~ Twelve - Season I ~

Lady and I finally arrived in Bullingar, and the streets were busier than before.

Perhaps, because it was already afternoon, people might be buying what they needed at the very last minute. I was looking around when a specific voice caused my head to turn.

Right then and there, a familiar face stood out from the crowd. I got off Lady and walked towards her whilst I pulled Lady along.

“How much for the apples?” Laura asked the vendor as I stood behind her, keeping my silence.

“Twenty gold coins for a barrel,” the vendor replied.

“Twenty gold pieces?! That’s outrageous!” Laura exclaimed.

“I understand that it isn’t a reasonable price. But for the past few days, trade has been made a lot harder for everyone,” the vendor snapped back. “Are you even a rich person to complain?”

“I am,” I intervened.

Laura immediately turned around. As soon as she saw me, her eyes widened in shock. “Robert, what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Just trust me,” I smiled as I stepped forward. I handed the money needed, and carried the barrel of apples. I carefully tied it onto the free space behind the saddle, securing it immensely. As soon as that was done, Laura, Lady and I walked away from the ever-growing crowd in order not to get squashed.

“Robert, you didn’t have to do that,” she said.

I smiled as I replied, “Laura, that was nothing. It’s my pleasure to help.”

“Are you certain?” she asked. She continued, “Because I could have just gone to a different vendor. There are a lot of stalls here that sell apples.”

“Laura, what I did for you is because I wanted to help. You don’t need to be so uptight about it,” I laughed. “And besides, I don’t think another vendor will be willing to sell you apples. Not when almost every stall heard your brief argument with the vendor,” I explained.

She sighed in defeat. After a giggle, she replied, “In that case, thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome.”

“Well, I have to head back to the bakery,” she then walked towards the barrel tied on Lady. She reached onto the rope and turned to me. “How do I untie the barrel?” she asked.

My brows furrowed at her question.

She looked around the barrel for a bit before she continued, “Oh, wait! I think I know what to do.” She reached for the closest knot, but I stopped her just in time.

“What do you think you’re doing, Laura?” I asked, still holding onto her wrist.

“I’m going to untie the barrel. I need to head back because getting the barrel to the bakery won’t be easy,” she explained.

“Oh, no, Laura, you’re not going to carry this barrel all by yourself,” I protested, briefly tapping on the wooden container.

She replied, “Robert, Grandpa Ben gave me this task. Please, don’t take it from me.”

“I’m not taking it from you, Laura. I’m simply helping you,” I insisted. “I’m here now. And because of that, I shall give you a ride back home,” I continued.

“What?” she stepped back.

“Laura, we can stay here all day and argue over this matter,” I scratched my forehead. I continued, “And trust me, the only way for you to return to the bakery is by getting on my horse.”

Laura glanced over to Lady and sighed after. “Okay, I will agree to this. But, I’m only doing this because I need to head back as quickly as possible.”

She walked over to Lady’s left side as I untied the barrel. I then moved it behind Lady’s neck, tying it quickly and tightly. Once that was done, I helped Laura as she carefully hopped onto Lady. I put Laura’s hands on top of the barrel and said, “Make sure that this barrel stays in place. Do you understand?”

She nodded. “We must go now. Grandpa Ben will scold me if I stay any longer.”

“Yes, my lady,” I answered as I grabbed Lady’s reins and pulled them along.

Suddenly, Laura asked, “Robert, what are you doing? Why aren’t you on the horse?”

“We’re already moving,” I said, briefly turning my head. I continued, “If it isn’t obvious enough, I’m pulling Lady as we go.”

“Why are you walking??” she asked, confused.

“You and the barrel are heavy enough for Lady to carry. If I joined you there, Lady won’t be able to carry such a weight,” I explained.

She complained, “I didn’t ask for you to put me on the horse.”

“But I told you to, didn’t I?” I asked as I smirked to myself.

She was silent for a while, and that frightened me. I could only hope that she wasn’t angry with it. Then, she groaned before she answered, “I will allow this to happen just this once.” By the tone of her voice, she was definitely beaten. She added, “I’m agreeing to this, only for the reason that these apples need to be in the bakery right now.”

I smiled to myself once again, knowing that I won. All she could do was sigh or groan. I wasn’t doing this to take advantage of the situation. I just didn’t want for her to strain herself with an apple-filled barrel that she couldn’t even push. “Kindly hold on properly, Laura. Hold onto the barrel,” I reminded her as I held back a smile.

“I know you’re smiling to yourself. Stop smiling as if you won some sort of battle,” she replied.

I snickered slightly. “I want to. But, I can’t hold it in,” I said before I slowly turned my head towards her. I remarked, “Because I know I did.”

She raised a brow at me before she slowly smiled.

~*~*~*~

When we arrived at the bakery, we came into a halt right in front of the window. It was best to stop here so Laura wouldn’t have to walk a longer distance to the door.

With utmost care, I helped Laura get down from Lady.

“Thank you again for your help, Robert,” she smiled as I untied the barrel from Lady.

“You are more than welcome, Laura. Helping you is always a pleasure,” I replied as I settled the barrel on the ground.

“So, um–”

“Laura!” someone suddenly shouted from the bakery.

As we turned our heads towards the door, a small, brown-haired man came out from the bakery. He continued screaming as he approached us, “Where have you been?! I needed those apples a while ago!”

“Will you calm down, Ronald?” Laura rolled her eyes as she replied, irritated. “It’s not you who told me to fetch the apples. Grandpa Ben did,” she continued.

“Well, I’m the one who needs them!” the man snarled as he took another step forward.

“Well, if you desperately needed them a while ago, why didn’t you get them yourself?!” my eyes widened as Laura snapped. I was shocked to see a side of her that I didn’t expect that she would have. She added, “And if you must know, the money you gave me was ten gold pieces short!”

The Ronald man argued, “How am I supposed to get the apples when my hands are incredibly full with orders?!”

“That’s enough for the two of you!” Grandpa Ben’s voice intervened as he came out from the shop. “You two are acting like children… again. And quite frankly, it’s too annoying to witness,” he continued as he made his way towards us.

Turning his attention to Ronald, Grandpa Ben said, “The next time that you ask for someone’s help in getting your ingredients, and I hear you complaining, you will be fetching all of the ingredients for the bakery.”

“How can I not complain when Laura takes too long in the marketplace?!” Ronald whined, grasping his hair before he threw his hands in the air.

“Have a bit of common sense, Ronald!” Grandpa Ben mildly hit Ronald on the back of his head. He continued, “If you must know, there are a lot of people in the marketplace. Especially during this hour. It’s a public area, and you should know that public markets always attract crowds.”

He added, “Don’t expect it to be free from people, especially in narrow streets like ours.”

“But, Grandpa Ben–”

“I don’t want to hear another word, Ronald,” Grandpa Ben immediately blocked his complaint. He continued, “You do this every time, and I’m exhausted from always playing the mediator between the two of you. The next time that you make a scene such as this, there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, Grandpa Ben,” Ronald nodded, a sigh escaped his lips. A sign of defeat.

“You may return to your station. All the pies in your oven seem to be… overdone,” Grandpa Ben replied.

Ronald’s eyes widened in horror before he rushed back inside.

“Thank you, Grandpa Ben,” Laura breathed out in relief, thankful that the whole argument was finished.

“I may have taken your side against Ronald, but that doesn’t mean that you’re safe from trouble, young lady,” Grandpa Ben crossed his arms as he spoke firmly to her. He asked, “Will you kindly explain to me what took you so long to get the apples?”