Chapter 27: Back to the Start

Rose had received her orders from Ash just a few days after Ivan’s arrival. All of the Scarlet family were set to travel across the continent to hold audiences in the further reaches of the land. Because there were so many places to cover, each of the family members was going to travel independently, with just one carriage driver and an assistant. Being Lady Rose, the official retainer of Lord Ash, she was expected to fulfill this duty as well. Ash thought it a good idea to send Rose to the eastern part of Scarlaria since she had already spent time there. Rose was scheduled to visit both Hue Town and Nette Village, among other towns and villages.

Her departure was set for the next morning, and she had already communicated with her driver, who was going to pick her up in front of the manor. She still needed an assistant, though, a person she had to select herself. All of the female maids were already taken or otherwise occupied. Ivan came to mind as well, yet Rose put him off as a choice for as long as possible since she didn’t want to have a long, awkward ride with him. When she finally sought him out that evening, she found that Ivan was already away on other business. Then, just as she turned the corner to head back to her room, Rose came across the boy, Cole.

“Good evening, Lady Rose,” he said.

“Hi Cole,” she said, considering the boy momentarily, then said, “I need an assistant for my trip, and I’d like for you to accompany me.”

“You want me to travel with you?” Cole asked, appearing to hold back a grin.

“Yes, but we’ll be gone for a long time since we’re traveling far east,” she explained.

“I’ve never been outside of the capital,” he said, and Rose could see the excitement on his face.

“You’ll get to see a lot of it,” Rose smiled. “Gather your belongings, then come to my room first thing in the morning to carry our luggage down to the wagon.”

“Thank you, Lady Rose,” he said, then as he hurried away, Rose saw a wide grin finally form on his face.

Rose returned to her room to finish packing as well. She needed to bring clothes for traveling as well as proper clothes for conducting her official duties. For the first time, Rose felt as if she had something more important to do than getting home. She was going to meet with towns and villages and try to improve their lives. The thought of returning to Nette village was particularly exciting because she’d be able to properly thank and reward the family that cared for her so many months ago.

When Cole reported to her room in the morning, Rose had barely gotten any sleep. Since they still had time left before they needed to depart, she decided to take a last bath and give her long hair a deep cleaning, not knowing when she’d next be able to take a proper bath. Rose returned from her bath to find that Cole had already moved all of their luggage to the wagon and was now waiting for further orders. She went down a checklist with him, making sure they had everything they needed, both officially and personally.

Rose and Cole boarded their wagon a short while later, and Rose began explaining their itinerary to Cole. They were going to visit every town, city, and village in the eastern part of Scarlaria. She had been given some authority to settle certain matters herself, while others she’d have to bring back to be addressed later. Cole looked both excited and nervous, but Rose assured him that everything would be okay. In silence, she also hoped that their trip would be without incident because she was aware of how many creatures out there liked to prey on humans.