[ WP ] Not even the first day of being an escort to the princess , yet the masses are in hysterics .

John sat quietly inside the carriage. John had never been inside one of these horse-drawn things - in fact, it was unusual for him to be sitting down at all before nightfall. 
 
 As the carriage moved onward and the bumpy road jostled the carriage, John thought back to that morning, when he had awakened and began the day like any other. 
 
 John was a peasant, born to a lineage of peasants. Each morning he would rise, and it being the summertime, would follow his father and brothers out into the fields for another day of labor. 
 
 But today had been different - around noon, the carriage had drawn up, and a man dressed in fanciful clothing asked to speak with John's father. The men talked for several minutes, then the outsider gave John's father a small sack and motioned for John to come over. 
 
 The man was in service of the Crown and had chosen John for his size and strength. Of all his brothers, John was the tallest and could work the hardest. 
 
 John was to leave immediately to travel to the throne's seat and begin his service. John said goodbye to his family and got inside the carriage. 
 
 The carriage jerked sharply as it slipped a wheel into a rut, bringing John back into the current moment. 
 
 The man from earlier sat opposite John, staring out the window of the carriage. 
 
 `` It's fortunate we found a man such as yourself so quickly,'' the man said. 
 
 John was n't so able with words, and he preferred to be silent anyway. 
 
 The man continued, `` The Queen sent us out last night, she was so anxious to have this matter settled.'' 
 
 John looked down at his hands - leathery and cracked from years of hard labor. 
 
 `` With the unusual occurrences among the kingdom, it's no wonder she's anxious,'' the man said. 
 
 John looked out the window and saw a man working in a field suddenly collapse. John remained silent. 
 
 The man leaned over and latched the door to the carriage shut, then opened a small sliding door above his head and told the driver to double up speed. 
 
 A whip cracked, and the carriage jerked forward and then hurried its pace. 
 
 `` We're about to pass through one of the troubled spots, John, so keep your wits about you and wait for my orders.'' 
 
 John looked back out the window. John wished he'd just have stayed to tend the potatoes.
