The Duke's Unwanted Wife

The heat coming from the Berden pass was no small matter. Finding a caravan that would take her across proved to be a little difficult as most of them were filled already and none were willing to take a lone, weak-looking woman across the desert that she was more likely to die on. She was turned down there more times than she was turned down in her life. Thus, one day of travel was wasted. It was a frustrating experience.    

    

She returned to the inn where she once again waited for the day to pass. The nights were cooler than she expected and since winter was approaching, it was safer to leave sooner to be able to cross the rocky terrain of Polivia.    

    

She put off the candle in her room and rested her head on the itchy pillow of the inn. It was uncomfortable but compared to living in the Dukedom, it was more than enough. The inconsistencies of her plans would’ve already been obvious to anyone smart enough to notice it. However, it wouldn’t be easy to look for her openly so she was safe, at least until she got to Polivia.    

    

Just as she was about to surrender to sleep, the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She grabbed the dagger she hid under her pillow, brandishing it against the neck of her intruder. Once she saw his blue hair under the moonlight, she lowered her dagger.    

    

“Are you fond of sneaking up on people?” She asked, going to sit on her bed. He just stood there, staring at her unflinchingly. She could tell he had found his family already but she didn’t know why he was back. To fulfill his promise? Surely his kind was more important than that.    

    

“I came back,” was all he said. He scratched his ears, standing more awkwardly.    

    

“I can see that. Have you found who you were looking for?”    

    

“......yes but I can’t meet them anymore for now. Were you….waiting for me?”    

    

“Nothing like that. It was difficult for me to get a ride across since I was traveling alone. There wasn’t much I could do,” she replied, a bit annoyed that she was being defensive. It wasn’t like she was waiting for him. She was just curious to see if he would show up, that’s all.    

    

“Now that I’m here, we can go across together,” he offered, a small smile forming on his lips. It annoyed her but she nodded, laying back on the bed.    

    

“Are you going to stand there and watch me sleep?”    

    

“No, I’ll sleep outside and wait for you there. Don’t worry about me.”    

    

“Sleep out……no, you can’t do that. You can….lay on the floor. I’ll give you my blanket for padding,” she said, gathering the blanket together. He tried to refuse but the stern look she gave made him freeze. She couldn’t see him properly in the dark but he could see her perfectly. He was thankful for that because it would be embarrassing for her to see his cheeks dyed red.    

    

He lay on the blanket, staring at the ceiling. Between them, there was an awkward silence that not one of them wanted to breach for fear of acknowledging the presence of the other. It was the first time Natalia had slept so close to a man she was barely familiar with and it was Marvis’s first time of hearing his heart beat so loudly in his chest. For both of them, it was a very stressful and long night.    

    

A few days before the coronation, the Saintess came out of her seclusion and was informed of Natalia’s supposed death. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do anything because the Coronation was just around the corner so she waited until Alana arrived in the capital. During that time, she ingrained herself with the new king and the nobles. The reception was skeptical because she just happened to go into seclusion when they needed her the most but she was determined to win their hearts.    

    

When the coronation was done and Alana was declared the King’s Consort, Adelie sent a letter of request to her. It was accepted almost immediately and she was summoned to the palace. Instead of the run-down abandoned palace, she was taken to the most luxurious Queen’s palace.    

    

“Quite a luxurious life for a Royal Consort, don’t you think?” Adelie commented as soon as Alana sat down. Even her dresses were luxurious and she looked more regal with the manners she learned in her past life.    

    

“I’m sure you have something more important to say seeing as you rushed here immediately after you came out of seclusion. What do you want?”    

    

“How cold. Even though I came here out of concern, you’re disregarding me.”    

    

“There’s a limit to how much you can lie through your teeth as an emissary of god. What brings you here, Adelie?”    

    

“Natalia is still alive,” Adelie said, picking up her tea. She sipped it rather happily as Alana’s face contorted.    

    

“Why are you so sure she’s alive?”    

    

“Because we are still here in this time. She most likely faked her death and is currently on the run. Did you really think I was lying about her being the anchor? If she was really dead, we would’ve found ourselves back another ten years in the past. Aw, did I crush your hope?”    

    

Adelie knew very well that the answer to the question was yes. If they didn’t have Natalia looming over them like a dark cloud, they could’ve lived their perfectly happy lives. They were drawn into the past and couldn’t even live happily because her presence was there to constantly ruin it for them.    

    

“I think you’re beginning to understand why I want to get rid of her for good. We need to find her and perform that ritual together so we can unbind the karma that ties us. What do you say about working together once again, Lana?” Adelie smirked, extending her hand. Alana glared at her hand, withdrawing hers from sight.    

    

“I’m not going along with your pace again. It doesn’t matter anymore. As long as she’s not here, then there’s nothing to be afraid of.”    

    

“What if she comes back? Do you know what that means to you? Have you forgotten already? Your beloved wasn’t able to let her go in the past. Do you think he would want to do so now?”    

    

“It doesn’t matter. I have my own plans as well. Apart from official meetings, let us not meet again, Adelie.”    

    

“Fine. I’ll give you time to change your mind. You know where to find me,” Adelie said, rising. Once she was out of sight, Alana threw everything on the floor, screaming in rage. The servants watched quietly, not one of them going closer until they were sure she was calm. Her behavior was the start of the rumors that started to fly around the palace and eventually the capital of her unstable mental state.    

    

When the morning came, Natalia couldn’t find Marvis. The windows were open but she couldn’t even see him looking through there. She got up and prepared to leave, packing all she brought with her. As she was walking out once more to find a caravan to follow, she soon found that he was walking beside her. He wore a cloak that covered his body like she did so together, they made an unusual pair. However, they weren’t the only ones craving anonymity. The stories of indigenous pirates residing in the Berden Pass had become a sort of bedtime story in the north that was often told to visitors.    

    

They were both able to find a caravan. They paid and waited a little for others to arrive before they were able to leave. Natalia heaved a sigh of relief and was glad for his presence. She never thought she would one day need a man for something like this but she was happy she met him.    

    

It was also her first time riding a desert stork. It was a huge white bird native to the desert that was almost as huge as a dragon. It could carry up to 20 people and cargo on its back but it naturally wasn’t fast and flew at a low altitude. It would take them two days to make it over the Berden pass traveling with a desert stork. Even with the delay, it was well within her plans.    

    

“Where are you going to after you cross the desert?”    

    

“Polivia.”    

    

“So, you’re going to cross those mountains after going through the desert alone? Isn’t that dangerous?”    

    

“I’m not going alone if you’re here, am I?”    

    

He smiled, staying silent for the rest of the day. The passengers were responsible for their own meals so Natalia took care of their meals. It wasn’t much but since it wasn’t a long journey, they could perservere. Once it got dark, the desert stork was brought to a rest and they sent up tents for the night. The two found themselves in another awkward situation where they had to share a tent together once more. This time, Marvis offered to keep watch, escaping before she could protest his decision.    

    

Early morning rolled by and they packed up their tent to start their journey again. They sat by each other for the rest of the journey, Marvis sleeping off at one point. He was too exhausted to know he had slept on her lap but she let it slide, cradling his head properly. She also ignored the inquisitive eyes of the other passengers as they looked at them suggestively.    

    

Everything was going well until the skies darkened. Thinking it was a desert storm, the stork rider asked the passengers to prepare for it and a possible delay. She thought it was a storm until she heard a loud roar and saw a massive creature on their heels. It was something worse than a storm. They were being chased by a dragon.