This is twelve pages on my draft ;D Nearly killed all my brain cells, so weak editing.
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Chapter 160:
Political Allies
The cooling air around the palace was cold, but the warmth of the two bodies under the covers brought a peaceful mood to the morning that not even the chill could deter. Waking up with Silas by his side, Clarence felt his cheeks warming up, and he was tempted to kiss Silas the moment he laid eyes on him, but he had the sneaking suspicion Silas would not take well to be woken up for a reason like that, and instead let him be as he lifted himself off of the bed, adjusting his shirt as he stood up, a sliver of his toned waist exposed to the cold air.
By the time Silas had sat up, waking up slowly, Clarence was already dressed, standing not far from the bed, savoring the quiet moment between them. Moving off the bed, Silas shifted the covers off his bare legs and stood up, stretching his arms with a lax air around him.
"Today we'll finally be finding out what Eva wants to do with you." Silas muttered, blinking the sleep out of his blurry eyes as he grabbed and placed a clean tunic over his head, letting out a small, soundless sigh as he adjusted the hem. "I can't say I'm not worried what the outcome will be, but-" Silas stared over his shoulder, meeting eyes with Clarence. He smiled gently, finishing adjusting his shirt as he added, "Whatever happens, we'll be on your side."
I didn't think I could love him anymore than I already do. Seeing him smile so sweetly, it makes me want to sweep him off his feet and bring him back to bed. Thinking such thunderous thoughts, Clarence pulled himself out of his mind and replied with a smile of his own. "Thank you, Silas. I feel a little more at ease now."
"I don't think Eva has any plans to make things harder for you, but I think the next couple months will be a test of your patience… and a test of your will too." Tying the tunic's collar with a knot, Silas thought to himself before he said again, "I hope we can work together well, at least."
The pair was engulfed in a sweet warmth for a moment before there was a knock at the door, urging them to hurry along.
After the pair were dressed, they were led by the guards to one of the palace's smaller dining rooms for guests. They ignored the aggressive stares of the wandering rebels and kept their eyes forward, their bodies only a short distance apart, giving each other strength. As they stepped through the door to the room, they were greeted by a mostly empty room, filled only with food and papers at the table.
"Good morning." Silas said, walking with Clarence naturally at his side. Maeir had yet to arrive at the table, but the smell of fresh coffee made Silas wake up a little as he was led to his seat at the large round table,
The guest dining room, while small, was large enough to comfortably accommodate Eva, Silas, and Clarence and various plates of food. Several servants fluttered around the room, placing food items on their plates as Eva's finished plate was moved away from in front of her, the plate quickly replaced by the letter, handed over quietly by a meek-looking maid, who appeared less than pleased as she handed the letter over with two hands.
"More unpleasant news, I'm sure." Holding the letter in her hand, Eva used a nearby letter knife to slice the letter open, unfolding the parchment as her narrowed eyes scanned the page, her expression falling more and more before she finally laid the letter back on the table.
As the letter was laid on the table, Maeir walked into the room, two guards at either side of her as they stopped at the door, as if they had finished escorting her. "Good morning." Maeir said, staring over at Eva, and then her son and the prince next to him, gently nodding her head in acknowledgement towards Clarence. She sat at the table, across from Silas as she stared over the assortment of food, wondering what she might eat.
Staring at Eva's poor expression, Silas found himself asking aloud, "What would you like to discuss first, Eva, now that we are all here." The food, though still warm, was largely untouched, their appetites soured by the worry of bad news.
"Of course. We have a lot to discuss today, but it would be best to fill you all in on what has happened in your absence from the palace." Raising her gaze, Eva motioned towards the food in front of them. "Please eat something in the meantime. It will be a long morning without a meal."
Attempting to fill his empty stomach, Silas took a few bites of the food in front of him, placed on his plate by Clarence, but his stomach was too knotted to each much, and each bite felt like clay in his mouth, causing him to sip at a cup of coffee, his eyes on Eva with anticipation.
"You probably would like to know about your friends, Clarence." Eva started with impatience, her gaze falling towards the prince first as she eyed the previous letter. "I've already received word from Jasmine regarding your wife." Eva quipped, her brow twitching with irritation as she continued, "Duke Cyneric, Princess Lambros, and Princess Dupont are safe and will be transported to the Highland mansion as soon as possible by one of the teams, be it Jasmine's, or heaven forbid Holland's with that parasite tagging along… that damn Captain Laurent."
