Althea
A faint chill lingered in the tent as I stirred awake, my body reluctant to leave the warmth of the sleeping bag. Blinking groggily, I became aware of a heavy gaze on me. My brows furrowed, and I turned my head, meeting Alistair's sharp, unreadable eyes. He was already awake, sitting upright against the tent wall, watching me with an intensity that made my drowsy mind sharpen.
I yawned, stretching my arms above my head before rubbing my eyes. "What's wrong?" I murmured, my voice still thick with sleep.
"Nothing," he replied, though his gaze didn't waver.
I studied him for a moment. He wasn't lying, but he wasn't telling me everything either. His expression was as controlled as ever, betraying little emotion, but I had a feeling there was something on his mind. Maybe it was habit—watching, observing, analyzing. Maybe he just didn't trust me yet.
Shaking off the thought, I sat up properly and groaned. "I need coffee."
Alistair's brows pulled together slightly. "What's coffee?"
I turned to face him, momentarily distracted by his bare chest. He hadn't bothered to wear a shirt to sleep, and the dim morning light highlighted the sharp definition of his muscles. I quickly looked away, pretending I hadn't noticed.
"It's a drink," I explained, focusing on the question instead. "Something to wake you up."
He considered my words, tilting his head slightly. "And it works?"
I smirked. "Like magic."
Alistair gave me a skeptical look, but I was already activating my creation magic. A soft golden glow shimmered in the air, and a moment later, a tray appeared between us, adorned with an elegant tea set. The steaming jug of rich, dark coffee filled the tent with a deep, inviting aroma. Small jugs of milk and sugar cubes sat neatly beside it, reminiscent of a refined British tea setup.
Alistair's eyes flickered with something close to surprise, though his face remained composed. "How do you do that?"
I poured a cup for him, measuring two cubes of sugar and a small splash of milk before handing it over. "Create things? Yes. It's one of my blessings."
"I have never seen such blessings before." he said. He took the cup but hesitated before taking a sip, inspecting the dark liquid warily.
"Blow on it," I instructed, suppressing a smile. "It's hot."
He followed my advice, cooling the drink before taking a cautious sip. His lips barely touched the rim, his sharp gaze watching me as if expecting some sort of trick. But then his eyes widened ever so slightly, and he took a longer sip, testing the taste.
"It's…" He trailed off, searching for the right word.
"Good?" I prompted, raising an eyebrow.
Alistair exhaled slowly, placing the cup down. "Strong."
I chuckled, making my own cup—three cubes of sugar for me, a bit more milk. "That's the point. If it's too weak, it won't wake you up properly."
He nodded, taking another sip, this time more confidently.
We sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the warmth of the drink. The tent was quiet except for the sound of us blowing on our hot coffee and sipping noise.
Finally, Alistair spoke again, his voice softer than before. "Where did you learn this?"
"About coffee?" I glanced at him, stirring my drink absentmindedly.
He nodded.
I took a slow sip before answering. "From where I grew up. It was common there. People drank it every morning. Some needed it to function."
Alistair studied me, as if weighing my words. "Your home…" He paused. "Did you like it?"
The question caught me off guard.
I tapped my fingers against the porcelain cup, choosing my words carefully. "Parts of it," I admitted. "Other parts… not so much."
His eyes flickered with understanding, and for the first time, I felt like he wasn't just seeing me—he was trying to understand me.
"What about you?" I asked, tilting my head. "Did you like where you grew up?"
Alistair took another sip of his coffee before answering. "It was all I knew."
Not quite an answer, but I supposed that was the best I'd get from him for now.
I let the conversation settle as I finished my coffee, feeling the warmth spread through me. The world outside was waking, and soon, we'd have to step back into our roles—husband and wife, traveling companions, strangers bound by marriage.
But for now, we were just two people sharing a quiet morning, and that was enough.
After tiding up, we set off again. But I made sure to let them know that unless they find me a stream so I can clean up and brush my teeth, I am throwing a tantrum.
I don't think they believed me until I refused to get into the carriage unless Alistair promised me. Jonathan looked at me from the top of his horse with an annoyed look but I ignored him.
"We will make sure to find a stream or a river source on our way." he said. "Promise?" I raised my pinky, yes I know it's childish but I really need to clean up. If only they really know about my magic, I could have made a small bathtub and filled it with whatever I needed.
