Shadow Oath

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Chapter 33: Charlon

"Captain Astian didn’t come along, I see. I thought he’d accompany us all the way to Elum."

Charlon leaned her head out of the carriage window as she spoke.

Rusef, who was escorting the carriage on horseback, explained,

"Captain Astian stayed with the main force. Not all of our Born troops are heading to the village of Elum, so someone needs to manage the remaining forces. Since I can’t stay behind, Captain Astian volunteered to take on the task."

Charlon nodded indifferently.

He always seemed to come and go, after all.

During the long journey to the northern region, he would be present one moment and gone the next.

Every morning, he’d come by to greet her, asking if everything was fine to the point it became tiresome.

Then, suddenly, he’d disappear for days.

When she’d consider looking for him, she’d inevitably spot him chatting cheerfully with Born soldiers.

Sometimes he’d be absent for just a day, yet greet her as if they hadn’t seen each other in years.

"What a strange man. We’ve talked so much, yet I can’t figure him out. Well, he’s probably up to something somewhere, as always."

It wasn’t as if Charlon could interrogate someone like him—someone clearly sent as a spy by the Kingdom of Triton and assigned to monitor Rusef.

"Why are you looking for that spy, my lady?"

Odel, who sat beside Charlon, asked.

"Why would you call him a spy?"

Charlon laughed as she replied.

Odel retorted in a rush,

"If he’s not a spy, why does he flit around our knights and soldiers so much? That man asks endless questions about everyone. Even me! He even pried about the tiniest details concerning you. I was worried you might fall for his handsome face, so I didn’t bring any handmaidens on this expedition."

Of course, the decision not to bring other handmaidens had been made by Rusef, not Odel. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

And it wasn’t because of Astian but out of concern the journey might be delayed.

Ironically, the delays were caused by none other than Odel herself.

Odel was Charlon’s nanny.

Though over sixty and physically frail, she refused to leave Charlon’s side.

By Charlon’s calculations, their journey from Born to the northern regions had been delayed by at least four days because of Odel.

Even now, it was because of Odel that they were traveling in a carriage, which slowed the entire army’s march.

"Surely, my lady hasn’t fallen for that spy’s looks, has she?"

"What? Of course not!"

"My lady, you’re a grown woman now, and a beautiful one at that. If you don’t conduct yourself properly, men will swarm around you."

"Odel, I’m only sixteen."

"In the past, you’d have had two children by now."

Charlon couldn’t help but laugh at Odel’s comment.

‘I guess I always want to say the opposite of what adults tell me.’

When Rusef tried to treat her as a child, she’d insist she was an adult.

When Odel called her an adult, she’d argue she was still a child.

Odel had been by Charlon’s side for as long as she could remember.

She had spent more time with Odel than even her own mother.

Although Odel’s nagging could be tiresome, Charlon had to admit that her words were often right.

Yet, it didn’t make the nagging any easier to endure, especially so far from home.

"My lady, I dare say you’ve acquired more knowledge than anyone else here. You’ve read every book in Langborn and been taught by the finest tutors. Do not think of yourself as a child. One who possesses knowledge is an adult."

Charlon gazed absently at the barren northern plains beyond the carriage window and replied half-heartedly,

"But I haven’t experienced much yet. They say knowledge without experience is like a roof without pillars."

"That’s something men say. Women don’t need experience. Men are foolish and can only learn by doing, but women make knowledge their own the moment it enters their minds."

As Odel spoke, she fussed over Charlon’s hair, face, and clothing.

Charlon didn’t want to bring Odel to the Geron village of Elum.

But Rusef had stubbornly insisted that if Odel wasn’t brought along, he would refuse to accompany Prince Damion.

Reluctantly, Charlon had agreed to the condition, which meant she couldn’t enter Elum proudly on horseback in armor as she had wanted.

"You will be the queen of the North, my lady. Be confident."

Odel’s voice was firm.

"To appear confident, I’d need to ride beside the prince, not in this carriage. There’s no way the northern warriors would accept a woman who arrived like this as their queen. I want to show these northern women that southern women can be strong too."

Even after marriage, Charlon worried Odel would insist on following her to the North.

It wasn’t just her age—over sixty—that concerned Charlon.