"He's still alive?" Silas found himself asking, somewhat shocked another one of the palace's loyalists made it out from under the rebels' crushing win. "I thought he would have been killed." Clarence nodded in agreement, surprised the captain was kept alive as well. In all honesty, I thought he would have escaped the kingdom. I wonder what happened?
Though, knowing his friend Alywin was safe, Clarence felt a wash of relief of his own.
Eva's face fell again, her anger palpable as she gritted her teeth, "Holland Joey has yet to provide me a good reason why that hound is still alive. If he so much as steps foot in this palace with that dog, I'll have them both hung until he gives me a good enough reason to keep him alive."
Sitting at the table, Clarence turned towards Silas, thinking to himself, Thankfully there are more pressing people Eva wishes to kill before me, at least.
"What is the plan for today?" Maeir asked, slowly eating the fruit on her plate in front of her with a frown. "I'm sure you did not bring us all the way here to discuss Captain Laurent."
The papers in front of Eva moved back and forth into three piles, one to her left, right, and one in her hand, skimmed over before it was placed back to the left with a fluttering sound. "Today, we'll be preparing to reintroduce you to the public now that Malcolm has disappeared." Staring at the papers laying in front of her, Eva lifted her cup of tea, taking a sip of the fragrant black tea as she spoke, "In order to clean up the general situation with the palace soldiers, we'll need you to take command of the army, in name only, of course." She paused, continuing after a short moment, "You and Maeir will be taking on that task. I have another task for Silas."
"What do you want me to do?" Silas asked, his expression determined, curious to what Eva had in mind for him.
"We need to repair our diplomatic ties, which is where you will be of help, Silas. You used to do similar work in the Faelfier army, according to Adora." Eva moved another paper in front of her, "We'll also direct some of our focus to Clarence's marriage with Princess Dupont, due to current Bethellian-Yursinean relations."
"What do you plan to do with Princess Charlotte and me?" Clarence suddenly asked, his expression rapidly falling as his eyes fell towards Eva with an unpleasant, lingering chill. "Though we were married in this palace, it was only a political marriage. The marriage between the two of us will be annulled as soon po-"
"No," Eva's hand smacked the table like a gavel, stopping his words before he could finish. "You will do no such thing. Not until your position in the kingdom is solidified."
"If you've already forgotten, we signed a contract." Clarence, feeling a wash of anger, stood up abruptly, his eyes narrowed, "I never said you could control my relationships, Eva."
"And you should be old enough to know that maintaining that relationship, even fake, is the only way to keep the Bethell Kingdom at bay. Would you rather they take over?" Eva's brows were knotted in irritation, "Princess Charlotte will be kept safe while we figure out how to stabilize the kingdom. A royal obsessed with an elf will only lead to tragedy if exposed this early."
"Don't you-" Clarence began, his anger mounting, before he was swiftly silenced by Maeir, who appeared all but impatient with Clarence.
She stared at the man considered her son-in-law and said in a biting tone. "Do not forget your actions will implicate not only my son, but the rest of us. Eva's actions are keeping us all safe, and while they may not be what we want, we should listen, Clarence." Her tone was like a mother chastising a rebellious child.
The table grew quiet, and while Clarence was frustrated, having wanted to share to everyone how happy he was with Silas at his side, even he was aware of the scrutiny it would cause, making him fall quiet, staring down with a defeated sigh. "We'll discuss the situation between Charlotte and I later, then."
"What about your role in this, Eva?" Wanting to shift away from the delicate subject, Silas asked Eva directly, unsure of Eva's role in the future leadership of the kingdom. "Will you be assuming a leadership position at all?"
Even as the conversation was swiftly changed, Eva did not seem to mind as she brushed aside Clarence's attitude. "I'm sure you're curious about that." Tapping the rim of the handle of her teacup, Eva said with a weak chuckle, "I have no intention to gain power of the palace, or of this kingdom. Other than ensuring the stability of the council leading this kingdom, and Clarence's role, I will be stepping down and away from this mess of a political circle. I, like many of the elves and rebels in this kingdom, want to live in peace."
