The day of departure had arrived. Four carriages were being packed and readied for the journey. Maybe I was bringing too much with me, but I reminded myself it wasn’t ALL mine. Nicholas and Lara had their belongings and then the provisions for the trip were packed as well. The castle was a flurry of activity, but my father was nowhere to be found. I started to worry he’d let me leave without saying goodbye.


I was all packed, but I wasn’t ready to go. Nicholas and Lara were being as supportive as they could, but I knew leaving was hard on them as well. The carriages were loaded, and everyone was waiting. I couldn’t put it off any longer. My father finally appeared to see me off and I walked over to give him a hug. He looked like he hadn’t slept well, and I suddenly realized that this wasn’t easy for him. I was the only family he had left, and I would be 100 miles away.

“Goodbye, father.”


“It’s not goodbye, Octavia. I’ll see you soon for the wedding.”


“What if he decides he doesn’t want to marry me, or I decide not to marry him?”


He looked at me with a deep sadness in his eyes. “You know that’s not a possibility. Make the best of the situation and keep an open mind. Your mother’s and my marriage was arranged and we did just fine for thirty years.”


I tried to remember what their marriage had been like while I was growing up. I was an only child, so I didn’t have anyone to compare notes with, but I don’t remember feeling like there was anything negative between them for the most part. There were rumors that my father had mistresses, but unfortunately it was common for kings to be unfaithful to their wives. Queens were not granted the same luxury. They could be killed or kept prisoner if they took a lover. I had never confronted either of my parents about the rumors. My mother had never seemed overly unhappy, but I don’t remember there being a lot of affection between them. Respect maybe, but not affection.


“Father, did you love her? Were you faithful to her?” I didn’t really expect him to give me an honest answer. We hadn’t had the type of relationship in which private details were discussed.


He looked at me for a minute as if debating what to say. His eyes were sad when he replied. “I had deep feelings for her, but I don’t know if it was love. I respected her a great deal and was genuinely sorry to lose her. I wish I could say that I was faithful to her because I know that’s what you want to hear. The only reason I strayed was to try and produce a male heir after your mother proved to be unable to bear more children. It didn’t happen often, and as you can tell, it was unsuccessful. Who knows? Maybe I was the issue all along.”


“Thank you for your honesty, father.”


“It’s the least I can do, given what you’re about to do for me, and for Stuvaria.”


I held my head high and kissed his cheek. I turned to go and climbed into the carriage next to Nicholas and across from Lara. She had tears in her eyes. “You don’t have to do this, Lara. I will not hold it against you if you decide to stay.”


“I won’t abandon you, Miss Octavia. If you can be strong, so can I.” She raised her chin and held back her tears as the carriage moved us forward towards the next chapter in my life. Whatever happened, I was thankful for the two people traveling with me and would remember not to take their friendship and dedication for granted. Nicholas took my hand to give me strength as I fought back my own tears.


The going was slow, and we stopped only for bathroom breaks, to let the horses rest, and to eat. We slept in the carriages and the drivers took turns driving through the night. By day four, we were all cranky. We looked terrible and smelled worse. When I saw a stream flowing next to the road, I ordered a stop so that at least Lara and I could freshen up. I didn’t want to show up in Amorite looking like a bedraggled beggar. The weather was warm for April and although the water was cold, I had never felt anything so heavenly. I pulled off my gown and Nicholas kept guard while Lara and I cleaned up the best we could. There wasn’t much I could do with my hair except try not to get it wet. The humidity and wind had already made a mess of it, but if it got wet, the curls would become a rat’s nest I wouldn’t be able to tame. Lara and I took our time, enjoying the feeling of being out of the carriage, and of being clean.


“Miss Octavia, the rest of the travel party is getting restless.” Nicholas sent a warning.


“Tell the first two carriages to keep moving unless they want to take a break and clean up. There is no need for them to be held up at this point. Let the rest of the crew know they are welcome to go downstream and bathe. We won’t be much longer, but it will take me longer to get dressed.” I sighed. I didn’t know why dressing had to be such a production. Stockings and undergarments, ribbons, and jewelry. I was on a five-day carriage ride for God’s sake. Why couldn’t I just wear pants like the men? I could just imagine the shock in Amorite if I showed up in pants with my hair flowing loose. I laughed as I imagined Alexander ordering that we turn around at once.


As soon as Lara was dressed and ready, she went to the carriage to get me a clean dress. I dried off the best I could, and we began the task of making me presentable. Lara was an expert by now and I had total faith in her abilities. When we were finished, we headed back to the carriage. The look on Nicholas’s face and the nod of his head told me I looked better than I had when we started. He had cleaned up as well and I now felt we would be presentable when we arrived. We definitely smelled better.


Since our other carriages arrived before we did, I thought there might be some fanfare when we arrived. Looking and feeling the way I did from the trip I was glad to see all was quiet when the kingdom of Amorite came into view. It was a good-sized village nestled between a mountain at its back and the ocean to the front. The castle stood at the center and looked well protected. As we traveled through town, villagers watched us closely as they went about their business. I had no idea if they knew who I was or why I was there. They looked healthy and content and the buildings appeared modern and well kept, which eased some of my nerves. I would hate to rule in a kingdom where people were unhappy and unwell.


Lara looked out the window with curious eyes. She had never traveled out of Stuvaria and Amorite was quite different. Being on the sea made it a primarily fishing economy while Stuvaria was primarily farming, although we had been working on branching out into manufacturing. My father had always given me a lot of opportunity to express my opinions and ideas about the direction of our kingdom. I was concerned I wouldn’t be given the same opportunities here. I wouldn’t be happy being relegated to household concerns only. Hopefully Alexander would value my experience and opinions as my father had.


As we pulled up to the castle, I saw a group of people standing by the door in welcome. As we came to a stop, I took a deep breath and readied myself to meet my future husband and his family. I had no idea how I would be received, but I hoped at least a few people would be glad I was here. The door opened and Nicholas stepped out first and reached for my hand. I held my breath and grasped his hand harder than I meant to. He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze, Lara gave me an encouraging smile, and I stepped out, praying I didn’t trip and fall on my face.