Chapter 282 - Welcome to Shadora

"Your voice sounds funny. Did you have a little too much to drink last night?"

She was smiling sweetly at him, and it made him feel guiltier than he already was. He couldn't bear to look at her anymore because he knew in his heart that he did not deserve that smile.

"Maybe."

"Hmm. Can you ask the Captain for the ingredients of the wine?"

"Why?"

"I think I am allergic to it. I have rashes all over my neck, collarbone, and shoulders. I find it odd that there are no rashes anywhere else."

Vaughn almost choked on his saliva when she heard her reason. But, he made up his mind not to tell her anything.

"I'll see what I can do. It might not be easy to ask him that since it was a trade secret."

"I understand. You don't need to pressure him if he doesn't want to say it."

Vaughn was expecting her to drop the idea, but she said not to push it if the Captain refused to divulge the recipe. Deep inside, Vaughn knew that she still would like him to ask the Captain no matter what.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Sir, your breakfast is here," Fred informed them.

Vaughn heaved a sigh of relief. He was off the hook – for the meantime.

* * * * *

The whole Kingdom of Shadora was very busy at that moment. The festive air surrounded the entire kingdom, and everyone was doing their best to turn the 500th National Day of Affections into a memorable event. They even designed special rings for the couples who would get married on that day.

"Do you think there will be a lot of couples?"

"I doubt it. The rumors regarding the disappearance of couples who filed for divorce when they held their wedding here are pretty nasty. Even our own people fear to get married here in our kingdom."

"Are the rumors true?"

"There are confirmed reports of disappearances of three divorced couples but that's it. There were lots of couples who got married in Shadora and divorced later. Don't you think it's odd that the disappearance of the divorced couples only happens now?"

"It's true, it is quite odd. Even our people believed that rumor and refuse to get married here. Most young couples today choose cohabitation."

"Did any of you confirm that a married Shadoran couple disappeared after divorcing?"

Everyone in that group shook their heads.

"Someone who spread this rumor is ruthless!"

"But, there are reported disappearances and who knows if there are more?"

"Let's just hope that those couples are somewhere safe and still breathing."

Everyone went back to work and focused their energy on the incoming celebration.

* * * * *

Vaughn and Zenia stayed in their room. Zenia had a splitting headache and blamed the wine. Vaughn was relieved that she had decided not to pursue the matter regarding her allergy.

Zenia was lying on the bed while Vaughn was reading a book beside her. He just finished massaging her head to help lessen the pain.

"Esteemed guests, we are about to reach the Shadora Kingdom."

The announcement can be heard in each room. It was not the first time that Zenia encountered that method of notifying the guests. She took a peek at Vaughn, who did not show any reaction when he heard the voice in their room. But, she knew that it was the first time that he encountered it.

She knew that Vaughn did not have a chance to travel far and wide when he was younger, unlike her. He was the Crown Prince and had a lot of things to do in his own kingdom. Settling the matters with other kingdoms can be done by his subordinates. Zenia could not tell if it was fortunate or a curse to have very capable subordinates. Because of that, he did not get a chance to explore many other kingdoms. Then he learned the things he knew about a certain kingdom through books and reports.

Vaughn had not visited Shadora even once, but he heard a great deal about it. He had been considering marrying Zenia there once she reached the marriageable age. But, one thing led to another, and it had been delayed. All he could do was to monitor her activities and prevent others from approaching her. It was a good thing that his brothers-in-law had the same thing in mind. In the end, he married her in Tissuria. But, it was not something worth celebrating.

They still had one or two months left before their first wedding anniversary, and he knew that Queen Mina had been planning to host a grand celebration. It was a tradition in Tissuria to celebrate the first anniversary of marriage in a grand way. People were especially looking forward to a luxurious celebration of the first anniversary of the Crown Prince and Princess of Tissuria.

"How come we get here so fast?"

"I told you that the Captain is famous for his unconventional way of navigation. He knows shortcuts."

"Shortcuts?"

"It's a bit hard to explain, and I don't know how to start. He uses the stars, wind, and anything in nature that can help him. There's also a strange rumor that somewhere in the vast ocean there's a dimensional gate that opens up to Shadora directly."

"A dimensional gate?"

"Yes, it sounds absurd, but I think it could be true. How else can the Captain reach Shadora in just a day?"

"Perhaps, he is using the stars and wind to locate that gate?"

"Possibly."

The ship finally docked at Shadora's pier. The place resembled Prazia with a bit of Tissuria and Ishelon. Carriages for rent were already waiting at the pier. Vaughn and Zenia had decided to rent a carriage even though they brought their own carriage and coachman along. The reason? It was too eye-catching. They were there to enjoy a peaceful, private wedding and not attract any attention.

They transferred their luggage in the rented carriage that came together with its own coachman. They settled the coachman they brought with them in an inn that had space for carriages to park. They told the coachman to meet them after three weeks when they would all return to Tissuria.

Zenia told the rented coachman to take them to the shops that sell fine clothing. Although she wanted to keep a low profile, it did not mean they should dress shabbily.

"Good sir, is this the place?" Zenia's eyes sparkled with delight when she saw the shops.

The exterior of each shop was already a work of art. She couldn't wait to see the inside. Vaughn smiled when he saw how happy Zenia was in seeing the shops. She practically pranced to the door of the first shop and was stunned when she saw the inside. It was a fashion enthusiast haven!

Zenia did not waste another minute and began choosing for herself and for Vaughn. She was careful in choosing and kept in mind that she should only buy a few pieces. Besides, there were still other shops to visit.

Vaughn just followed behind Zenia as she picked their clothing. She already liked Shadora very much. She was thinking of putting up the same type of shop in that kingdom using Ishelon silk. She was already counting her profits before she could even put up the shop. She remembered Madame Bisset in Prazia and hoped that she kept her part of the deal. The earnings she would receive from Madame Bisset should be enough to buy a piece of land in Shadora and put up her shop.

It was already past lunchtime when they finished shopping. The coachman suggested a restaurant and the couple invited the coachman to join them. 

"It is my honor to join Madam and Master," the coachman accepted the invitation politely.

The dishes they ordered were served, and the coachman introduced each dish to Zenia and Vaughn. She looked at the coachman and noticed that he was wearing the same type of clothes that the high-end shops were selling. 

'Come to think of it, all the shops here offer high-end suits and dresses. Is there an ordinary shop here?'

Zenia did not see a single beggar in Shadora, and everyone was dressed like nobles.

"Good sir, I don't see any beggar or ordinary-looking citizen here. Is there a reason for this?"

The coachman chuckled a bit and explained, "Madam, there is no rich or poor among the people of Shadora. We prosper because we put value in familial love. We remain devoted to our significant other but there are still times when misunderstandings occur. Some can resolve their problems immediately while others end up divorcing. We are honest workers and citizens who pay the right amount of taxes and on time. Our King believes that education is the greatest treasure that we can give our children. Our schools are top-notch. However, the academies only accept children that are born in Shadora and no one else."

Zenia looked at Vaughn and knew what she had in mind.

'You should learn how they do things here and apply them in your reign.'

'I'm also thinking about the same thing. Let's see the flaws and perfect the system.'

'That's a good idea. Your reign will be the best in Tissuria.'

'Yes, we will lead our people to gain better lives.'

The coachman went on telling significant information about Shadora. He even told them about the secret to a long life of the old granny in his neighborhood. Zenia thought that the coachman, named Zosimo, was a bit too friendly. But, she did not mind at all.