Chapter 1

"Knock, knock!"

A knock on the door echoed through the modest house on the outskirts of a relatively large village, located between extensive wooden homes and the farmland that the residents worked tirelessly to maintain each day. It was unusual for someone to knock at this quiet hour, but without hesitation, the homeowner, Carlos, quickly made his way to the front door upon hearing the persistent sound.

"Knock, knock!"

Another knock resonated as Carlos opened the door to reveal an unexpected sight: a warrior clad in traditional reddish knightly armor adorned with gold-painted stripes. The warrior stood before him silently, their eyes locking in a firm gaze. After a moment, the warrior pulled a papyrus scroll from his belt and began to read aloud like a messenger:

"Are you Mr. Carlos?" he inquired.

"Yes," Carlos responded clearly. The warrior nodded and continued to read from the scroll:

"Mister Carlos, I stand before you today as an envoy of the monarchy." Carlos instinctively began to kneel, but the warrior raised a hand to signal him to stop. Carlos straightened up as the warrior carried on:

"Um... Mr. Carlos, in the name of the monarchy, as stated in this document, you are summoned to appear before the monarchy as soon as you hear these words. I will accompany you until we reach the capital."

The warrior remained still, scanning the surroundings while Carlos absorbed the gravity of the summons.

"Why have I been summoned by the monarchy, if I may ask?" Carlos queried.

"I do not know the details," the warrior replied, "but you understand that time is of the essence. The journey to the capital takes two days on the finest horses, and failing to appear before the monarchy is considered treason—you're aware of that."

"I understand," Carlos replied. "Please give me some time to prepare. I am not who I once was..."

"I will wait for you outside with the horses ready. Do not take too long."

The warrior pointed and gave the papyrus scroll to Carlos before moving away to the horses tied to the nearest tree. Carlos at the same time closed the front door looked at the scroll and tried to read it, and the details matched what the warrior was saying. Sighing, he moved around the house and tried to look for everything he needed for the journey - between the wooden chests and basic tools for the journey - peeking at flint and iron, dried meat and grain bread, everything that could fit into the journey bag and thought he would need, because he had no idea why he had been summoned. Carlos began to move his fingers, making small tools float elegantly through the air from their places into an open sack while he continued to turn around in search of other items.

Some of the items rustled with their graceful movement, echoing throughout the house.

"Honey? Are you looking for things again?" A gentle voice emerged from a nearby room, which opened curiously at the sound. Carlos didn’t pay attention to who had entered the main room at first; instead, he noticed her lush figure as she stepped into the common space, clad in patched clothes adorned with medicinal herbs that clung to her curves. Stains of old blood marked the fabric that draped over her slightly protruding belly, while her relatively small breasts contrasted with her pear-shaped body, filling the shared space of their home. Despite her substantial size—a clear indication that she was well-fed—, she moved with surprising agility, reaching out to grab some of the floating objects and placing them into the sack before taking hold of Carlos's shoulder.

"Are you needed somewhere far away again?" She handed him the items she had managed to catch. Her amber eyes sparkled with recognition as she looked at him. Her slightly pointed ears twitched nervously as she continued to speak, "You need to remember where you put all your things. All this floating you do makes loud noises that disrupt my work. Where are you needed this time?" She sighed lightly as she moved toward the kitchen, organizing supplies as if she were accustomed to Carlos leaving the house.

"Is it the Baroness's house? A wealthy philanderer who wants to secure his daughter's future? Or has that merchant finally decided what to do about his wife?" She mumbled to herself while filling the sack with food items.

"The king himself summoned me this time."

Before Carlos could continue, she interrupted him, "Of course the king... wait, what?! The monarchy summoned you?! What do they want from you, of all people?! What did you do this time?" She spoke softly yet firmly, helping Carlos to his feet and straightening him up despite her surprise.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, honey. You can look at the papyrus scroll on the table."

She quickly moved forward, grabbed the scroll, and read it word for word before looking back at Carlos. "Shit! What did you do this time to get summoned by the monarchy? It's a week's walk to their household..."

"You don’t have to worry about that. The warrior outside brought horses."

"That's better, but still, Carlos, why would they summon you? Someone with no connections to the monarchy, who hasn’t done anything shady, and is just a commoner?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out myself," Carlos replied, scanning the room and confirming that there was nothing he had forgotten. "And you very well know that I can't refuse, regardless of how much I wish I could. The scroll and the warrior said nothing about the reason for the summons. I can only hope it isn’t anything scandalous."

"To hell with all of this!"

She grumbled loudly, clearly uncomfortable with the situation they found themselves in. Worry was evident in both her eyes and body language; her ears moved nervously up and down, revealing her inability to control her emotions.

"It's just worrying me that they might take you from me, or worse. I’ve heard bad rumors from my clients about them, despite their generous demeanor and the peace they've maintained during their reign. Everything surrounding them is shrouded in mystery and rumors. We don't even know if they have any heirs!"

She looked at him and moved closer, holding his hands as she calmed down a little after organizing her thoughts.

"It's not like your regular visit to the Baroness..."

Carlos interrupted, "I know, Pumpkin; you don't have to remind me."

"But I want to remind you. I'm just worried for your safety."

After their discussion, she felt even more at ease. She took the sack from Carlos’s hand and checked its contents, counting everything she thought he might need for his journey to the capital. Carlos glanced to the side and made a small, empty glass jar float into his hands. "I almost forgot. If I find a plant that might help you during my travel, I have this jar of yours to remind me." Carlos smiled at her despite the tense situation.

She smiled back, meeting his gaze as she tried to express what was in her heart. "Thank you, honey… Can I at least ask you one thing?"

"Anything."

& quot;Promise me one thing: if you have a window of opportunity once you've finished your business with the monarch, run away. Come back to me like the wind. If you don't do this... you know what I'll do to you. I'll chase you to the end of time!" She giggles while the atmosphere between them is still a bit tense, knowing that they don't have much time for Carlos, her beloved, to stay in while the monarch, for some unknown reason, summoned him. She prefers not to delay any longer, also because of what awaits her in her room.

"I know, Mi'uleri, my love. I'll finish my business as soon as I can and come back here as fast as possible, with the jar full" Carlos moves forward and hugs her big curves, Mi'uleri hugs back before gently pushing him away from her, knowing the pressure of time:

"Move! Don’t waste any time here. Go and come back to me intact. Don’t make me wait any longer than necessary! The sooner you leave, the sooner you’ll return to me!" She slammed the door open and gently pushed him away from the house. Her eyes scanned the surroundings and locked onto the warrior waiting with the horses. Her gaze lingered on him, accompanied by a slight sneer, as Carlos advanced toward the warrior.

Seeing him approach, the warrior began to grab onto the horse and spoke.

"Did you take everything you need?"

"Yes, yes. I know how to prepare for a journey," Carlos replied. "Everything is in this sack." He made his way to the second horse, a royal-looking white steed with a saddle ready for him. He swung his leg over, settled into the saddle quickly, and grasped the reins.

"Excellent. I don’t need to explain to a commoner how to ride a horse," the warrior said, puffing himself up with feigned superiority. Carlos chose not to engage further. Instead, he replied, chuckling to ease the tension:

"Experience comes with age."

The warrior tugged at the reins, and the horse began to gallop. Carlos followed suit, riding with surprising skill. Mi'uleri watched them gallop away into the distance before closing the door of the house. All she could think about was how to alleviate the pressure of the situation she understood all too well—eating what her love had left in the kitchen.

"You have a fine wife; I envy you," the warrior replied.

"Shut up... You know nothing," Carlos shot back as the two of them galloped toward the kingdom, on a path that would change the fate of more than just his own.