It was the thought of having someone constantly monitoring her every move.

Thud!

The carriage jolted as it became stuck in the muddy road again.

Five soldiers groaned as they pushed against the wheels to free them.

"My apologies, my lady. It may be a bit rough for a moment,"

A knight of Born approached to apologize.

"It’s alright. Would it help if I got out? With one less person, the carriage might be easier to lift."

Odel erupted,

"Absolutely not! Do you mean to ruin the silk gown the prince gave you? You mustn’t set foot on such filthy ground!"

"I could ride a horse instead and keep my feet clean."

"Out of the question! If you ride in that gown, your calves will be exposed. Do you intend to show these barbarians your legs?"

"If only I’d worn my armor. This white silk would have complemented it perfectly."

Charlon sighed, fingering the silk draped over her shoulders like a shawl.

"Alright, I’ll stay put. Just don’t shout anymore."

The Born knight smiled and reassured her,

"Don’t worry, my lady. It’ll be over soon."

Just as he said, the carriage lurched forward again after a moment of effort.

Nearby, General Terdin’s voice carried over,

"By late autumn, this road will be frozen solid, making travel easier."

"So the enemy must rely on roads like this to resupply and move their forces when fighting our army. Is that why the war began in summer?"

Prince Damion’s voice joined in.

"That wasn’t calculated. I simply acted when I was ordered to. The timing wasn’t my decision."

"Of course, Father likely didn’t plan it that way either."

Charlon eavesdropped on their conversation, sensing the tension between the two men.

Damion seemed to be speaking louder to prevent that tension from reaching her, but Charlon didn’t feel tense at all.

She wanted to leave the carriage.

She wanted to ride beside Damion, join the conversation, and talk more with the great veteran general who had brought down Born.

"You look like you want to join the men’s conversation,"

Odel remarked, her face hardening at the word "men."

"Isn’t it natural to want to have meaningful conversations when you’ve acquired knowledge?"

Charlon realized too late that she had started a debate she wouldn’t win.

She already knew what Odel’s response would be.

"A woman doesn’t join men’s conversations. The less a woman speaks, the more her wisdom shines. Save your words like precious jewels."

Odel looked pleased with herself, as if she’d said something profound.

‘Jewels that never see the light don’t shine either.’

Charlon didn’t reply.

There was no point in arguing with Odel—she’d never win, nor would Odel let her.

"I have no intention of joining their conversation, Odel. I’m just bored, that’s all."

Charlon kept her gaze fixed outside.

She wanted to lean out the window for a better view, but she knew it would only invite another lecture about safety and propriety.

Instead, she leaned back, feigning disinterest.

At the very front of the procession was Jedrick.

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Twelve royal guards bearing the flag of the Triton Kingdom followed, and behind them came the carriages of Terdin, Damion, and Charlon.

Close behind, ten knights of the Born Order led by Rusef trailed.

A cavalry of thirty riders followed next, and at a slight distance behind, a hundred infantry soldiers marched.

“To venture into the village of savages with such a small force... I wonder if the ‘general Triterne’ has lost his mind,”

muttered Odel.

Charlon had corrected her several times, saying the name was Terdin, not Triterne, but Odel stubbornly clung to her mispronunciation.

“This isn’t all, yesterday, a hundred troops went ahead to occupy the village of Elum and set up a camp nearby.”

Charlon spotted a hill rising sharply along the horizon.

Houses were embedded into the hill as if they were part of the rocks.

It was the village of the Elum tribe, and below the hill, dozens of tents were being erected.

The flags of both Triton and Born fluttered together in the wind.

No other noble family’s banners were visible.

Whether this was Terdin’s intention, a royal command, or other families’ refusal to participate remained unclear.

“If those savages aren’t all tied up, my worries won’t disappear. Those beasts treat women like property,”

Odel remarked with authority, as if she had visited the north dozens of times.

Yesterday, she tried to scare Charlon as if ten of her cousins had been murdered by Geronians.

‘When I was a child, she used to scare me by saying lions would take me if I didn’t sleep. Some things never change.’

Instead of arguing that Geronians were just people with families and cultures cherishing their wives and daughters, she said what Odel would like to hear.

“Don’t worry, Odel. Look outside. The southern soldiers have already occupied the village.”

