The Baroness Misbehaves

Madeline relaxed at the end seat of the carriage, falling asleep and waking up from time to time. She knew they had a long journey ahead of them since they had to make it past the upper west quarters to successfully get to their destination. Now that she thought about it, she silently thanked Cassian for having refused to let her ride the carriage, because with the heaviness of her eyelids presently, she wouldn’t be surprised if she ran the carriage into a river instead of a tree. Yawning tiredly, Madeline set the traveling bag as a pillow to rest her head on before closing her heavy eyes and succumbing to the sleep that finally got its hold on her.

How Cassian had gotten past the gatekeeper at the main gate of the upper East quarters, Madeline barely knew since she had fallen asleep only to be awakened by the sun kissing her face from the window the next morning.

Due to her exhaustion, she ended up sleeping a lot since she had a hard time falling asleep with Cassian away, and then their plans to escape from the upper East quarters also took a toll on her. Only after she relaxed her system did the soreness of her body become more evident.

When she awoke again, Cassian had stopped the carriage to get the sleeping beauty some food since he knew she had to fill up her stomach. Funnily, he wasn’t used to the ways of the locals, and Madeline, who watched him from the windows of the carriage, giggled silently as her confused husband listened to the food vendor who showed him varieties of snacks and meals he could get.

Shaking her head lightly at Cassian’s genuine confusion, Madeline got down from the carriage to assist him. Since she still had the dress of a military man, the vendor owner became more polite, and Madeline made the purchases before dragging Cas back to the carriage.

He continued later on, and by the time Madeline awoke again, she peered out the carriage window, taking in the bustling streets and crowded homes of the lower East quarters. The unfamiliarity of the environment made her know they had made it past the upper west quarters.

The air outside was thick with the scent of spices and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares. Tattered banners and streamers fluttered in the wind, giving the scene a festive but gritty feel.

As they drew closer to their destination, Madeline could see the simple buildings and hovels of common folks, huddled together in a labyrinth of narrow alleys. Shadows lurked in every corner, and the occasional screams or shout would pierce through the din of the crowd, startling Madeline to her wits.

She was beginning to wonder how the locals of Carmarthen could live like this? There were times when Cas spoke to her about how His Majesty already ordered the ministers and local councils to provide shelter to the less privileged, and from what she saw, the local councils incharge of the lower East quarters are clearly not doing the job assigned to them.

To Madeline’s relief, the carriage continued down the street till they made it to a quiet and safe district. The carriage slowed down, signaling their arrival, and before Madeline knew it, the Carriage screeched to a halt.