Chapter 105
Thalia glared at them with a stiffened face.
“What are you staring at? Wasn’t it hung up there for people to look at?”
At her venomous snap, the men clutching bowls of porridge and blinking awkwardly averted their eyes.
Thalia gave an exaggerated snort, pushed Varkas’s arm away, and limped toward the carriage.
Varkas, who followed after her, gripped her elbow. Thalia stared at him with a tense face.
An ordinary noblewoman would have collapsed from shock or politely turned her eyes away from the corpse. Was he going to rebuke her for behaving improperly as the Grand Duchess? As she sent him a wary look, Varkas gently turned her around.
“From here on, we must travel on horseback.”
While she froze at the unexpected words, he led her to where the horses were lined up.
Thalia urgently opened her mouth.
“I can’t ride a horse!”
“Do not worry. Your Highness will ride with me.” When he gave a light whistle, Tork, who had been grazing in the pasture, approached with his black mane flying.
Thalia stared at the gray warhorse, which looked as if it had been made by twisting steel together, as though she were looking at a dreadful monster.
Tork was a beast on an entirely different level from the Nornec Mountain hot-blooded horse Gareth led around for show.
A body more massive than an ordinary fine horse, a violent temperament close to that of a wild horse, and even the arrogance of looking down on every living creature except Varkas......
Thalia terribly hated this fierce horse that Varkas cherished so dearly. And the same was true for Tork.
As soon as the stallion saw her and snorted, she hurriedly turned away to avoid him. But Varkas immediately caught her by the arm.
“Let go! I’m going to ride in the carriage!”
“From here on, the road will become rough. If you ride in the carriage, you will collapse before even half a day passes.”
“I’d rather collapse than ride a filthy, stinking beast like that!”
A few easterners who were placing saddles on horses a short distance away sent looks of disbelief. Their expressions said they simply could not believe there existed someone in the world who hated horses.
They really were a horse-mad people.
Thalia gritted her teeth.
“Are you going to let go of me right now?”
Varkas let out a short breath, lifted her up in one motion, and placed her on the saddle.
Thalia screamed and clung tightly to Tork’s neck.
Varkas climbed up behind her and pulled her stiffened body against his chest. Forgetting even her shame, Thalia wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Her legs went weak with fear that Tork might throw her to the ground at any moment.
“L-let me down.”
“Lean back comfortably. I will not let you fall.”
Thalia raised her head sharply and shot him a venomous look.
She wanted to slap him across the face if she could, but she could not move at all, afraid Tork might go wild.
She forced out each word through clenched teeth.
“I said let me down right now!”
Varkas pretended not to hear her and flicked the reins. Thalia hurriedly shut her mouth, afraid she might bite her tongue.
Her vision swayed uneasily with the horse’s movements. Feeling slightly dizzy, she squeezed her eyes shut, and a familiar voice came from nearby.
“All preparations are complete. Shall we depart immediately?” It was a vassal named Daren.
Varkas nodded toward him.
“Divide the unit in two. Half will follow me, and the other half will bring the baggage wagons behind us.” At Varkas’s command, the mounted soldiers moved in perfect order.
Thalia, who had slightly opened her eyelids to watch the scene, discovered a few more corpses hanging on one side of the village square and shrank her neck. Noticing it, Varkas blocked her view.
“Do not look at them.”
His hard voice brushed past her ear. He added as he turned the horse’s head.
“They plundered this village several times. They were displayed to relieve the villagers’ anger and to send a warning to other raiders, not hung up as a spectacle.”
Thalia did not answer. Varkas looked down silently at her as she kept her mouth tightly shut, then urged the horse up the hill.
From somewhere, a wind carrying the scent of grass swept in. The animal cries that had echoed all night faintly mingled within it.
A foolish thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Would those sinners also be reborn as beasts and sing songs for someone?
Perhaps, someday, I too......
Thalia, who had been looking at the dense forest shining a vivid blue, soon shook off those empty thoughts with a bitter smile.
***
The territorial inspection was now entering its final stage.
After touring all the large and small villages in the eastern and western regions, the cavalry turned north. And after diligently moving along the river, they were able to arrive at their final destination, Tarlin.
When the mounted soldiers saw the magnificent sand-colored walls beyond the horizon, they let out loud cheers.
“It seems we will be able to spend tonight somewhat comfortably.”
Daren, who had pulled the reins to slow down, shouted in a bright voice. Without replying, Varkas turned his horse’s head and examined the group following behind. Between the long line of baggage wagons, a luxurious travel carriage came into view.
When they passed through rugged areas, he had forced her to sit on his saddle, but because she had such weak stamina and was so timid, she could not endure even two hours of horseback riding.
In the end, as soon as they left the rough terrain, he had no choice but to put his wife back into the carriage. It seemed better for her to endure inside the swaying carriage while taking sleeping herb.
She was probably enduring motion sickness even now while under the influence of the medicine.
Varkas, who had been watching the curtained carriage window, soon moved to the front.
He felt he should hurry to the destination and let her rest properly.
He spurred his horse and increased his speed. Before long, the walls surrounding the city drew close. When he raised one arm, the cavalrymen following behind lifted high the flag embroidered with the emblem of a black horse. Soon, the iron-banded city gate opened wide, and the bustling cityscape unfolded before their eyes.
“You must have had a hard journey!”
As they moved along the main road, the city security guards came out to greet them. Varkas accepted their welcome with a slight nod.
“Who is in charge of managing this city?”
“Sir Temuran. He is the administrator appointed personally by Your Grace’s father.”
A middle-aged man who seemed to be the captain of the security guards answered in a calm tone.
“Sir Temuran is currently in poor health and is recuperating at Tarlin Castle. He asked me to convey his apologies for being unable to come out and greet you personally.” Varkas looked at the fortress rising tall in the center of the city. It looked quite grand on the outside, but it seemed somewhat difficult to accommodate hundreds of knights.
He gave an order to Daren.
“It seems we should leave only the minimum number of men and find separate lodging for the rest. See if we can rent out an entire inn.”
“Understood.”
Daren left about a dozen elite knights and Lucas Raedgo Siarkan behind, then headed toward the outskirts of the city.
Varkas gave a nod to his younger brother, who had become noticeably gaunt over the past few weeks.
“Do not stand behind me. Come to my side.”
“Couldn’t I stay at the inn with Daren......?”
“Do not make me say it twice.”
Lucas approached slowly with a miserable expression. Varkas watched him with cold eyes, then turned his gaze back to the captain of the guards.
“Lead the way now.”
“Ah...... This way, please.”
The guard captain hurriedly began walking.
Following him into the inner part of the city, a wide square and a massive fortress appeared.
Varkas leapt down from his horse and approached the carriage that had stopped on one side of the open space. When he carefully opened the door, he saw the woman lying limply on the seat.
He climbed into the carriage and supported her back. The woman, waking from a light sleep, rubbed her eyes and let out a nasal, beautiful voice.
“...Are we there?”
“Yes, we have just arrived. I will carry you, so please sleep a little more, Your Highness.” Varkas slipped his other arm beneath her knees and lifted her absurdly light body.
Normally, she would have thrown a tantrum and insisted on walking on her own, but for some reason, the woman quietly wrapped her arms around his neck.
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