Kitanna
Chapter 246: THE LETTER CARRIER AT DAWN

Chapter 246: THE LETTER CARRIER AT DAWN

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION: ONLY ~ KIM MARIE]

Before the first cock crowed, an elderly man with a huge sack slung over his shoulder traversed the lonely road of the merchant village. The sender of one of the missives was a king, and there was urgency in the task he was entrusted with. He had to depart under the cloak of night until he reached the house where the letter was to be delivered.

The elderly man lowered the heavy sack from his shoulder, sinking to his knees. He sorted through the letters, reasoning that since he was already in the merchant village, he should deliver all the missives addressed there at once.

"This one, Lord Tubman, this one, Lady Harriet..." The man’s voice trailed off as he counted the letters to be distributed. Finally, he retrieved the special one with the royal seal, inspecting the expensive parchment it was encased in. The man nodded; he had been in this trade for half his life.

Even esteemed families trusted him to deliver letters to their intended recipients, and he had always sworn to maintain secrecy, never reading the contents of the letters. His work had aided numerous kingdoms in espionage, discreetly leaking information about their adversaries without detection.

The elderly man rose to his feet, murmuring "Axilla..." to himself as he approached the merchant inn. Before he could knock, however, he noticed a tall, well-dressed man with cornrowed hair, who seemed familiar with the inn.

"Pardon me, do you reside here?" the letter carrier inquired.

Venantius’s aide tore his gaze away from the inn and focused on the elderly man, whose back was slightly hunched, either from age or the weight of his burden. Giving the man a cursory once-over, Dominique ignored him, his attention returning to the inn as he sought a means to reach the young woman the supreme king had requested.

Undeterred, the letter carrier persisted, "I’m sorry if I’m intruding, but I have a missive here addressed to this inn. If you live here, could you summon a young woman named Axilla for me? There’s a letter for her."

Dominique’s ear perked up at the mention of the name he had heard frequently in recent days. The girl must really be famous around here, he thought to himself. Looking at the man, he asked, "What letter is that?"

"It’s a letter from Morado, it has a royal seal." The man replied.

Dominique raised his brow, it could be a normal letter but he didn’t want to leave any loose ends. It was better to show the supreme King the letter first. "Axilla," he mused. "Brown hair, hazel eyes. A young woman, correct?"

The old man’s eyes lit up; this matched the description of the intended recipient. He nodded eagerly, pleased that he had found the right place. "Yes, yes, please send her for me."

Dominique sighed inwardly. "You can’t see her directly," he explained, "but if you hand me the letter, I will ensure it reaches her. She’s an acquaintance of mine."

The old man took a step back, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. In all his years as a courier, he had never relinquished a letter to anyone other than its intended recipient.

"I can’t do that; I will only entrust the letter to Axilla." the man insisted firmly.

Dominique gritted his teeth. Although dawn had not yet broken fully, killing this man would be simple, but disposing of the body discreetly would be troublesome if discovered. "I will summon her for you. Why don’t you come inside, perhaps have a cup of tea? You seem weary from your journey," he suggested, noting how the man clutched the missive for Axilla protectively.

The elderly man smiled at the offer, "That’s very kind of you," he replied, heading back to retrieve his sack.

"Allow me to assist you," Dominique offered, colliding with the man and causing him to stumble, skillfully swapping the royal letter for the one he had brought. "Apologies, it’s better now," he said smoothly.

Unsuspecting, the elderly man shrugged off the incident and made his way toward the gate.

"After you, I’ll fetch something quickly," Dominique urged, watching as the man entered the inn. He glanced at the royal letter which he now held, with a small smile on his lips he exited the premises.

Upon reaching the mansion where the supreme king awaited, Dominique delivered the exchanged letter.

Venantius read through the contents of the letter and grinned. "Seems Deonisia couldn’t keep her lips sealed, but it’s of no concern; I’m always a step ahead. You’ve done well, Dominique," he praised.

Dominique bowed. "Regarding His Highness, your son... do you believe he will accept you?"

Venantius nodded confidently. "He has no choice. At the moment, he is perceived as a threat to Morado. According to this letter, they suspect he is aligned with me. I will remind him that, at the end of the day, family remains family," the supreme king declared, crumpling the letter that came from Morado.

"Let us prepare; my daughter-in-law will soon receive my invitation and will arrive shortly. I must demonstrate to her how the royal family welcomes its guests," Venantius declared with a smile, rising from his seat.

Back at the merchant inn, the letter carrier waited patiently for the man who had offered assistance, but he was nowhere to be found. As daybreak approached, the morning sun cast its warm rays overhead, prompting the elderly man to consider venturing beyond the gate to search for him. The man was about to go outside the gate and check for the man he met earlier, when someone greeted him.

"Good morning, are you searching for someone?" a polite female voice inquired.

The elderly man turned to find a young woman standing before him, offering a warm smile. "Yes, I have a letter from Morado for Axilla. Do you know her?" he asked.

Axilla beamed. "That’s me, I’m Axilla," she confirmed, pointing to herself with delight. She had written to Queen Kitanna when she arrived, she was glad they sent a reply

The man fished out the letter from where he kept it on his waist, but something about it looked different. He tilted his head to the side, confused at the parchment used to wrap the letter. But he was sure he didn’t fix any other letter to his waist except the urgent one. He checked who the letter was directed to, it was still Axilla.

"Is everything alright?" Axilla inquired, noticing the perplexed expression on the man’s face.

The man shook his head. "No, no. I believe my eyes are deceiving me," he replied, presenting the letter to the young woman.

Axilla nodded with a smile. "It happens sometimes," she replied, unfolding the letter. Her brows furrowed worriedly. It wasn’t from Morado but from Lady Jenna’s mansion. She looked at the old man, maybe he was mistaken, not wanting to make him feel bad she gave him a small smile.

However, her smile faltered as she read the contents, her brows furrowing in concern. Hastily, she retrieved her jacket from her room before departing the inn, running into Kayla on her way out.

"I’ll return shortly. Lady Jenna requires my presence urgently," Axilla informed Kayla before hastening away, leaving the merchant inn and boarding the first available local carriage as she left for the Oleka mansion.

The letter carrier twitched his lips; it must still be the same letter, he thought. It was given out with a high sense of urgency, and that was also the reaction of the receiver. Despite his confusion, he hoisted his sack onto his shoulder and departed the inn, wondering where the man he had encountered earlier had disappeared to.

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