The Vagrant King

Chapter 30

Julian woke to something soft tickling his chin. He opened his eyes groggily. The house was still dark and quiet, so it was sometime before dawn. There were still burning embers in the earth. Cautiously, he reached out and stroked Adelaide's black cat, which had curled up next to him as he slept. The cat usually slept with Adelaide, but it warmed up to him when he fed it small bites of fish the other day.

Julian groaned and moved to his back on the pallet. His arms and shoulders ached from yesterday's labor. He scratched between the cat's ears as memories of the night before came back to him. Regulus is still looking, he remembered with a twinge of despair. He laid back his head on his pillow and shut his eyes, wishing he could return to sleep. He wanted to forget all of his troubles.

    When it stopped receiving attention, the black cat began licking Julian's hand. "Go away," Julian muttered, rolling on his side away from the cat and towards the hearth. Adelaide kept the scrawny cat on the property for the mice, but he didn't understand why the cat lived inside the house. He wished it would go back to hissing at him and keeping its distance.

    The cat came around the top of the pallet, walking between Julian and the hearth. It paced in front of Julian before laying down by Julian again, hitting him in the face repeatedly with its tail. Julian let out a frustrated sigh. He opened his eyes and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his face.
   
    "Alright," He muttered moodily. He took the fire poker and prodded the embers, before adding some dried pinecones and wood. When the flame caught, he stood up and grabbed yesterday's bread. He pinched off some and dropped it to the floor for the cat. He put on the day's clothes, and then tugged on Adelaide's grandfather's coat for warmth. It was long enough that it reached his ankles.
   
    Julian poured some goat's milk into a bowl for the cat and set it on the ground, then poured himself a cup. He opened the kitchen door, and leaned against the doorway, watching the sun begin to peek up over the horizon. He had been rather upset when he fell asleep last night, tossing and turning, thinking of some way to still stay with Adelaide. As he watched the sunrise, he felt more sorrow than anything.

    When Julian finished the milk, he knew it was time to go. He set the cup down on the wooden table and walked to the back of the house to where Adelaide slept, in a small cot outside her grandfather's room. She stirred when she heard his footsteps.

    "Julian?" Adelaide asked hoarsely under a pile of blankets.

    Julian sat down on the edge of the bed. She pulled down the blankets and squinted up at him. Her frizzy brown hair was nearly falling out of its two braids. "Is it time to wake?"

    "No, it's still early," Julian said. "Go back to sleep."

    Adelaide mumbled something he couldn't understand as she shut her eyes again. He rested a hand on her cheek and leaned down, kissing her on the other cheek. She let out a soft, surprised laugh at the tender and rare gesture.

    "What are you doing?" Adelaide asked, sounding more awake now.

    He wanted to thank her for everything, but this would only alarm her more. Knowing her, she would only argue with him about his choice to leave.

    "I started the fire in the hearth. Kitchen will be warm when you rise." Julian said, standing up and slipping his hands in his pockets.

    "Julian," Adelaide said, and she pushed herself to her elbows now. "Is everything alright? You...you were talking in your sleep again last night. A lot."

    Julian paused near the doorway. He didn't recall waking last night. He tried not to think about what he might've said. "Everything's fine. Go back to sleep." He said flippantly, before he walked back into the kitchen. He looked around the kitchen apprehensively, as the cat weaved in between his legs. He felt guilty taking anything from Adelaide and her grandfather, poor as they were. He passed over the small purse of bronze coins, the only riches in the house, and grabbed a kitchen knife.. He placed it in his pocket, then donned his boots. He checked to make sure Regulus' ring was still in his pocket. He wished to leave it on the table for her to sell, but he feared it would only lead Regulus to her.
   
    Julian left the silent house and walked to the henhouse, where he reached inside and stole an egg. He cracked it against the side of the henhouse and drank the yolk as he returned to the woods once more.

~

Julian followed the morning sun away from Adelaide's farm. He needed to walk until he found the river that would lead him to Berleant. He passed by orchards and stole a few apples, filling his pocket with them. When the peasant caught sight of Julian stealing these apples, he sent his massive dog after Julian. Julian scaled the wooden fence quickly and sprinted away, leaving the dog barking and biting at the fence.
He passed clusters of peasants' huts. He stayed hidden in the woods, watching them tend to the fields. The fields were part of some large lord's estate, and he could see the castle turrets over the trees. Julian ate a bitter, green apple as he examined the engraving in the hanging wooden sign over the gate. Wooden fox heads sat on the pillars beside the large wooden gate.

Lord Arterio. Julian smiled slightly as he remembered the little nobleman with the fox fur around his shoulders. This was Lord Arterio's estate, he was sure of it. He wondered if Regulus ever got around to burning the bad-smelling stuffed fox that Lord Arterio wore around his shoulders.

Julian took another bite and turned around to return to the woods. He wanted to get to the river before sunset, and the sun was already halfway across the sky. When he turned, he stopped at the sight of two maids in front of him. They each held large baskets and had evidently just come back from washing at the river. They were gaping at him with the same shock.

"The k-king's courtesan," One whispered, more to herself than anything, her eyes wide. Her auburn-haired companion seemed close to fainting.

Julian's apple fell from his fingers. He had not expected them to recognize him, or call him such a vulgar thing. He took a few steps back hesitantly. When they didn't scream or move from their spot, he sprinted back into the woods. He didn't stop running this time.