Indecent Folks

Grace and I reached the base of a mountain in Westplains, where we saw Dunfield from a distance because of its elevation. My chest pounded at the sight of it. Had I knew that we were each other's curse, I will avoid that place at all cost. "I should've seen this when I crossed the border, but I don't remember seeing one at all," Grace whispered as we signalled the horses to halt. We watched the walls of Dunfield from the wagon's seat.

I sighed, frowning at the sun that shone too beautifully on the village. So it's true. "The Sunkens drank some kind of potion. You can only remember them for a decade, so your memory of this place faded two years ago," I responded. "They can do that?" she asked.

My eyes wandered in the open field around us. "Amongst many other things," I whispered.

We proceeded to cross the mountain. Some part of the road was steep, but luckily, we haven't run into some other travellers. The mountain borders were usually empty unless it's time for a certain period in a year where trade among kingdoms was open to all merchants. We stopped after few hours to have some lunch. The forest was dense, making it bearable to stay in the sun.

Grace rested on the trunk of a fallen tree, eating some berries. While I stood at the edge of the cliff and watched the fields below us. The cold wind blew on my face, so I squinted my eyes and crossed my arms.

"Is it starting to get clear to you?" Grace asked.

"What do you mean?" I whispered.

"You're leaving the kingdom where you grew up. I did that staring thing too."

"What did you feel?"

She fell silent for a moment before I heard some twigs break as she walked up to me. "Freeing."

A smile made its way onto my lips as I glanced at her. "Is it possible?" I asked, not because I couldn't believe it, but because she was right. "I do feel like I'm leaving a prison when in fact, this is where I spent all my life."

She sighed with a smile on her face and took her time to answer. "Because it felt like a prison, that's why. You never freed yourself from the horrible memories you had here, and it caged you. But that's not a bad thing at all; sometimes, we're meant to keep certain memories no matter how unpleasant they are."

**

For the next five hours, we're able to cross the mountain border, where we found a valley and the forest border of Ireth. We stopped at the base of the mountain to make a campfire and prepare dinner. The cold wind blew as we sat across each other and ate from a stick with grilled cow meat.

We spent the night in the valley, but I couldn't sleep, so I let her get some rest in the wagon. I took my sword watched it shine from the campfire as my memories with Julian flooded me again. Hang on, love.

The following day, I found myself on the wagon's seat and heard some noise from the back, so I opened my eyes and uncrossed my arms. I watched Grace walk straight to the river to wash her face, only to squeal because of the cold water. I smiled as I hopped off the wagon to get a towel inside.

I walked up to the river and dampened the towel before handing it to her. "Here you go, Princess."

We had breakfast and washed up a little before we proceeded to enter the forest. It took us another two hours to reach the other edge of the woods. Before we showed up at the Irethian gate, I took the jar of soil and powdered leaf and added some water to make a clay mask. I put scooped a small amount, just enough to cover her face.

If f you are not reading this book from the website: FindNovel.net then you are reading a pirated version with incomplete content. Please visit FindNovel.net and search the book title to read the entire book for free "Smells awful," she whispered.

I smiled and poked her nose. "Stop talking like a brat. You're now a widower, do some acting," I said.

When I finished, she wore the black veil over her head before we got out of the forest, where we found a vast open field and Ireth's western defensive wall. The guards standing by the patrol path and outside the gates shot a look at us. Then, four more wagons came both from the east and west, so we fell in line.

When it's our turn, two guards carrying rifles and revolvers came to us. Their eyes immediately landed on Grace as they frowned. "What's wrong with this one's face?" one of them asked, who quickly proceeded to unveil her.

Grace took a deep breath and stared ahead, so I spoke. "It's a Peravenan tradition. She's mourning the passing of her...brother."

She finally shot a look at the guard. "Do you mind?" she asked, looking a little upset. The guard took a step back and slightly nodded, so Grace put her veil back on.

"What's your business here?" one of the guards asked.

"We're tourists."

He laid his hand. "Document?" I picked a paper out of my vest' pocket and showed him a travel permit. Grace was able to get a forged copy because she knew someone working for the Ministry of Transit. "You can only stay for a month, so we're expecting you back here before the fourteenth. No overstaying, no funny business," he reminded.

A smile made its way onto my lips as I watched him fasten the permit to his clipboard. "No funny business," I agreed.

They checked the wagon before they allowed us in, where a lavender field greeted us. The spikes danced beautifully under the wind as we journeyed past the field and found a downhill road. Below us was a rounded lower ground area for the common people. "This is the Serfith," Grace whispered. On the other edge of the lower ground, us was a hill with a single road across it. "And that leads to Vycath. Where the palace is," she added.

We crossed the downhill road to reach Serfith, and the closer we got to the nearest village, the more we saw the problem in this place. The houses were small and old, and the people dressed in dirty clothes. There were beggars on the streets, and the children were too skinny for their age.

"Has it always been like this?" I asked Grace.

She gently shook her head. "I was overly sheltered, so I didn't find out until I had to run away from the palace."

