Disguised Vengeance

Chapter 14

Hey guys! I realize it has been FOREVER since I last updated. Sorry about that and a big thank you to those who stuck around and waited patiently for the end of my endless procrastination :) Do share your thoughts and VOTE on this chapter! All you have to do is press the blinking ORANGE button (fine, it doesn't blink , BUT wattpad should seriously consider making the VOTE button blink for attention)!

Recap:

"Ahem."

"Oh," Catherine said. She had nearly forgotten about the man she had been talking to just moments ago. "Sir Bretson, this is..." she trailed off uncertainly, realising that the man had not offered him name.

"Tommy Lanfurt," the man with wavy black hair said, supressing a smile.

"Jase Bretson," Jase replied with a hint of amusement. Since he first laid eyes on this mysterious man, he had been trying frantically to put a name to his face. When the name finally floated into his mind, Jase smiled disbelievingly at the unexpected twist of fate.

The two men shook hands, fully aware that the other was lying about his identity.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Despite the chilly autumn breeze, Jase perspired considerably as he guided the stubborn pair of oxen down the field with a sharp pole.

"Move or I'll turn you into ox kebab," he threatened the uncooperative animals, twirling the sharp pole skilfully in one hand.

"Fine, I'm having ox tail soup for dinner," Jase huffed in defeat when they refused to budge.

Deciding on a short break, he allowed himself to admire the two strips of freshly ploughed soil before groaning internally at the vast expanse of unturned earth that remained.

The villagers were hard at work. In the distance, a miller was adjusting the sails of the village's windmill, catching the wind and using its might to grind grain into flour. Young children with glowing cheeks and agile limbs were weeding the fields. Jase spied Catherine gesturing amiably while she conversed with a peasant woman who was smiling and enjoying the company of the princess. Both women had their hair held back by a kerchief and skirts bunched up at the front in order to carry the seeds for sowing.

When the wind died down momentarily, Catherine made a face and blew strands of her brown locks out of her mouth. She appeared completely at ease with the village folk and seemed unbothered by the embarrassing "egg incident" from the day before. The royal siblings bonded well with the people, and were quickly accepted and liked.

"Different life ain't it, Sir Breadson?" A voice remarked casually from behind, emphasizing the word "bread."

The corners of Jase's lips turned up slightly as he twisted around to face the mysterious man with shoulder-length jet black hair whom he met by the river yesterday.

"Bretson," he corrected, grinning despite himself. "Very different indeed, Frankfurt. Don't you agree?"

"Lanfurt," Tommy rectified, matching Jase's grin with a smirk of his own. "Aye, I do." His voice was deep and low with a heavy country accent that matched the villagers.

"How's the beard treating you?" Jase asked with curiosity as he motioned to his own chin. When he first left Esyria two months ago, he had tried to alter his appearance by growing a small beard, but eventually decided against it after a week of discomfort and itch.

"Irritating," Tommy replied. "But, it serves its purpose as a disguise."

Nodding distractedly, Jase scanned the young man standing before him. Under the bright daylight, he noted that the man had changed remarkably from past recollections of him. The man's pale, ghostly complexion was replaced by a healthy tan; his flabby flesh exchanged for well-toned muscles that were a result from working the fields; he traded his condescending, ramrod straight posture for a slight slouch.