The Phoenix's Maiden

A New Journey (Part Two)

The sun will soon rise and Arthur is already on his way to Amber’s room, where the maiden is busy preparing her things for the journey. Unlike Arthur, Amber is not totally sure how long the journey will last that’s why she packed as much as she can inside the luggage brought to her by the servants inside the castle.

“Okay that’s enough,” she said to herself satisfied on how much clothes she packed inside the luggage.

“Don’t you thing that’s a bit, overkill?” Kamandag commented on her luggage with a little bit of hesitation in her voice.

“Better sure than sorry,” she told the snake and walks towards their bathroom. After closing the door, she started to remove her clothes one by one as she enters the shower room. She prepares herself to be touched by the morning water of the shower. When a drop touches her skin, she felt shivers as the cold is still too much for her.

While bathing, she can’t stop thinking about the future of this kingdom, as she is reminded yesterday by Azura that the fate of their lives resides within her palm. She realized that she is looking at her palm, and clenched it. I can do this, she thought.

After bathing she then cover her n***d body with a towel and gets out of the bathroom… but she is not prepared to witness what’s in store for her. She finds Arthur already inside her room and they dead stare at each other. Amber blinked for a couple of times until she realizes what is going on.

“AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!” she shrieked and the young knight was startled. Amber caught a small furniture on a table besides her, and proceeds to throw it at him but Arthur deflected it easily. “p*****t!” she shouted and that hurts his pride.

“Hey! I didn’t know that you will go out l- like t- that,” Arthur defended himself as he stutters and started to blush red.

“Don’t you know the word GIVING PERMISSION?” she emphasized the two words that she is pointing out. “I never thought that you are very ungentlemanly-like knight,” she throws another insult to him and that hurts his pride yet again. “I am starting to worry that you may do something unpleasant to me during our journey,” she said again with a scared face and that hits him again. “The kings expected more of you but you acted so lowly,” Arthur’s knees started to shake as he loses his strength with Amber’s barrage of insult throwed at him.

“I’ll go out,” he said in a very gloomy voice as he timidly walks outside the door. “If that’s what you want,” he added before closing the door.

“That was intense,” Kamandag commented while laughing and from the looks of it she was very amused with the encounter that happened between them. Amber lowers her guard and she proceed to go to her wardrobe still shaking. She doesn’t know where did she get the energy to weaken the knight’s moral strength.

“I was caught off guard,” she replied cheaply and proceeds to wear her undergarments and a long-sleeved hooded dress and she wear her pants before putting the boots. Before she leaves the wardrobe, she puts on her gloves that’s been given to him by Ashura, it’s a fire proof gloves which only covers her palms.

“Ready?” Kamandag asked her and she nods before crawling towards her neck. Amber puts her hood up to hide her companion snake and she carries her big luggage which she can barely move. She didn’t expect that it will be this heavy. She struggles pulling it towards the door. She catches her breath before opening it and she resumes pulling it outwards. Arthur quickly spots her and rushed to her aid.

“Let me,” he said while avoiding to look at the maiden’s face because he can’t just forget it easily. Amber lets him carry her luggage and watches him to carry it so lightly. They make their way towards their assigned carriage to the land of the blazing souls. Both of them avoided to make a conversation between them as that moment is still fresh inside their minds and they are both embarrassed on what happened.

“Hello sire, a pleasant morning to you your highness,” an old looking engkanto greeted them both but they just acknowledged him with a smile. The carriage will be driven by two unicorns guided by the old engkanto on their way. They sit inside facing each other and the inside is wide enough that whispers cannot be heard by one another. They put distance so that they can both avoid making eye contact.

“Maybe you should go talk to him,” the striped snake suggested while observing the knight watch the surroundings in his side. Amber takes a glimpse of him. “He’s the one at fault, why should I?” she whispered to her companion.

“I know but you two are partners in this journey and communication is a very important factor, and without it you two may be in chaos when problems arise,” she explained why she should make up with Arthur. She gets the point but…

“At least not for now,” she said.

“Why?” she asked, wanting some valid excuse from her.

“Well you see what happened back there right?” she reminded her.

“Well, he didn’t see you completely n***d right?” she reasoned herself out.

“If it’s okay for you, for me it’s not,” she said losing her composure.

“Chill, I did not say something about being okay, my point is that he didn’t meant to see you on that state and he apologized for what he did, right?” she defended herself and she is not sure about Arthur apologizing to her.

“Are you sure about that?” Amber confidently asked the unsure snake.

“N- no,” she shyly admitted.

“Then you are wrong,” she said and the snake did not reply to her. She is defeated in their argument.

The journey will sure be long and full of challenges.

-The Phoenix’s Maiden-