Jenna bit her lips to stop herself from blushing. She touched her face, trying to act normal in front of the young man.
"Well, thank you," she accepted the compliment with a nod, then returned her attention to the spring.
It took Jenna a lot of control not to giggle and throw her feet in the air, the way she was feeling at the moment. She couldn't remember the last time a man actually found her beautiful.
Though she had tried to act like she was strong and could face anything life threw at her, seeing that a little compliment made her heart flutter was proof that she was still just a girl.
"Um...so," Jenna cleared her throat, "The spring...it's beautiful."
Rhane nodded gently. "Master can use it," he replied.
"Uh," Jenna looked around, then pouted. It had been days since she actually had a comfortable bath. It was a tempting offer to enjoy the clear water in the woods but Jenna couldn't risk it. She was surrounded by men.
Not that she was a pure woman. She wasn't. She had been taken by her husband in the most cruel and degrading way, even, but she still had her pride to protect and her scars to hide.
"Anne, I appreciate the gesture so much, but..." Jenna looked around the place. "I can't," she said in a disappointed tone.
Giving a dismissive shrug, Jenna smiled. "Maybe next time, when I come here alone, I can use it." She started walking back to the carriage but noticed the young man wasn't moving.
"Come on, let's go." Jenna waved at him with a smile.
The young man turned to look at the spring one more time before following Jenna back to the carriage. As they left the woods, Jenna's smile didn't leave her lips.
She was somewhere between grateful and excited. This young man might have a child's mind, but he was still kind. First, he tried to make her smile, and now he was being so thoughtful in his actions.
It reminded Jenna of the man she had fallen in love with the one whose love had been denied to her. Cortez. Both of them were so deeply in love that Jenna couldn't wait to spend the rest of her life with him. But it never came.
The happily ever after.
When family stepped in, Jenna betrayed the man she loved so dearly and who also loved her back. With no explanations, she had left her first love, only to let others give him the news of her marriage. Most nights, Jenna concluded that the hell she was enduring was because she had hurt someone as kind as Cortez.
It was one of the reasons Jenna endured the hell of her marriage. She felt like she was paying back for hurting a good man. But what about her? Who would pay back for destroying her life? Her father? The one who had arranged the marriage for her and then disowned her once she left the same marriage that had almost ended her life?
Her father was still living his best life! Jenna sighed, pushing the thoughts behind her.
The young man behind Jenna noticed how she kept sighing and shaking her head, almost like she was having a conversation with herself.
Once they stepped out of the woods, Jenna found Percy on his knees, his hands behind his head.
"Percy!" Jenna called out the boy's name. "Wha—"
Percy quickly turned. "Run, Master! Hide! We are being attacked!"
Jenna gritted her teeth. The road bandits! She had almost forgotten how ruthless they could be.
"Take Master and run!" Percy shouted, his eyes on Rhane, but it was already too late. One of the bandits had already seen Jenna.
"They have a woman with them. A beautiful woman."
Jenna had the chance to escape, but now that they had seen her, Percy and the coachman's lives would be in trouble. She raised her hand in surrender and stepped forward.
"I'm just a merchant. We don't have much, but we can give you the little we have," she said, taking a step closer. She signaled for Rhane to hide behind her.
The bandits might feel threatened by his size and become violent. Jenna didn't want any of that.
"So, you're the leader?" one of the bandits asked, and Jenna nodded.
"Just a small merchant. I don't have much." Taking out her money pouch, she stretched her hand forward to give it to the men.
"This is all I have. If you can let us continue on our way, we'll be very grateful."
The bandit took the pouch from Jenna's hand and chuckled. He turned to the others and raised the bag.
"The lady thinks this is enough for us." When he said this, the others started laughing.
Jenna pressed her lips. There were different types of thieves a merchant could meet while crossing to a different kingdom.
The ones who were just after money, and the ones who wanted money only to cause trouble. And these ones in front of her- they seemed like they wanted money and trouble.
"Please...if it's not enough, I can show you where I stay." Jenna tried to be reasonable.
The bandit holding the pouch scowled. "You're trying to get us caught, aren't you? You must think of us as fools," he narrowed his eyes.
Jenna waved her hands. "No! Never! I'm only trying to make a suggestion if the money in the pouch isn't—"
"Are you sure you're a merchant?" the bandit interrupted, staring at Jenna with scrutiny.
Jenna nodded. "I am. I am Lady Jenna. I even have the merchant crest." She tried to show the man.
"Well, you should know by now what women do for us to let them use the road." The bandit licked his lips and smiled.
Jenna furrowed her brows. "I- I really don't understand."
"Of course, you won't, since you're not a real merchant." He took a step closer to Jenna, a mischievous grin tracing his thin lips.
"You don't happen to be married, do you?"
Jenna rubbed her hands together. "Well, I-I'm no longer married."
"Oh yes!" The bandit clapped his hands. "Is that why you left your husband and started using the road? You heard stories of being bent over a branch and wanted to experience it?"
Jenna's frown deepened. "What? No!" She took a step back.
"Stop acting coy, lady. No decent woman would leave her husband to be a merchant. It must be one thing you're looking for, and I can get it done quickly. What do you say?" He reached forward to grab Jenna's hand, but she pushed him away forcefully.
"Get away from me!" she barked.
The bandit threw out the small stick he was chewing. "I was going to make it easier, but since you want to act stubborn, I'll show you how stubborn women are treated. Remember, you asked for it!" He lunged forward to push Jenna.
Percy stood up at the same time to save his mistress. "Stay away from my mistress!"
Jenna readied herself to punch the man. She wasn't very strong, but she could defend herself in times like this. But to her greatest surprise, the bandit suddenly stopped moving.
"H- e t-he," his face paled like he had seen a ghost. "Rh—"
Rhane stood behind Jenna, his head tilted to the side as he stared at the bandit curiously.