"Living in peace is not restraining us to the palace like slaves." Clarence could not help but remark.
Eva looked up from her glass of tea, her eyes chilly with impatience, "You'll suffer only as much as you've made the people under you suffer. The fact that I am being so patient with you is beyond me, but you'd better watch yourself before I lose my temper, Clarence."
As the room grew to an ice-cold temperature, a servant knocked on the door, walking in with a still expression as they walked to the table and said, "Lady Eva, the general is here."
With the servant's announcement, the chill in the air receded a bit as Eva nodded, her hands under her chin as she said decisively, "Wonderful. Maeir, Clarence, I will have the two of you meet with the general to discuss the future of the kingdom's army." Clarence's face fell, but he remained quiet. "Silas, stay here for a moment, I'd like to discuss something else with you."
Watching Eva, Clarence stood, turning to Silas with a worried frown. "I won't be far. Let me know if you need me."
Silas waved his hand with a gentle smile, "We'll be fine. Go on." Silas nodded towards Maeir, and she moved towards the door, impatiently urging her future son-in-law with a frown.
I can sense his mana from anywhere in the palace. If anything goes wrong… I'll know it immediately. Clarence thought to himself, leaving his thoughts unspoken as he followed Maeir, staring over his shoulder one more time before he left, leaving the door to close behind them as the guards tactfully stood outside. Only Eva and Silas sat at the table now, surrounded by papers and an unspoken tension.
"Don't be nervous. There is something personal I wanted to discuss with you, something about Clarence."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Silas asked, "What is it?"
"Your relationship with him. I'm sure you're already aware, Silas-" Feeling the tension in the air, Eva did not hesitate to speak her mind regarding their current situation. "Staying by his side means taking the abuse of those around Clarence as well. Can you handle that?"
In all honesty, I thought Eva hated us for siding with Clarence after all that has happened. Maybe it's not hate, but worry? Unable to understand her intentions nor her strange questions, Silas could only respond, "Coming here with Clarence was the only right answer. Anything that happens beyond this point, we'll handle together."
"Are you prepared to take everything on, even with his support?" Standing in the empty room, Eva could only look towards Silas, who appeared lost in thought as he sat across the table.
"The only thing we can do is help support Clarence. Even if the other rebels don't believe in him initially, I wholeheartedly do. As I've grown to know him, I've seen his dedication towards this kingdom. He, like us, wants this more than anything." Silas said without a second thought. "As easy as it would be to pack up and leave, abandoning the kingdom is not an option. All I want is for the kingdom to be peaceful once again, and we have to work hard for that to happen, no matter the costs."
Hearing Silas's response, Eva displayed a real, though faint, smile. His gaze fell on her face for a moment, feeling as though if he blinked, he may miss it. "Though Clarence had made some strides, he is still far too immature for his own good. I hope with you by his side, he can make better decisions and learn from his past mistakes."
"He's done a lot of learning and growing, but there is still room for him to do better." Well understanding her words, Silas could only nod lightly, holding his arm, "I hope I can help him with that."
The morning was still busy, and yet another servant came to the room to fetch Eva and Silas. More meetings were scheduled, more information was to be discovered, and more things were yet to wrap up for the rebels. Rubbing her brow, Eva sat up, adjusting the documents in front of her into those three messy piles. "Silas, follow them to the sitting room. I need a moment to collect my documents."
"I understand." Feeling the gaze of the servant resting on his back, Silas had already stood. He began to move naturally towards the door, leaving what little food he had attempted to eat untouched. "Hopefully we can fix something in the kingdom today."
"I can only hope so." Eva replied, watching as Silas stepped out of the room, turning her back towards the door as she stared at the documents lying around the table. The document she had been reading earlier was curled at the corner, having been marked as important.
One the page was a series of bullet points, lined with a general timeline. The first words on the page detailed a cooperation, and circled at the top were notes of a letter and the name of a familiar princess, Sagara Naceri, listed following a bullet point with notes regarding the Faelfier Kingdom.
…
"Second Princess Sovereign of the Khymal Kingdom, Sagara Naceri, has arrived in the city. She will be present any moment. Please make yourselves presentable." A voice loudly announced in the king's sitting room, quieting the sounds of chatter from the two royals in the room. The voice came from a thin man with glasses, his expression dark as the bottom of a pot.
