After another three days on a carriage, I was back in Coronale with—thank god!—Eldrin and Elise both unhurt.
The Keon troops withdrew almost right that instant from Cimon and Bila, and Azmera's from Witrin, declaring war-free era of Keon. Prince—I mean—King Valentine ascended to the throne and was now learning kingly duty well and busily. It seemed he had no more time to flirt with girls, but there was one girl who still could not stop talking about him.
"That pervert Prince didn't even send us off, such manners!" Elise said while we were travelling on the carriage back to Coronale.
I tried to suppress my smile, "He's a king now. He's busy and he's injured Elise."
"You're taking his side Kara!"
And many other times she complaint about how being a king was perfect for Valentine to attract more girls and that he must be the King who had the largest concubines harem in the century; or how his new uniform looked funny on him; or how he hardly contact any of us after the war; or how was his injuries; or whether his pink hair butler was looking after him well. There were endless of them.
King Nikko of Bila came by himself and took Eldrin and Elise back to their Kingdom a week later. The King was so happy that the war had ended and was being able to reunite with his kids once more. He gave me a gift saying it was a royal treasure, very precious, and there was only one left in the world now.
It was the Light of Bila.
I did not think I was worth such valuable thing. We spent almost an hour pushing the gift back and forth until I was the first one to give up on the pushing game. Elise and Eldrin said they would miss me and Eldrin added he wished they could stay so that perhaps I could whack all the stupid thoughts about perverted King out of his sister's head. He was heartily sick of it. I smiled and waved goodbye to them heartily too, but I wondered if I could miss them with all the works piled up on my desk, the problem of uncontrolled Magic, and my false pretense which got messier day by day. I could only miss the real Princess Carla for the moment.
Anyway I felt this journey was in fact quite worth the time and energy spent on. Not just the Keon's Prince and Queen, the Bila, the Witrin, and the Cimon Prince all decided to withdraw from Princess' partner candidate—many more out, great! Since Jared insisted on rebuild Cimon with his brother, there was a serious bawl before our departure too.
King Julien said during the last meeting with a most heartfelt smile, "You have my true and earnest thank Princess Carla. Cimon is in your eternal debt. Repayment for your bravery and kindness will forever embed in our mind." He paused glancing at his brother here then began again gingerly. "I have one more request. Would you please take Jared back with you?"
"Ju—!"
"Be quiet," King Julien said in a low stern voice. "You have your own duty remember?"
"Trying to get together with Princess of Coronale?" Jared said mockingly and loudly exposing all the plan the King had for him. The King frowned and buried his face in his hand, quite unable to shut his brother's mouth up. I on the other hand was listening interestingly and attentively to what Jared was saying, "I'm through with that! I couldn't face anyone if I got to be King of Coronale by taking an easy way! I'm the most talented Magician, I—"
Well, it was not like I did not know their intention in the first place.
"Jared," The King finally had enough. "You will go with the Princess. This is my order."
"Julien!"
King Julien had an austere face. "How can I let you help me here when you can't even finish that easy job I assigned to you?" Here the King was so angry that he himself revealed the plan as well.
In the midst of the bickering, many more history of the brothers slipped out. It appeared the former King and Queen of Cimon, or Julien and Jared's dad and mum, were killed in the last war between Cimon and Keon. The whole family would have been slaughtered if Magic did not decide to go berserk at the moment causing the Queen Silvia, who had just finished off the former King and was about to kill Jared, to lose the control of the Magic and had to call off her army. It gave time for Cimon to rebuild their Kingdom and Prince Julien to take on his kingship. There was no invasion until now. But during the time, King Julien took it really hard enduring the hardship and misery of an annihilated Kingdom after war. He was also afraid that he would lose his little brother, the only relative he had left, and did every way to provide the safety. When he heard about me arriving,—or actually Princess Carla—he thought the safest place for his talented precious brother was by my—or actually Princess Carla—side. I—Princess Carla was known to have such an incredible power to control Magic anyway. Both brothers let all of their feelings out, and ended up hugging each other, crying and sobbing in a lump on the floor. I looked sideway at Shaph who met my gaze in the same manner. It was good that no one was there to witness the un-kingly and un-princely scene but me and him.
In the end, I decided for them that Jared should stay and help. Not because I wanted him away, but because the Prince was so determined that I saw a glimpse of myself when I wanted to help my family and tried so hard to get their acceptance there. I was not sure if I got any acceptance even until now, but I wanted Jared to be able to do what he want, and prove what he can. I pointed out that Queen Silvia was already out-of-magic and assured the King that King Valentine would not try to harm Cimon anymore. I also promised to always come to Jared whenever he was in dire need.
