Chapter 26
Maximus
POV
"Ouch!" I groaned as I slowly woke up, my body stiff from sleeping on the hard ground.
I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the last remnants of the dream that had felt all too real.
Suddenly, a loud voice broke through my thoughts. "Oi, wake up! What do you think you're doing, sleeping on my goods?"
I jumped, my heart pounding as I scrambled to sit up. I saw a burly villager glaring down at me, his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance.
"I-I'm sorry," I stammered, feeling embarrassed and foolish. "I didn't mean to-"
He slapped me hard across the face, making me wince in pain. "You think that's an excuse? You had better get along before I teach you a lesson you won't forget."
I didn't know where I was or how I had ended up sleeping on someone's goods.
I felt my anger rise. Had he dared to slap me? I remembered it was no use making a scene, so I calmed down.
"I told you that I'm sorry, uh? What's the problem again?" I shouted.
"Well, you'd better be sorry, and don't yell at me," the villager snapped. "You've squashed half my produce! And you've been asleep for hours, I've been waiting to take this to market."
I scrambled to my feet, feeling disoriented and ashamed. I tried to brush the dirt off my tunic, but it was no use. I looked like a mess.
I clenched my teeth in anger at who the old man thought he was. I was the king, and he owed me respect. But nonetheless, I kept a low profile. I didn't come to make trouble.
"I'll make it up to you," I said quickly, feeling the need to make amends. "I'll even pay for the damage-"
The villager grunted, eyeing me suspiciously. "Fine. But don't even think about falling asleep again, or I'll make sure you regret it."
I nodded annoyed, I didn't want to cause any trouble, I just wanted to find Felicity.
"You better get along before I teach you a lesson you won't forget." He threatened me.
"You better get along before I teach you a lesson you won't forget." He threatened me.
It was too much to bear. He despised me, then he slapped him. Now he has threatened me. I was going to teach him a lesson.
I advanced dangerously towards him, my fists clenched at my sides, ready to defend my honor. But then I paused, taking a deep breath to calm down. I couldn't let him get to me, especially not when I had more important things to worry about. Instead, I turned and walked away, determined to find Felicity and continue my quest.
"You wanna fight, come fight you poor brainless man!" He insulted me.
I refused to engage him any further, knowing that it would only lead to more trouble.
"I don't have time for this," I muttered under my breath as I walked away, my adrenaline still pumping from the encounter.
As I turned to leave, the man couldn't resist one last jab. "Just another coward who can't handle the truth," he sneered.
I stopped in my tracks and slowly turned around, fixing him with a cold, steely gaze. My lips pressed into a thin line as I stared at him down, the anger I had been holding back simmering just beneath the surface.
Without a word, I took a step toward him and he faltered, fear flickering across his face. But just as quickly as it appeared, it was replaced with a scowl as he regained his composure.
"You think you're tough, don't you?" he spat. "Can't even handle a little criticism without resorting to violence."
I didn't flinch, didn't break eye contact. Instead, I held my ground and allowed the silence to stretch on until the old man finally backed away, still hurling insults.
I knew in my heart that I had taken the higher road by walking away alone without my men, but it still stung to be attacked like that. As I continued on my way, I tried to shake off the anger and hurt, knowing that I wouldn't let one bitter person ruin my day. As I walked further into the village, I searched for any sign of Felicity. The villagers mostly kept to themselves, eyeing me warily as I passed by. But I didn't let their suspicion discourage me.
But as I left the village behind, I couldn't shake the feeling of shame and frustration that lingered within me.
I couldn't help but think about the dream I had. It had felt so real, so vivid... but now, in the light of day, it seemed like nothing more than a distant memory.
"How can I have this kind of dream? Me Maximus? A weak? Never!"
I clenched my fists, feeling frustrated and defeated. All my search has been in vain. I approached a group of villagers, hoping to get some answers.
"Excuse me," I said, trying to sound polite. "Have you seen a woman named Felicity? She has long hair and-"
But before I could finish my sentence, they interrupted me. "We don't know anything about her," one of them said, eyeing me suspiciously. "You'd better leave before you cause any trouble." I felt my face reddening with embarrassment. I tried to explain, but they didn't want to listen.
"Please, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just need help finding her," I pleaded.
But they stared at me coldly, unwilling to help.
I walked away dejectedly, feeling hopeless and lost. It seemed like I was never going to find her.
As I continued to walk, I couldn't help but think about the villagers' reactions. Why were they so hostile towards me? What did I do wrong?
I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. And that feeling only grew stronger as I continued my search, each lead turning up empty.
But I refused to give up. I would find her, no matter what it took.