“IT’S raining cats and dogs...” Sonia commented as she peeked out through the small carriage window. Without a cloud in the sky, rays of warm sunlight had blessed patches of land when they first departed, but the rain now beating upon the ground only earned Sonia’s baleful glare.
She knew glaring wouldn’t stop the rain, but it was grating how it only poured down even heavier than before. It fell so furiously, Sonia had to quickly shut the window for fear of the heavy drops pelting the inside of the carriage.
“I’m afraid we’d best...seek shelter at an inn for the night,” Chris suggested from where he sat across from Sonia. She felt the same.
Due to the upcoming birthday celebration, a transient town had been built along the road leading to the capital. It was only a short ways off.
They had originally planned to go past the town and pitch a tent in the open fields a good distance beyond. They had stayed at Duke Dumas’ country house on the way from the Royal Abbey to Clare Castle, but considering the bizarre things happening both to and around her, Sonia couldn’t impose on them again.
Witnessing the paranormal phenomena happening to Chris as they steadily made progress in their preparations to depart for the royal capital only served to deepen Sonia’s fears.
“Should I forgo attending the event?” she had asked upon confessing her concerns to Chris.
“His Majesty is looking forward to seeing you. Besides, isn’t this an excellent opportunity to see what he thinks about these strange incidents?” he’d responded.
As Chris had pointed out, she wasn’t going simply to attend the King’s birthday celebration. So she now told herself anew that despite how reckless it was, she would go to the capital not only for the celebration, but also to set things right.
I need to resolve this soon for Sir Chris, too... That was still something she found puzzling. Why do the paranormal phenomena only attack Sir Chris?
“He’s jealous,” Chris had once said, but Sonia felt there was a different reason behind it. Besides...
I think Sir Chris is a great guy, but I simply can’t see myself falling in love or sharing a romantic relationship with him. If anything, he was more of her knight in shining armor...and if Sonia had to give a more personal description, she might say he reminded her of an older brother.
If I cared for him, I suppose Sir Chris’ explanation makes some sense...maybe?
But what about Sir Chris? Does he...? Does he have feelings for me? Her body burned with embarrassment. She felt so hot that she began to flap her hand to fan herself.
“Princess? Are you all right? Is it hot in here?” Chris asked, reaching for the window. But if he opened it now, rain would come gushing in. As he racked his mind for a better solution, Sonia dismissed the offer with a faint smile.
“Oh, no...! I’m fine! I’ll cool down in a moment.”
CLUNK! The carriage swayed violently once before coming to an abrupt stop.
“What do you suppose that was all about?” she asked him.
Chris popped open the little window and asked, “What happened?”
At the sound of Chris’ voice, a flustered expression crossed the coachman’s face as he drew in close to explain, “We’re stuck in the mud...”
Come to think of it, the carriage was slightly leaning to one side.
“I presume the ditch isn’t all that deep. I’ll come out and help,” Chris announced. The guards frantically tried to stop him when they saw him open the door to get out.
“Please don’t! We’ll handle this, so please remain inside the carriage, Sir Crisford!”
“You’ll get wet, so please stay there with Duchess Sonia, Sir Crisford!”
“I’ll patiently wait inside if you promise to call me ‘Chris’ from now on,” Chris countered.
The guards fell silent, for there was no way they could casually refer to their lady’s future husband by his nickname.
After silently watching them, the hilarity of the situation finally got the best of Sonia. She couldn’t help but giggle as she told the guards, “Good sirs, let Sir Chris lend you a hand.”
With the guards’ reluctant permission, Chris took to step out of the carriage. But the moment his feet touched the soil, trouble struck! The horses that were hitched by long lines to the carriage abruptly flew into a panic! The carriage tossed forward and backward, this way and that—
“WHOA! Easy, there!” The coachman desperately tried to soothe the horses, but there was no calming beasts that were in such a frenzy that they were foaming at the mouth.
“EEK!” Sonia cried. She was flung back onto the seat inside the rocking carriage. The swaying was so great she was unable to get back up.
“Princess!”
Instead of calming the horses first, Chris focused on getting Sonia out of the carriage. But the moment he set foot on the carriage, “NEEEEIGH!” the horses trumpeted in unison and bolted—with Sonia still trapped inside the carriage.
“PRINCESS!”
Acting on impulse, Chris latched onto the open door. The horses wildly raced down a roadless path as if they had gone mad.
“Someone! HELP ME!” Sonia cried, as she clung onto the curtain for dear life to save herself from being hurled out the open door. She continued wailing for help in her fear.
The carriage pitched and swerved down an ominous route. Not good! The land was diminishing by the second. If Sonia’s memory was right, there was a cliff up ahead!
“SAVE ME! SIR CHRIS!”
✦ ✦ ✦
At the sound of Sonia crying out his name from inside the carriage, begging him to come to her rescue, Chris summoned desperate strength into his arms. With it, he hauled his body from the verge of falling off into the carriage.
“SONIA!”
“Sir Chris...!”
Despite being drenched, he offered her a shrug; despite being out of breath, he offered her a smile. Knowing everything would be all right, Sonia’s face crumpled as she flung herself onto Chris.
“It’ll be okay! Now hold on tight!”
“I will.”
There wasn’t a moment to lose.
Immediately after Chris leapt out with Sonia in his arms, the two turned to see the carriage fall down the cliff, accompanied by the horses’ cries. Then, out of nowhere, came a shout.
“DAMN! I was so close to killing you off!” bellowed a deep voice that sounded as if it came from the bowels of the earth...
Perhaps it was due to having been out in the rain; perhaps it was because she had nearly fallen off that cliff along with her carriage and horses; or perhaps it was because of the creepy voice she’d heard—whatever the case, Sonia broke out with a high fever. By the time they managed to reach the fancy inn at the transient town, she was bedridden till the fever broke.