Daydreams And Nightshade (DaN #1)

Chapter 4: Stale bread and investigations

Almost ten minutes had gone by since their carriage was stopped right before entering West Kerilia around supper time. It wasn't highwaymen as Luna had suspected, but rather town guards, and Frey was currently in the middle of a heated discussion with them.

The others, except Luna who'd grown rather restless and kept fiddling with her bracelets, sat calmly in the carriage, trying to pass the time and ignoring the shouting coming from outside.

"Who knew Frey could be so loud?" Noah eventually whispered in resignation, and Damien looked tired.

"Honestly? This is nothing."

"If you'd let me speak to my father—" Frey began for maybe the seventh time but the guards interrupted him once again.

"Everyone pays the toll. No exceptions."

It wasn't as though the company couldn't afford it, but it was still an expensive toll and Frey was having none of it. Not to mention being interrupted mid-sentence by common guards. It was like they could all sense his expression as a brief silence ensued. Then Frey really gave them a piece of his mind. All of them except Vincent leaned back with a sigh at this.

"This is going to take forever," Lucius complained while tapping his fingers against his arm impatiently. "We'll just pay the toll for now and have a talk with Lord Clausson when we get there."

"It's more a matter of principle," Damien said as he glanced out the window. "It's not like he's afraid to spend money."

"Well he certainly found an inconvenient time to go against that statement." Lucius got up from his seat to join Frey outside.

"Lady Cromwell, I'm perfectly capable of handling this on my own," was heard from outside, and Lucius' voice was soon heard shushing him.

"Excuse m—" Frey began at this, but Lucius seemed to have turned to the guards already.

"Just take it. But know we will be bringing this up with Lord Clausson. I'm sure he won't be pleased with his son being treated this way."

"Just following orders," the guard replied with a snarky tone. Lucius seemingly paid no mind to this and soon climbed into the carriage again.

Frey soon joined them as well.

"The nerve," he muttered under his breath as he sat down and crossed his arms. The carriage began moving again, and Luna looked out through the window to catch a glimpse of a big gate covering the main road and parts beside it until the forest took over. It was impossible to get past if traveling by horse or carriage.

"Was this always here?" she asked.

"Not at all," Frey replied, still visibly upset as he clenched his fists until the knuckles whitened. "And I've never heard of this. Why hasn't he told me anything?"

"We know as little as you do," Lucius pointed out as he pulled at his sleeves to smoothen out any creases in his dress. "Though I'm surprised you know nothing of this."

"I thought your father used to spoil you and tell you anything and everything?" Noah spoke up, looking away from the window, and Frey gestured in his direction.

"Yes, exactly!"

"No objection to the spoiled part," Lucius muttered under his breath, but the conversation carried on despite it.

"It's true though." Damien shrugged. "And that's partly why this is concerning."

"Isn't the state of this whole town concerning?" Noah then asked and Frey opened his mouth again, perhaps to throw another tantrum, but paused as he followed Noah's gaze out the window.