"Lunaria's… fiancé?"
Kaze stammered, his hand trembling at the thought of it. All previous thoughts he had suddenly got wiped out of his head, such that he couldn't connect to the fact that Lunaria has a fiancé.
"Ah, it was in the past though. I did emphasize the word 'was'," Ash quickly corrected Kaze after seeing his stunned look. "Please don't mention it out loud, I don't want our relationship right now to be defined on our past."
"A-Ah, right. Sorry… I was just a little taken aback that Lunaria had a fiancé before."
"I'm not surprised you don't know. It is something we both agreed to not mention. Think of it as our embarrassing past."
Glancing around them, Ash urged Kaze to follow him to someplace they could talk without being overlapped or interrupted.
"Alright, this should do," Ash nodded once they arrived at the balcony connected to the dining room and casted a barrier around them. "Now we can eat and talk in peace."
"Uhh, sorry, can you please elaborate more on being Lunaria's fiance?" Kaze asked nervously, taking a bite of chicken.
"Hmm, I'm not sure how much of it I am allowed to tell you," Ash mused over it. "… I suppose it would only be appropriate to ask how much you know about Lunaria?"
"Almost everything about her past."
"That's a very confident answer."
"You can test me to prove if I am lying."
"No need for that. Us dragonkins can tell if a person is lying or not, but that only works on other species. You are serious."
"Uhh, that sounds like a cheat. Lunaria uses it often too."
"Well, with a past as complicated as hers, I wouldn't be surprised if she did. For her to jump at you… she certainly trusts you a lot."
Grinning at Kaze, Ash took a moment for himself to chew on some of the food stacked on his plate before resuming the talk.
"After the coup, there was an order that requested the evacuation of all humans from Aravel. A clean-up commenced, searching and interrogating all officials to ensure that all the weeds of the opposition had been cleanly removed. Once that was over, Lunaria was taken under intensive care. I heard the Emperor and Empress had the best healers of the nation over for a few weeks."
"You heard?"
"Right. Until then, I was merely the son of a Council Member. I have no right of access to the palace or any sort of news. Mind you, everyone was suspicious of each other. Supporting the devils was one thing, but betraying the Emperor who led our race to victory and prosperity was something we wouldn't take a chance at overlooking, not even with our family."
"… It was that serious, huh?"
"You bet. Then, I was almost 60, so it is only natural that I wouldn't be as involved compared with some of my seniors and my father's acquaintances. What that I do know is it had been weeks since Lunaria made a national appearance again. She looked pretty terrible, so much so that she was barely recognisable."
Letting out a heavy sigh, Ash snapped his fingers and made two glasses half-filled with alcohol appear.
"Here you go."
"I don't drink but thank you."
"Mm. As I was saying, Lunaria was in a very dreadful state back then. Because of what happened to her, it was said that her long hair had been cut short by her torturers and assaulters, which was what made her look so different. That aside, her emotional scars cut way deeper than we ever could imagine. I have personally seen counsellors exit the palace with dark looks on their faces. Any sort of attempt to help Lunaria heal and open up was impossible. At the time, she only made a public appearance because it was necessary. Otherwise, she would seclude herself in her room."
"And that was when you made an appearance?"
"It was recommended that maybe Lunaria required someone her age to help comfort and heal her. At the time, I was one of the few trusted ones who went to school with her and was someone, according to the records and investigation anyway, that I could approach the princess herself. The letter of request came a few days after I graduated from school, something that must have been planned."
"Was it your father?'
"Probably. I was briefed on what to do and arrived at the palace the next day. There, I was escorted to Lunaria's room. I won't lie that it took a lot of convincing and interaction with her before she would even look my way. Heck, it took weeks of silence with her before I realized that she was staring at me with her deadpanned eyes."
To this, Kaze looked at the ground and clenched his fists tightly. He could vividly imagine the state Lunaria was in as Ash told his part of the story. It pained him to think of what Lunaria was like back then.
"It was another month before she spoke to me. Another few months later, she stepped out of her room. It was then that the Emperor and Empress presented the idea of me becoming engaged with her as a way of thanking me for healing their daughter. For me at the time, it was something unimaginable, even though I wouldn't deny that I did like Lunaria."
"I can see that happening. Lunaria is very charming."
"Indeed. A year or two after we dated, I say dated seeing that being engaged all of a sudden was equal to simply accepting to be in a one-sided relationship, I came to realize something. You see, while Lunaria was certainly acting more naturally and recovering, she has yet to overcome the biggest hurdle, being having any physical touch with anyone of the other sex."
"Ah… a trauma."
"Precisely. Unless it was His Majesty, none of the male dragonkins could even get 10 feet close to Lunaria. I was also an exception to this rule. We went as far as to hold hands when walking around the palace or on the rare occasion we left the palace grounds. However, it was done out of obligation. No matter how well I treated Lunaria or expressed my concerns for her, she has never once looked at me the way I looked at her."
Kaze widened his eyes at this. Ash simply smiled when he noticed Kaze's look.
