67: Arlan Sensing Oriana

Arlan Sensing Oriana

The next day, Oriana woke up at the crack of dawn and went to the market to begin her search early, hoping to cover more area that day. To her dismay, she heard the same replies from every person she approached.  2

"Did I mishear the shop name from Master Cenric?" she muttered after another disappointing inquiry. "How come no one has heard about this shop?"

Her stomach grumbled. Only then did she remember her last meal was before leaving Ken's house. She was too engrossed with the search, she did not even realize it was already afternoon.

'It's late but I should go find myself a cheap restaurant.'

Just as she wondered where to eat, she heard a sudden commotion. People were heading towards the main road, as if to see something exciting.

"What is happening?" 

Oriana followed the crowd, but due to her small height, she could not see what was happening. She was far from the main road, but the very next moment, she watched everyone on the roadside falling on their knees, as if to pay respect to whoever was passing. 

"What is this?" she gasped. 'Even the Wimark Family's carriage doesn't receive this kind of welcome in Jerusha.'

Horns and drums could be heard, followed by a series of marching city guards. A procession of valiant-looking knights in white uniform came after, all of them riding the most beautiful horses Oriana had ever seen. At a distance, she could see several luxurious carriages, some of them gilded in gold, being pulled by six white stallions each.

The flag bearer was holding a large flag with the symbol of a silver oak tree, surrounded by green vines with a single golden lotus blossom at the base. An emblem of virtue and strength and the symbol of the Cromwell Family. 

'Are they royalty?'

She heard those behind her talking. 

"See that first carriage with the royal crest? The escorts are knights from the Order of Thistle. That should be His Highness the Crown Prince's carriage." 

"I wonder if today we could get to see him."

Oriana found the carriage they were referring to. She was standing far away, but she could see the glass window of that royal carriage had its curtains drawn close. 

"The second carriage has an oak tree and a rose. That should be Her Majesty the Queen, and the next one has a hibiscus, so it must be His Highness the Second Prince."

"They are returning from the Kingdom of Abetha after having the wedding of the Second Prince."

"Oh, His Highness is bringing home his new wife."

"His wife is…"

"Indeed, from what I heard…"

This was another eye-opening experience for Oriana. The Cromwells might be a well-respected powerful family, but as the ruling class of Griven, their personal lives were open for the public to see. Every move they made and every word they said seemed to be the favorite topic of conversation by folks from all walks of life. They were praised and loved, but also judged and scrutinized.

She could not help but wonder how suffocating that kind of life was. 

Lost in her thoughts while watching that grand procession, Oriana was pulled back to her senses when she felt a person pat her shoulder.

She turned around and saw a man with a trimmed beard. He said in a low voice. "Boy, I heard you are searching for Waye's herb store?"

Eyes widening, Oriana immediately forgot whatever random nonsense was in her head. Though she felt wary of strangers with 'kind intentions', she was clutching at straws. "Yes, yes! You know it, mister?"

"Come with me." The man turned around and Oriana followed him towards an the alley of shops, and she heard him say, "I will charge for it."

"How much?"

"How much are you willing to pay?" the man cleverly asked, as if knowing how desperate she is.

"I will give you a silver coin."

"Three silvers. Take it or leave it."

"Alright! Deal. First, bring me to the shop."

Meanwhile, Arlan was resting inside his carriage with his eyes closed, arms crossed over his chest, not bothering with the crowd outside. 

For the entire duration of their return journey, Arlan was exhausted both in body and mind. While suffering from the lack of proper sleep, he also had to be his usual easygoing and playful self in order to not worry his mother, Julien. 

At this moment, he had temporarily disconnected himself from the world, shutting out the voices normally captured by his sharp ears. They were like white noise in the background. He planned to keep it this way until the carriage reached the royal palace when—

His eyes opened in shock. 

'That scent?!' 

Arlan moved the curtains and opened the window. His gaze swept past the crowd kneeling on the roadside, trying to find a familiar figure in black. 

'Maybe on the other side.' 

After getting no result, he sat back in his place.

Arlan let out a helpless chuckle as he ran his fingers through his hair.

'Why would she be here in the first place? This is driving me crazy. Every time I smell honeysuckle flowers, my first reaction is to think Shortie is near.'

The prince sighed in defeat and leaned back on his seat, but little did he know that just before he opened the window, the figure in black he was looking for happened to be brought away by a man with a trimmed beard.

-----

Huge iron wrought gates opened to welcome the royal entourage, and the palace guards, with their swords raised in a ceremonial manner, were lined up on the sides. There were hundreds of them, standing side by side from the white stone walls all the way to the main palace.

The palace complex housed more than sixty architectural masterpieces, the enormous grounds itself containing buildings and gardens with the perfect harmony of nature, art and grandeur. The large outline of two hawks forming a stone archway that Oriana had seen when she arrived in Karlin was the tallest and most awe-inspiring structure within the royal palace, an artwork that was built by the founding father of the Kingdom of Griven.

The main palace was an imposing building of gold and white, vast yet picturesque, with rich decorations made of white marble and redwood, flaunting not only the wealth but also the artistic taste of the Cromwells. Historical paintings and aesthetic sculptures lined the wide hallways.

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