Chapitre 36: The Mishap

THE RIDE TOWARDS the Ragan's Estate was as awkwardly silent as Alice had anticipated. She hadn't thought there would be any conversation between Hartley and herself, but she had at least hoped he would bring up a little mindless chatter. However, he was as quiet as a mouse, seated opposite her with one leg crossed over the other. A few documents were in his hands as he read them wordlessly, the sound of shuffling paper acting as the only noise besides the clopping of the horse's hooves against the road.

Uncomfortable with the stifling air, Alice twitched and fidgeted. A part of her had hoped it was Spade with her instead. After all, the second prince had always been more friendly towards her. He knew what to say to get a laugh from her and was always so glib with his words. If it hadn't been for the fact that he was second in line to the throne, Alice knew that he would most definitely be the most eligible bachelor in all of Gladiolum, not Hartley.

Unfortunately, the title of crown prince belonged to Hartley, not Spade. That was something fixed by birthright.

"You look like you want to say something," Hartley spoke without even looking up from his papers. His voice caused Alice to jump a little as she hadn't expected him to start the conversation first. "Spit it out."

In truth, there were a lot of things Alice wanted to ask Hartley. He had talked about his mother so fondly when they had first met in the garden, but when speaking to Rose Whitaker just now in the palace, he was more than upset about the control his mother had over his life. What was the dynamic between this mother-and-son pair? Other than that, why was Wyatt so repulsed by the idea of Spade inviting her for tea? Wyatt worked as Hartley's assistant, his right-hand man. Was his hatred due to the crown prince's dislike for his own brother?

"Lady Whitaker," Alice began, "What are your thoughts about her?"

'A safe question,' Alice thought to herself. Surely he wouldn't mind some mere gossip. He was the one that asked, after all. Besides, he was the one that offered his friendship. What was a mere question between friends?

"Am I supposed to have any?" Hartley retorted, still not looking up from his papers. He paused for a second before heaving a long sigh. Leaning back against the cushions, Hartley squeezed his eyes shut. A hand was raised to rub at his temples, slowly breathing out as his own fingers worked magic to ease his headache. "She is alright. As Duke Whitaker's daughter, she is the prime candidate to be my wife, to be the crown princess of Gladiolum. However, those are my mother's wishes."

"Not yours?"

"Rose Whitaker is a mere facade she puts up. The elegance, the grace, and the general allure of a nobility's daughter. She has a full grasp of the way she acts and the way she presents herself to the crowd. Unfortunately, I've had the displeasure of growing up with her." Hartley scowled, looking at Alice for the first time since the conversation between them started. "Inside, she is rotten and vile. Most of those noble women are."

"Well, who isn't?" Alice asked. Jokingly, she said, "I would love to be their friend. It's rare to have someone genuine in the circle."

"That is quite a narcissistic thing to say, Alice."

Light sparkled in Hartley's eyes. It took Alice a second to realize what he was implying.

She huffed. "Surely you don't mean me? I'm not even real nobility. You were the one that called me a peasant when we first met, remember?"

"And you certainly made sure that I would never again," Hartley swiftly replied. "You showed me that the line between nobility and commoners was so fine that it was almost negligible. And that sometimes, it is the people with a common background that are more worthy to befriend."

His words brought a smile to Alice's face. She chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. Light glittered in her irises as she did so, bewildered by how mere weeks was enough to change the crown prince's — someone that was raised by the arrogant upper-class — opinion.

"I am so glad," she muttered, sighing.

Hartley's eyebrows scrunched together, his nose wrinkling. "Whatever of?"

"That you're not a vile person to be around. That we can be friends despite the fact that you're the crown prince and I am just… barely noble. Your Highness isn't as bad as I originally thought you would be."

"Hartley," the crown prince gently reminded. "You were the one that went on and on about how formalities were stifling. Just 'Hartley' is fine."

The ray of sunlight that rested on Hartley's face amplified his majesty and beauty. Under the gold of the sun, his scarlet hair glimmered and shone, reflecting the light as though he was a ruby placed beneath the spotlight. Through the windows of the carriage, the light cast was just enough to illuminate his ethereal features. A sharp nose, a strong jaw, and elegance in his posture. When sitting still, every single member of the royal family was no doubt a porcelain doll. Now that Hartley was friendlier, nicer, kinder, everything about him just seemed more beautiful than before.

In place of the haughty prince, a fine gentleman emerged.

However, despite the brightest sunlight, nothing could stop a brewing storm. The skies were temperamental and changed as quickly as it desired. Even though it was still sunny outside just seconds ago, soon enough, clouds started to block out the golden light, casting the world beneath an ominous shadow.

"Strange," Hartley commented, looking out of the window. "It was just bright outside seconds ago."

He perfectly echoed Alice's thoughts.

The knot in her stomach grew the further they traveled. Outside the carriage, the winds howled, bending branches and swaying trees. Rain had yet to fall but it would no doubt start soon. In her head, Alice began to calculate how long it would take for them to reach the Ragan's Estate and the path they would need to pass through. The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.

"Maybe we should head back," she advised. Her fingers curled around the fabric of her dress, scrunching it so tightly that wrinkles formed. "We're closer to the royal palace than the Ragan's. If we continue on this road, we'll have to pass by a mountainous area. In the case of a storm, it might get dangerous."

Hartley remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. As he had journeyed multiple times back and forth between these two places, he knew the road well. What Alice had said was true. It might be a bit risky to continue on the journey. For now, the best choice was to find somewhere safe to wait out the rain. The clouds didn't look like they were about to part anytime soon.

"That… might be the best option," he agreed. Raising his voice, Hartley called out to the driver, "Coachman!"

His words were met with silence. Hartley frowned. The servants working for the palace had always been more than eager to reply. Now, Alice wasn't the only one with a foreboding feeling. Something wasn't right and it wasn't as simple as a thunderstorm.

"Coachman, turn back to the palace. Now!"

Nature was mocking him. From the heavens above, the rain started to pour. It skipped the trickles and drizzles, turning directly into a storm. Each drop of rainwater was heavier than the previous one, thudding hard against the roof of the carriage. Lightning and thunder soon followed closely, crackling through the sky as though signifying the anger of the gods.

Throughout everything, the coach continued to throttle forward with no signs of stopping. In fact, it was picking up speed.

Ahead of them, Alice could spy the cliff that she was so worried about. In the storm, the winds made the carriage sway. Even the neighing of the horses seemed to sound like alarms blaring through her head, warning her not to go past the point of no return.

"Something's not right," Hartley murmured. His expression was grim, knuckles almost white from how he gripped the papers in his hands.

"Yeah, no kidding," Alice replied sarcastically.

Right as she spoke, a loud crack reverberated through the air. It wasn't the sound of thunder but rather, the sound of something breaking. The carriage swayed, collapsing on one side as Alice yelped out in shock. In front, the horses grew panicked, throwing everything into further chaos. Within short minutes, the duo went from journeying on a brightly sunlit dirt road to dangling on the verge of death.

The last thing Alice could remember was the cool rain against her skin and Hartly screaming out her name.