Chapter 242: Commoner Estate!

To say that I was shocked would be an understatement. My eyes widened as he pulled the reins more than needed and the horse galloped at its fastest speed disbalancing us. It moved and jumped causing its front two legs high in the air and we both fell down.

I fell straight on my right elbow and it pained like hell.

"What was that, Cassius?" I shouted and winced at the same time. 

"Aah!" even moving was painful. I looked at my hand that had turned red from the blood yet the pain was more internal. I looked at the dress, it was filled with dust, pieces of grass and even torn due to the stones that had hit hard.

"Darn it!"

That man was going crazy! If i did not know any better i would have thought he was a teenage boy recently fallen in love.

I looked at the horse that ran away. And my anger turned to an extreme new level. What in the name of god was he trying to do!?

"I did not release, I apologise" he replied as he moved, he was no better than me. His shirt was slashed and scratches could be seen all around his hand.

"But why did you even do that? For Christ sake Cassius, you are not a kid. What has happened to you to perform that stunt? I just could not believe that you did that!" I grumbled.

"It was not intentional. Why would I hurt both of us?" he asked and I could not believe how his mind worked.

Talking to this man was bizarre these days. I looked around to see if others were there to help but no one was there up to the distance.

But then my brows furrowed and I looked around. Have I closed my eyes at the wrong time! Oh my!

"Cassius have you crossed the barn?" I asked with wide eyes as I looked around.

"Barn?" 

"Yes.. the door on the right right side of the wall?" I asked again. Trying to stand up.

"Oh, yes. I took a few turns there." he said as if the whole empire belonged to me.

"Cassius, the race was straight. There was no turn. Why did you do so?" I asked incredulously and he just looked around.

"It's alright, we have lost anyway. Better take a round and return back" he said so nonchalantly that i did not know what to say.

"This is not our estate. Haven't you seen the door open in the vast land? Its open areas of forest for shepherds and commoners to get wood and other things. This is part of the real forest Cassius. The door is opened at day time for hunting to get fresh meat. We must have passed at that time. How far did we come?" I asked and he paused.

"Ten or fifteen minutes." he replied, standing up too.

"Then we were much farther from Cassius' estate and the horse ran away too. How would we go back?" I asked as I tried to move.

"Is there no carriage or other way to travel?" 

'Seriously! Are you even listening? Did he think i am the Goddess here'

"This is not the marquees estate, your highness. We do not rule here. It's a free land. Our ancestors had donated it long ago. No one lives here except a few tribal people." I explained as he continued to look around.

"James and Dami would be getting worried." I added and he looked at me with anger. 

'Shouldn't it be the other way around?!'

"You should not worry about it that much. Even if it's not a marquees state, we are still the archduke and archduchess of the empire. Everyone knows us. Come with me, I will help you in getting a carriage and reach the estate safely." he said in his ever so prejudiced voice.

"I don't think it will be that easy.'' I said, looking around.

There was no one as far as we could see. He was looking here and there too.

The land was not like our palace. The grass was grown unbridled. The trees were mostly wild and unevenly spread. It was a wild area. I was sure there were wild animals too, as we used this area for hunting mostly.

"Lets walk and look around, shall we?" he asked and I gritted my teeth.

"Why did you even do that, Cassius. You are not behaving like you do. Is there something that matters?" I asked , looking at him. 

He was behaving oddly since he had arrived here. Bold and somewhat foolish I say! There is a place and time to do everything. Could he not wait for our return to kiss me!?

My eyes widened as I realised what I was thinking. Have I been perverted like him too!? How could I ever think of kissing him! I shook my head to clear my thoughts and then closed my eyes to take a few deep breaths.

"Give me your hand Mari. Your hand is bleeding" he said finally bringing me out of my thoughts.

I looked at him and then at me. We both were bleeding a bit and hurt. I was sure there would be one or two internal injuries too. My outer gown was torn a bit and I sighed.

Taking a deep breath, I took the torn part in my hands and put some pressure and tore strips out of it.

"You better pay me for my gown. It was one of my favorite that Olivia have made recently for me.'' I reminded him as I took a strip and asked him to forward his hand.

"Even at this time, you are thinking about money! I just can not understand how your mind works!" he exclaimed but I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I am just asking for my loss, anyways give me your hand.'' I asked again and he looked at the tree nearby.

"Let's sit there first." he said and I nodded. We do need energy anyway to walk further.