Nateaser: Reborn As My Love Interest

Cath - Chapter Forty Nine

Ruins surrounded us.

The roofs long disappeared, and only a small portion of the walls remained. At a glance they were from an earlier civilization, a different era, but the Imperial Road cut through them as if they weren't even there.

"Tis' all that's left of Saipole, Your Highness," I announced to the tired mass ahead of me. The Princess did not take well to our journey, and I couldn't blame her... The way we left Sanctuary, and her father, when we advanced on foot, she seemed less exhausted. We had a clear goal back then, a purpose, and an end in sight. Even if it was all fake... Now she was apathetic on the horseback. "Should we make camp?"

"Do you need rest, Cath?" She asked me, her voice weak.

"Um, well... More like the palfrey does." I claimed. I realized a few days ago, that if I said no, she'd demand us to press on, and she needed rest, no matter how much she refused to admit. "We did nearly fifty miles already, we should eat lunch and let the horse regain some of its stamina, then we can continue until dusk."

"Fine, we can stop then." She approved. If I hadn't got the reflexes, she might have fallen off the saddle a moment later. Since I dyed her hair and dressed her in commoner's clothing, she lost her shine. Well, probably not because of that, but she was a shadow of her former self, and I could barely force her to eat since last week.

"Princess, please, let me share my lunch with you," I asked, pulling out some of the leftovers that Lambert made us. She glared at me from below her hood. Of course... I forgot again. "Sorry, Elizabeth."

"You had me go all these lengths to disguise myself and still call me Princess." She complained. At least she was quick to fire at anything as usual, which gave me hope she'll make it through this somehow.

"I'm a brute as you know." I smiled at her, offering some food. "I didn't get my rank and post because of my brains or pretty eyes."

"They are at least pretty, for real." She reluctantly accepted the dish. She started to eat, but not before adding. "But you sure are dumb..."

"I won't deny that, Pri..." I just pretended to cough instead.

I also wore a hood over my armor but refused to discard it. It must have been expensive, light, sturdy, and saved my life from the Elder. Had I not worn this during our duel, she could probably turn me into a worm, and stomp on me right away...

Even with this, I barely hold my own against her. On the flip side, I didn't have my helmet back then. I was unsure what it could do, but it resonated with me. Too bad, I could not ask my family about it, they were gone with the old capital, but if they were still around, I wouldn't have inherited this piece of history either...

"I'll feed the palfrey too," I noted once my lunch disappeared. I had a bright moment too. "I should call it Princess. That way, if I ever accidentally slip up I can say it's the horse... Commoners often name them anyway, it would be more suspicious if it didn't have a name."

The actual Princess refused to even react to that, only a glare. That's all. But I took it as a yes. The palfrey got a few playful pats from me as I poured some fodder. Yes, my other horse had a name too, but we had to leave him behind. I hoped he was all right. It was unlikely the Guard would treat such an expensive warhorse poorly, he couldn't be blamed for anything after all. This reminded me of Lambert.

"Maybe we should have gone back to Nateaser instead," I muttered loud enough that Her Majesty could hear it.

"We need to find the Pope." She reacted immediately. "The Elder said he ran away to Saipole. Whatever the truth is, we need powerful allies if we want to beat that cursed woman. You alone couldn't do much."