─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Ezra mumbled with a smirk on his face as he tied the bracelet on Xavier's wrist.
"Here, I double knotted it. Seems like the string used for the bracelets are of exquisite quality. Thick and sturdy. I am quite impressed with the princess's craftsmanship as well. She is quite talented with her hands for such a young age, do you not agree, Xavier?" Ezra praised the princess as he inspected the bracelet against the sunlight, walking towards the balcony.
Xavier rolled his eyes while shaking his head.
"Consider yourself blessed. If you were not here at the exact time of me opening this letter, I would have tossed yours out the window." Xavier replied in an agitated tone.
"What a shame, really. If I had a daughter like the princess, I'd have ten… no, dozens of daughters. I would love them with all my might and soul. Instead, you only have one daughter, and you cannot even treat her properly. Tsk tsk tsk. She makes you a gift with her own tiny, little hands with so much sacrifice and love, and all you have to show for is to toss away her hard work. Shameful." Ezra lectured as he shifted his gaze upon the view from the office balcony.
"Then get busy making daughters with the captured princesses you're so fond of, and leave me alone. Unlike you, I must convert this kingdom as part of Giodivonia." Xavier responded as he opened the letter from Hansol.
"You know, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. This is a nice little kingdom we got ourselves here. The view is to die for. Too soon?" Ezra chuckled as he leaned forward on the balcony railing.
"Your dark humor is tiring at times, but I'll admit the view… It is decent. I am more interested in the diamond mine. It is a small kingdom, but the value has its worth." Xavier replied.
"You know something, Xavier? Something has been bothering me for the past couple of days now. The king is dead, the queen is nowhere to be found, not to mention three fallen princesses are now slaves. Usually, noblewomen commit suicide during these situations. So I wonder why the princesses decided to lose their title and become slaves rather than die an honorable death as their father did."
Xavier placed the half-read letter on the table and brushed his hair back with his fingers as a sign of frustration. Then, he turned his body around, facing Ezra's direction.
"Why do you continue to pester me about useless things when we have so much work to do? If they chose to be slaves, then so be it. They knew what they were getting themselves into. I spared their lives since they pleaded for mercy. As to what is done to them in the dungeon is far out of my reach." Xavier responded as he stood up, walking up to Ezra on the balcony.
"If I were them, I would have just died an honorable death. They lost so much because of this war. Not only did they lose their family, but their home and title as well. All is lost for them. To become a concubine or a slave is too cruel. They will get beaten, raped, or tortured by savage knights. I cannot understand why someone would choose to be a slave." Ezra questioned, deep in thought as he continued to lean against the balcony railing.
Xavier leaned against the balcony railing, joining Ezra as they stared off into the distance.
"Honestly, I would have died an honorable death as well. If we were to have this conversation a few years back, I would have not only killed the princesses, but I would have felt satisfaction doing so. But, given that my circumstances have changed in the past couple of years, I decided to listen to their cries of anguish and despair. I am getting weaker-minded, I suppose." Xavier replied while looking down at the bracelet Amara made him.
Ezra smiled gently and looked at Xavier.
"It is simple. You are a father now, Xavier. Your heart and mindset are finally accepting the fact that the little, sweet girl back home is your flesh and blood. A precious gift from her former empress, may her soul rest in peace. Whether you want to admit it or not, you admire and love the princess more than you think you do. Perhaps you fight yourself at times with these thoughts. But soon, you are going to value the princess with all your might. Perhaps you will lay your life out for the princess. That is what loving fathers do, after all. I have faith you will come to your senses soon enough.' Ezra said as he patted Xavier on the back.
Xavier crossed his arms as he stared at the ground with thought.
"The princesses in the dungeon… what are their ages?" Xavier asked as he looked at Ezra.
"Good question. The beautiful one is the eldest of the three. I'd say she is 18 years of age. As for the other two, one looks to be 15 or 16 years of age. The youngest is possibly 12? Or so I hear. She is quite young."
Xavier closed his eyes.
"I need you to report to the knights in the dungeon to leave them untouched and unharmed. They are far too young to suffer more than they already did. I already ruined their lives as it is… We do not need more wounds engraved to their hearts."
Ezra raised both eyebrows in surprise.
"Yes, you are right. They have suffered enough bloodshed for a lifetime. I will make sure they are treated well. They are still of royal blood after all." Ezra smiled.
Xavier stared at the faded-grey sky. A gust of wind made the leaves on the trees rustle.
"Strange. Two weeks into our journey and not a single drop of water until now. Thanks for ruining the moment with your curse. I will let you get back to work." Ezra said teasingly as he turned around and patted Xavier's back once more.
As Ezra walked back into the office, he noticed the open letter lying on top of Xavier's messy paperwork.
Looking around anxiously, he picked up the letter and began to skim it before Xavier came back inside.
Ezra's mouth opened wide in disbelief. With the letter in his hand, he looked up at Xavier in front of him with his arms crossed.
"Snooping around through my personal matters now, little brother?"Xavier questioned with anger in his voice.
"... X...Xavier… the princess…." Ezra stuttered with a shaky voice.
Xavier furrowed his eyebrows and snatched the letter from Ezra's hand with speed.
Certain words stuck out like a sore thumb 'awakening' and 'imperial mage.'
Xavier froze like a statue. He slowly looked at Ezra, who was also speechless.
"She had her awakening?!" Xavier yelled in shock.