Loving The Cursed Werewolf King-Chapter 222: Traveling In Archie’s Carriage
Arielle did not have many good memories of her family in the South. Her siblings made her life in Nieverdell a living hell. Only because of Olin and the other maids, Arielle was able to survive this far.
Arielle’s heart had indeed left the South and chosen Northerndell to be her new home. However, that didn’t mean, Arielle would leave her friends too. She didn’t know what made Olin think like that.
Arielle wiped her tears and smiled crookedly. There was silence in the backyard. Only the creaking sound of wood and leaves made the tension even more uncomfortable.
"Was it true, Princess? Have you really chosen the North as your new home?" asked Olin with a bit of urgency.
Arielle nodded. "Sorry, I did choose Northendell as my new home."
Olin nodded in understanding. "Ah, so, that’s how it is. If so, it means that our decision is correct, right? It would only be a waste if we remained friends if, in the end, you would still leave. There’s nothing else that keeps you here, isn’t it?"
Stay here? And living every day being bullied by her siblings? Arielle shook her head slowly. She didn’t want that. Even though her other servant friends often helped her hide from her siblings but living every day in fear for her life was not what Arielle wanted.
Arielle knew the answer to their conversation this time. She couldn’t get Olin or the other servants to be friends again. They had seen Arielle as a traitor who left them and chose an easy life elsewhere.
"Thanks for talking to me, Olin. Now I feel more relieved."
Arielle smiled at Olin making the maid surprised. She didn’t think Arielle would accept the decision this easily. She thought Arielle would burst into tears and asked her to remain her friend. Her heart ached to see Arielle who had grown up and learned to accept this reality.
"Princess..."
"Thank you for being my friend until now. I will always remember you," Arielle said before leaving the palace backyard.
When Arielle was out of sight, several maids came around Olin to ask about the princess’s surprising change of attitude.
Tania who had been watching from a distance smiled proudly. This was one step forward for the princess. She could accept the bitter decision to part with her friends bravely. Tania put a hat on Sasha’s head.
"Shall we go to the lake?" Sasha asked Tania.
"Hmm. Yes, we are going to the lake. You have an additional task, Sasha. Let’s comfort Princess Arielle so she could be cheerful again," said Tania. Her words made Sasha frown. He didn’t understand what was going on.
Tania hugged Arielle. The princess had done her best. Going for a confrontation and then coming back without crying was no easy feat. Sasha swung Arielle’s hand so the princess could feel better soon because he would always be the princess’s friend. So did Tania and the other Northerners.
"Let’s go. The place we are going to is quite far, it will be late if you linger here," said Arielle, who looked tough. Not showing any sad or disappointed expression at the loss of an old friend.
The three of them departed through the back exit. Tania restrained Arielle from walking ahead of her so that Tania could check their surroundings. After feeling safe from Arielle’s siblings, the three of them rushed across the backyard of the palace.
Arielle greeted the same caretaker to whom she had given the jar of Frostberry jam when she arrived a few days ago.
"Good morning, Princess. Are you going to the market again today?" asked the man in return of the princess’ greetings.
"No, we’re going to the lake to swim."
"Wow... isn’t that a very far away place? It is going to take three hours to walk there, right?"
"Yes, Tania and I are used to it," Arielle replied with a friendly smile.
"Ah, then can you wait for a bit? Prince Archie just bought a few new carriages before you came home and he allows you to use one of them. Let me prepare the carriage for you."
"Carriage? Archie’s? No, no! I can’t take it. He is not in the palace right now, isn’t he? If he found out that I used his stuff without permission, Archie will be furious."
"No, Princess! Prince Archie himself told us, the guards, to lend you one of his carriages to take you to and fro to faraway places."
Arielle looked at Tania and Sasha for an opinion. So far, wherever they went, Arielle and Tania just walked. Every now and then if both of them had excess money they would rent a carriage outside the palace.
Arielle didn’t have a personal carriage like her other siblings. She even went to the North with a carriage borrowed from Archie. The princess thought for a moment.
Arielle’s silence, made the guard go to prepare the carriage and also get another guard to accompany the princess.