We travelled past Serfith and crossed the hill to head to Vycath. From here, we found taller houses and way better structures. "You got to be kidding me," I mumbled.

"Peraven is better in all aspects, I know," Grace whispered.

"At least Ireth has lavender fields?" I teased.

The palace was visible from here, so I watched the green flags wave atop the towers. We drove across the streets to find a travellers' inn and ended up in a three-story building. I inquired inside, and luckily, their backyard was open for parking. We booked a room, and I let Grace take a bath while I unloaded the wagon. When I finished, I found her standing on the balcony, but not far enough from the parapet so the people outside won't see her.

"What are you thinking?" I asked as I walked up to the edge and looked down. The street was quiet while there were some nicely dressed individuals going in and out of some shops.

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"How long do you think will it take us to enter the palace?" she asked.

I smiled and crossed my arms as I tapped my fingers atop the parapet. "One thing I've learned in swordsmanship is you could never have an exact calculation of success. But fret not; one day, you'll just wake up, and it's already the big day."

**

"Will she remember me?" she asked, looking at herself in the mirror. She particularly made sure that she'll show up bare-faced, afraid not to be recognized by the handmaid who helped her out before. She wore her flat cap and a pair of spectacles while I buttoned my vest.

The cold wind blew in the room, so I closed the curtain on the balcony and picked up my black coat. She gave me my sword, which I buckled on my hip. Then we stepped outside and headed to a village limited only for the servants working in the palace.

We walked past the fence and found similarly sturdy and nice houses. I watched a few kids ran past us, each holding a toy. Grace stopped in front of a house, so I stood beside her. "Is this it?" I asked.

"Yes," she whispered and put her cap off. I looked around and found a few people in the streets, minding their business.

"Go on, then. I'll wait here."

"Do you think she's still here?"

"She has to. If not, we'll figure it out. Go on," I whispered.

She took a deep breath before knocking, then a girl answered the door seconds later. The girl looked at us from head to toe and frowned while her eyes remained at me. "Yes?"

"Hi," Grace waved her hand to get her attention. "Does Agatha still live here?"

"My grandmother? Why are you asking?" the girl asked, still staring at me. I sighed and walked beside Grace so that I could lean against the door.

"Hi, what's your name?" I asked.

Her cheeks turned red as she gazed at me. "Evie."

"We need her help, Evie. Is your grandmother around?" I smiled and raised my brows, waiting for a response. She looked at her left and spoke, "Nana! Someone's here for you," she turned to me. "Come in."

I pointed my finger at Grace. "She's the one who needs to talk to your Nana.'

Evie furrowed her brows before stepping back so Grace could walk in. I smiled at the girl one last time and turned to face the street, looking around as I crossed my arms. A group of uniformed guards strolled along the road, so I gently bowed my head and smiled as I hid my arms behind me. We're a step closer.

**

"Are you ready?" I asked, "The big day," she whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed in the black dress that she wore when we came here. I crossed my hand and stood in front of her while she put her veil into a pouch. "You need to be extra sad," I reminded her.

"Just like how you're extra pretty today?" she teased, looking at my fancy red dress and braided hair.

I smiled at her and bowed a little. "Good day, I'm Harriet Wilson, the Workforce Inspector," I introduced, prompting her to chuckle and shake her head.

When we stepped outside, she went straight to Agatha's house while I, to the palace. There were four entrances, but only one was allowed for outsiders who have official business inside. Evie is a palace servant, and she will vouch for me when we enter. She handed me a black leather satchel to make me look more professional. "Harriet Wilson, Workforce Inspector," she informed the guards when we reached the gate.

"Who is this? She's not the one who usually comes here," said one of them who stood in front of us.

"There were about sixty workforce inspectors in the kingdom, and they do sometimes change stations. It's already five in the afternoon, and she had to leave before seven in the evening, so we cannot delay any longer," Evie explained like an expert.

The guards turned to me before stepping aside. I followed Evie from behind as we entered the palace. I caught a lavender scent while glancing at the unlit sconces attached to the walls of the small walkway from the gate. Then we reached a spacious peristyle. "This is it?" I asked, watching a few servants set up target boards and tables for archery.

"Yes," she whispered.

Some of the servants glanced at me while I watched the others prepare the bows and arrows on the table. We headed to a small room and waited for the servants to finish.

"His Majesty is in the stairs now. Go," Evie signalled.

I stood and walked to the peristyle, where I found two noble-looking men sitting on a bench. They stared at me as I walked near the table.

"Excuse me, my lady," one of them called. He walked up to me with a smile on his face while he hid his arms behind him. "You don't look like you're from here. May I know your business?" "Harriet Wilson, Workforce Inspector."

He smiled and scanned me from head to toe. "I'm a marquess, and I think you should proceed to do your job. We are closing this place for an hour because the king will use this garden for archery." "I'd like to try," I said, glancing at the table.

He chuckled and gave me a confused look. "Archery?"