Chapter 24: Scarlet Larian - The Capital City

Rose’s legs burned as she walked the uphill road toward the capital. Eventually, the dirt was replaced by beautiful patterns of smooth stone, making it easier to travel. The road was also wider, allowing people, horses, and carriages to pass in either direction with ease. It was nothing like the eastern part of the continent where Rose first awoke, back in the small village of Nette, which was surrounded by rolling hills of grass and farmlands.

Atop the high hills, Rose could see a massive stone wall stretching beyond sight into the distance. Hundreds, if not thousands, of acres of farmland, rolled down and away from the wall. The lands were riddled with horses and cattle. Small villages could be seen all over from this vantage point, each of them only containing a dozen to twenty buildings. Just outside of the massive gate were many booths with people standing in queue to have their identities checked. Rose presented her dossier upon her turn, then following the instructions of the guard, she made her way carefully into the city.

The place reminded Rose of her home in Manhattan, except that there was less concrete and steel and more brick and wood. Busy streets led in every direction, filled with the hustle of crowds and horse-drawn carriages. Shop vendors displayed their goods on the sidewalks, ranging from food, clothes, and weapons to potions, apothecaries, and animals. There were also services like beauty salons and laundry, along with sexual services like the place named Orgasms for him and her.

Over and over, Rose stopped to ask for directions as she tried to make her way to the manor of House Scarlet. She turned down one street, then another, until finally, a large house came into view. It wasn’t as big as the mansions in her world, but it was larger than all of the houses she had seen in Scarlaria. Again, she waited in line behind other people who sought an audience with the wizard family. Eventually, she handed over her dossier to the clerk, who then amended it with an appointment time a little over a week from now.

Rose left the manor now feeling closer than ever to her goal of returning home. Having disappointed Ivan to the point of separation, the only other person Rose cared about in Scarlaria was Elliot, and he was so far away. For the remainder of the day, she settled into her room at the inn, letting her mind wander back to back to her first weeks in Scarlaria. She wondered how the family that cared for her in Nette Village was doing. Would she ever see them again? Would she be able to share her journey and adventure with them?

Her mind soon turned to the farm. It hadn’t been her intention to stop there, but she had been attacked and almost raped by an imp creature before being saved by Henry and Elliot. She longed to see Elliot again, to act on the burning desire to be his lady wife here in this world. Her hand moved down, touching herself as she recalled Elliot’s taste and scent. It felt almost silly to have left the farm when she could’ve stayed there and lived a simple, peaceful life.

Rose spent several days touring the city while trying to commit the lay of the land to memory. However, thanks to the abundance of people and special services, most shopkeepers didn’t accept one-handers as a form of payment. In the absence of any valuable items to barter with, sex was the minimum payment she could do with her body. She declined each offer as she continued, holding out hope that it wouldn’t come to such a thing. The issue was that she was in dire need of fresh clothes and didn’t want to go before the Scarlet family with a messy appearance.

The day before Rose’s appointment, she found another tailor shop. This one was owned by an older lady, who seemed to stare at Rose from the moment she entered the building. Rose browsed the premade clothing, using the time to think of a way to barter for a dress. She needed to present herself in a way that increased her chances of having her case accepted or otherwise granted by the Scarlets. If they couldn’t or wouldn’t help her, then Rose didn’t know what she’d do.