Hunted 1.1

137.1390

The carriage jerked to the side as the driver attempted to avoid the larger stones in the road. Alekos commended him for trying, but thought the ride might be a little smoother if he didn’t try so hard. It was in no way was enjoyable and he knew there wasn't a way to improve it in the moment. Once Alekos’s father relinquished the throne to him this road was getting paved.

The city was growing small with the distance. Alekos craned his neck to be able to watch it disappear; his beautiful Ellyna with it’s stone clad buildings and many street markets. There wasn’t a day he didn’t wake up thankful to be there.

The city laid in a valley. For it to be completely doused in natural light the sun had to be almost at full height. That’s when the activity started. Sounds of conversations and children laughing reached the palace windows often. Alekos liked to sit in his study at the end of the day and take it all in. He would position his chair just right so he could watch purple slowly fill the sky as the sun set behind the far hill. Half of the city would be plunged in darkness from the shadows of the expanse while the rest clung on to the last few moments of light.

There wasn’t much impressive about Ellyna. They weren’t a powerful country and never would be. Fighting wasn’t something they valued. Even so, they were making it through just fine. There weren’t many kingdoms within traveling distance which cut down on the list of possible enemies considerably. Only Hethir resided close. But that kingdom hadn’t shown any life for nearly half a century, so it was no threat. All they did was keep an eye on it. There wasn’t much else to do.

Another rock sent the carriage wobbling. Alekos smacked into the door and groaned. “There has to be another way there right? This is dangerous.”

The servant next to him looked ready to jump and ask the driver, but the man across from him shook his head. “This is the only way, my prince. Stop complaining, we’re almost there.”

His name was Ren and he was right. Alekos shouldn’t complain. After all, he only had to travel this path three times a year. Save for emergencies. There were others who frequented this road. And if they were anything like him, they wouldn’t enjoy a moment of it.

He sometimes wondered what it would be like to live in the village. It wasn’t something he was willing to give up his city for, but the open air was tempting. And the sunlight blaring between the trees. There was beauty to be found up here as well he reasoned. You could probably see for miles.

Closing his eyes, Alekos took a deep breath. He pictured the sky painted above him with pinks and purples while a slight breeze passed by. It was a relaxation trick the physician taught him. Curiously enough it was working now. He didn’t notice much of the rest of the ride.

The servant, a young boy with well groomed dark hair, cleared his throat. “We’re nearing the crest of the hill. We’ll be stopping soon. Sir.” He added the last word quickly, as if he’d almost forgotten. Alekos didn’t mind. The boy was new at the job, he’d get everything down soon.

“Thank you.” Alekos didn’t want to come out of his mind, but he knew he had to. The end of the journey meant the beginning of his job. It wasn’t one he was looking forward to so the less time they spent up here the better. He’d have yet another conversation with his father about it when they returned home.

Finally, the carriage began to slow. There was a smoother road up here and the carriage barely shook. When they came to a stop the servant opened the door next to him. A moment passed and his cheeks turned red.

“Sorry,” he muttered as he hurried out of the carriage.

Ren laughed. “Poor lad. Imagine the punishment his mother will give him when she hears of this.”

Alekos shook his head. “She doesn’t need to hear. Neither of us will tell her.”

Ren gave him a hard look, but nodded. He wasn’t always so agreeing with the prince. They fought on many issues daily. Alekos didn’t care though, because Ren was only his bodyguard. The man had no say in any thing that mattered. He was just there to look scary.

And scary he looked. His large biceps barely fit in the sleeves of his tunic. Sharp green eyes contrasted against his tan skin. A single look from them and people cleared the road for the prince.

Alekos had once considered asking for another bodyguard. Despite his skills, Ren wasn’t all that great of a person. Alekos would not have picked him if he had had a say in the matter. None of it truly mattered, he decided. The man kept him safe.

The door opened and the servant bowed Alekos out of the carriage. Alekos placed a hand on the young servant’s shoulder as he passed. “Don’t make a scene of this when you return. I forgive the mistake.”

The boy nodded slightly and didn't look up from his bow. He was supposed to right himself and announce Alekos's presence, but it seemed that he didn't know that either. Alekos sighed and prepared to announce his own presence. But he was taken aback before he could even think how to do that.

The people standing in front of him were looking on with hateful eyes. There were about fifty huddled in a pack, hands full with everything from cloth to fresh meat. It looked as if they had been standing there for a while. One lady looked clearly bored. The man next to her had an unevenly shaved beard and tired eyes. This didn’t make Alekos’s job any easier.

He must have stood there for a while because Ren stepped up next to him. “Your father usually speaks of the Collection before we commence,” he said, not taking his eyes from the crowd. “Something along the lines of ‘thank you for your patronage.’”

That made sense. Why else would he need to be here? Having a member of the royals attend probably started out as a formality, but now it was a requirement. This solidified the bond between village and city.

Alekos stepped forward. “Another Collection Day is upon us. Ellyna cannot thrive unless we all work to keep it thriving. What the city cannot provide you lend us. We turn to your skills and efforts to support us.”

He paused, expecting applause. There was none. It was like the words he said never happened. The silence that greeted him had not left. It crushed his chest. He swallowed a few times, trying to force the lump out of his throat. “The king regrets he cannot be here to participate, but he sends his well wishes with me.

“The guards will direct you to the appropriate cart.” He paused to point them out. Surely the villagers knew how this went by now. Formality made him show them anyway. There were so many rules. “Please continue in an orderly fashion. Your cooperation will make this go by a lot faster. Ellyna thanks you.”