Well, the night was not like Keira had expected.
Instead, it was excruciatingly short. The rays of sun seeping through the blinds and the sound of birds chirping loudly woke her up from her sleep.
She had no idea if the young man who had earlier left the room will return at all for she found herself alone.
Getting down from the bed on which she lay, she stretched and noticed a paper on the bedside desk.
'Meet me at the front desk' it said.
"This man. What a time" she sighed.
Well then she was certain he had returned.
She hurriedly woke up and got ready for the long day. Carefully combing on her hair to later braid it and tie it up properly with the scarf.
She didn't want it flying around.
"So, you'll rather comb your hair the entire morning and have us wait at the desk" she heard a voice behind her and jumped in fear.
She then turned to find Aaron leaning against the door, a brow raised as he frowned at her.
"I just have to tie it up quickly" she said as she fumbled with the brush she had in hand and hastened her actions.
Aaron then turned and left as she hurriedly followed behind him.
"Good morning, " she greeted Sean as the met at the entrance
"Good morning, my lady" he answered politely as they got into the carriage Sean had gotten for their trip.
The three sat in the carriage, Sean in the seat opposite Aaron and Keira, the ride had been quiet, so quiet that Keira could almost hear her own thoughts out loud, but she couldn't because she was under the hard stare of Sean which had been the same since the beginning of the excruciatingly long ride.
"It seems it would satisfy you to bore holes into her skin with your eyes Sean " Aaron said his eyes darting between the two adults who had just met but had the strangest of energies towards each other.
"Forgive me, Sire, Pardon me Lady...." Sean said quickly looking the other way and dragging so as to get her name
"Oh, no need for the formalities, I am Keira, and you are..." Keira said with a slight smile and an extended hand as Sean looked at her stunned.
"Well... I am Sean, a Knight, serving by the Prince's side for quite some time now" he said taking her extended hand.
Oh a prince. Thought Keira as her gaze subtly shifted to Aaron who had been staring out in the forest since his last comment. Totally unbothered by the exchanges in the carriage.
"And you?" Keira said putting a hand on Aaron's arm and tapping him to get his attention. Stunning not only Sean but equally Aaron as he pushed her hand away.
"Who I am is not important for now, we should get to that if we are to work together in the future " he said coldly as he looked out the window.
Sean gave her a sorry look and she just nodded in understanding.
Meanwhile, she was totally confused, compared to the day before, his actions where bizarre. But Keira decided not to focus on that, and instead worry about her father's safety back home.
The long ride eventually came to an end and the 3 young people stepped out of the carriage and onto an isolated grace field.
"This is the last part of Nactar and the road is quite deserted. People don't venture here for fear of creatures of the night " the coachman said as he equally stepped down.
"Great I guess this will work for sometime" Aaron said.
"Say, coachman" he added.
"I know we didn't discuss this but I'll need your services for a longer while than this. How much do I pay you to stay and take us out of here in 3 days"
"Haha I'm deeply sorry sir but I didn't alert my wife and kids of such a trip. I'll have to turn back before sunset!" The middle age looking coachman added.
"Okay.Yet you come with us, to a place feared for night creatures" Aaron joked with a subtle smile on the face
"Aren't you scared we could be one of them?" He asked.
"I know a royal won't move around with creatures of the night anyway, I know what you are running from." The coachman said back and for a minute, Aaron's face tensed up, while Sean quietly drew his sword.
Keira watched the swiftness in horror.
She couldn't believe they will kill the coachman who just helped them.
"Calm down Sean " Aaron said
"And how do you think you know all that?" He asked and the coachman laughed
"I served in the palace of Udemia for the entirety of my life , it will be a great shame if I didn't recognize your face Prince Aaron" he said
"But fear not, I do not concern myself with problems of the royal family as I have my own family to protect" he said and Aaron walked closer to him
"I see and I respect that, now tell me what do you know about the existence of witches" Aaron said and Keira's eyes widened.
Why was he asking such questions, she thought.
"Not more than told by the tales" he said his brows furrowed.
"Well, then you should have an idea of their power " Aaron said almost whispering.
"Right now I have a spell cast within this perimeter and the moment you step out, the spell cast on your house will take effect leaving your wife and child dead."
"A...are you?" a witch , the bewildered Coachman said suddenly feeling bad about the entire trip.
"Of course not, but I do have one lurking in the shadows, I'm certain I don't need to prove a lot to you, you should know I'm not bluffing"Aaron said quietly stepping away and picking up his stuff walking towards Keira leaving the coachman rooted in place completely terrified.
"Now we will work here when the sunsets. There's a river nearby I feel it will be better by it at night" Aaron said to her gesturing to where the river was and Keira nodded.
"The coachman..." She started but Aaron quickly interrupted"Oh right, Sean kill him, on second thought there's no certain way to convince him to stay here without him running away"
He added and Sean nodded.
"Wait " Keira shouted
"Why ? Don't kill him" she said tugging ok Aaron's arm
"Oh come on, I thought you would be less fragile than this. It's a necessary evil, not so Sean?" Aaron looked at Sean and the latter nodded immediately.
"No don't , you can use him. He's a werewolf " She said almost instantly into Aarons ear and the man looked over at the coachman almost surprised.
"Really?" Aaron said, "Well can you control him?" He said whispered back to Keira.