6-77 His Highness

“Do you truly hear nothing?” Lyra asked as she was placing her ear against the wall. If she could, she would have let herself melt into it.

Siv, sitting in her chair in the most elegant and passive posture with her hands on her lap, glanced at her party companion with a side-eye. “For the last time, Lyra, I’m unable to pick up any sound or noise at all. This is the Royal Court. Protection against eavesdropping is paramount.”

“Are you sure you can’t hear anything? We are literally in the next room. Are your ears working fine? Perhaps you are under the weather.”

Siv sighed. “I am not under the weather, and my ears are working fine, as you would put it. I can even hear the faint chattering of Nivia’s teeth.”

Nivia glowered at Siv and Lyra. “Don’t drag me into the nonsense of you two.” She was sitting in her chair, the same kind as Siv's, but she did not adopt a proper and elegant posture. Her posture was barely a sitting one. It was more of a squat with one’s posterior touching the ground. She had curled herself up in such a manner ever since the hearing began. She was even biting her nails.

“I apologise. That was not my intention. But I must say, you’re quite worried too, aren’t you, Nivia?”

“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I be? In fact, why are you so calm, Siv? Do you know something that we don’t?” Nivia inquired.

“I have faith in them,” Siv answered.

“I have faith in them too, but it’s not them that I’m worried about. It’s those… nobles. I know what they are like. I have dealt with people like them before.”

“As have I, Nivia,” said Siv. “They are known to employ underhanded techniques to obtain the results they desired. But this is the Royal Court. It is where all the significant individuals of the kingdom gather. And not all of them possess the same ambition or objective. Should they try any of those underhanded techniques, the opposition would expose them. If they wished to attempt any of those techniques, they would have done so before the hearing was called into session. And it is only a hearing. They already know everything beforehand. Whatever is happening inside the room, it is nothing but a necessary farce as a demonstration of a working system.”

“Kyu~” Ruri chirped with a nod.

“Well, if Rurir concurs, who are we to argue?” Lilian said with a titter as she fed the Kirin a small piece of the confectionery they were served.

“Are you kidding me?” Nivia stared at her friend with a bloodshot gaze.

“Only mildly. I agree with Siv. If there’s some vile schemes awaiting those two in that room, it would only happen if all the significant individuals in that room are in agreement. If that was the case, they wouldn’t need this farce.”

“S-so… Aedan and Erin will be alright?” Aera asked. She sat on a couch. She was in a much more proper posture than Nivia, but her expression was the worst. There were heavy bags under her eyes, and she had not stopped drumming her fingers ever since they were ushered into this room to wait for the hearing to end.

“They better be,” said Amyra. She was standing by the door, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. Her signature weapon, the gigantic cleaver sword, was not on her back. Only the Royal Guards were allowed to be armed in the building. “But I doubt anything would happen. They would not want to anger the Spirits or all the followers of Aeryo.”

“Threats like that don’t work on idiots,” Nivia grumbled. “Murder is a crime too. You can get your head lopped off for that, but people still commit murders regardless.”

“The master and the mistress are together,” said Siv. “They have made powerful friends. One of them is the Scarlet Blade. She is in that room. I doubt anything would go wrong.”

“There you have it, Nivia. No reason to worry.”

“You know better, Lilian,” Nivia scoffed. “No reason not to expect the unexpected.”

“You will ruin yourself with those kinds of thoughts in mind.”

“I’m just preparing myself for the events that they come out of the room with their hands bound in cuffs or clasps.”

Aera appeared to jump slightly in her seat. Fear was apparent on her face, but the faint violet flames burning on the ends of her hair suggested the rise of another emotion.

Lilian noticed. “Let us all be in silence, alright?”

Nivia rolled her eyes, but she didn’t refute. She also noticed Aera’s change. The last thing they wanted was an outbreak of Aera’s wrath.

“Wait. I hear something,” said Lyra.

“So do I,” Siv followed with her observation. “The hearing is over.”

Aera was the first to spring to her feet. She nearly tripped on her robes. She rushed for the door, but before she could reach it, the doors swung open. And there two were, Aedan and Erin, unharmed and untouched. There were no clasps or cuffs on their wrists. “Aedan!” Aera cheered and leapt into Aedan’s arms.

“Whoa there!” Aedan received her with open arms.

“You’re alright… I’m so glad,” she cried. She rubbed her head against his chest, as if she intended to cover him with her scent.

“I’m fine, too, Aera.”

“Oh!” Aera pushed herself off of Aedan and redirected herself towards Erin. “I-I’m sorry. I was—”

“It’s alright, Aera. You’re happy, and that’s all that matters.”

Aera smiled wryly and nodded.

“Did they touch you?” Lyra asked as she walked up to Erin, close enough to feel each other’s breath. “Did they hurt you in any way?”

“Nothing of that sort happened. It’s just a hearing, a farce of one. Iris briefed us on that. Have you already forgotten? Or do you not trust her?”

Lyra did not answer. She simply threw her arms around Erin. “Let’s just get out of here quickly. This place is suffocating.”

“I agree with Lyra,” said Nivia. “The nobles are known to pull the rug from under one’s feet at the very last moment.”

“I’m also in agreement with that,” Amyra added. “Besides, the sooner I can be reunited with my trusty partner, the better.”

