Serene’s POV

The carriage suddenly came to a halt amidst my screams. "Please!!! relax...it was just a dream. You are safe, I am here." Kilamin was holding me close trying to calm me down. His face contorted in anguish.

Ralph opened the carriage door and was looking at me concerned. He picked up a water bottle and handed it to Kilamin. My heart was hammering inside my rib cage as I clutched my throat. It all felt so real and yet it wasn’t. Kilamin offered me water and I took a few sips, my heartbeat gradually slowing down.

"Serene, are you ok?" Ralph was peeking at me with concern. "Yes.... it was just a...nightmare," I offered him a weak smile. "We are about to reach home, you will be able to relax once we get there." He patted my head and closed the door, going back to the driver’s seat and starting the carriage again.

I was still clutching my throat with my left hand. "Did it choke you?" Kilamin asked not letting me go, his eyes fixed on my hand clutching my throat.

"Hmm...y...es," I answered slowly I felt drained. His arm was wrapped around my waist very lightly, almost respectfully as he placed his other hand on my head. I knew he wanted to console me but he didn’t want to overstep his boundaries. He was always careful about these matters. So, I just placed my head on his shoulder, clutching his arm and not saying anything. His closeness offered a soothing effect, something different from everyone, something like an elder brother.

He let me be and didn’t question me further. The outskirts of a town came into view. There were wood and mud houses strewn all over with cattle outside almost all of them. We passed by a small market with shops and stalls selling eatables and other necessities. The landscape hadn’t changed much.

Soon, we came to a halt in front of a small wooden house which had been painted brick red, on one side there was a horse stable and a pen. Ralph jumped down and opened my door, offering me his hand. I let go of Kilamin’s arm and took his hand and placed my foot on the carriage step and jumped down. Two young boys had come dashing out of the house. They were redheads like Ralph indicating that they were his brothers.

Both of them were looking at me curiously so I offered them a smile. "Hey, you two don’t stand there. Come here and pay your respects." Ralph laughed at their expressions, ushering them forward. "Hey, I...am Rian, nice...to meet you, Princess Serene." The older one offered me his hand, his cheeks blushing a crimson red like his hair, there was an uncanny resemblance to Ralph.

"Heya, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Rian." I shook his hand with a broad smile and he blushed even more. The younger was rooted to his spot, looking at his shoes, too shy to even glance at me. So, I went up to him and bent placing my hands on my knees and tried to look at his face. "Hey, and what’s your name?"

"Rumias," he whispered still not looking at me. "Well, it’s nice to meet you Rumias." I patted his head and he lowered his head even more. "Ralph, if they didn’t resemble you I would never have guessed they were your brothers. Unlike you, they are so shy. Seems like they are Zeph’s brothers." I chuckled a bit.

Ralph laughed out loud at my words. "Yes, they are shy like him, wait till you meet his brother. He is more like me in terms of talking. Unlike Zeph, he can talk all day."

"Does Zeph know I am here?" I asked Ralph curiously. "No, but his mom does. I arranged your stay at his house so I had to confide in his mom."

"Where does he live?"

"Over there," Ralph pointed at a house to his right about 200 meters from his house. It was larger than Ralph’s house and was made up of mud with sky blue paint. "He lives so nearby?" My eyes flew wide open and Ralph laughed again at my expressions. "Yes, I told you we are childhood friends. We have always lived together. Our fathers were best friends too before us."

"I see, that’s so heartwarming to hear." I smiled.

"You want to come in or we can go straight to his house and come back here later. He won’t be home though, his mom sent him on errands, so you can settle peacefully in." Ralph beamed at me. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Is your father home?" I would meet him before heading to Zeph’s house. "No, he is at work. Let’s go to Zeph’s house and I will bring you around later to meet him." I nodded.

"Hey, Rian bring the carriage to Z’s place." Rian nodded and climbed on the carriage with Rumias following in pursuit while the three of us walked.

My heart hammered in my chest as I got closer to his house. There was a tiny vegetable patch outside his house, with few vegetables growing inside it, barricaded by a blue fence. A gigantic tree grew near it which shadowed his house with a swing attached to one of its sturdy branches. A horse stable to the right of his house just like Ralph had. There was another store-like room but its door was closed. A vine was creeping up his two-storey house covering the west wall completely. The upper part had a small balcony with a wind chime hanging from it. It was a proper home, Zeph’s home. It made me feel so warm inside just looking at his beautiful house.

Ralph went up and knocked on the beautiful wooden door which was painted pastel blue and had an old rusty feeling to it. A beautiful woman with raven black hair and a heartwarming smile opened the door and almost gasped as her eyes fell on me.

"Sereneee, I am so glad you are here." She stepped forward and embraced me warmly. Everything about her screamed ’MOM’ as I hugged her back a bit nostalgic, thinking back to my own.

"Heya, ma’am, it’s good to be here," I replied as she finally let me go and invited us in. Kilamin offered his respect and she beamed at him too.

It was a sitting area but it was all covered with dari carpets of gaudy shades. Cushions of numerous sizes and shapes adorned it. There was no chair or table in sight. A shoe rack had been placed at a side so we took off our shoes and placed them on it before proceeding forward.

"Are you comfortable with sitting on the floor? Or I can arrange some chairs." She appeared embarrassed. "Oh no no ma’am it’s totally fine," I reassured her.

Just then I heard the neighing of a horse outside and heard Zeph’s voice as he called out: "Mom, I am home." My Zeph was home.