Conflicting Sides

Another rock or uneven break jerked Sophia out of her seat. It had been like that the whole morning. The first few times she could absorb it well enough. But with it only half a day into the trip, she was starting to wish that she could have just walked the distance. Even if it would have been ten times longer to reach their destination. “Carrages are a terrible invention…”

The cabin jumped again making her groan. Opposite of her was Prince Henri who remained as stoic as ever. Each part of the rough road seemed to be completely ignored by him. As if they were gliding on air. Mayhaps, if she could make a cushion of air for them to travel on, she could make that true. But such magic didn’t exist for the Saint. She was granted divine magic from the Goddess. She was no mage, even if her teacher was one.

“It’s more the problem of the roads than the mode of travel.”

“Ust. Hui. Feur.” Sophia clung to the handrail at the side as another bump tossed her up Each hit only made her butt more sore. Sitting was becoming unpleasant. “Can I even sleep after this?”

Across the cabin, he watched her clinging in hope for some peace. The Capital had good roads that carriage rides were hardly a painful experience. But the roads in the wilderness lacked the safety and protection to maintain. It was lucky that it was as solid as it was. He had been on far worse. “What did you cover up yourself from saying?”

Sophia glanced over seeing the Prince staring at her annoyingly unfazed by everything. ‘How can he just sit there like this is nothing? There’s nearly no cushion on the seating. I can feel the wood cutting into me! Why did I agree to this?’ She took a heavy breath trying to forget the pain. “I was worrying about sleeping.”

“I heard that. I mean those strange words you use to try to cover up your internal thoughts.”

She started to get a little self-conscious with him being so targeted. “You knew?”

“After enough time I put it together. What were you thinking?” There was no answer. She kept herself tightly sealed despite the piercing gaze. “Throwing insults again?” He saw her rattle almost immediately. “You have such sharp words.”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“You didn’t have to.”

“You’re so mean…”

While she started to drift away, he coughed, catching himself poking at her again. It was an odd habit he started to develop in her presence. “What are those words?”

“Huh?” Sophia slowly came back before listening to his question. “Ust? It’s Sulish. They’re numbers.”

“Numbers? You’re counting in Sulish?”

She nodded sheepishly as another bump came. Working through the pain, she tried to adjust herself on the seat. “As you already figured out, I have trouble keeping my thoughts in when I get nervous. It’s troubled me for years. I tried many things to keep focus or stop myself. The only thing I found that worked, mostly, was if I repeated a song my mother taught me. But as I got older it didn’t improve and the song didn’t work as well.”

“Counting does seem to either.”

“It’s because the Prince of the kingdom who can make any judgment on my life torments me!”

He coughed again. “Right. My apologies. Your freshness I think has loosened my restraint and I find myself making poor judgments.”

The sincerity of his apology caught her off guard. He was always bluntly honest with her. Giving her more things to worry about whenever speaking up about the nobles and people in power. It was no endless source of frightening things. But he was almost so business-like in their exchanges. Most of the time. It was like he said, he did sometimes drop that. “You need not apologize to me, Your Highness! I’ve insulted you so many times.”

“By mistake, some of which I provoked.”

“May…haps…”

Silence.

It was oddly quiet for a ride that had two squeaky wheels behind them and a road that never ceased to be trouble. Yet for a long held breath there was nothing. It almost might have been that they died if it went any longer. But the pause couldn’t hold forever.

The carriage threw them both up.

“If the song no longer works, why do you count?”

“Speaking in an ancient language slows me down, at least it used to. Familiarizing myself with it now, it doesn’t work as well. But which would be worse, hearing strange words you can’t understand or my unfiltered thoughts?”

“I understand.”

“And it mostly works.”

“Except in the most stressful situations.”

“Which I’m in everyday now.”

“I hope one day that won’t be the case.”

“I’ll try.” She caught the Prince looking away a little as he trailed off on his words. There was an odd bit of uncertainty in his face that was missing from his voice. The two didn’t match. Sophia caught herself staring for a while trying to figure him out. The ice Prince continued to be a mystery for her, but one that was changing to new unknowns. In a new world of magic and Saints, his consistency was something comforting. ‘Is something wrong with him? He’s oddly honest today. Is he sick? Do I need to heal him? I have been hearing him cough more than normal.’

But for as much as she wished to ask him, her lips remained tightly clamped. Differences in station, whatever it was she couldn’t find it to ask him. Even in a carriage ride along with him all day.

She was alone with the Prince all day.

