Days after days they finally started passing through villages.
Sometimes, they stopped at some villages to rest and to restock their supplies.
Thankfully, none of the villages were as badly attacked by the enemies like Koko’s village.
At times, Audrey found herself daydreaming about what Koko and the rest might be going through in their village.
Had they finally moved on from the incident?
Or were they still hang over the incident?
Most of the villagers looked malnourished.
It was a huge difference between what the nobles looked like and what the commoners looked like.
Audrey’s felt her heart breaks for the commoners.
She wished they were more she could do for them than handling over some of their supplies to them.
At times, Damien had helped fixed roof.
He had also helped widowers they met by giving them money.
It amazed Audrey how he could give freely to the masses without blinking.
Alex always remained at the rest house with Mia mostly beside him.
Audrey wondered what they always do indoor.
And more importantly if Audrey’s magic power had awakened.
Even though she said nothing, she couldn’t help the feeling that maybe something was wrong with her.
If not, there should be sign of her magic power awakening soon.
By the time they left the last village before journeying into the wilderness again, the children were waving at Damien while shouting that they would love to see him again.
Not just the soldiers but the children were falling for Damien fast.
It was the opposite of the reputation he had in the capital.
It was against what her father had told her and she had learnt about him.
The forest they had past through looked like child’s play compared to this.
It seemed like the forest was thicker and it whispered to her.
As much as she wanted Damien to stay with her in the carriage, she couldn’t get herself to ask him.
He was always with the rest, helping with something.
He always loved doing something.
It reminded her of when she had met him at the garden and thought he was a gardener.
Now, that time felt like a long time ago.
Suddenly, their was screaming among the soldier.
Audrey leaned from her carriage’s window only to come face to face with a huge red eyes.
She screamed, leaning back into the carriage.
She continued moving back, without looking back until she fell on the floor.
There was a soldier right in front of her, swinging his sword at the monster in front of him.
Everything happened at once.
In a minute, the monster was growling, bearing it’s fangs at the soldier while swinging its hand carelessly.
The soldier moved with eased as if it could predict the monsters next move, while Audrey searched for the knife Damien had given her.
It felt small and insignificant in her hand against this monsters, but she held it forward.
Before she could swing it, the monster lay on the floor dead with blood dripping from the soldiers sword.
The blood neausted her, but she held the knife with shaky hand.
“Are you okay, my lady.” The soldier asked.
It was the soldier that had knelt down in front of Damien that day.
She nodded, finding it difficult to speak a word.
The soldier nodded, “Great. I will keep you safe, my lady.”
Thankfully, none of the monster was coming closer.
There were small monsters and a big one.
Mia stood directly in front of the small ones and shot fire at it directly from her hand.
Unlike her, she seemed confidence.
Audrey gaze moved around in search of Damien.
He was swinging his sword at the big monster.
The monsters eyes trailed after him, but he moved with so much flexibility avoiding every of its attack.
He moved at the opposite direction of where the monster had attacked, his sword brushed its hand, making it growled loudly.
By now, most of the small monster had been defeated with magic.
She watched Alex joined him, casting fires repeatedly at the monster.
Most of it hits its body, but some stopped at its eyes, making the monster stagger backward.
It seemed the magic worked more than the sword, but Damien didn’t give up.
He worked well beside Alex, avoiding its attack.
From the combination of both of their attacks, the monster seemed weaker as the time went by.
Its motion slowed down and it moved backwards from each attack.
Damien swing up, moving his sword effortlessly.
In one swift move, he beheaded the monster, separating it’s head from the body.
Audrey blinked, her stomach retched, but before she could do anything, she fell onto the ground, darkness taking over her sight.
When she came about, Damien was staring down at her with what seemed like a look of concerned.
Audrey tried sitting up, her mouth tasted like bile, but she pushed herself upwards.
Damien clothes were splattered with mud and blood.
The memory of the battle with the monsters came flashing back.
Though, she knew but she wanted to confirm.
“You fainted after the attack.”
She nodded.
Damien hold her hand, his eyes moved over her body slowly.
Audrey didn’t had the energy to snatch her hand from his.
She watched as his gaze moved slowly all over her.
“Do you feel hurt anywhere?”
She shook her head.
“I’m fine.”
He sighed in relief.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t close to you when you got attacked. From this moment on, I wouldn’t leave your side.”
Audrey swallowed.
“Greyson was able to protect me from the monster attack. I think I would be fine.”
She could feel the steadiness of the carriage.
They had started moving again, but it seemed at a slower pace.
Her mind drifted to Mia welding magic.
When she met Mia she couldn’t wield magic, she seemed powerless just like her.
And she wasn’t married to the crown prince, yet she had been gifted with magic powers.
Why was hers different?
Or was the crown prince really cursed?
If only she could wield magic, she wouldn’t be as vulnerable as she was earlier.
The thought of everything made her feel nauseous.
She pulled the carriage window open to let in fresh air.
Just as the air bust in, her eyes moved to most of the soldiers walking around.
Their clothes were covered in blood, reminding her that the monster attack wasn’t a nightmare she had conjured.
The soldiers supported some injured ones who couldn’t walk well.
“Lots of soldiers were injured in the attack, it’s the reason we have to travel t a slower pace. And we lost one of the soldier.”
Audrey turned to look at him.
Just from his face, she knew if he could do anything to save the injured monster he would do that gladly.
The journey didn’t look just like an adventure anymore to her.
This was life and death and she had a lot to learn.