The Heroine's Best Friend

Chapter 6 Part 4: A Lady's War

Luckily Maria was right where Sir Grey said she would be. The gardens had gotten incredibly congested as large groups lingered to talk about the events. I noticed laughter and crying, indifference, and villainous staring. I hadn't run into Lady Veronica yet, which was a small blessing. Maria and I made eye contact and she quickly walked over to me. She grabbed my arm tightly. 

"We need to go," she hissed quietly. 

"Huh? Why?" she started dragging me along. "Are you hurt?" 

"No. No. It's just - it's better if we leave." I noticed she seemed pretty shaken up. Considering what I went through, I can't argue any. Maybe as the heroine, she had a worse experience. 

"Ok, I trust you. I wasn't particularly having that great of a time myself." She nodded half hearing while we crossed the grounds at a rapid pace aiming for the area the carriages would make their pick-ups. As we walked briskly, someone snuck into my blind spot and matched pace with us. 

"You're walking fast," a soft voice commented. Recognizing the voice, but turning back to confirm my suspicions, I see Simon a step behind. 

"Ah Simon - Maria slow down just a tad - how are you? We are just on our way out," I said over my shoulder. 

"It's early," he commented. 

"True. But it was very tiring." 

"Oh no!" Maria suddenly stops. 

"What?" I ask.

"This way." She yanks me to the side and starts walking in a different direction. Simon is following like a confused puppy. 

"Seriously Maria, what is it?"

...

She was focused on a new direction, which for some reason was making me a little nervous. If we are leaving, but have no abandoned the carriages, then the only other way out would be to teleport. Rounding the corner we almost slam into someone. 

"Oh my! I'm sorry," I hastily apologize. A kid, maybe around 12 or 13 folds his arms and stares us down. 

"You!" he says pointing at Maria. "Why are you avoiding me?" 

"I - I- I'm not avoiding you," she says with fear in her voice. I step in front of Maria to offer what little protection I can. 

"Look, kid. My friend isn't feeling well, and we are in a hurry to get home so she can rest." 

"Kid?!" he practically spits out the word, his amber eyes not hiding his arrogance. 

"Yes, kid," I emphasize the word knowing it would piss him off. In reality, I should be more mindful of not pissing off some brat kid of a powerful Duke or something. But I really don't care. Maria has heroine power. If things got nasty with this kid, one of the capture targets would swoop down and save her. Having Simon in tow was insurance. Granted he has been pretty soft-spoken the whole time I've known him, but perhaps the heroine in danger will awaken his main character powers. I see the kid literally take a big breath in ready to launch into whatever temper tantrum he was about to have. I decide to cut him off before this happens. 

"Pardon our rudeness, I'll buy you a cookie or something if we ever meet again. Later!" I grab Maria's hand and start running in the direction she was initially steering me towards. We run through the meandering crowds not caring how inappropriate it looked. 

"Left," Maria calls out and we turn. Off to the side, I happen to make eye contact with Prince Claude, who is surrounded by a few other gentlemen. He gives me a big smile and waves from afar. 

"What a cheeky bastard," I say under my breath. 

"What?" Maria asks. 

"I'll tell you when we get back. Are we close?" I say slowing down now that there are fewer people around. 

"Uh.... I think so." 

"Are you teleporting?" I look back and Simon apparently had decided to keep up with us. Aw, such a good puppy. 

"Yes, do you know where it is? We arrived by carriage so we didn't see the teleporter." I ask him. 

He nods and takes the lead. Maria and I follow in silence. What is going on? I look at her pale face. After a moment we arrive at the teleportation circle. I stare at it with an obvious frown on my face. Today is not a good day. Not only did I get beaten up, but I also grab the worst handkerchief I could, and now I am destined to end the day with my stomach in knots. 

"It makes you sick, right?" Simon asks me with puppy dog eyes. 

"Yeah," I tried to act nonchalant about it. "It's ok. Maria needs to get back, so I can endure it." 

"Here." He reaches into his pocket and hands me a vial with a dark green liquid in it. I hesitate about taking it. "It's for teleportation sickness. You need it." 

"Oh!" I said as I take it from him. Come to think of it, last time I was so sick I drank the vial without so much as glancing at it. "Thank you, Simon, that's really kind of you. But won't you need it?" 

"Me?" 

"Yeah. If I take it, then what about yourself?" 

"I don't get sick." 

"Ah," I say like I totally understand what he's saying. Why would he be randomly carrying this around if he didn't need it? But I don't feel like prying the information out of him and want to get Maria back so I leave it for now. "Maria, you good to go?" I ask to make sure. 

"Yeah. Thanks, Simon." 

We step into the circle and tense up in anticipation of what is to come. 

The second time teleporting, while uncomfortable, wasn't nearly as gut-wrenching. I still don't feel that great after we arrive and quickly down the vial to settle my stomach. Maria supports me as we walk slowly back to our room. Though we both arrived looking like ghosts, by the time we got back the color had returned to both of our faces. 

"So....." I say as I fall into the sofa. "Spit it out. Because I deserve a damn good explanation as to why I had to use that blasted teleporter." 

"I know. I'm sorry. But -" she sighs. "It was the secret character."

"Oh?" I sit up a little straighter. She had told me about the existence of the secret character but never told me any details since she didn't like him. "Well, you have to tell me about him! Even if you don't like him." 

"I know......"