Chapter 475: A Bit of Charity

"An orphanage? Really?"

Iryna stepped carefully out of the carriage, holding the heavy folds of her traveling cloak above the dusty cobblestones. She looked up at the weathered brick facade of the three-story building nestled in the quiet, tree-lined corner of the lower district. The wooden sign swinging above the gate bore a simple carved crest of a oak leaf, faded by years of rain and sun.

Gillian, who had already gotten down before her, now stood beside her, adjusting the lapels of his dark cloak as he looked up at the building with a calm, softened gaze.

"Yes," Gillian replied easily. "An orphanage."

Iryna turned her head, crossing her arms over her chest as a faint, amused smirk touched her lips. "Wow, brother. You certainly bring your little habits everywhere you go, don’t you? Not only in our own empire, but in other empires as well?"

"They need help, too," Gillian said, walking past her toward the rear of the carriage where two dressed royal porters were waiting for his signal. "Besides, children aren’t loyal to borders or royal crowns. They are the future of not just their empire, but our entire world."

Gillian raised a hand, gesturing to the heavy wooden crates resting in the boot of the carriage. "Unload everything, please. The grain, the dried meats, the winter wools, and the books from the third carriage behind us. Help them carry everything inside." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

The guards bowed respectfully and immediately set to work, lifting the heavy crates with ease.

Iryna stood beside Gillian, watching the men carry the supplies through the open front doors. "And I take it you didn’t just sneak out of the palace to do this illegally?"

"Of course not," Gillian chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I requested King Alderon’s personal permission two days ago. He welcomed the idea with open arms. A foreign prince being welcomed to support local charities is hardly something his royal court would object to."

Iryna let out a quiet sigh, pulling her cloak a little tighter against the breeze, though her dark softened as she looked toward the courtyard. "Well... I suppose it’s certainly better than sitting around at the palace all day."

Before Gillian could answer, the front door of the building creaked open wide, and a dozen children came spilling out into the gravel courtyard like a released flock of birds. A middle-aged woman in a simple, dark linen dress scurried out behind them, her hands fluttering in flustered gratitude as she bowed deeply toward Gillian.

Within minutes, the quiet courtyard was alive with loud laughter and running feet. Iryna, despite her sharp tongue and royal upbringing, found herself kneeling down on the gravel, her expensive silk dress completely forgotten as two young girls with braided hair pulled her toward a set of wooden jacks. She laughed softly, her usual political edge melting away as she fielded endless, curious questions about her shiny golden bracelets.

Across the yard, Gillian walked over to the head matron. He stood under the shade of an old birch tree, speaking in low, attentive tones as the woman pulled out a worn leather ledger to show him the winter inventory needs. Gillian listened patiently, nodding at her explanations, making mental notes of every detail before handing her a heavy, wax-sealed coin purse.

An hour later, as the afternoon sun began to dip lower in the sky, long golden shadows stretched across the grass, and the children were called inside for their evening meal.

Gillian and Iryna sat together near a small, quiet stone table in the corner of the garden. A young caretaker had brought them a simple pot of hot rosehip tea and two clay mugs.

Iryna blew gently on the steam rising from her cup, taking a slow sip before setting it down on the stone surface. She leaned her forearms against the table, looking at her brother with a quiet, contemplative expression.

"Alright," Iryna began softly, her voice dropping into a intimate, serious tone. "Not that I hate coming here, it was actually quite lovely, to be honest. But what does visiting a lower-district orphanage have to do with what you said earlier back in my sitting room? About connecting Auzelian and Solaric in a whole different way?"

Gillian held his tea mug in both hands, feeling the warmth seep into his fingers. He looked out over the empty grass where the children had just been playing, his pale eyes distant and filled with a heavy, old memory.

"Aunt Elara," Gillian murmured quietly.

Iryna went entirely still. The faint breeze rustled the leaves above them, but the silence between them felt sudden and thick.

"Aunt Elara?" Iryna repeated, her eyebrows knitting together.

Elara Sylvaris. The younger sister of their father. A royal princess of Solaric who had died years ago, long before Iryna was old enough to truly understand the world. Iryna had very few personal memories of her, just faint recollections of a soft voice and the scent of pressed lilies. Whenever she asked about her as a child, the adults would clam up instantly. People were remarkably reluctant to speak her name, even their father, who always looked away with a pained, dark expression whenever Elara was mentioned in passing.

Except for Gillian. Gillian had been older when she passed. He had been remarkably close with their aunt, spending hours in her private glasshouse as a young boy, and he still spoke of her fondly whenever they were alone.

"What about her?" Iryna asked softly, leaning closer across the table. "Why bring up Aunt Elara now?"

Gillian took a slow, quiet breath, the steam from his tea veiling his face for a brief second. He set his mug down on the table with a dull, hollow clink.

"Before she died," Gillian said, his voice dropping into a low, steady register that carried an immense weight, "I made a promise to her. A promise that I intend to fulfill, no matter how long it takes or how deep I have to dig."

Iryna watched his face, sensing the absolute gravity behind his words. "What promise, Gillian?"

Gillian looked straight into his sister’s eyes, his expression turning solemn.

"I have to find our lost blood, Iryna."