"All right, love. End of the line."
Saoirse jerked her head up and groggily squinted her eyes, disoriented. "Huh?" Lush green grounds sprawled as far as she could see. She grumpily turned to face the cart driver, cringing at her stiff neck. She'd had such a nice dream about a great, strong oak basking in the sunlight; but barrels of wine, though eloquent storytellers, didn't exactly make for an easy pillow. Saoirse rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked a few times as she finally noticed the castle towering ahead, all banners and plush carpets and well-dressed guards. She frowned. "This doesn't look like the academy."
"That's because it isn't." The driver briskly walked around to the back of the cart and shooed Saoirse out as several men came over and helped him unload the barrels.
Saoirse quickly snatched her bag out of their way and hugged it to her chest. "But you said you'd take me to the academy!" she couldn't help blurting.
The cart driver looked his petulant passenger up and down, and heartily guffawed. "Runaway kids who beg a lift off a stranger don't usually get what they want."
"I'm not a kid," Saoirse grumbled as she pulled a stray bit of straw out of her hair.
This set the cart driver laughing again, which had not been her intended effect. She glowered at him as he hefted one of the oak barrels up onto his shoulder, still chuckling. "Look, you said you want to be an explorer, right?" He gestured at the castle with his free hand. "Go explore."
Saoirse watched the cart driver lumber off with his wine, then turned and faced the castle. She could just wait here for him-- it hadn't been all that hard to convince him to give her a ride in the first place-- but she hadn't eaten in a while, and the sounds of feasting and merriment winding their way out of the castle's open doors were unmistakable. And anyway, there were sure to be so many interesting things to talk to in there. Royal things, even.
"Right. Okay," Saoirse muttered. "No problem. I'll just crash a party in the royal castle. Wearing pants. No big deal." She took a deep breath, steeled herself, threw her bag over her shoulder, and walked inside.
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