The World Dragon's Heir
Chapter 166: Travelling Incognito

Chapter 166: Travelling Incognito

Well after dark, the convoy pulled to the side of the road in an open clearing, and Commander Dax came back to the truck Dominic and Alexis were riding in.

"My Lady, we have an issue. Our cover requires that we operate as a unit under the command of a Lord. But nobody thought about where you would fit into that cover. We just assumed that someone else had, and it slipped our mind." He whispered.

"Meaning?"

"You will either have to sleep in the transport carriage with our supposed Earl, or we will have to explain to anyone who happens upon us why the Lord is sleeping in the dirt with the common soldiers." Dax mumbled.

The road was a busy one, and they had only just managed to remove all their heraldry before the next group came down the road in the opposite direction, bringing farm supplies to market.

Alexis smiled at the Commander. "Fear not, we can manage this level of disguise. Think of it as the Lord Sorcerer auditioning for his role as fiancé."

Commander Dax choked on his next words, then stiffly saluted. "Understood. I will... leave you to your evening preparations."

He closed the door of the passenger compartment, and Alexis laughed.

"This is destined to be an interesting trip. Either we come back victorious, or both of our reputations will be ruined, and we will be cast out of the social circles of the upper Nobility entirely." She joked.

Dominic chuckled. "Well, if we are, I know a nice spot in the woods where we could move and nobody would ever know our names."

The Princess shook her head in dismay, then turned her back. "Help me with this, would you? Noblewomen’s clothing is not intended to be put on or removed by one person. Well, neither is armour. But we don’t have any staff with us for that purpose on this outing."

Dominic smiled as he undid the knot in her corset laces.

"You know, there is a method to this for commoner women without maids. If you take all this extra lacing, and instead of running it back up the row, you loop it around the front, you can tie yourself off and everything will stay tight.

Normally, a commoner housewife would be wearing an apron all day, so the laces are covered. I learned all about it from my mother when I grabbed and untied the lace as a kid.

But for the sake of appearances, it’s better that I lace you up. We wouldn’t want people thinking that my wife couldn’t afford to be dressed properly." He joked.

Once the lacing was loose, Dominic helped her out of the garment, then did his very best not to react as she let the dress fall, revealing her slip dress, which was simple cotton and easily removed without assistance.

She held out her hand, and Dominic handed her the night gown on the bench.

Then, Alexis realized that it was Dominic in here with her, and not her dressing maids.

"Forget that you saw that."

"I’m quite certain that is not possible. However, I can refrain from mentioning it."

Alexis rolled her eyes and turned him around before she removed the slip and lowered the nightgown over her head. Then she smirked at Dominic.

"Aren’t you going to get ready for bed?" She asked in a taunting voice.

Dominic sat on the bench and stripped off his shirt, then began to unbutton his pants before Alexis turned away with flaming red cheeks.

A pair of soft flannel pants replaced the day wear, and he was ready for sleep.

"I will fold this so it doesn’t wrinkle. The back bench folds out into a bed, and I will get the blankets out from under it when I shift the seat." He offered.

"Yes, excellent. Thank you." Alexis stammered.

Dominic made the bed, and Alexis motioned for him to take the back.

"If anyone breaks into the truck, put up a barrier and eliminate them with magic. My hair is dyed black, but if they get a good look at me, there is a good chance that someone will recognize me and report it back to their boss." She explained.

"Got it."

Sleep was not an easy task that night. At least, for Dominic.

Especially not as the sleeping position she had chosen made her the little spoon as he lay facing the door, so he could react to intruders.

Princess Alexis was asleep within seconds of her head hitting the pillow, but Dominic was keenly aware of her sleeping next to him, and the journey to sleep seemed to take forever.

So, when he woke up, it was almost a relief to know that he had actually managed to rest at some point.

He carefully stepped over the Princess, and began to get dressed, putting on his armour, then reconsidering trying to fit clothes over chain mail so he could look more Noble. He didn’t have any fancy clothing fitted for that, like most Nobles would.

Instead, he put on Sorcerer robes with his chest plate over them and one of the ornate top hats that had been included in the purchase of formal clothing he made for the effort to court the Princess.

Paired with a set of goggles as a hat band, he made a perfectly disjointed image of a tech obsessed Noble Mage.

It would have to do.

Then, he woke Alexis and got her fully dressed and armoured.

"Alright, we look like a proper Earl and Countess. Now, let’s go see what the Regiment has for breakfast, and get on the road again."

The answer was oatmeal and dried fruit. Not fancy, but filling.

The Regiment pushed hard through the day, as the trucks had magitech boilers, and the horses were all mechanical, not needing to stop for rest.

The riders did, but stretching and preventing saddle sores took less time than letting a winded horse rest and eat. That efficiency got them into the regions where the major battles between Dagos and Cygnia had occurred before nightfall.

"Everything from here forward can be considered hostile territory, and we won’t get much radio contact out here, for obvious reasons." Commander Dax reminded them.

"Of course. Did you have a spot in mind to rest for the evening?" Dominic asked.

"There is a village not far from here. A nameless cluster of farm houses. They were shelled by artillery when Dagos soldiers holed up in them. There isn’t much left, but it will block the wind, and we might be able to sleep inside." He reported.

"That works. Nobody likes to sleep in the dirt when they could toss a soft pad on the floor of a farmhouse."