Back at the opulent working room in Coronale, it was already two weeks after the Keon war and one week after asking Shaph to pass on the Light of Bila to Sharon, I laid down a corner-wrinkled letter resting my arm on the cushioned armrest of an oak chair and stared out restfully past the checked windows into the bright blue sky. The letter was from Philip. He said that all was well and that he was helping his citizens recovering the war. The Witrin Prince seemed to have gained popularity from the incident, Shaph told me, Philip fought the enemy hard and people were deeply touched. He received flowers instead of precious but hurting rocks now. I was glad for him.
Then I thought about the Cimon brothers, King Valentine, and the Bila's family. Something warm and light welled in me. It seemed all the problems had been solved and everyone was happy. I was happy too. It was the first time since coming to this world that I felt an arrant ease. To top all that, Jes brought in the primest news that afternoon.
"I found Princess." He said.
Shaph and I were in ecstasy of bursting into tears. We pelted down the corridors, dashed past many many halls, clattering down stairs to the vault underground where, for the first time in spite of the many visits, I awed at the giant viewscreen which seemed to composed purely out of colored air. On there, a tiny green light was flickering on and off moving about slowly in an axe shape land.
"That's Thailand!" I said pointing at the screen where my home was.
Jes made a gesture and I felt like being suck into the picture as the map become more specific and the green dot was made clear to be moving along Sukhumvit road around the Asoke area in Bangkok. It was not fast so she must be walking. My heart leapt with joy recognizing the place. I could not wait to go back there and fetch Princess Carla back for them now.
"I know the place!" I announced my thought. "How do I go back? I can bring Princess Carla for you."
I waited with bated breath. Jes coughed one time and started, not as confident as he usually was, "That," he said, "will take time."
"Why?" I asked.
"Princess," Shaph took to the explaining, "actually, Magic status is almost as bad as previous to your arrival. I guess the gush of Princess Carla's power when the gate last opened is fading away. It will be harder for Master Jes to open the gate to the Dry World."
"It's not just that," Jes said, "I admit that even when Magic is under full control, it will also take me about a week to open the gate. I'm not as good as the Keon King."
"Oh," I was not disappointed. "but you can open it right?"
Jes hesitantly nodded.
"Then open it!" I said, "Better than not trying at all. I will wait as long as it takes you."
"Alright." Jes was unusually deference. His voice was muffled and subdued, contrary to the one who was talking about bringing back Princess Carla all the time. The way he was always against me made me think he had a bad impression about my world. I shook the doubt off, not wanting to think about something that I would not be involved in the future anymore, and it would not be nice to violate such happiness I had at the time. Swiveling with a flourish of my dress, a portrait of Princess Carla in arms of her parents leveled my eyes. I had just realized there was another one here too.
"I wondered how the King and the Queen passed away so early," I unintentionally talked to myself, wistfully gazing at the dim oil-paint.
"Winter was exceptionally ruthless that year and was twice longer than usual. The King and the Queen sent Princess Carla to the Dry world and set off to find the cause," I was fetched by Shaph's voice. He was helping Jes with the Magic while talking. "Master Derek told me."
"It was my tragic bedtime story for almost ten years." Jes said focusing on the Magic screen.
"The season was back to normal but the King and the Queen did not return," Shaph continued. "until they were sent back to the castle, as—" his voice failed a bit here, "as lifeless bodies lying in a coffin. Master said they were frozen to death."
"Oh dear," I said glumly. "I'm so sorry." so that was how Princess Carla was lost to this world forever.
There was uncomfortable silence after the story so I said nothing else and quietly left the room. Shaph stayed and assisted Jes with the process. I exhaled the sadness out and trod gaily all the way back up to the study where Sir Liam was restlessly marching back and forth, holding a red envelop, looking horrendously haggard.
I had not a chance to ask whether I overworked him when Sir Liam came hobbled toward me speaking in such alarm. I was almost alerted too but they were just, "Princess! An invitation from Queen Roseheart!"
"Hmm?" I took the dashing red envelop from the Chancellor, broke the gold rose seal, and slid the gold-trimmed cream paper with rose watermark out. The swirly letters on there were written in red. It said that the Queen will hold a re-coronation party.
"It's just a coronation party." I told Sir Liam but deeply I was also worried, because it meant that Fayn had already, otherwise, dead.
"But Queen Roseheart," Sir Liam doddered—maybe it was because of his age—"is known to be very...ho—agg—vi—in— , I mean—" he kept hinting me with the first syllable of the words and finally concluded with the mildest one, "troublesome."
I tittered teasing him, "I thought she's hoaggviin?"
"Princess!"
"Sorry Sir Liam," I apologized for kidding him with a smile. "But you needn't worry. It's a big ceremony I don't think Queen Roseheart would do anything fiendish or immoral in front of so many royalties and nobles."
Or at least, it shouldn't be so.