That thought left her in her head for long enough that she lost track of time. Before long they finally came to a stop. They must have reached their destination of the Duchy of Kalendirn. Within the northern forests of Eulire and the Kalend Mountains in the background, it was a sharp change to the farmlands and open fields that Sophia grew up with.

Geography wasn’t her interest, but Prince Henri and her teachers gave her a quick lesson on Kalendirn before arriving. She didn’t need to know the history, but they wanted her to understand the land that she was traveling to. The entire kingdom was ever at risk of monster attacks. However, the further from civilization and settlements monsters could grow longer and evolve into grave threats. The northern forests were the thickest and most untamed wilderness in the kingdom.

It was a common place to train soldiers and knights with how often monsters grew in the region. But those training missions were there only to aid the Duchy in thinning the herds. The military of Kalendirn was well known in the kingdom for producing the strongest and bravest warriors. Rough terrain and harsh forests all swarming with monsters made it difficult for industry or villages to be established. It left their martial reputation as their only valued export.

Which meant that if they were requesting aid, the threat had to be severe. Sophia could only see a serene vista exiting the carriage. ‘It’s so pretty here. I don’t even see any signs of monsters. I believe him that it’s true. But it seems to be the furthest place from danger. What sort of monsters are hiding?’ She never even saw a monster before. They were exceptionally rare around the Capital with only the rumor that the knights slayed one protecting a merchant caravan.

Prince Henri helped Sophia down from the carriage. All of the accompanying knights started to dismount from their horses. While they moved to organize the entire company, Tolen and Noan joined Sophia. They didn’t make it more than a couple of steps before there were servants and a clean, yet simply dressed couple stood at the gate of the estate grounds.

“Prince Henri, your Highness! And Saint Sophia Therodis! Welcome to Kalendirn!” Rather than the suits and formal attire that Sophia was used to seeing from the nobles that she met, he had a military uniform. The rich greens of the royal family across the chest with a black base on the sleeves and pants. It looked thicker than the uniforms she saw of the soldiers and knights with extra gold trim around the collar and cuffs. There was a slight prismatic appearance to the green like emeralds had been crushed into the fabric and caught the light. She didn’t know what material that could be, but he was definitely of a different status. “Balirst Kalendirn, Commander of the Sacred Knights of Euthemia. And my wife, Duchess Sayrah.”

She politely bowed as he motioned their attention to his wife. Shorter than the stern and scarred man, she had a softer appearance, but still not overly elaborate. She didn’t even wear any jewelry as Sophia had seen to be common for noblewomen. Her dress was shorter, not dragging closer to the dirt showing leather boots instead. Even her hair was just tied back without much presentation. They were nothing like the nobles that she had been trained to stand before.

“Duke Balirst, it is good to see you again and in fine health. A few more scars if I’m not mistaken.”

“Observant as always, The wilds are ever dangerous.” His intense eyes caught on to Sophia keeping a step behind and half hiding. “The beasts have been growing ever more violent. It is no place for the unprepared.”

Prince Henri stepped ahead meeting the Commander directly. “And yet you requested aid. A call not made lightly.”

“No, but it’s not something that can be avoided.”

“Then we’re in agreement. Dangerous as it is, we will see the Saint remains safe while on this purification and extermination mission.”

“Harsh and direct as ever. Hold on to that for the days to come. You will need it.” A moment of staring hung between them. But the Duke broke and half turned to his mansion. “Come, my staff will see you to your rooms while my men tend to your knights. Rest and a meal will recover you from a long road!”

His heavy booming voice rattled Sophia as she crawled up behind the Prince. It was making her shake. “His eyes are staring at me. He wants to kill me!”

“Your thoughts are slipping.”

She clasped her hand over her mouth hoping that she wasn’t too loud. Ust. Hui. Feur. It was hardly helping. The only thing that she could do was try not to respond. Prince Henri could lead the conversation.

Suddenly, behind her an unnatural screeching rose up from the horizon. It sounded like no animal she had ever heard before. The wailing dug into her head and rested deep inside her heart. Cold and wet like clawed hands, it gripped her tightly. It had captured her. A chill ran through her whole body like it was winter. She could barely move even as the Prince forced her forward with his marching.

This truly was the wilds where abominations lived at the edge of humanity. She would have to step into that field. Her task as Saint demanded it. ‘I really shouldn’t be here. I don’t belong. I’m the Saint, but I’m just a student! I’m going to be a liability to everyone. I don’t want anyone to die because of me! Ust. Hui. What do I do?’ Her hands started trembling.

“I’m going to die out here.”