
"No need to apologise Daisy. I have heard the rumours of my so-called betrothed. Let's hope he doesn't kill me on sight, then I can at least write a letter to father and mother back home." She said softly but the underlying fear was hard to miss.
After the maid had dressed Lysandra, she crawled into her bed for the night. Daisy bid her good night before retiring to her own room.
The bed was softer than the carriage make-shift one, but that wasn't too difficult with how hard the mattress in the carriage was. Actually this bed had the best mattress of all the inns so far. Maybe she was just imagining it, after all she hadn't laid in a real bed in a few days.
Looking up at the ceiling after blowing out the candle, she held up her hand. "I just have to—marry the man, give him an heir and try to stay alive." Lysandra chuckled as tears started to run down her cheeks. What a cruel joke, marrying some brute who killed hundreds if not thousands of men in cold blood. Could her life get any worse?
Curling up under the sheets while holding her pillow tightly, she wished Ambra was here, she would have known what to do. Her sister was the stronger one, the pretty one, if the Duke would find out about her mother not being of highborn Lysandra was done for. He would have her hung by the gate. Leonel was right: she was a cursed bride. Sent off to her own funeral.