"I don’t think a guard can lie, Princess. If Prince Archie did lend you a carriage then it wouldn’t hurt us to use it, would it?" said Sasha giving an opinion.
"That’s right, Princess," continued Tania.
But this was a strange act for an Archie. Didn’t he say at that time that he would be nice to her just because of a deal he made? Then he wouldn’t want to look too good in public to him.
What if Arielle’s other siblings found out that Arielle was leaving in Archie’s carriage?
A large carriage arrived with two brown horses pulling it. The coachman and a guard were already seated at the front. The man who delivered Archie’s message appeared from behind and then opened the carriage door so Arielle, Tania, and Sasha could enter.
Hesitantly, Arielle climbed the stairs and got into the carriage. She observed the whole carriage suspiciously. Nothing strange. It was just that the carriage looked very luxurious to be lent to her.
Arielle touched a chair that was so soft and fluffy. It was made of velvet. The oak-carved interior looked very sturdy and shone when the sun hits its slick finish.
"This car is very luxurious for me to use," said Arielle.
She immediately lowered her window to talk to the guard earlier. "Aren’t you taking the wrong carriage? This isn’t Archie’s private carriage, is it? I think I can use a simpler carriage."
The man smirked and shook his head.
"No, Princess. This is the carriage that Prince Archie has dedicated to you. Enjoy your trip!" cried the man as the train started moving.
Unlike the old carriage, this one was really comfortable. They weren’t even that affected by the cobbled streets.
"Isn’t this too much?" Arielle asked Tania.
Sasha, who loved the sun, chose to open the window blinds and let the light enter the carriage window.
"Although I still can’t trust Prince Archie completely, I think we can use this kindness to make things easier for you, Princess."
Arielle smiled and felt funny seeing Sasha who was talking like an adult.
"Why can’t you trust Prince Archie?" asked Arielle.
Sasha folded his arms across his chest. His brows furrowed like a man in deep thought.
"Hm... I noticed a strange aura in that man. It was as if he deliberately made random signals to make the people around him believe his words. I see him as a manipulator who is carrying out a sinister scheme."
Arielle and Tania nodded their heads.
Sasha continued to talk about his suspicions. From what he heard from the other guards, they clearly said that Prince Archie was the worst among the princess’s other siblings.
The other spies also said that Prince Archie was one of the people who had bullied Princess Arielle and became one of the closest people in Queen Rosalie’s family even though the man was only the son of a concubine.
"Isn’t Queen Rosalie the one who chooses anyone to enter her circle? Even the other concubines are still unable to penetrate Queen Rosalie’s circle to get close like Archie did," said Sasha.
"Sasha, you are so cool. Even though you’ve only been here a few days but are already able to analyze things like that," Arielle praised the boy.
Sasha’s face turned red from the compliment.
"I was only taking precautionary measures to get to know the environment around me to protect you, Princess. I have received a royal task given by the king," he replied with a face flushed with embarrassment.
Tania chuckled and lightly patted Sasha’s head.
"You have done your best. Thank you for coming with me here," said Arielle.
Sasha nodded. As a child, it was easy for him to get access wherever he went. Just put on an innocent face and say "Sorry, I didn’t know this area was banned" Sasha was released by the guards.
What about pretending to be a girl? The guards who scolded him did not dare to hit him. If he wore a boy’s clothes, for sure, he would be dragged and beaten first.
Sasha now understood the purpose of Lazarus giving this idea to him. It turned out that after spending a few days here, Sasha was learning slowly.
***
The carriage had arrived at a small village on the outskirts of a mountain valley. Arielle got off the carriage and then looked around the village which looked deserted. Only a few women seem busy with their chores.
The village was indeed famous as a women’s village. The men would work outside the village and only return home at night. The whole village was run by women.
Usually, after the dry season arrived, when the river water starts to dry up again and the lake water fills up again, the women and their daughters would spend time in the lake bathing and chatting together.
Tania used to take Arielle there several times and Ariele learned to swim there. This was where they wanted to teach Sasha how to swim.