The king, dressed in a decorated forest green vest and silk tunic, rubbed his bearded chin with an impatient brush of his hand, "I got it, Victor. Please knock when she's here."
"That's the attitude to have, Bjorn." Olicia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms with a tut, her expression equally as impatient as her uncle's. "Sagara traveled all the way here to discuss cooperation with our kingdom. The least you can do is stop looking at those Yursinean documents and take a look at this document Sagara and I will be discussing."
Bjorn, his expression fixated on the page on the status of the Yursinean kingdom in front of him, mumbled, "Of course. Of course, Olicia."
He wasn't even listening to me, was he? Thinking to herself, Olicia shook her head, feeling as though the Yursinean affairs had taken over her uncle's mind like a love-struck child. Maybe he's worried because Adora is there now cooperating with Eva?
"The situation in the Yursear Kingdom is equally as pressing as our cooperation with the Khymal Empire. If the Yursear Kingdom were to collapse now, there could be problems for our kingdom. While I am aware Eva and her group are working on repairing the kingdom, there's no time to wait for them to fix this alone."
Just as the conversation between the two began after nearly hours of sifting through paperwork and letters, Victor moved towards the king again after speaking to one of the guards outside, his facial expression nearly as contorted as the king's as he quietly addressed the king. "Your highness, the general needs to speak with you."
"Now?" Bjorn asked, nearly refusing to step away.
Victor, smiling with impatience, added in a swift tone, "Now, your highness. The princess will be here any minute. We don't have time to dally." Having been known throughout the Faelfier Kingdom as the king's right hand man, he had a personality as stiff as wood and a temper as hard as nails. He would not leave without the king.
"I have to take care of something. Please greet your friend in the meantime." King Bjorn stood, rubbing the space between his eyes as he stood up, facing Victor with a deep frown of his own. "I'll be back shortly." He added, following his impatient attendant with heavy footsteps, his dark circles only growing darker as he stepped out of the room, leaving Olicia alone as the last of the Faelfierian plans were made.
There's only a short time left before Clarence resumes the throne, if things go according to plan, at least, with Eva. What will happen after that? And how will the citizens take to him being removed and placed back on the throne like an unwilling pawn? Olicia rested her head in her hands, nearly wrangling her hair in frustration. When will this mess end?
Unknown to Olicia, some time had passed as she read the documents, and the door to the sitting room was quietly pushed open, and Sagara entered the room with delicate steps, her emerald green saari embellished with yellow and soft orange hues, like the colors of the fallen leaves in autumn. Her gold jewelry was delicate, glittering around her neck and wrists like stars. Though her dark hair was braided intricately behind her head, it was hard to hide how maturely beautiful Sagara was, even after the difficult incidents in the Yursear Kingdom.
"When they said you were both too busy to greet me, I was a little surprised. Seeing you like this, I guess you're working night and day." Sagara asked aloud, startling Olicia out of her daze as she looked up towards the older woman who stood patiently, waiting to be noticed by her good friend. "Olicia, are you okay?"
If only I was as strong as Sagara, maybe I would look less like a mess myself. Olicia remarked in her thoughts, standing up from the sofa she had begun to inhabit with all her spare time. Wearing fitted navy dress pants and a loose, long-sleeved, light pink blouse, Olicia felt somewhat under dressed, her hair down at her sides limply, showing signs of sleeplessness under the layers of perfume. "I'm sorry. I didn't even hear you come in."
She patted the chair next to her, motioning for Sagara to join her, attempting to tidy up the paper storm as much as possible before she sat down. Not minding the mess, Sagara sat down next to Olicia with a worried expression, surveying the space around them with careful eyes.
"Not at all, that's my fault for being quiet. Rather, Olicia, you look like you've lost some weight. You're so thin." Sagara remarked with a sad smile, patting her hand on the younger princess's cheek in a soft, sisterly fashion. "How have you been? I've brought some fresh treats to share. My attendant will be bringing them shortly." With her heavy gaze falling over Olicia's pale face, she added, "I think you could use some."
