Her Graceful War Song (Carissa Sinclair)

The carriage jolted over the uneven road, and the hurried pace only made the ride more grueling for Kayla. After just half an hour, Carissa noticed Kayla's face had gone pale, her hand clutching her chest as if she were about to be sick. Carissa asked, "Are you feeling nauseous from the carriage ride? Should I have the driver slow down?"

"No, don't slow down," Kayla waved her hand dismissively. "We need to go as fast as possible. I wish this horse had wings to fly us to Westglade. Don't mind how frail I look, Your Grace I can endure hardship."

"Alright, then." Carissa reached into her bag and pulled out the dried fruits Lulu had packed. Finding some ginger candies, she said, "Suck on this candy. It'll help you feel better."

"Thank you!" Kayla popped a piece into her mouth. The sweet and spicy taste spread in her mouth, somewhat alleviating her nausea.

-

Meanwhile, Rafael had arranged for the carriage to be modified in Simonton City. It was now spacious enough for Lawrence to lie down comfortably. Soft padding was added to ease the pain from the bumps. The military physician sat in the carriage with him, fanning away the heat and monitoring his condition.

Oliver had provided the best horses for everyone else.

Having stayed out of sight for a while, Oliver finally came out to see them off. He avoided eye contact with Thomas, and Thomas did the same. There was almost no exchange of glances between them.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

As Thomas was about to mount his horse, however, Oliver suddenly called out, "Thomas!"

Thomas turned around. "Do you need something, Marshal Prince?"

Oliver looked at Thomas' tanned, clean-shaven face, noting the absence of his former charm. He felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.

"I'm glad you're still alive."

Thomas grinned. "Thank you, Marshal Prince. Farewell."

Despite his injuries, Oliver watched Thomas swing himself onto the horse with practiced ease. The man sat upright with the poise of a soldier. Of all Oliver's brothers-in-law, Thomas was the one Oliver admired most. It was a shame that fate had severed their connection so soon.

Louis and Timothy were escorting them all the way to Westglade. Since there was no ongoing war, their extended absence was not an issue, and Oliver didn't make things difficult for them.

Considering the relatives had not

seen each other for years and once thought they would never meet again, it was only natural to want to spend as much time together as possible upon reuniting.

That was a common human sentiment.

"Farewell, Your Highness!" Oliver said, but Rafael didn't even turn his head. He simply waved his hand, and spurred his horse forward.

Everett wouldn't stay in Westglade, but would return directly to Meadow Ridge. However, the route he traveled for now was the same as Rafael and his group.

Given Lawrence's injuries, their pace was slow. Everett and Rafael rode side by side.

"It would be good if there was no war in the Southern Frontier in the future. But if there is one, it will surely be a disaster under Oliver's command," Everett remarked. Everett had a sharp eye for people, and could read them with uncanny accuracy. He had only met Oliver a handful of times, but it was enough to see through him. Whether someone was weak, strong, cowardly, or confident-Everett could tell at a glance.

Oliver didn't have the true confidence of a marshal. His confidence was merely an act, and it was obvious. Beneath his bravado, he was all bark and no bite.

Rafael said, "I know what kind of

man Oliver is he loves glory and attention. He's good at keeping up appearances, so he didn't offend people in the capital. But when it comes to taking the spotlight, he'll jump at the chance. In the military, he hasn't made any big mistakes or significant contributions, was his commanding officer who earned the real achievements. He just followed along and picked up some merit along the way."

"He only got noticed because he stole the spotlight. Why else would the king have picked him? Besides, he's easy to control. He's not skilled enough to act recklessly. If he had real talent, he would do more and make more mistakes. That is something even idiots understand," Everett said.

Rafael glanced at Everett, and smiled. He couldn't help but admit that his master's sharp tongue could sometimes be brutal.

If Rafael pushed his horse to its limits, the group could have reached Westglade in a day. But at their current pace, it would take between three to five days to arrive.

Conveniently, it would also take four or five days for a fast rider to travel from the capital to Westglade.

The timing matched perfectly.