It was Ray. He knelt beside her, gently reaching for her foot and taking off her shoe, but she promptly withdrew her leg from his grasp.
"I am fine," she insisted, rising to her feet, only to lose her balance. Before she could fall, his arms steadied her.
"Woah!" She breathed, exhaling sharply as she regained her footing before swiftly stepping out of his hold.
"Thanks, but I can manage from here," she muttered and began limping away, only to be caught off guard when he suddenly scooped her up. Without a word, he carried her back to the rock and set her down.
"I said I am fine!" She protested, attempting to stand again, but he cut her off.
"I am sorry, but until you are assigned a new knight, I have no choice but to care for you or I will be punished. Don’t make this harder than it already is." His voice was cold, devoid of any warmth, earning a scoff from her.
She should have known. Why had she even bothered to care? Despite her resistance, he knelt again and lifted her foot, inspecting it closely.
The sight of how red and swollen it had beco made him frown. As soon as his fingers brushed against it, she flinched, prompting him to withdraw his hand.
"Be careful, will you?" She snapped, hissing in pain.
"My apologies," he said, though his tone carried the stiffness of duty rather than sincerity.
"What do you intend to do about it?" She asked.
"We need to get it bandaged. I will carry you to the tent," he stated matter-of-factly.
"No, I will manage on my own. You don’t have to concern yourself with ," she argued, unwilling to be seen with him after spending the entire day insisting she barely knew him. The last thing she needed was for the warriors to witness them together, it would be beyond humiliating.
"We are departing now and will not be stopping until we reach the witches’ kingdom. If this is left untreated, it will worsen," he warned.
"Then I will do it myself," she countered stubbornly.
But Ray had no interest in entertaining her protests. Without another word, he lifted her into his arms once more.
"Put down!!" She shrieked, thrashing against his hold, but he ignored her struggles and strode toward the tent, undeterred by her tantrums.
—
At last, it was ti to depart. Unlike their usual farewells, where Quinn would find a mont to tease Belle before they left, there was no sign of him this ti. In fact, since their departure from the village, she hadn’t seen him at all. She had been too preoccupied with Ezekiel to give it much thought before, but now, the absence felt oddly noticeable.
"We should arrive at the witches’ kingdom soon," Kay relayed as he returned from scouting ahead, seated atop his horse.
Quinn gave a small nod in acknowledgnt, then spurred his horse forward.
"Depart!" Kay commanded, and the journey began.
It lasted five hours and so minutes before they finally reached the witches’ kingdom.
Contrary to the grim rumors of a foul-slling, wretched land filled with grotesque creatures, the kingdom was nothing short of breathtaking.
A grand welco sign adorned the entrance, and two n and two won stood poised at the gates, ready to receive visitors.
Belle’s lips remained slightly parted as she gazed out the window, eager to take in every detail of the witches’ kingdom.
"Fetch the Lord of the Witches," she heard Quinn command. He extended sothing toward the witches, though she could not make out what it was.
"The king’s seal!" One of the witches exclaid in recognition, prompting them to scurry away to carry out his orders.
Minutes later, a strikingly beautiful woman arrived, her fair skin and slender form adorned in fine garnts. She was accompanied by an extravagant entourage, leading Belle to assu she was the Lord of the Witches. It caught her off guard as she had expected a man. But considering witches were predominantly female, it made sense that their leader would be a woman.
"Your tent has been set up outside, and the warriors you sent forth are now stationed there. Co in and..."
Before she could finish, Quinn turned his horse and rode off without a word, leaving her standing there, mouth agape.
Disappointnt settled in as Belle realized they were leaving without properly exploring the witches’ kingdom. She had hoped to take in its sights, but it seed there would be no such opportunity.
—
It took less than twenty minutes to reach the encampnt where the rest of the warriors were stationed. Warriors bustled about, unloading supplies and setting up their permanent base. The atmosphere was filled with the sounds of movent and conversation.
"Your lady, this way."
Belle turned to find Steve waiting for her. Hezekiah had ntioned sending him ahead, and it seed that had been true.
She nodded in acknowledgnt, allowing him to lead the way. As they walked, her gaze flitted around, searching for Quinn, but he was nowhere to be seen. The camp was lively with activity, making it difficult to spot anyone in particular.
"Here, this is your tent," Steve announced once they reached a secluded area, just a few steps away from where the warriors were stationed.
Belle turned to him with a slight tilt of her head.
"Ah, right! Thank you," she said before stepping forward to enter only to pause when he spoke again.
"Your Grace, whose child is this?" He asked, curiosity evident in his tone.
"It’s a long story, but I am now his mother. I have adopted him," she replied with an awkward giggle.
Though Steve was tempted to ask for more details, he decided he would get the full story from the warriors who had traveled with her.
"I will leave you to rest now. If you need , just call my na, I will be outside your tent," he assured her.
She nodded and stepped inside.
"Wow," she breathed, taking in her surroundings with wide eyes.
The tent was far grander than she had expected—spacious, adorned in shades of deep blue, and furnished with a plush couch, a large bed, and even a fireplace. It felt almost too extravagant, too comfortable for a re war encampnt. No doubt, this was Hezekiah’s doing.
If others saw her tent, rumors would spread even faster about how she was being treated like a princess.
And that would do her more harm than good.
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