"It's good to see you, Sagara. I appreciate you making the trip out here on such short notice." Olicia, having seen the familiar face of her old friend, found herself smiling more than she had in months since her return from the palace. "I've been decent. I hope the current politics have been kinder to you than to us."
"I've been quite well since leaving the palace, other than working on the Yursinean war, of course. Some things have been happening, things that have been needing to be addressed, I suppose." Adjusting the papers in front of her, Sagara stared down at the letters with a nod and said, "Rather than that, I've sent a letter to the palace." Sagara said excitedly, her eyes glittering in a way that felt foreign to Olicia as of late.
Hearing of letters to the palace, Olicia asked with a raised brow. "A letter to the palace? What palace, and who were you sending it to?"
"I don't know if you've heard, but-" Sagara paused, resting her hands in her lap. "Charlotte and Philomena are still in the Yursear Kingdom, safe with Eva's group as of now. From what I've heard, they'll be visiting the palace in the near future. An informant of mine has been keeping me informed."
I haven't seen either of them since I left the palace. I wondered how they were doing, but wealth really does make a difference in finding out information. After the trauma of the kingdom, there were many things Olicia wanted to forget, yet she could not forget the relationship the group had built, and she did indeed wish them safety. "Why did you send the letter to the palace? I'm sure it wasn't just to check on them."
"That is-" Sagara began, her gaze falling forward with a smile. "I want to form an alliance and bring our kingdoms together, starting with the Faelfier Kingdom."
…
"You've got to be joking-"
"It's not a joke." Holland repeated for the nth time, his smile persistent in the face of adversity.
The group, standing with their menial luggage packed inside the small storefront, stared at Holland and Beau, his unexpected companion, with expressions mixed with disgust, surprise, caution, and confusion. Charlotte turned her gaze towards Basch, who appeared stoic in the face of the strange situation. Feeling his lady's gaze, he moved a step closer, keeping Charlotte close to him. Philomena, on the other hand, stood with her mouth agape, unable to understand it.
Didn't he hate the rebels with a burning passion? Why is he working with them now? As her thoughts paraded around her mind like a circus, she paused, coming to an equally strange conclusion all on her own as she clapped her hands together in understanding. Wait, he must be a spy for the rebels! It all makes sense! He's been working for them all along, and that's why he's helping us now! Of course. Her sparkling gaze fixed on Beau's figure like glue, making Beau take a step back.
Alywin, feeling similar thoughts to Charlotte, kept his distance, well-understanding that anything could go wrong with the pair as he moved closer to Theo, keeping some distance. However, Theo held nearly as much distaste for Beau as Eva, but knowing the man would not leave their side during the journey, he could only roll his eyes and let out an irritated sigh. "Whose bright idea was this?" Knowing the answer already, he turned to glare at Holland, who was all smiles. "This thing is our enemy. How do you expect us to work together! Beyond that, why the fuck is he still alive?"
"I ask myself the same question every day." Beau mumbled, barely loud enough to be heard with a face full of irritation as he was referred to as an inanimate object.
Though few members of the group were excited to see Beau, there was some feeling of relief, knowing an extra strong hand would come in handy on their journey. It would take nearly two weeks for them to arrive at the Highland district, and there was no telling what could happen to them in the current state of the kingdom.
Sweeping his gaze over the group, Beau found himself surprised to see the prince's friend, Marquis Cyneric. Knowing what had happened with Malcolm, he was too preoccupied to help the man when Alywin escaped the palace. He thought the young noble would turn tail and return home to his family, but surprisingly, he stayed with the princesses, keeping them company through the dangerous journey out of the palace.
"Let's discuss our plan, shall we?" Holland clapped his hands, his appearance much like an excited dog, ready for the next adventure. "Just like we discussed in the letter, Jasmine's group will be meeting us halfway to the Highland District. Until then, you three-" Holland pointed to the royals, "-will be staying in the carriage until we tell you otherwise. Most of your eating, drinking, and sleeping will be in that carriage, so let me warn you now."
Theo rolled his eyes, "And you, Basch, that mutt, and I will be taking turns to protect the carriage?"
Holland nodded his head, "There are two horses and two spaces on the outside of the carriage. In a minute, Beau and I will load the last of the items into the carriage. Fortunately it looks like you all packed light." He barked, knowing the group had lost nearly all of their luggage after escaping Theresa's with their lives. "Basch, can you and Theo lead them out to the carriage and help them get settled?"
