After Reyna accepted Brixton’s offer, things moved fast.
She had a bag packed and fake documents ready before the duo were driven to the border by a taxi driver.
It would take a couple of hours to reach the border and some more time to get processed.
Waylon had wanted to come, but he had been stopped by his parents.
She was relieved that he hadn’t come, as she wouldn’t have been able to forgive herself if something really happened to him.
He had loving parents who would be devastated.
As the car rolled down the path, Reyna glanced at Brixton out of the corner of her eye.
The man had his arms folded calmly in his lap as he kept his gaze straight.
What was going through his mind at that moment?
That’s when he abruptly met her gaze.
Embarrassed that she had been caught staring, she stared fixedly out the window as blood rushed to her cheeks.
“Are you concerned?” he asked.
The question caused her to look back at him as she asked, “Excuse me?” “Are you worried about being able to cross the border?” he clarified.
Of course she was.
Whether or not she could cross the border would determine her and her son’s fate.
If she failed to pass the inspection even with Brixton’s help, she would be dooming herself and her son.
“You have nothing to fear.
I have everything covered.
You just need to follow my lead,” he said.
Even though the words were probably meant to be reassuring, they sounded more like a threat to her.
He was basically telling her that she couldn’t act on her own and mess this up for him.
Reyna swallowed, clutching her bag closer to her chest.
Her hands trembled as thoughts of what he might do to her if she caused them to be detained crossed her mind.
For a brief moment, she wished that Waylon had really gone against his parents and had gone with her to the border just so she wouldn’t be stuck with Brixton all by herself.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, she felt deeply ashamed for even considering it.
Waylon was her junior and her saviors’ only son.
The fact she had even considered putting him in danger made her disgusted with herself.
She didn’t deserve the Hurst family’s kindness.
Time moved at a snail’s pace before they finally reached the border.
Her palms were covered in sweat as she stepped out of the car.
The guards stared at her suspiciously, making her feel even more nervous.
Suddenly, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders as Brixton said, “Dear, you have nothing to be worried about.
The Kingdom of Goden isn’t uncivilized like some other countries.” His words caused some of the guards to turn their gaze away from her to scrutinize Brixton as he guided her towards the guards.
The guards allowed them to pass through into the building.
Once inside, they handed over their fake documents to the person at the front desk.
The person studied their documents with a serious expression.
Reyna bit down her inner cheek, fighting to keep herself from showing any suspicious reactions or movements.
Once the person was satisfied with what they saw, they passed the documents to two other people who had been waiting nearby.
These people led them to another area before they were separated, heading in opposite directions.
Even though she had already been informed about how the inspection would go, she still felt herself shake with each step she took.
“Please take a seat, Miss.
It won’t take long,” the guard said after opening one of the doors, signaling for her to take a seat inside the room.
She reluctantly went along with the guard’s request and sat down on the cold, metal chair, feeling as if she were being interrogated.
The guard took a moment to silently read over her documents.
Once she finished, she set them down.
“So, what is your reason for going to the Kingdom of Goden?” the guard asked.
Reyna had been coached on this and said, “My husband and I are on pilgrimage.
We are only briefly going through the kingdom and intend to head to the other nearby countries.” “You’re from the Holy State of Haulach.
Why didn’t you just take a plane directly to the kingdom instead of going through the empire?” the guard asked.
“While the kingdom and empire are enemies, the same can’t be said for the holy state unless you’re saying that has changed recently,” she said as her hands trembled in her lap.
“No, but it is still an odd choice,” he pointed out.
“We always intended to pass through both the empire and the kingdom.
Going back and forth from the holy state just to avoid the border inspection would be a waste of time and money when it would be much simpler to just cross the border,” she said.
The guard didn’t say anything this time, choosing to study her.
Reyna met her gaze, trying to act like a woman from the holy state.
She had never been to the country before and hadn’t had the time to study them before coming to the border.
All she had to go on was what Brixton had coached her on in such short notice.
The clothes he gave her also helped add credence to her claim.
After what seemed like forever, the guard pushed the documents to her and said, “You’re free to go, miss.
You still have to check in with the guards on the other side, but it shouldn’t be a problem.” “Thank you,” she said, trying to not act too eager to get away.
Going through it a second time was a little bit easier as she knew how to act now, and she was allowed to cross into the kingdom without incident.
She nearly breathed a sigh of relief at having successfully fooled them, but she kept a straight face as she walked towards the exit.
Once she was out, she saw that Brixton had already finished before her and was waiting for her.
He saw her and walked towards her in quick strides.
“Ready to go, dear?” he asked, holding his arm out to her.
Reyna nodded and hesitantly accepted his arm.
As they walked away, she glanced back at the border inspection office.
There weren’t many people around, which made sense since most would rather travel by other methods.
The kingdom was surrounded on all sides by enemy countries except for one country that was neutral to them.
Traveling by land was simply too dangerous for a citizen of the kingdom.
Only people from farther countries would dare go by land since there was no enmity between them.
“The car is here,” Brixton said, making her look forward.
The two got into the taxi and headed for the closest town.