The trip

  The petrichor emanating from the drying grass and the sound of the hooves stepping on the ground made Seren desperate to seek out her country, but the road trip was far from finished. They have been on the road for 2 days now. Bala was on her horse, completely exhausted. She thought that they should take a break, so she pushed her horse to move forward toward the carriage, reaching out to the carriage window and knocking.

Lotus opened the window, Bala looked at Seren, and requested, “How about we rest today?” Bala seemed so tired.

Seren took pity on Bala, and so she nodded, everyone stopped traveling and went to rest, creating tents and starting a fire.

Seren and her maids slept in one tent, and Owen was with the Guards Guarding. Guards took turns guarding throughout the night till it reached midnight, and Seren wasn't able to fall asleep, so she decided to get some fresh air. She got out and walked towards the fire. Some knights were sleeping surrounding the fire, and their swords lay next to them. She crouched watching the wooden logs burn, thinking about her home, her father, and her little brother, and how they would welcome her. She also wanted to visit her mom’s grave.

It was Owen’s guarding hour and he could hear some footsteps, he started searching for the source and followed the sound there he saw Seren sitting looking at the fire, he walked to check up on her, she felt a motion approaching her, instinctively she pulled a sword from the swords that were next to her and pointed it towards the motion, but it was Owen.

“Ohh! Somebody got stamina,” he smirked, raising his hands as a sign of defeat.

“It's just you,” she threw the sword.

“I didn't know princess welded swords,” he said, snickering.

“I've already told you I can.”

“It is part of my duties in my country,”

“Oh! I see,” he replied.

He then quickly pulled out his sword trying to test her, but she had heard the friction made by the sword and the scabbard, quickly she took the sword from the ground and dodged his sword.

“Out of context, it would be a crime,” Seren said proudly.

“Well then… guess I am a fool,” he said.

She giggled but wasted no time, the sounds of iron striking against each other which caused sparks, eventually Owen hit the last blow, causing Seren’s sword to fall from her hand.

“Checkmate,” he said smugly.

She looked around her to find a way to win. She noticed that his scabbard was not placed well, and she looked at him and smirked.

“You would have won,” she said, quickly hitting his scabbard, causing it to fall on her foot, then she kicked it and held it in her hands, swaying it gently and lightly hit Owen's wrist which made his sword fall quickly.

“But never dismiss your scabbard,” she remarked.

He looked at her, his face growing red, only to deflate with laughter.

“Lord! You are strong,” he said.

She nodded and then went to crouch next to the fire, and Owen sat next to her.

“I was thinking,” Seren said.

“I was thinking, I want to buy some gifts and some flowers, I don't wanna go empty-handed,” she told Owen.

Owen nodded, “What do you want to bring?” he asked.

“Well, I am thinking of something to wear, maybe or…” she said while she thought.

“Well, aren't you wealthy? Buy them some silver plates,” Owen suggested.

“Oh my god! Of course not! That is wasteful, since we don't use silver plates,” she replied.

They started brainstorming, they lost track of time, and the threads of the sun started appearing.

“It's morning!” She said, panicing. She had not yet found the perfect gift and eventually everyone started waking up, packing up the stuff preparing to leave.

The trip continued, and on the way, Seren tried thinking about the types of gifts.

“It is beautiful how some plants and flowers can survive this weather,” Lotus said, interrupting Seren's thought.

Seren looked at nature from the window, the outside world looked so vivid with red plants surrounding them. She remembered that her little brother loved plants, and an idea dropped on to her, she would buy seeds for him to grow.

The carriage stopped and Bala opened the door, seren walked down the carriage, but her vision felt to vivd like the color of the stairs and the floor mushed together causing her to accidentally missed a stair and fall, lotus quickly jumped to help her stand back on her feet, they had finally reached the city, there Seren tried searching for the best seeds she could find, after acquiring the gift she went on to go hunt for her father’s gift but she remained hesitant.

They spun around, from shop to shop, wandering aimlessly, hoping to find something.

“Ugh!” She sighed.

Owen noticed her worry and hesitance, he said, “What does he like?”

“Well, I don't know, he got everything,” she said.

“OK… Oh! What about shared memories?”.

Seren started thinking of a moment shared with her father, trying to think of something precious, her memory taking her places in the past till she finally reached a time station where her mother was still alive holding her little brother while her father was teaching her the basics of holding a sword.

She smiled warmly. “Well… I think… it would be when we used to train,”.

“Good, how about buying a scabbard,” he suggested.

