"Watch out!" A woman who was selling leather screamed at the top of her lungs. A cart wagon with a mountainous load of bales of hay was pa.s.sing through and it"s hard for the owner to figure where he was going through with the narrow road and traffic of people. King Artair was just a few feet from it.Like a flash of lightning, he ran and stepped ahead of King Artair and extended his arms to block the cart wagon from moving forward. His back was on the cart wagon, and his face was towards the King. He was a few inches taller than the king, so the owner easily saw him.
As soon as the owner caught sight of him, he abruptly stopped his cart wagon. Unfortunately, the bundles of hay were slower to respond and wiggled like jelly before falling over Raigon.
He quickly glanced at his father to make sure he was in a safe place before the heaps of hay showered on him and veiled his vision.
Raigon was dumbfounded. After he was completely blinded by the stacks of hay, he closed his eyes for a few seconds before opening them with glaring eyes and a scowled face.
Until now, he thought he was ready to succeed the throne. He had already pa.s.sed physically when he took the tests in horse-riding, archery, and the Manchu language at the age of 20.
His political adeptness was likewise eminent as he accompanied the King in his meetings. But this situation is different. He can master all those skills inside the Castle where he lived his entire life.
However, he can only develop these competencies whenever he was outside, with these people whose lifestyles differ greatly from him.
King Artair clamped his lips together to hide his laughter. He approached Raigon as the cart wagon crossed through.
"You should have seen me then. During my first time here, it was a sack of dung that accidentally fell on me," King Artair remarked as he helped him shook off hay bits from his face and robe, hoping to help his son feel better.
Raigon stared at his father in disbelief. "And you still came back?" Raigon uttered with a scrunched forehead as he struggled to pick out chunks of hay that were already p.r.i.c.kling his skin underneath his clothes.
"And I still came back. I wouldn"t be the man I am today if it didn"t include the manure."
King Artair declared as he motioned him to look at the man approaching them. It was the owner of the haystacks.
"Apologies, my lord. I wasn"t able to see you a while ago." He immediately bowed low to King Artair and Raigon.
As he straightened up and looked at them, Raigon noticed that his right eye was slightly cloudy.
"If you don"t mind, may I ask if you perhaps have visited the region"s hospital?" King Artair inquired, also perceiving the difference in the man"s eyes.
"Yes. But the physicians said they don"t have the medical equipment in this City to treat me," the man answered, knowing that he was asking about the condition of his eye. He tried to figure out if he knew the two n.o.blemen in front of him who were obvious up close even when they wearing a disguise.
Raigon furrowed his brows. It is not normal for the Citizens of Terra to get sick especially with an able man like the one in front of him. This is the reason they only have one hospital in the City of Terra with few physicians and pieces of equipment.
These were mainly for health and well being. The citizens of Terra die at a good old age without minimal cases of major sickness and diseases.
"What could have caused the illness of this man in this health-conducive island?" Raigon mused as he a.s.sessed the man in front of him. He was a little short but he kept his long black hair up in a loose updo and he wore a simple white linen pao that covered his well-built body. He seemed to be a middle-aged man.
"I came back to offer you this, my Lord." He held out his hand and bring out a boar bristle brush. "It is not much because it is what I can only afford with my wage today. But it is great in removing straws and hays from clothes."
His action stunned Raigon. "Y-you don"t have to do this." A day"s wage means three square meals of a family man of five. He can just have a change of clothes or throw them away as soon as they leave the Capital.
"Whatever you wish others to do to you, do it to them," the man smiled as he insisted on giving the bristle brush to Raigon.
As soon as he accepted it, he turned his back and went back to his cart.
"Now you understand why I frequented this place. Life lessons are best learned at the worst alley." King Artair exclaimed after witnessing the act of kindness that Raigon experienced firsthand from a commoner.
They continued to walk and observe the people in the market place as King Artair chatted on. He was now walking beside him just in case someone might hurt his father again whether or not it was an accident.
Even though he has brushed through his clothes to remove the pieces of hays, he couldn"t scrub off all of them. There were still some attached to the garments that made him scratch his body while they were walking.
"Dried thyme leaves! We have dry thyme leaves for skin diseases!" A peddler shouted as they were crossing through. "Young man! Come here! I could give it to you with a 30% discount for a medium-sized bag!" He called out to Raigon.
King Artair burst out in laughter. "Someday, when you"re already the King, you will look back on this day. You will also say to your son, "I won"t be who I am today without the itchy hays."
Raigon smirked as he crumpled his face and darted his eyes away. As he did so, something flashy caught his eyes. It was a ladies" accessories store. He approached it and checked them out.
He picked up a Swarovski bangle designed with an expertly crafted tree with gleaming stones lining the branches, creating an impressive sparkle that complements the dark green cord.
He was right. That kind of bracelet was familiar to him. He saw it worn by the daughter of the lady in Lord Howe Island whom Zoe had a fight with.
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