Chapter 26: The Journey Continues

Zekiah had prepared everything that they would need for their journey. He did not forget packing the important belongings of Zenia. Sometimes, he felt like he was the older one between the two of them.

He looked around Zenia's room and felt empty. He knew that Zenia would soon leave their home and have a family of her own, but he was not yet ready. He cursed King Jarod for marrying off Zenia to another kingdom. He was angry at his father and brother for agreeing.

They may have thought that Zenia could divorce the Crown Prince after everything had been settled. They omitted the possibility that Zenia might fell in love with the Crown Prince or someone from Tissuria and refused to return home.

He sighed. He couldn't imagine a life without Zenia. They had always been together since they were young. He met some ladies before, but none of them was fun to be with. That sister of his could be so silly sometimes. She could be an angel and she could also be a devil.

Zekiah just hoped that Zenia was sensible enough not to fall to the sweet words of a stranger. He had known so many intelligent women who became a fool the moment they fell in love.

In the weapons room of the Anisen Manor, Zander picked the short weapons that Zenia always choose. He placed them neatly in a rectangular wooden case. He also packed her favorite sword. He noticed that the short sword was missing, and he couldn't help smiling. That short sword was his gift to her and he knew that she took it along with her.

Zander felt nostalgic. He assumed that it would only take a year or two and Zenia would be back in their manor. There was no way that she would fall for that prince. If she did, he would just go there and snatch her back to Ishelon. There was nothing that the Great Zander Anisen couldn't do. He looked smug and decided that it was indeed the best course of action to take, just in case.

* * * * *

"Why do we seem to be slowing down?" Zenia whispered to Vaughn.

"This is the most effective way to travel when ascending to Solaria. The path is too difficult to determine. It goes up one minute and down the next. This way, it's much safer." Vaughn tried to explain in a few sentences.

"Sir, your wife might feel nauseous and uncomfortable so I advise you to go even slower." The man in a caravan suggested.

"Thank you for your reminder." Vaughn bobbed his head to show his appreciation.

Zenia just looked on. 'Wow, this guy should be in a theatre and become an actor. He's good at acting. It's so convincing. Even I believed him for a second there.'

"We need to walk on foot when we reach the next turn. We will stop and rest here for now." The man bid them goodbye and joined his group.

"Can't we just get moving on our own?" Zenia asked Vaughn quietly as he helped her get down.

If they had to act, they had to do it convincingly. Zenia allowed him to hold her as she got down.

"Are you in a hurry?"

"No, but I think it's still better if we go there now."

"But, you're pregnant. What would these people think of me as your husband if I force you to travel now?" Vaughn gave her a meaningful smile.

"You're a real pain in the neck sometimes. You could've just told them we're siblings." Zenia grumbled as she walked toward a tree.

Vaughn felt at ease. It looked like Zenia had decided to give him another chance. Their relationship at the moment may not be as good as before, but it could get better. He should just avoid telling her more lies.

Zenia took out the sleeping bags and handed one to Vaughn. The sleeping bags were thin, but they had to do. It was still better than nothing.

"We don't know for sure what will happen. It's best to stay in this group to cover our tracks. Some of the Ninth Prince's people might show up and we don't know what kind of information they have acquired."

"Hmm, you have a point." Zenia agreed as she set herself inside her sleeping bag to rest.

Zenia knew that it was too risky to send or receive messages to and from the Crown Prince. It was best to rely only on each other at the moment.

Everyone fell asleep almost immediately. Zenia suspected that most of them may have come from distant places. They met the caravan after they reached the two-pronged road.

"Just how big is the Principality of Ismund?" Zenia knew that Vaughn was still awake.

"It is quite big. You only explored a quarter of it. If not for the thing with Noir, I have plans to take you exploring its entirety."

Vaughn felt that Zenia pouted when she learned the plan. He discovered something new about her – she had a penchant for traveling. It could be one of the reasons she always accompanied Ovid when visiting other kingdoms.

Zenia noticed that there were guards surrounding them as they rest. 'Could it be that someone important is traveling with us?'

She looked around and everything seemed normal. But, she knew that it couldn't be right. Vaughn kept quiet and knew that Zenia had already noticed that something was not right. It was not the proper time to say anything to her. He knew that someone was monitoring everyone's move.

As they began to travel with the group, Vaughn already felt that they seemed to be in the company of an enemy. Backing out was not an option because it may only arouse suspicions. He only hoped that no one would suspect them. They were wearing a perfect disguise. No one would recognize Zenia even if they met someone from Ishelon or Elida. Sometimes, accompanying the enemy was the safest option.

Up ahead, an elegant carriage was surrounded by some elite guards. The merchants knew who was in the carriage, but none of them dared to divulge the identity of the man.

CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Nanotchka

Hi everyone, I will try to upload more chapters per day (except Sunday--my rest day ^^). I decided to use the average word count per chapter, and I find it easier to write the story.

I will release 2 chapters now and maybe 1 or two more later. Happy reading ^_^

Please keep on supporting me using your power stones and adding my novel to your library. Kindly leave a review (I just realized that I really need those :D).

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