Chapter 3 3

"Where did you get those drinks?" Cateline looked astonished. Lucinda already seemed to have had a bit to drink, and she appeared quite downcast about something.

"He wouldn't talk to me," Lucinda said, hugging the two bottles while holding back tears.

"Who, Luci?" Cateline asked, concerned.

"The eldest son of the Lord," Lucinda replied, sitting in a chair they had placed behind the tent and slumping over the makeshift table. "He just returned from a war, and I'm sure he has a lot on his mind."

"But... he was so close to me; he didn't even look at me, you know? I look so pretty, Cate, I got all dressed up," Lucinda said, turning the bottle to take a few more sips. She seemed quite upset about the encounter.

Quickly, Cateline took the drinks, realizing that her sister had reached her limit. "Look, I think you should go rest. I'll take care of things here; I'm almost done with the sales anyway."

Cateline helped Lucinda up, holding her by the arm. "I'll keep an eye on things from here. The inn is just ahead; enter through the main door and tell Mrs. Ellen that you need to go to bed. Here's your key."

Cateline watched from a distance as her sister entered the inn. After a few minutes, Mrs. Ellen came out to take Lucinda to the room in the back of the establishment.

Once she saw that her sister was safe, Cateline could relax a bit. There were only a few items left to sell: sweets, preserves, and the remaining bread. Cateline looked at the bottles of wine; they seemed good, and with each passing moment, they appeared even more delicious.

After a few seconds of hesitation, she gave in and took a few sips. At first, the taste wasn't as good as she had imagined, but after drinking a bit more, it seemed to improve. Cateline sold some jars and took another sip, sold a few more loaves of bread, and drank again. Before she knew it, she had finished an entire bottle, and her body was warming up to the point where she wondered whether she should take off her cloak.

Cateline decided to go to the cart, which was in a stable near the inn. She walked slowly to avoid stumbling, looking inside the cart and finding that there were no more goods. She breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the tent. She heard the sound of branches breaking from some of the bushes in the forest, but it was very dark, and the noise had been faint. Cate decided to ignore it, thinking it might just be a cat or some local animal. She went to her tent and started packing up her things.

It was still a bit early, but after drinking, her body felt drowsy. Cateline grabbed the second bottle and decided to have just a little more; it seemed like a waste to leave that bottle aside. Drinking the wine after packing everything, she walked to the inn. There were still many people celebrating in the streets, so it was quite noisy. She decided to go straight to her room.

Her body warmed up even more after finishing the second bottle. Cateline could no longer stand the old cloak covering her entire body; it was suffocating her. She looked around, and all that was behind the inn was the forest; there was no one nearby. She decided to take off the cloak, and it was a relief. Finally, Cate could feel the breeze against her body, refreshing her.

Just as she stopped and took off the cloak, she heard the noise again from among the trees and bushes.

Not understanding, she approached slowly, walking carefully as it was very dark and the alcohol was not helping her vision. Cateline saw something resembling a silhouette, someone very tall. She strained her eyes, but in the midst of the darkness, she couldn't make out any details.

"Hello?" Cateline asked softly, as if she didn't really want to be answered. However, the huge silhouette approached, emerging from the darkness. It was a strong and very tall man with slightly long, messy hair that reached his shoulders. His skin was fair, and although Cateline couldn't see well, she was sure that this man wasn't from around here. She noticed his clothing and the characteristics that seemed foreign. He looked a bit dirty and appeared injured. Perhaps he had fallen from a horse or something?

Cateline had never seen anyone like him. He must have been a foreigner who had come for the festival, as many allies were gathering to celebrate. He stood still, staring intensely at her without even blinking.

Cateline felt a little embarrassed, trying to cover her breasts with her hands and the exposed parts of her body with the cloak. The man approached slowly, seemingly limping.

Cateline could now see more clearly. He was injured, with cuts on his body and some broken ropes that had been tied around him. Her embarrassment disappeared instantly when she saw the man's injuries. She staggered toward him, and he remained silent, just looking at her fixedly.

Cateline struggled to stay upright and held onto the man, who was much larger than she was, even though she was a tall woman. She grabbed his shirt and used the cloak to cover him. The cuts looked painful, and Cateline wanted to help.

"Are you okay?" she asked with a shaky voice but a concerned tone. Cateline didn't understand why, but looking at the man, she felt drawn to him in some way, as if they had known each other for a long time, and an inexplicable sensation washed over her.

Despite his injuries, he seemed fine, at least that's what he conveyed to the young woman without saying a word.

"What's your name?" the man asked, his voice strong and unwavering.

"I-I'm Cateline... and yours?" Cateline replied slowly, her body not responding as well to her mind due to the alcohol.

Their bodies were very close, and Cateline, realizing this, timidly moved away slightly.

"I'm Felix."

After stating his name, he remained silent, just observing Cateline, who once again felt embarrassed when he focused on her breasts. Somehow, she could sense something coming from him, as if he were attracting her. Her body was getting hotter with each passing moment.

Cateline remembered that she had left the bottle on the ground when she went to take the cloak to Felix and went to drink a little more. She didn't know how to react to this situation. As she was about to take a sip, she was surprised by the man, who had quickly come to her side without her noticing. He had been standing right behind her, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.