Arlan and his mother, together with his brother and his new wife, went on a leisurely sightseeing tour on their return trip to Griven. The royal entourage of Griven took their time traveling, making stops at the various cities and residences of city lords.
The Queen of Griven, in particular, rarely had a chance to leave the palace due to her high status. She took this opportunity to enjoy the scenery with her sons and daughter-in-law.
"How many days till we reach Karlin?" Arlan asked Imbert.
It was nighttime, and the Crown Prince was currently in a guest room in the estate of the House of Loyset. The royal family had halted in the merchant city at the border of Griven and Abetha which was ruled by the marquis household. Marquis Loyset, the current commander of the royal knights and the King’s guardian knight, was Imbert’s father.
As vassal knights serving the Cromwells for many generations, the House of Loyset was granted the northwest territory of Griven, rich in trade due to its favorable location, for their loyalty.
The small but prosperous marquisate was Imbert’s hometown.
"At our current pace, if we only stay a day in the next two cities, we’ll arrive in less than a week," Imbert answered.
"Alright," Arlan said. He then dismissed his knight and retired for the night.
Tired from the long journey, the prince drifted off to sleep with no issue, but that did not last long. The expression on his face turned restless, and once again, he had that horrible nightmare.
After struggling, trapped in the memories of his past, he woke up gasping loudly, his entire body covered in sweat.
’Mother...’
His face buried in his palms, Arlan took a long time to realize he was no longer a child witnessing his mother’s death. There was also no golden creature threatening him. It was all but a bad dream.
He inhaled deeply a few times and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He had always had these nightmares and was nothing new for him, but they somewhat changed recently. The same scenes began to feel more real and more frightening with each passing day and he didn’t know what to do.
Arlan stood up and got water for himself to drink, but still, his mind was restless. His heart continued to race, and even the act of breathing felt like a chore.
The overwhelming grief, he had no idea how to deal with it. He hated it—how helpless and weak he felt. He wanted to be numb, to simply not feel, or else, he had no idea what he would do once he could no longer handle it.
He was reminded of something and went to the sword stand where his sword was kept. Wrapped around the grip and hilt like a tassel was a black cloth. Since he snatched that cloth Oriana used to cover her head, he kept it with him. That cloth had that comforting scent of honeysuckles which he could not part away from. For some odd reason, that scent could calm him.
He unwrapped that fabric from his sword and brought it with him to bed.
’This scent works better than chamomile or lavender.’
He rubbed that cloth gently in his fingers, a crease forming between his brows.
’But the scent is fading. It’s already a miracle the fragrance lasted this long. What should I do when it is completely gone?’
Arlan pulled the bedside string which was attached to the bell connected to the servant quarters.
The maidservant assigned to Arlan hurried to his room. "Did you call for me, Your Highness?"
"Arrange honeysuckle flowers in my chamber."
The still drowsy servant slowly blinked her eyes. "In the morning, Your Highness?"
"I want it as soon as possible."
Startled by the demand, the maidservant was at a loss at first. The Crown Prince wanted flowers in the middle of the night? However, as a dutiful person, the maidservant didn’t raise questions.
"It will be done quickly, Your Highness." The servant left and went straight to the butler.
Arlan continued to hold that black cloth as he waited for the flowers to arrive.
Unfortunately, it was not the season for honeysuckle flowers. Honeysuckle bloomed continually throughout warm weather periods, but it was currently the beginning of winter. The lady of the house owned several gardens and a greenhouse, but the plants she raised were mainly roses.
The servants of the Loyset were soon dispatched to the flower shops in the city. However, since it was nighttime, they had to knock on the doors of the sleeping owners, but fortunately, there were bouquets of preserved honeysuckles available.
In a span of two hours, Arlan’s chamber was filled with honeysuckles.
"Your Highness, anything else you need?" the maidservant asked.
"You can leave."
Once the maidservant left, Arlan rested back in bed. The fragrance that was neither too sweet nor strong, more like a vanilla-honey blend, with hints of jasmine and citrus...
’It should be fine now.’
He closed his eyes, attempting to return to sleep but...
’Strange. These flowers smell similar to her, but it’s not the same. As if there is something missing.’
He clenched the black cloth in his hand and took a whiff of its remaining scent.
’Regardless if it’s her or her scent, I need to keep her with me.’ Determination flashed in his ocean blue eyes. ’The first thing I will do upon returning is to get her as my aide. I will pay her whatever she wants.’
While a certain prince was keen on robbing her of her ordinary life, the ignorant target of his growing obsession stepped on the land of Karlin, the capital city of the Kingdom of Griven.
It was the middle of the day when Oriana stepped out of the wagon. Their caravan had arrived in the busiest merchant district of Karlin. The entire way, her hazel eyes were bright, curiously observing the largest city she had seen in her entire life.