Alistair stated at my pinky, wondering what to do. I held up his hand and locked our pinkies together. After that I got into the carriage.
ALISTAIR
The journey went smoothly since my wife got into the carriage after doing some sort of little finger promise with me. I kept an eye out for any water source and listened keenly. But we have not passed one yet.
The sun was high in the sky indicating it is already noon. We were hot and parched but had to keep moving. Lady Althea looked out the window at me. "Here," she handed a bottle with some sort of circular line pointing out of the head.
I looked at it then her. "You drink it like this." She said holding another one, she put her mouth on the circular line and sucked. I did the same thing and a cool refreshing liquid flowed into my mouth. It was not too sweet but fruity.
"Thank you." I said. "No problem."She smiled so brightly, I collected the ones for William, Jonathan and Miguel and handed it to them since they were in front.
Miguel did not even bother asking how to use it, he drank from it immediately. Jonathan and William followed his movements and I could see how refreshed they felt.
This is quite innovative, one doesn't have to stop to drink something or take a break.
It was almost evening when I heard the sound of rushing water. We stopped the horses. Immediately the carriage came to a stop, Lady Althea was out like lightning in the direction of the water source. I went after her because sometimes, water source means animals or monsters.
Lady Althea darted into the trees like a forest sprite, the hem of her dress disappearing behind the brush before I could call out her name. I cursed under my breath and quickly dismounted. "Stay here," I ordered Jonathan, William, and Miguel, who all looked equally concerned but didn't argue.
I followed the sound of the rushing water, branches snapping underfoot as I picked up my pace. "Althea!" I called out, but there was no response. Damn woman. Doesn't she realize we're in foreign lands? Anything could be lurking in the shadows.
After a few more steps, I reached a small clearing and froze.
She was there—kneeling at the edge of a shallow river, her boots discarded, sleeves rolled up to her elbows, splashing water on her face like a child seeing rain for the first time. Her back was to me, the late sunlight catching in her hair, making it shimmer gold. I eased a breath out of my chest. She was safe.
Then she stood up, lifting the hem of her dress just enough to wade in, letting the cool water swirl around her ankles. She giggled. Actually giggled.
"What are you doing?" I asked, stepping out into the clearing.
She jumped, turning to me with wide eyes before breaking into a grin. "You found it!"
"I said I would," I replied, though the relief in my voice betrayed me. "You took off without a word. That was reckless."
She rolled her eyes and splashed a little water in my direction. "Oh relax. I was dying to wash my face. And now I'm going to brush my teeth. I'm not marching through the rest of this world with fuzzy breath."
I raised an eyebrow. "Fuzzy breath?"
"Don't question it."
She turned and knelt again, digging into her satchel. A moment later, she pulled out something that looked like a small rod with soft bristles on one end. She dipped it in water, then waved a hand and conjured what smelled like mint into the bristles.
"What is that?" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Toothbrush. Toothpaste." She looked at me, brushing in slow exaggerated circles like she was teaching a child. "Keeps your teeth clean. Your breath fresh. Want one?"
I hesitated. "You… created that too?"
"Of course. Magic has its benefits." She smiled with the brush still in her mouth, foam gathering at the corners of her lips. It was both ridiculous and endearing.
I stood there, unsure of what to say, until she rinsed her mouth and looked up at me again, her eyes brighter. "You should try it. Your mouth will feel like it's been kissed by frost."
"Kissed by…?" I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "You're something else, Althea."
She beamed at the compliment—if she even took it as one. "Thank you. I do try."
We stayed by the stream a little longer, filling up our water skins and letting the horses drink. She even conjured a soft cloth to wipe their coats with, humming a strange tune under her breath.
She was so different from anyone I had ever known—bright and strange and stubborn and magical. I didn't know what to make of her most days, but I found myself thinking… maybe that wasn't a bad thing.
As we prepared to leave, Althea looked over her shoulder and said, "You kept your promise. Thank you."
The sincerity in her voice caught me off guard.
I nodded. "I always will."
Her eyes met mine, soft and searching, but she didn't say anything else. She simply climbed back into the carriage and curled up by the window.
And for the rest of the ride, I couldn't stop glancing at her reflection in the glass, wondering when exactly this strange woman had started making my world feel… less heavy.