With the plans having been discussed, Basch could only soundlessly motion with his hand, leading the princesses forward with Alywin and Theo together. Alywin stared towards Beau, and then towards Theo, feeling as though he forgot something important between the two of them.
"What happened between you and Captain Laurnet, Theo?" Alywin whispered in a quiet voice, his eyes falling over Theo's poor expression.
"It's nothing." Theo, feeling embarrassed by his outward hatred of the Bloodhound, awkwardly smiled, holding the tips of Alywin's fingers as he quietly led him behind the girls towards the carriage. I'll never tell him the first battle I ever lost was to that man. His dignity was at stake, after all.
Once the luggage was loaded and the carriage door closed, the empty alleyway seemed to quiet down, the space empty enough to cause their voices to echo from the brick walls. No one dared to enter the space, seeing the four large men occupying the area with threatening auras, keeping even the dumbest of thieves fearing for their lives. The store had already been locked, emptied of anything of value including the people in it. For now, it would remain empty, no longer usable by their team.
Watching the group flurry around in practiced motions, it felt somewhat surreal to Captain Laurent. It's been a long time since I've seen so many of these infamous rebels. Beau silently turned to face Holland, who seemed oddly eager to make him suffer in any way possible along their journey. If it meant redeeming himself and saving his life, then he would rather not fight it. I've been through worse. For now, I just need to stomach this journey and make my way through the kingdom with my head intact. "Where do you want me?" Beau asked, escaping his thoughts for a moment.
"You and I will be riding on the front of the carriage." Holland smiled, gesturing to the seat, nearly small enough to only fit one of them.
Beau's expression dropped. "Holland Joey, that space could barely fit one of us, let alone the two of us."
"Oh, you can sit on my lap then?" Laughing mockingly, the man continued to slap his stomach, as if he said the funniest thing, nearly making him breathless at the fun of taunting the other man.
"Your lap is too small for me, you idiot." Hearing such a provocation, Beau could only smile back and say with some venom in an equally mocking tone, "Keep your ass to yourself."
"You want me to sit on you?" There was a pause before Holland lifted his hand, chuckling behind it as he said in a teasing tone, lifting himself into the coach's seat, "Oh my. I never expected the Bloodhound to have such a side to him~."
Basch stared forward, his expression equally dark as he glimpsed towards the closed carriage door, relieved his lady did not have to hear such a crass, uncultured conversation between the two brutish men. "Are we leaving or not?" Theo asked, irritated as he mounted the second horse, keeping himself next to the carriage.
Staring at the seat again, Beau waved his hand and walked towards the back of the carriage near Basch, "You can have it. We need to hurry and move."
Their final adjustments were brief, and by the time they were ready to go, the early morning sun had already begun to rise beyond the horizon. Beau lifted his hand to cover his eyes, looking over the buildings in the area as the sounds of the horses' hooves began to clatter on the stone pathways of the city.
"Okay, let's go." Holland smiled, holding the reins of the horse in front of the carriage as he and Basch walked together, covering the back of the carriage as they began their trek out of the city. Their hoods were lifted, and their swords prepared to attack at a moment's notice.
In two weeks time, they would finally be safe, once and for all.
…
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The closer I get to the end of YMtK, the more I realize I can't spell. Even the character names get me sometimes. The cast is so large, though... Some characters will be making reappearances, I'm just working on finding time to place them back in naturally. Adora and Cordelia are on that list, maybe for next week. I missed Sagara and Olicia ;A;
Part of my delay has been finishing translating this game. I'll have it up on my channel in a while, when I have time to record the gameplay and subtitle it. With that, I'm also interviewing for a job in Japan in the very niche industry I work in (director level too ;u; ). It's a life changing possibility, and my stomach is in knots for tomorrow's interview. If I get it, I get it, I don't, I don't. Receiving that email after handing the client last week made things much more tolerable.
With all this life stuff, I am hoping to solidly end YMtK soon. All of these loose ends need to wrap up, and while YMtK is a free, hobby novel of ours, I don't want it to end cheaply. I'll continue to work as hard as I can to dedicate more time into YMtK. Until then, your patience is much appreciated >y< Thank you!