It was very sensitive indeed. They were only expecting him and Sleuth after all. Considering their positions, any additional person was an additional risk.
"I have known him since I was a kid—he’d probably fall in a ditch first before he could snick. We can trust him."
"..." Kahonn gave him a look, but did not speak. The others though, were still not convinced.
"People change, Kalfene," Otto said, looking guardedly at the other toolmaker. "Especially under such a ruler."
"We all know what kind of horrible person that trash is," he said this with such sharpness that Kahonn thought he was talking about him.
Kahonn raised both hands. "I-I’m not trash! I can make oaths later!" he practically squealed. "I... I’m tired of making Token Guards! I want a vacation!!"
Otto’s eyebrows rose. "...you’re not making token guards?"
"!!!" "I...can! I can if I’m asked!!"
There was a tense silence and Kalfene looked at them in alteration as he thought of how to calm the situation down.
In retrospect, the reason for Kahonn coming with them was really shallow—really by chance—and Kalfene felt guilty. If he hadn’t pulled him into the wedding and just asked him to leave before it started, he wouldn’t have been dragged into this.
It was just that he thought Kahonn also wanted out, and he wanted to give him the opportunity. "I’ll vouch for him, I’ll take responsibility," he said. "Let him come with us."
There was a pause in the carriage until finally the hostility was pulled back. "Fine..."
Anyway, all the commotion made a lot of movements inside the carriage, and a few people’s feet ended up on the person lying on the ground. Obi’s was even on the man’s face.
Press, Knead, Step
There was another bump on the road that shook the man awake. He groaned in pain, slowly opening his eyes to see the strangers (and some familiar faces) literally above him.
He blinked, and his eyes widened when he remembered the events that led to this.
He had been kidnapped!!
He squealed to the top of his lungs. "WHO ARE YOU!? WHERE AM I?! WHERE ARE YOU TALKING MEEEE?!?!?!?!"
Otto and the others looked at each other awkwardly.
"So...what are we going to do with him?"
...
On the other side of the carriage, ignoring the commotion on this side, was the women’s reunion.
Margaery was sobbing in Olga’s arms. It was awkward at first, but all Olga had to do was hold the other woman’s hand, welcoming her to the family.
Unexpectedly, she burst into tears instead. "Mother... she... I don’t understand..."
Olga’s heart fell, thinking something really happened to auntie. When they saw that she wasn’t there, she did worry, but because no one mentioned anything, he just assumed she wasn’t able to leave Hassen or something, which was a totally valid possibility.
However, it looked like she was in Bleulle after all, which begged the question of why she wasn’t here in the carriage with them.
This surprised the Golds. Octavia? Why would she do that for her?
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