Gwen happily returned the hug for a moment before pulling away. “I couldn't have done this without you, Corvin.” she said gratefully.
“Oh, you would have found a way. I have no doubt of that.” he laughed, ruffling his adoptive daughter’s hair before turning back to Farah. “I’m sure you are happy for your princess too even though this makes your original mission more complicated.” he said understandingly.
Farah was surprised when Corvin spoke to her, but she dipped her head in return and acknowledgment of his words. "Yes. Well done, Gwen," she replied, her brown eyes softening and meeting the princess's.
“Thank you, Farah.” Gwen smiled back, still pretty excited about her accomplishment.
Corvin laughed a little and wrapped an arm around Gwen. “Come on, you two. Rhes probably already has dinner ready and I know Jiem is eager to hear all about your hunt.”
Farah's expression softened as Gwen smiled at her. Even if she wanted to leave her throne, there was no denying the royal air about her. She had the same charisma as the rest of the royal family. There was something infectious about Gwen's smile, and Farah offered a smile in return.
She moved to follow Corvin and Gwen back to their tent and glanced back over her shoulder at the chief and his grandson as she walked.
The chief met Farah's gaze and gave a brief nod before walking away with his grandson.
Gwen, even though she had grown up in the palace, had never thought of herself as charismatic. If anything she thought of her past self as sheltered, timid, and weak since she had never done anything against her father's wishes or even thought of doing something for herself.
The little village wasn't very grand in any way, just a bunch of large tents set up instead of houses. It was much more intimate with how friendly the people acted towards each other. Mostly because everyone knew each other since they were children excluding Gwen and Farah for obvious reasons.
Gwen’s tent was not too ahead of them, with Corvin’s being nearby. It was easy enough to tell which was her’s as all the other homes had different symbols painted on. Hers had none.
Farah noted the nod before she turned to look ahead again. Her eyes caught on the patterns and symbols that marked the different tents for different families. It didn't take long for Farah to feel like an outsider among all of the close-knit groups surrounding her.
“Mama! They're back!” a young boy called out excitedly before running straight towards Gwen and Corvin. “Did you do it? Are you a hunter?”
The former princess grinned and raced to meet the boy, picking him up and hugging him. “Yes, Jeim. I did.” she assured. “I’m a hunter now.”
Farah’s eyes watched the boy’s path, and her gaze softened at the embrace he and Gwen shared. The princess had made her own life here, that was for certain.
“I knew you could do it. What did you get? Was it big? Mama wouldn't let me see your hunt when you came back.” Jeim chattered, still holding on to Gwen.
“With good reason.” Corvin reminded the boy before turning back to Farah as Gwen started answering all the questions. “My son, Jeim. He looks up to Gwen as an older sister.”
Farah nodded at Corvin with a small smile. "Forgive me, but would it be possible for me to speak to the princess alone for a moment?" She realized her mistake and hurried to correct it. "Gwen. Would it be possible for me to speak to Gwen alone for a moment?"
Corvin raised a brow at the question and looked at Farah. “Why are you asking me? If you want to talk to Gwen ask her or just talk to her,” he said since he didn't know if this was how things were in Gwen’s old home.
Farah's lips opened, then immediately closed as an embarrassed look took over her face. "Right, of course," she replied quietly, approaching the other woman. "May I have a word with you?" she asked.
“Sure.” Gwen nodded, turning to face Farah with Jiem still in her arms. “What's on your mind?”
Farah hesitated to see the boy in her arms. "If you don't mind… this is a conversation I'd like to have in private," she clarified slowly.
Gwen raised a brow but nodded, turning to Jiem for a moment. “Why don't you go ahead with Papa and I’ll catch up with you in a minute.” she smiled as she let the boy stand next to her. “I still need to take this paint off.”
“Alright.” Jiem whined as Corvin took his hand and gave Farah a brief glare before he was led away.
“Sorry about that. He's younger than me but so protective.” Gwen apologized. “My tent’s right here. We can talk inside.”
Farah's eyebrows shot up at Jiem's glare. "I can tell," the knight replied, turning her attention back to the former princess. She noted the tent and nodded. That would do. It was a private enough space. Farah approached the tent, but she waited for Gwen to enter first.
Gwen almost sighed at the knight’s actions before she pushed aside the flap of fabric that served as a door and walked inside. The inside of her tent was just as simple as the exterior. Her bow and quiver were near the entrance along with a spear, she still had her dagger strapped to her side. A small pile of firewood was within arms reach of the ring of stones in the center and even closer was a small cooking pot. And aside from a bucket of water, the only other thing in the tent was a simple bedroll made of animal furs. Honestly, her tent was also a bit smaller than most but there was still room enough for her to have a guest.
“Now, what is so important that we have to talk in private?” she asked as she grabbed the cloth on the rim of the bucket and began cleaning her face.
Farah followed, her eyes noting the important details of the living space. Her gaze specifically caught on the weapons. She wondered if Gwen had already been trained to use the bow and spear in addition to her dagger. It took Farah ages to master spear-throwing. She still hated it, and it would not be her first choice for a weapon.
She glanced over at the princess as she began to scrub her face clean of the war paint and cleared her throat. "Ah, well… I wanted to speak with you about returning to Olarien," she said cautiously. "Or, rather, not returning… since that is what you desire."
Gwen hummed as she folded the cloth and continued to clean her face. “That's only partly what I desire. I don't want to return yet.” she clarified. “Once I am a true warrior and someone Olarien deserves, then I’ll come back. But I am not going back just because my father needs to find me so he can marry me off to some stuck-up prince and get pushed to the side while he rules the kingdom.” she all but growled as she revealed her now tan skin.
Farah lifted her chin slightly. "You are someone that Olarien deserves as you are now," she murmured softly. But at Gwen's following words, Farah flinched. "Must that be the way of things?" she asked, inclining her head slightly with a frown.
“No. I'm not but thank you for saying that.” Gwen sighed gratefully as she tried to calm down. Though she shook her head at the question. “I don't want it to be but I'm sure that’s what my father has planned for me.” she admitted. “Look, it's obvious we did spend much time together before but, tell me, what do you remember about Princess Gwendolyn?”
Farah stiffened slightly before she answered. "I remember your beauty and your poise, my lady," she answered quietly. "Though I will admit, I never did see you as very happy in the palace… but the last time I saw you, you looked downright miserable."
Gwen felt her face warm at the mention of her beauty and sat down near the fire ring, gesturing for Farah to do the same. “Father always said I looked like my mother.” she said softly, running her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. “But you are right. I was never happy. I barely spoke to anyone except my maids and the occasional “yes, father”. Everyone thought I was just shy… and they were half right. I… wasn't allowed to do much.” she sighed. “I felt like I was suffocating, living in a gilded cage but not really living.” she added with a brief note of disdain before looking around her tent with a soft smile. ”But life out here is… much more liberating. There are still rules for the tribe to survive but none of them are as controlling as in the palace.”
Farah sat near Gwen and listened carefully to the way she spoke. "If I may," the young knight began slowly. "I daresay my experience was similar. I am no daughter of a king, but I am the daughter of your father's general. The commander of his kings guard. My surname is Dowling. I didn't want to tell you before. But I can sympathize with your plight, my lady. I won't force you to return until you are ready. I am sworn to the crown… and that is also you."
Gwen raised a brow as she listened but her jaw dropped at the mention of her family name. “I remember General Dowling. He always scared me and I tried to avoid running into him. How my father tolerates him, I have no idea.“ she admitted. “Thank you, Farah. It means a lot to hear you say that.” she smiled softly.