The Horseman

The Horseman ~ Chapter 6

I looked over at the bustling streets of Lydel as the boat docked into its port.

Everyone dressed so vibrantly here. Pops of color filled the streets like blooming flowers in spring. Children laughed with pure joy as they chased each other.

The Horseman barely spoke a word to me during our journey here, not that I was surprised. From how he held a palm to his damp forehead and looked up with glazed eyes, it was clear he was nursing a hangover from the previous night.

He held out his arm and helped me out of the boat before the strong wind pushed me overboard. My feet touched the ground, and I walked forward, taking in the view, completely mesmerized by Lydel.

Paper lanterns hung from building to building, leading the way through the paved streets. The sweet smell of cakes and pastries consumed the air like a baker's dream. Fire breathers captivated crowds of people as they performed in the square.

It was a sight that no one in the village had the pleasure of seeing.

Horseman nudged me out of my trance and pulled me along to match his pace.

"Would you at least look around after we see the merchant? He doesn't take tardiness lightly." He huffed his words, the first spoken to me in over four hours.

"You should drink less, Horseman. It seems the rum has made you ill-tempered." Before he could bite back, I ran up the street filled with small shops and sapphire tents.

"Esme!"

He ran after me, moving through the crowd, careful not to bump into anyone but still fast enough to catch up to me.

After weeks of isolation in the castle, I could finally feel the cold air touch my face. I outstretched my arms and ran freely up the path.

I guess my captivity came with some luxuries, testing the Horseman's patience being one of them.

He managed to sneak up behind me like a snake capturing a timid mouse. He wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into the back street.

"This isn't helping my hangover, Esme." He leaned his arms on the wall behind me, trapping me so I couldn't escape.

"Can you blame me for having a bit of fun? I've stayed hostage inside your castle for the past month."

The bulging vein sticking out of his temple showed me he did not want to play nice, not today.

"We are here for merchant magic, remember? Now stop wasting time and follow me."

He walked along the path, and I begrudgingly followed him.

We wandered closer to an unusual building with a white exterior and gold ribbon that laced around it. A sign shaped into a pink dress hung from the side.

"Why are we here?" He looked down at my confused face and sighed heavily.

"You will see when we go inside."

~

I recognized a familiar face as we entered the tailor shop.

"Frederic!"

It was nice to see someone other than the Horseman and Miss Alice for a change.

The shop was extravagant, but I didn't expect any less from Frederic. Beautiful hand-made dresses hung on racks in every corner; it was a living fantasy that every girl in the village could only wish on.

"Oh, my dear girl, your dress sense hasn't improved since we last saw each other."

I flattened down the gray skirt of my dress that Miss Alice handed to me before we left. I looked down at my feet, too embarrassed to look Frederic in the eye.