Slender or Glamorous (2)
Our carriage rode on for a while. We passed the city centre, then through the suburbs, then farther and farther away from civilization. Where were we going? Were we going for a picnic? Are we going to eat outside? But I don’t feel like the scenery here was good.
As I look out the window, we were getting farther away from the city. Am I really riding a carriage with Father or was it an imposter? Am I being sold? I’m being sold! I feel like crying.Why isn’t father telling me anything today?I turn to look at him, but his eyes were closed and he was still. Was he thinking? I should be quiet and not disturb him.
After a sometime, the carriage slowed down. There were male voices and the neighs and snorts of horses. I looked out the window to see a lot of people dressed in armour carrying different weapons. It looked like a training ground.
What is going on?
Our steward came to open the carriage door, and father and I stepped out with the basket in my hands.
We walked along a fence that had been made from felled trees. Out in the field, a large tent dominated the landscape surrounded by smaller tents. There were a group of soldiers outside the large tent.
‘Father, what are we doing here?’ I asked nervously. But he only winked and waved at the group.
‘Hey, I’m here!’ he shouted. The group turned to the sound of my father’s voice. The tallest member of the group looked surprised.
‘Viscount Castley?’
‘You look like you’re working hard.’ Father replied.
Hm?!
Is it just me or was father being overly familiar? It was rare to see father like this.
‘Hello, General Brennan.’
I greeted with a curtsey. But General Brennan wrinkled his brow, frowned and bent over.Seeing the General not want to even look at me, I suddenly felt like crying.
But instead I pasted a smile on my face,‘I’ll just be over there. Please be at ease, don’t mind me.’ I said as I went blindly in some direction that was away from him.
‘Fre-Fredericka!’ he called.
I didn’t look back at the agonised sound of his voice. I could hear my father laughing.
We must be here because of some important work.
Father usually talked to me about his work and his schedule when he wasn’t busy. He also usually asked for my opinion, and he listened to me properly. There was constructive criticism when I was wrong and didn’t think things through properly, and when I had a good idea, he would praise me and utilise the idea. But he did not tell me about this,‘Miss…’
It must be about something I could not be privy to.But why did he bring me along? Was it a test? To understand the distinction between truth and fiction?
When I think of it he might have said ‘come down’ but not ‘come along’. Was it something like that? Walking about with all this thoughts in racing about in my head, I was not watching where I was going, and I tripped and fell flat on my fa…ce?
‘Fuuu…!’ My yell is like I’m on my deathbed. I do not know how to scream cutely…
At the moment of falling, I was caught by a strong armoured arm. I was turned over to see the armour I just saw earlier.
‘You’re fine…’ I heard whispered from above my head.
Bound Pleasures 
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