Day 1: The Journey Begins

                                    

                                          
I looked to to see if the coast was clear before coming out into the open and dragging the small wagon along. I smiled breezily as I walked out into the open, trying as much as I could not to draw any attention to myself which would have been easy if it wasn't for the whining fae behind me. 
                          
"Oww!"
                          
"Shhh!"
                          
"Oww!"
                          
"Cut it out, Ira. Wagons don't talk."
                          
"But you're jostling me all over and I thought you said I was pretending to be the food in the wagon." Ira said from under the blanket. 
                          
"Well food doesn't exactly talk, does it?"
                          
"No, I guess not. But there was this chicken I had to take care of once and I had to gutt it afterwards, and I when I did it just kept looking at me with its cold, lifless eyes and I can almost promise you that I was squaking my name before it died. Ira.... Ira...
                          
"Ira!"
                          
"Yeah?"
                          
"Shhh!"
                          
I heard her huff but she didn't say anything else, which I was greatful for since I had gotten to the travelling party. There were a lot of soldiers there already, which I didn't count on, given that it was so early. 
                          
"Okay, Ira. No talking we are here."
                          
I dragged the wagon over to the other ones and I could hear Ira's whimpering as it bumped on the rocky ground. I looked around. Almost there. 
                          
I stopped the wagon at a spot farthest away from the soldiers, thinking we were home free, but when I spun around, I saw Dilan walking towards me with a suspicious look on his face. I tried to act natural and ended up inspecting a door handle.
                          
"What are you doing?" He asked. 
                          
"You know, inspecting" I said studying the door handle desperately. 
                          
"The handle?" He asked skeptically. 
                          
"Yup." I wiggled the handle it a little. "Tip top shape."
                          
Cringe. 
                          
"Well, you better be going. You have royal duty and all."
                          
He studied me for a while before sighing. "We leave in an hour." He said and was about to go when
                          
"Hacheww!" An elephant like sneeze came from the brown wagon I had been lugging around. 
                          
I covered my mouth. "Excuse me." I said nervously. He narrowed his eyes at me, moving closer. Heart thumping furiously in my chest, I froze as he moved in closer, then at the last minute, he side stepped me and pulled the blanket off the wagon. 
                          
"Seriously?"
                          
"Taadaa!"
                          
Ira smiled cheekily and got out of the wagon. 
                          
"Care to explain?"
                          
"I was hoping that Ira could come with us."
                          
"Hidden in a wagon and without telling me."
                          
"Um-"
                          
"And you we're planning telling me when we we're to far from the castle to turn back."
                          
"Not exactly-"
                          
"What are you talking about, Aria? That was our plan exactly."
                          
I elbowed her and smiled nervously at the prince. 
                          
"Sooo, can she come?"
                          
"Can who come?" Devan came into view. 
                          
"Can Ira come with us?" I asked, sweetly.