As the royal procession passed by their camp, the soldiers erecting tents began forming ranks to greet them.

Damion waved them off, signaling to continue their work.

‘He’s a kind man,’

Charlon thought, watching him.

‘Kind not only to me but to everyone. That’s something neither Father nor Aduer ever showed. Being his wife would truly be a blessing.’

Charlon kept her thoughts to herself, knowing Odel would seize the opportunity to criticize Damion and extol her father.

Soon, they reached the base of the hill where the village of Elum stood.

Triton soldiers armed with spears stood in formation at the foot of a gentle slope.

Damion approached the carriage and spoke to Charlon.

“Just in case, don’t be afraid, Charlon. The Geronians’ weapons have been confiscated and stored in one place. They’ve all been disarmed. Even their wolves and dogs have been driven out of the village or killed.”

Charlon listened but frowned at one particular detail.

“You killed the wolves and dogs?”

“They tame wild wolves to guard the village. These wolves are so ferocious they sometimes attack their own villagers.”

“Still, killing them seems excessive…”

At that moment, Terdin interjected to explain.

“Strictly speaking, we didn’t order their deaths. We simply declared that if any of our soldiers were injured by their wolves, we’d execute the owners. They drove the animals out on their own. Those that returned had to be killed.”

Terdin added further clarification when Charlon still looked dissatisfied.

“This is no different from the military law applied to us. If a war dog attacks an allied soldier, the handler is punished.”

“I see.”

Charlon nodded reluctantly, but images of dogs returning to their owners only to be killed lingered in her mind, making her unable to agree fully.

Still, she refrained from suggesting they should’ve just tied up the animals.

Surely, they had their reasons…

Seeing Charlon’s gloomy expression, Damion misinterpreted her feelings.

“Do not worry, Charlon. If anything happens, I will protect you.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Odel, standing nearby, sneered.

“How reliable, Your Highness. But where is young Rusef? He was just beside our carriage. He’s still the one responsible for protecting our lady—for now.”

Charlon shot Odel a scowl, but the nanny was undeterred, raising her chin as if to demand an answer.

Damion, either missing the sarcasm or choosing to remain polite, responded kindly.

“Captain Rusef has remained at the camp we just passed.”

He gestured down the hill and then up toward the village.

“We’ll hold the banquet in the village but return to the camp to rest for the night. Captain Rusef will oversee the camp while the Lieutenant manages Terdin’s troops.”

Charlon already knew this and found it reasonable, but Odel did not.

“What? Our young lord wasn’t even invited to the banquet? Unthinkable! And who will protect our lady…”

“Odel!”

Charlon raised her voice, cutting her off, and smiled at Damion.

“I’ll explain to my nanny. Please go ahead. The soldiers are waiting for you.”

Damion ended the conversation with a smile and rode ahead.

He joined Terdin and spoke with him briefly.

The lead, Jedrick, remained silent, having conversed with Terdin earlier but now speaking no more.

“Returning home after being held captive—he should be glad, yet there’s no joy in the air.”

Charlon felt a growing curiosity about Jedrick—not as a man but as a person.

Admittedly, his handsome appearance and clear voice intrigued her, but she didn’t forget her betrothal to Damion, an almost perfect match compared to Born’s lackluster suitors.

‘Never bring your woman before me again.’

Jedrick’s growl from the previous day echoed in her mind.

‘Is that so? What a coincidence—here we meet again.’

Unconsciously, Charlon let out a puff of air through her nose.

“What amusing thoughts are you having, my lady?”

Odel asked irritably.

“Huh? I wasn’t having any amusing thoughts.”

“Then why were you smiling?”

“Was I smiling?”

Odel clicked her tongue in disapproval.

“I know your expressions well, my lady. It was the same as when you received an Akyan horse for your fifteenth birthday. Even after falling off the next day and injuring your ankle, you couldn’t stop smiling.”

“Did I make that face?”

Charlon asked with a serious tone, and Odel shook her head.

“What could possibly be so delightful about entering a savage village? This old woman is terrified, yet you’re all excited. Do you lack any sense?”

Charlon glanced briefly at Jedrick before quickly averting her gaze.

“Did I really make that face? No way!”

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