Journey to Valoris
If one travelled a few thousand miles from the holy empire, one would encounter a certain desert. It was a long and wide desert that was hard to cross over because of the horrific sand storms and the misdirection that came with wandering the place for too long.
The problem was the location of the desert. It was the only thing separating the holy empire and the marine kingdom of Valoris. Normally, the two kingdoms would never interact but Prince Ferdinand took it upon himself to reach out to the very secluded marine kingdom. Not even his soldiers knew the contents of the deal they were going to make, only that they were making the journey.
"How much further till we can get to a rest point, Ralph?"
"Just a few leagues further, your highness."
"I just hope we can make it," Ferdinand mumbled to himself.
At the very beginning, he was enthusiastic about making the journey. No one had gone as far as they planned to, making it across the entire desert. He wanted to rack in that achievement…until he saw how hard it was.
"We should've just taken a damn boat!" He hears someone complain from behind. This voice is painfully familiar. When Circe was angry, she could hardly give a damn about what he would think. He felt too ashamed to say anything. His other soldiers didn't grumble but he knew what they were thinking. He knew he had failed them as a leader.
They finally arrived at the rest point, a small cliff with a cave that could protect them from the nightly sand storms and other things that crawled around the desert.
"I'll take the first shift."
"Don't be additionally annoying, your highness. You're tired. Please go and rest."
"Circe, I..."
"I am not interested in hearing it. Go and rest, your highness."
It was the sort of journey that put a strain on their relationship, defining the sort of extent they would go to serve their prince. Was it really worth putting their lives on the line, dying in such a cruel way? They would've preferred being stabbed in the heart. It was a more honourable way for a knight to die than from dehydration and exhaustion.
It seemed like their journey was never ending. It was actually supposed to be. But their salvation was the mysterious guide by the name of Ralph. He was from the empire's large underbelly and supposedly knew how to get to Valoris. It wasn't like they believed him eight away but no one else was stupid enough to make the impossible journey across. Now, they were sure he knew where he was going, even it it looked hopeless. If he said there was an oasis, they would see an oasis. If he said there was a cave, they would see a cave.
"Ralph, here. Some water."
Ralph looked down at the worn pitcher in Circe's hand. The Dame wasn't the kindest or most considerate, especially to a suspicious outsider like him. He politely refused it, showing her his own satchel. Besides, the gesture wasn't even appreciated, after she grumbled for the entirety of the journey.
"I don't trust you," she immediately said.
"This is a journey of life and death, my lady. Your life is in my hands. It doesn't make sense if you say something like that."
"Spin it anyway you like but you have always been suspicious from the start. If you try to kill his Highness, I will..."
"That is quite hilarious. First, I am the only guide you have. Even if you get rid of me, your precious highness will eventually die a slow, painful death. Second, if my aim was to get rid of you all, it would be too easy. I know this desert like the back of my hand. You are more ignorant than a child."
"How dare you?!" she growled, pulling her sword. It rested against his neck, ready to cut his head off. He chuckled...and in his room, his eyes clouded over, Nathan chuckled.
"You are impatient, Dame. I never took your for the impatient type. Do you wish to test our hypothesis?"
His eyes challenged her. He wanted to know what she would do. Would she risk the life of her prince for her pride or would she endure? The options were so... tantalising!
Unfortunately for him, she didn't cut his neck off. If she made the choice to, she would've discovered that he was naught but a puppet. The puppet master would torment them for the entirety of their journey but lead them to their destination and keep them alive. He had no intentions of killing the prince just yet.
Morning came and they continued on their journey. However, when the sun was high in the sky, the sand was starting to thin. Vegetation was getting visible and there were more rocks, even if they were too bare to be shelters.
"Are we..."
"Yes, your highness. We are nearing the shores of Valoris."
All of them began to cheer. Well, most of them. Circe still had a hardened face. But he was right. They could soon hear the sound of the sea hitting the shores and the squawk of sea birds. At the end of the large desert was a beach known as the Shores of Valoris. It was the gateway to the underwater kingdom of Valoris.
{So they arrived. How amusing}
His clouded eyes cleared when he heard the knock on the door. With a flick of his wrist, his door flew open. Darryl, on the other side, was frightened.
"What is it, Darryl?"
"Dear Oriel! Your eyes look terrible, Lord Silver!"
"I haven't slept in a while. Such a thing tends to wear on a mortal body. Can I help you?"
"Oh, yes! Lady Freya asked me to bring you your meal since you haven't been coming down to join us for breakfast."
"I was afraid I would evaporate into dust if I were to sit at the same table as the Bishop."
Darryl frowned, a certain sadness in his eyes. He entered the messy room and managed to find a counter to place the food. Unlike Winifred, he never caught the presence of the bird.
"Lord Silver, if I may..."
"You may not...but that'll hurt your feelings so by all means, please proceed."
"Yes, I will. I think...Lady Winifred would be much happier if you got along with Bishop Matthew. She seems to... favour him."
Nathan chuckled. Even the idea of Winifred favouring the bishop didn't sit right with Darryl. He was supposed to be her number one and yet...
"I will try my hardest. But for now, I am busy."
"I will continue to bring you your meals," he said, satisfied with the answer he got.
"What happened to the servants?"
"They are sort of... terrified of you right now."
"That makes sense. Well, you can leave before they start calling you cursed. I have a lot more to do."
Nathan thought, rather than a heart of gold, Darryl had a heart like water. It was troubled by storms but on a good day, it was very calm. Speaking of water...
"Where is the entrance to the Kingdom, your highness?" Circe asks, unimpressed. Even if their journey through the desert had ended, it was still an ocean before them.
"I read about it but I can't find it."
"Can't find what?"
"The golden bridge," Ralph replied, stepping forward.
"The invitation, your highness."
Ferdinand handed it over to him without a second thought. Ralph took it and put it on the water. The waves immediately took it from the shores and soon, they couldn't spot it anymore. Circe exploded.
"What did you do that for?! Don't you know how precious that was?! We risked our lives because of that damn letter and now it's gone! What do you suppose we do, just turn back?!"
"I understand that stress makes one impatient. However, does it make you blind too?"
"What are you talking about..."
She heard gasps around her. She turned around and saw that a bridge was appearing on the water. It was really a golden bridge and it extended all the way into the horizon. Ralph, as calm as ever, bowed.
"After you, your highness."
Circe got on the bridge first, to test it. When nothing happened, they all got on and started to walk down into Valoris. At the end of the bridge was a portal that was invisible to the eye. They all walked into the portal and appeared on what seemed like a shore. Just when they were about to be depressed that they were going in circles, they could see a sparkling castle right before their eyes. Curious eyes looked at them from the gaps but they didn't feel any threat.
"WELCOME TO VALORIS, THE KINGDOM OF THE GREAT KING AND GOD OF THE OCEAN, ALAIS! THE KING HAS INVITED YOU TO A BANQUET AFTER YOUR LONG JOURNEY FROM THE MAINLAND! PLEASE, PROCEED BEYOND THE GATE!"
The portcullis lifted and they walked in, the prince taking the lead. They could finally see the owners of the eyes staring back and them. It shocked them that they were all human! The portcullis dropped behind them, jarring them a bit. Circe turned around and dread settled in her heart.
"Wait. Where's Ralph?"