“Your trusty partner?”

“My sword.”

“In that case, you can have it back now.”

Everyone immediately turned towards the doorway. That voice was not from among them.

“Why are you here?” Erin questioned, shielding Lyra behind her. Aedan did the same with Aera. Everyone had their eyes trained on the individual who had just barged into their circle unannounced. None of them even noticed the individual’s approach until he made himself known.

“You are in the presence of His Highness, the Crown Prince,” announced the knight standing beside the Crowned Prince, Leovin. “You will address him with the respect that is demanded from all his subjects.”

“It’s alright, Spencer.” Leovin smiled as he pacified his knight’s aggression. “These people are the saviours of the city. They deserved some… leniency towards the code of royal etiquette.”

Aedan took Aera’s hand and dragged her behind Erin with the others. Once everyone was behind Aedan and Erin, the latter stepped forward.

“What honour do we owe for the crowned prince’s visit?” Erin asked.

“May we speak in private?”

The crowned prince posed a question, but Erin knew well enough it was no question. It was no request. It was a command, framed in a cordial manner to give the issuer a semblance of generosity. It spoke to one’s vanity.

“Very well.” Erin nodded.

“Erin, you can’t be—” Lyra protested but Aedan stopped her before she could overstep in the presence of the crowned prince.

Fortunately, the private place Leovin had in mind was not far from the parlour Erin’s party was in. It was just across the hallway. It was smaller than the parlour she was just in. The room was not exactly furnished. All it had was a desk and two chairs. There weren’t even any lamps. Leovin and Erin entered the room, but the knight did not follow the prince into the room. The knight closed the door from the outside and locked it.

“Please have a seat,” Leovin said as soon as the click of the lock was heard. He sat down on the chair behind the desk.

“I’ll stand.”

“As you wish, Lady Erynthea. I do have to beg your forgiveness for this… charade.”

“Locking me inside a room that is half the size of the parlour with you, the crowned prince, is a charade?”

“Misunderstandings are… abound, but I assure you it is all necessary to mislead the opposing factions.”

The plural usage did not go unnoticed by Erin. “Is that so?”

“I would invite your lover, too, if there weren’t so many eyes here.”

“My lover? Which one?”

The prince looked taken aback for a moment, but he brushed it off with a chuckle. “I’m talking about my father’s mentor, of course.”

Erin felt her eyes twitching. She would have frowned if she hadn’t been on her guard against Leovin.

“I’m well aware of who he is, Lady Erynthea. And I have no intentions of being his enemy or yours.”

“...If what you say is true, then shouldn’t you be having this conversation with him instead?”

“I would if there weren’t so many eyes here. Having a private audience with the Heir to the Dragon God’s throne, who’s just an unassuming individual to many, would raise a lot of questions. You will be a significantly less… questionable choice. To many, it would just look like I’m soliciting a great beauty who's also the leader of the party that is partly responsible for the capture of William Marsh. Nothing unusual about that.”

“And what exactly is the purpose of this conversation?”

“It’s nothing much. I simply wish to clear up any misunderstandings between us. The crown is not your enemy. I have made sure of that.”

“What about your brother?”

“He played a significant role in William Marsh’s scheme. He will have to answer for that.”

“What about the others?”

“...That I cannot be certain of. I’m ashamed to admit that while I may be the crowned prince, my powers are not almighty. Not everyone listens to my… decree or commands. As I am the king regent at best.”

“What about your father, the king?”

“My father is ill, but he’s still alive. He’s still the true king…. However, it won’t be for long.”

If Erin felt uncomfortable with Leovin’s confession, she did not show it.

“I’m sure you are confused as to why I’m sharing this with you. It’s because of His Grace. I had my spies gather what they could about you.”

“I see.”

“You don’t sound surprised.”

“A member of the royalty has a string of spies at his beck and call. That’s nothing surprising about that. And I’m well aware of my feats and actions. It would be strange if someone of your position has no interest in me. Even my allies spy on me, let alone others.”

“You’re not just a warrior and a beau. You have a good head on your shoulders. The amount of things you can do if you exploit all those three strengths of yours.”

“Are you suggesting something, Your Highness?”

“Oh, don’t mind me. I was just… imagining what could have been. Besides, I wouldn’t dare suggest anything, lest I incur the wrath of Aedan Dramont.”

“Aedan Dramont?”

“Did I say anything weird?”

“...Nothing. It’s just that I wasn’t aware he has a family name of his own.”

“In all fairness, I am not sure if that was his true name, but it was the name he gave when he became my father’s mentor.”

“Speaking of that, how did you come to know about your father and Aedan? I can’t imagine that he told you, but not your brother, considering your brother was the former crowned prince and the rumoured favoured son.”

Leovin chuckled. “My father didn’t tell me about Aedan. He did, however, keep a journal. I found the journal by chance.”

“I see… That’s interesting and all, but… I still don’t see the reason for this private conversation. Is that all you had to tell me?”

“Apologies. I have digressed. As you may have already realised, I have a request for Aedan Dramont.”

“And what is the request?”

“I want to hire him. More specifically, I want him to heal my father, the king.”

Erin stared at the crowned prince of the Argon Kingdom with a mouth agape. “...What?”