Taking a chance

---- Verden, a small town outside Skeldergate Forest, early evening, 547 DBTR ----

Orla sat with her hands resting on the arm of her chair and beamed a warm expression to the future monarch. "I'm glad you've been enjoying yourself. This is a beautiful countryside, if I might say so, Your Highness. Not far from here is a valley where there are groves of wild apple trees. The fruit is very tasty and all the blossoms attract swarms of hummingbirds of every colour; they're really something to watch! On a clear day you can also see the breathtaking Dalen Alps. Sometimes they almost look like they're floating in the clouds. I've always meant to go see them but, of course, it's illegal to cross the border without a very good reason. And I'm a law-abiding sort of girl, when I can help it." She smiled wryly.

Nate couldn't help but smile a little at her elaborate description of the this place she clearly longed to see. Avoiding to comment on her talk about it being illegal to cross the border he replied "It really sounds as a wonderful place. Maybe I will go visit it some day. Unfortunately, I will not be able to do it since I am only going to stay here one more night and have already planned to go hunting in the forest tomorrow.". To be honest he wished he could have stayed here a couple of days longer and have seen this place she was talking about, but to avoid getting too far behind with his training and duties at home then he had to leave the day after tomorrow and he wasn't keep of the thought of letting that stag get away. Furthermore, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to go to some place that a stranger told him about in case it was an ambush.

These thoughts made him let out a small sigh and look sligthly away from her. It really bothered him to have to be this paranoid all the time. He wanted to trust her, but at the same time he had to consider the possibility that she might be an assassin hired to kill him now that it would be easier since he was so faraway form the castle.

While drinking the rest of his wine an idea slowly started forming in his head. It might be more dangerous for him to be this faraway, but it also gave him a lot more freedom. Maybe he should try taking a chance just this one time and do something he normally wouldn't have the chance to?

"You know what?" he said as he turned to look at her once more "Would you be able to show me where this valley is tomorrow? I would love to see it for myself".