Most of the stand sellers had arrived. There were a few selling vegetables and fruits. It made sense, a healthy werewolf’s diet consisted mostly of meat.
Nevertheless, there was still a sizable market for fruits and vegetables, a sweet tooth wolves had inherited from humans.
The gentle breeze tickled her skin; the air was crisp and cool. Darius kept a respectable distance from Serena. He scanned the area for a quieter place that had an apple stand.
His eyes swept the market, searching for a quieter stall, specifically one with apples. He had made a promise, after all. Ryker would need to send crates to the castle, and soon. He glanced at her, but she was more engrossed with the people who passed by her.
Her gaze followed the townspeople who passed them, some stealing glances, others not even bothering to hide their double takes. Darius’s presence alone was enough to stir curiosity. He rarely walked Longdale’s roads unless duty demanded it. Now, appearing without warning and with a stranger by his side? It was enough to make the town buzz.
He sighed and shook his head. Longdale was a difficulty he had to overcome when he assumed rule of Ironshade. There wasn’t trust in him to rule as his father did. He was cruel, but Ironshade flourished, at least in the beginning. People feared his father, but they obeyed. With Darius... it was more complicated.
Serena inched closer to his side when the crowd began to shift. Wolves emerged from the alleys and corners, drawn like moths to flame. No growls, no tension- just curiosity, and that was almost worse. Darius stiffened beside her as the crowd thickened.
They bowed to Darius and looked at her with curious eyes. Serena straightened herself and offered a smile.
"What can I do for you?" Darius asked them.
An odd question, Serena thought. They seemed like strangers, and he was speaking so casually to them. Assumption had warped her opinion on interactions in Ironshade. It was her first time being by his side in the open as an Ambassador.
She took in a breath. Keep it together, she reminded herself. She was the Ambassador now.
"Is this the Ambassador?" asked the woman. She looked older than Serena, not as old as her mother though. The man next to her looked to be around the same age as well, perhaps they were married.
Darius nodded slowly, stepping closer to Serena protectively. He had not thought this through. Slowly, a crowd drew around them, curiosity in their eyes. Different from the usual scorn with which they looked at him.
It made him relax, almost. He placed a hand on Serena’s shoulder, giving her a signal to speak to them. She was smart enough, he would handle the rest.
Serena gave a light laugh and smiled. "Yes, I am."
"From Crimsonclaw?" came an eager-sounding voice.
Serena scanned the gathering, looking for the source of the voice. She found none and raised her voice, making sure she put on the accent.
"Yes," she said, clasping her hands. "It’s nice to meet you all."
Dozens of eyes blinked at her. Brows furrowed. Some expressions softened, others remained guarded. She pressed her tongue to the inside of her cheek to keep from fidgeting. Her fingers twitched to reach for the edge of her sleeve- but not here. Not with all of them watching.
Ambassadors do not squirm.
What would be said if an Ambassador of Crimsonclaw was caught fiddling with her sleeve in front of a crowd? She took another deep inhale and picked a wolf to fix her gaze on. They stared at each other before the boy squirmed and looked elsewhere.
"It was not announced," an older man said gruffly, eyes narrowing in scrutiny.
"She only arrived a few days ago and had to adjust to the warmer climate here," Darius explained.
Serena glanced at him, his brows were furrowed, and his lips were turned down in a frown. She could hardly read the crowd, their expressions were guarded.
A gasp rippled through the crowd, and people stepped back from a child who had collapsed. Serena was quick to act, her body moving before her mind could process it. She knelt next to the child, who was struggling to breathe.
The little girl wheezed, eyes wide with panic, hands clawing weakly at her throat.
Serena propped the girl against herself and placed a palm on her forehead- her temperature was normal. The girl motioned to her throat and it clicked, she was choking on something.
Serena turned the girl in her arms, her arms wrapping around the child’s middle. She formed a fist and thrust inward- once, twice- please, breathe- on the third push, a wad of chewed food flew out and hit the cobblestone with a wet splat. Official source is novèlfire.net
The child’s breaths came in short and ragged. Her fingers brushed against the girl’s cheeks, wiping away her tears. Serena turned the girl around and inspected her. Other than her sniffling, she seemed fine.
Looking up at the people, Serena saw bewildered expressions, like they were still frozen in shock. She held the girl close and hugged her, patting her back as a means of trying to soothe her.
"It’s okay, you’re okay," Serena whispered.
Darius had regained himself and pushed through the bodies, trying to get to Serena. Everything had happened so quickly, she was by his side, and the next she was on the floor helping a choking child.
He leaned down to gain Serena’s attention. She looked up at him and nodded. She lifted the child off the floor, still rubbing her back.
"Whose child is this?" she asked, her brows knitting.
Serena spun around, everyone remained rooted to the spot. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Darius, who was at a loss for words.
Anger rose in her chest, and she clutched the girl tighter. This was such an irresponsible effect. Many people died as a result of choking. If someone had kept their eye on the girl, she would have now swallowed something too little for her windpipe.
Serena took a deep breath, swallowing the rage that boiled. She could not chastise anyone, because she was a diplomat.
A woman stepped forward hesitantly, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I... I’m sorry, miss. She’s my sister’s child. I didn’t see when she left my side. I-I’m eternally grateful to you."
The woman bowed her head low and kept her gaze to the floor.
The girl looked at the woman and smiled. She pushed off Serena and jumped down. The child clutched the woman’s dress and hid her face. Serena sighed and touched the woman’s shoulder.
"Let this never happen again," she said, low enough for the woman alone to hear.
Meanwhile, Darius was well on his way to dispelling the crowd. He found the town head, a wolf placed as a proxy, an extension of the Alpha and the ruling council. He got guards to shoo the people away.
Thankfully, the distraction with the little girl had created an opening to move the people along. It was temporary, they would gather again to gawk at the Ambassador.
Darius watched silently. Serena was fast. He wondered if there was some way to make her learn under the healers for the time she was here. Her kindness resembled that of his mother. He looked to the sky and sighed. He wished she was here to guide him.
Darius found himself at Serena’s side. She was keenly watching the woman and the child retreat. He cleared his throat and she flinched before relaxing.
"Ah, I did not hear you approach," she said softly.
"I did creep on you," he said.
Serena sighed and rubbed her arms, then looked at him with worried eyes. "That woman and child..."
Darius tilted his head. "Hm, you can’t help everyone." He had seen the woman before- that was her child. It was a sad case of neglect, but telling Serena would not be necessary.
"Before the crowd swarms us again, let’s go get your apples," he said, taking her hand.
After a few minutes of searching, they had settled on a stall. The stacks of apples had lifted Serena’s spirits, and a smile tugged at her lips.
"How much are they?" Serena asked the vendor, leaning over.
Darius fought hard not to laugh at her behaviour. The man looked lazily at her and then turned to Darius. He froze and then straightened himself, flashing a smile.
Darius rolled his eyes and stood closer to Serena.
"Five coins for one," he replied.
"Five?" Serena asked with raised brows. The stall did not have spectacular apples- they were average at most, and she had bought them cheaper somewhere else in Ironshade.
Darius cleared his throat and tilted his head. The man nearly jumped and put on another fake smile.
Serena pulled back and looked sheepishly at Darius. She had no coin on her.
He slipped his hand in his pocket and put a total of fifteen coins on the wooden stall. "Five."