Seren stopped walking, amused by his brilliant suggestion, her eyebrows raising while looking at him.

“You deserve a raise!”.

“Right! That’s what I am saying as well!” He replied, shrugging.

Finally, Seren found a blacksmith who was selling a beautiful scabbard. It was adorned with calligraphy and was made from strong metal, so she bought it, wasting almost all her money on the scabbard; she was barely able to buy the roses she wanted.

While walking around the city trying to search for the perfect flower shop, the ground started moving underneath her feet but she continued to stroll until she completely lost balance and fell on the ground.

Owen noticed that Seren had barely slept the past few days, so he ordered the guards to find a well-suited hotel.

“You need to rest.”

“I am fine,” Seren said, holding on to Bala's armoured arm.

“We will go to a good hotel, and there you can catch a nap,” he stressed.

“No need… really!” She raised her hand, waving.

“It is not an option, you are sleep deprived and we are tired,” he said, crossing his hand.

“Owen,” she sighed.

“Don't worry, it will be a good hotel,” he assured her.

“Owen. I don't have any money on me, I wasted it,” she confessed

“What!” he replied, raising his eyebrows and uncrossing his arms.

“Sorry,” she looked away, snickering.

Owen raised his shoulder, taking notice of her unbothered demeanor. She was spending money selfishly, wasn't she the one who was worried about the ignorant behaviour nobles have or was she talking empty words.

“You can't just waste money left and right and then sorry your way out,” he sneered.

“Do you even know why you had that amount of gold with you?”

Seren's face flushed, she wasn't used to being lectured, she didn't quite understand why he was so offended.

“I am sorry,” she said, looking away.

The king had given her a pouch of gold coins for the trip and told her to have fun. The amount of gold was for the expenses of the trip only, but Seren didn't understand that.

“How can apologizing fix things?” he squinted.

“I didn't know,” she yelled.

“This is part of your duty!”

“You shouldn't have been so reckless.”

Seren didn't know how to reply since it was his advice to buy the scabbard.

“But I took your advice!”

“Oh sure thing… Scabbards aren't usually that expensive!”

“You just don't think twice before spending!” he puffed.

Seren's ego was scratched; no one had ever scolded her on financial matters, so why would a jester suddenly lecture her on financial matters?

“Owen! Must you not talk to me such way I am your Grace and your lady after all,” seren stressed.

Owen was furious. He thought she believed they were equals, that she saw him, that they met eye to eye. But was it all a facade? Empty words spoken from pity… or pride? Why let him believe she meant it, when she asked to be seen as herself, if she never truly saw him?"

“Oh! So it's we are equal till it's inconvenient to you. Cool. Got it.” He said, turning on his heel, and disappeared into the crowd.

Seren's face blushes more, eyes shimmering. Her fingers were twitching, and her limbs felt like they didn't belong to her, but she realised the double standard she expected from her subjects, to be treated like a human, only to treat them as puppets.

Lotus offered to help seren by paying for a day at a hotel. Following Lotus's offer, Bala also volunteered to pay with Lotus for a night at a hotel reassuring Seren and made sure to ease her worries, defeatedly Seren accepted their offer.

One their way to find a hotel, they passed through a poor neighbourhood, and it was as if all colors were stripped away, the colorful stores the paved floor all faded as they entered.

A little kid was selling roses, and noticed Seren with her guards, the kids eyes grew bigger and she quickly ran towards Seren, the guards quickly shielded Seren, but Seren asked to lower their weapons since it was just a kid.

The kid was bubbly and offered Seren a free rose.

“I always wanted to meet a noble,” the kid said, holding Seren's hand and putting a rose in it.

Seren, moved by the kid's action, took off her golden necklace and put it on the girl.

“When you grow up, you'll become a noble too,” Seren said, clipping the necklace around the girl's neck.

The kid was jumping with excitement, but Bala warned Seren not to tell the girl that and not to give her a prestigious necklace like that, but Seren didn't see where the problem lay.

Lotus then explained that a little girl having an expensive necklace roaming around a poor neighbourhood, would be an easy victim for predators or could easily be framed for theft, by giving her the necklace she is putting the girl in danger, as for what Seren told the little girl. She would also be in danger if she repeats what Seren said in front of the wrong people.

Seren, taken aback by her ignorance, and Owen's words playing at the back of her head, she ordered a guard to help the little girl and take her home, and proceeded to continue walking silently, but her mind was a swirling storm, until they finally reached their destination.