Chương 14: "Ghosts of the Great War"
Around afternoon, the next day, everything had been set. General Lum chose thirty of his best men to escort the King's carriage, and together with him in full plate armor, they rode the most agile horses. There were only two carriages. The first one, where Ely and the King rode, was royal blue colored, and had an intrinsic design of golden streaks plus a carved lion's head by the carriage door. The second one was where Minister Holter and four maidservants were seated. And in that carriage, the supply of food was kept.
"Oh my god, Maro, how many hours will our trip be? I'm so excited!" Ely exclaimed, and her eyes were filled with delight. She wore a wrapped satin dress and was seated in front of him.
King Maro wore his usual velvet robe with a lion's head stitched perfectly at his back. A subtle smile escaped from his lips and he replied, "Ten hours."
"Huh? Ten hours?!" She widened her eyes in surprise. She felt her excitement go down the drain, "My butt will hurt…"
"We will spend the night at the war site."
"War site?"
"Yes. It was where this nation's Great War occurred. My ancestors fought for this land…" He crossed his arms, then looked serious, "But because of the rumor that the heroes' ghosts are lurking there, the people decided not to live there. So now it's just an empty land."
"Ghosts? There are ghosts there?" Ely bit the tip of her fingers, "Are… are you sure?"
King Maro nodded, "Recently, I heard that some mercenaries who went camping there have been hearing yelling men and galloping horses as if the war never ended..."
"Marooo!" Ely squealed. She did not realize that the sun had already gotten down. "You're just kidding, right? It's just a typical ghost story, right? Hey…" She quickly transferred to the seat beside the King. She repeatedly touched his shoulders with a finger.
The King tried not to grin, but deep inside he found Ely's reaction very cute. He continued, "Some even said that the ghosts touch the mercenaries' feet…"
"What! Oh dear… I'm really afraid of ghosts…"
When the carriage stopped, the door suddenly opened, and General Lum informed them that they had arrived. The two of them went down the gray soil, but still thinking about the ghost story made Ely grab onto the King's arm tightly as they walked towards their tent which was being set up near the pond.
Ely and the King waited until their tent was properly set up.
"Your tent is ready now, my King," General Lum uttered. He then turned to the lady beside him, "Please wait for a while, we shall set up your tent next-"
King Maro raised his hand, making the General stop his statement. "That won't be necessary. We will sleep in the same tent…" He turned his head to her, "Or would you like a different tent?"
"I'd like the same tent with you! I'd feel safer..." Ely imagined sleeping alone in her tent. She was afraid that the ghosts' cold hands might touch her feet, or see shadows of the dead warriors.
"Alright." King Maro could not help but grin. He felt that he might have exaggerated the story about the ghosts, but seeing Ely so close to him made him feel no regrets…
The maidservants prepared potato and carrot soup for the mercenaries' dinner, but Ely and King Maro's food was different. They were served thick slabs of grilled steak with barbecue sauce, as well as clam soup. Aside from that, they were also served wine.
As they had their dinner, King Maro saw how Ely would always turn her head, glancing at the shadows of the people outside which they could see from inside. He stopped grazing the knife on his meat and asked her, "If you're afraid of the ghosts, don't worry. I won't leave you alone."
"But… You're a human, you are no match for ghosts…" Ely said while thinking about the horror series she had watched long ago.
"You think my ruthlessness is that shallow? Even the ghosts are afraid of me."
"That confidence… You're really the King of this nation…" Somehow, she felt relieved, then she continued eating.
When they finished and decided to rest for the day, Ely noticed the makeshift bed at the side of the tent. It was made of several wide cushions on top of each other. "I can… sleep on the ground."
The King touched Ely's cheek, "What are you saying? How can I let you do that… to my future Queen?"
Ely turned beet red. How can the King say it casually without batting an eye? It made her think that if he was not busy with state affairs, he might have gotten a lot of concubines!
He moved towards the makeshift bed, then pulled two of the topmost cushions and brought them beside the pile. Now, it was as if there were two makeshift beds.
Ely laid down the left side of the bed which was further than the entrance. "Maro…" She uttered. "Don't go anywhere."
"Of course." The King laid down as well. He faced Ely and held her hand, then kissed the back of it. He stared at her, saying, "I'll protect you."
Ely was touched by King Maro's words, yet she sensed that there was something in King Maro's eyes that made her freeze. Even though he looked like her late husband, his gaze was different. King Maro's stare was intense, filled with fiery passion, while Adam's gaze was soft, filled with gentle affection. Maybe it was because King Maro is more dominant and more powerful in nature than Adam. She knew that she shouldn't compare the two men, but she couldn't help it.
At that moment, she wasn't even sure if her heart raced for the King or for her husband.
"Ely."
His voice lingered in Ely's mind. It was a low, deep voice, and as he stared at her intensely, she felt that he wanted more of her. Seeing his face near her made her feel that she wanted to get used to the King's warmth.
'What if… What if the King made a move on me?' she thought, as her heartbeat quickened more.
But instead, he said, "I know you're tired from our journey. You should sleep."
Ely was a little confused. Why didn't King Maro make a move on her?
Wait... why the heck was she disappointed? What was she expecting?
She erased those thoughts within her. It was only for some days when she rejected him. It would be weird if she suddenly changed her mind. But… for how long would she stay in that unknown place? And for how long would she let him wait?
She just stared blankly at him at that moment, feeling that she had greatly sinned against her husband.
With care, the King covered her with the soft, velvet blanket. King Maro stroked Ely's hair, then he wished her goodnight. Out of tiredness, Ely slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.
King Maro smiled at the sight of Ely's peaceful sleeping face. He thought that it could be an opportunity for him to finally make her fall for him, but he's not one to make rash decisions. He wouldn't want some feelings to develop fast to just disappear fast, too. He wanted to take things slow, because he believed that when he did that, Ely would stay longer by his side, and if possible, forever.
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