KING IN THE NORTH
chapter 20 better

A bodyguard actually came to accompany Olive for a walk today. He's a young man, maybe he's only a few years ahead of Olive.

"Come, My Lady," the bodyguard allowed Olive to walk first.

"Where are we going?"

"I've prepared the train if you want to see the lake or just walk around the palace garden."

"You said there was a lake?"

The guard nodded.

"I'll get the train ready soon."

"Is there a horse? "

"Of course we have enough of the best horses."

"I want to ride."

At first the guard was a bit doubtful.

"Don't worry I used to ride."

"All right."

The bodyguard returned with two horses, one for Olive and one for herself.

"Good Horse," Olive really admired his horse.

"Hyra's name, she's my own quiet horse who raised her from childhood."

"You're babysitting horses? "

The bodyguard smiled and nodded, "In the generations my family has been the caretaker of the palace horses."

It was really surprising for Olive.

"What's your name? " all of a sudden Olive asked.

" My name is Edmun, My Lady."

"Don't call me that, just call me Olive."

"I don't dare, My Lady."

I don't know if Olive always felt uncomfortable with the new nickname, even though she knew all that was just to honor Prince Artur, I don't know she still felt unworthy considering she was a nobody.

"Only between the two of us, "Olive smiled, all that was not without reason, Olive knew Edmun was a good young man.

"Come, My Lady."

"Olive ... remember my name, Olive," Olive was already sitting on her horse.

"Alright Lady Olive." the young man smiled, though he knew this was wrong but Olive was a difficult girl to resist.

"You're gonna catch up."

Edmun's black horse ran first, and before long Olive had already caught up next to him. They crossed the grassland towards the North still inside the castle fortress area of course.

The wind that was blowing strong enough to make Olive's dark hair that slid from the ties so slightly scattered fluttering across her face.

"It's not far we can begin to see it."

Yes, of course Olive was amazed, there is a beautiful castle flanked by two lakes. There is a curved bridge connecting the two lakes, various types of colorful flowers arranged neatly on the right left of the road to the castle. The castle seems to be in contrast to the complex of the palace which as a whole is always shrouded in dark fog.

Olive had thought maybe red roses in her room at that time also came from this place, and not wrong again because there are many different types of roses in that place. Maze roses look beautifully curved shade the streets winding on the edge of the lake.

"Is anyone staying? "

"This castle used to belong to Lady Claire, although it is not occupied by the castle is still in good care, we can also see it."

"Can we go in? "

Olive is really interested in what kind of residence Lady Clare who is famous for her beauty.

Each time Edmun invited Olive to walk first after the guards standing at the door opened the gate for them.

Although not as big as the other palaces in the complex, but this castle is very beautiful.

"This castle is a gift from Prince Artur to Lady Claire" Edmun said.

Olive really admires everything in the castle, can join Olive feel how much Love prince Artur on his lover.

"What is Lady Claire? "

A large canvas painting hung in the middle of a spacious room with a high roof shaped pointed dome full of elaborate ornaments but a pen with beautiful details. This may be one of the special rooms to welcome guests.

"She's so incredibly beautiful."

"Everyone admires him" added Edmun, who was standing next to Olive.

"You also have beautiful eyes" added Edmun, perhaps unintentionally when he was still glued to a pair of blue Olive Netra that was as blue as the clear sky during the day, that is how her beauty can be described.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to be presumptuous."

Honestly Olive was not angry because of that, Olive was only confused to find the truth in Edmun's words just now. Admittedly or not the girl in the painting does look like her, maybe if not for the darker-haired Olive.

"Is he buried here too? "

Edmun shook his head, "King Alzov never allowed it."

It sounds cruel to Olive to imagine the fate of Lady Claire who even when she was lifeless still had to be driven from the palace. As much as what King Alzov really hated him, it made sense that Prince Artur would eventually choose to live in the South.

After taking Olive around part of the castle, Edmun invited her to walk around the lake.

They began to talk a lot and managed to expel awkwardness, although Olive still had time to remind Edmun several times to call him, Olive alone.

After that day almost every afternoon Edmun accompanied Olive around, sometimes just walking around the palace or riding to the edge of the lake as they often do lately.

Edmun was a good young man and slowly made Olive feel comfortable, other than because their age was not far adrift it seemed like the background of Edmunlah that made Olive feel more comfortable hanging out with him, he said, being with Edmun made Olive feel a little bit normal.

"Tell me about your family."

"I'm sorry nothing seems interesting," Edmun simply smiled and shook his head quickly.

"I just want to listen" Olive said.

"Nothing is great, I was born in this place and as far as I know my family is hereditary is just a horse-sitter. I got a chance as a bodyguard two years ago when I was nineteen."

"That's good," Olive never told him if he also nearly spent his entire life in the stables. But for this time Olive really misses the place, her home and her family.

"I heard you're from the South?"

Suddenly Edmun asked.

Olive let out a long sigh before answering "yes, I miss my family."

Olive finds Edmun watching her, and the young man is more than a friend to Olive. Maybe because he was his only interlocutor all this time, they were more like best friends. Olive was very lucky to find a friend as good as Edmun in a place like this.

"I never knew why Prince Artur left me here."

"I think because he loves you."

"Actually he doesn't need to do this, I can go back to my family."

Edmun was confused.

"Prince Artur will come to pick you up."

"Where do you know that? "

"I heard it myself."

" Prince Artur will marry Princess Aurora."

"Who is Princess Aurora, doesn't she love you? "

"No, Prince Artur loves Princess Aurora very much."

Edmun was surprised.

"Why can you be here? "

"It's a long story, but I think Princess Aurora asked Prince Artur to take care of me."

"Did King Alzov know that?"

"I don't know, honestly I never wanted to stay in this place, I wanted to go home, if that's possible. "sorry Olive felt helpless.

"Listen Olive better not let King Alzov know about Princess Aurora."

"Why do you think that?" Olive was confused.

"I'm serious Olive, it's all for your own good."

Olive just realized maybe Edmun was right, not all this time King Azlov was good to her because he thought he was the lover of his brother.

"Oh, you're right."

*****