"Please don't feel sympathy for me, Kaze. It was already clear at that point that what she needed wasn't someone placed in a position of being tied to her. No matter how much I liked her or showed sincerity, it was not what Lunaria needed at the time. As such, I gave up my role of being Lunaria's fiancé officially 2 years later."
"What was Lunaria's reaction? I'm pretty sure she must feel sad that you had to leave."
"Hm, sad is probably an overstatement. Even when engaged and living together, we didn't go any further in our relationship than handholding. Kissing and any bedtime activities are out of the window automatically because… you know. Damn, it's always uncomfortable to think about it. Plus, there's no way I could lust after the princess when you have been around her for so long in her most miserable state."
To this, Kaze shuddered in slight fear. What Ash said was definitely true, but at the same time it further deepened his understanding of Lunaria. If she couldn't even go further than holding hands with Ash, then her wound must have affected her much more than he had expected.
"How… did you become Lunaria's training partner?"
"Oh, it's sort of an on-and-off thing. She sometimes calls me over for a light spar when needed, but otherwise we don't really talk."
"Right."
"… Sorry for making you feel uncomfortable, Kaze. I didn't intend for our meeting to be something like this. I was just happy to have met someone who could understand what I feel."
"No, no, it's fine. What do you mean by that?"
"Well, you like Lunaria too, don't you?"
Once again, Ash's words caught Kaze offguard. With his mouth open and closing but no sound emitted, Kaze felt flabbergasted to the point that he could not answer Ash.
"There's no shame in admitting it, you know? She likes you too."
With a chuckle, Ash doused down another sip of alcohol before chewing on a roasted animal leg.
"… I-I… Lunaria… likes me?"
"I don't believe you are so dense to the point of not noticing both your own and her feelings, do you? Or is it that you are simply at a state of denial?"
"I… don't know."
"Whatever the case, I am saying this as a third party. It is definite that Lunaria has feelings for you already, for a long time. What that intrigues me is how you were able to charm her in just a span of a few months since she left Aravel."
Kaze gulped nervously at this. Ash used magic to hover his plate in mid-air so he could casually walk about while holding his glass.
"Lunaria has suffered a lot, Kaze. The only thing I fear after the previous incident when the Emperor and his family departed to Tristania would be the complete abolishment of allowing anymore foreign relations. I'm not saying this because I wish for it, but it is a possibility," Ash spoke while staring at the moon. "If by any chance that you are able to reconcile properly with her, you should do it before it's too late. Lunaria needs someone by her side more so than ever, especially with the recent ongoings."
Turning to face Kaze, Ash casted a polite smile and bowed at him.
"Once again, thank you for listening to what I had to say. I will be returning to the venue."
As Ash walked back inside the dining room, he paused temporarily and glanced to his side.
"It's rude to listen in on another person's private conversation, Lunatea-sama."
Standing silently behind the door was Lunatea, staring crossly at Ash. With a gullible smile on his face, Ash addressed the princess whom he noticed had been listening to his and Kaze's talk for a while now.
"… What are you planning, Ash?" Lunatea asked softly with a menacing tone. "I hope you don't expect to walk off scot-free while telling something that clearly goes against Lunaria-nee's wishes."
"How scary. You know that's not true," Ash sighed. "If we are talking about Lunaria, then isn't it correct to assume your sister has fallen for Kaze over there?"
"Even if that is the case, it's none of your concerns," Lunatea firmly stated. "We should allow Lunaria-nee to deal with it on her own."
"That's where you're wrong," Ash shook his head. "Lunatea-sama, we already know what happens if we try to let Lunaria sort out her feelings on her own. Do you want a repeat of the past?"
"I rather put my trust in my elder sister than rely on some outside help," Lunatea's eyes fluttered over to Kaze when she said so. "Kaze is too young."
"You say that, but don't you often visit Lunaria since you worry that she might be duped again?" Ash smiled wryly at her words. "Furthermore, we both know you are lying."
"… I don't know what you're talking about," Lunatea muttered, her eyes darting back to Ash with a scowl on her face. "Leave."
"Don't play dumb, Lunatea-sama. You were always one to never admit your true feelings," Ash chuckled. "You are attracted to Kaze too, aren't you? You just deliberately avoid him out of concern for Lunaria."
Lunatea only remained silent to his assumption. Closing her eyes, she took a sip from her cup and walked off, leaving Ash on his own.
Meanwhile, Kaze had been left to his own accords by Ash. No one else came looking for him for a short while, allowing Kaze to become secluded to his own thoughts. It was a much needed silence, considering that whatever he had heard from Ash were things he knew no one else would have ever told him outright.
Sighing out loud, Kaze suddenly lost all appetite for a good meal. His head was completely muddled with thoughts, both from earlier and the morning. With the addition of what Ash had told him, Kaze felt overwhelmed and lost on what to do. He certainly hadn't expected his situation with Lunaria to become so complicated, such that different parties speaking their perspective would mess him up.
As if things weren't already bad enough, Kaze groaned when he heard someone walking up to him from behind and turned around to see it was Laevia.
"Oya? I hope I didn't interrupt anything?" Laevia giggled when he sighed the moment he saw her. "Sorry, I saw you standing here by yourself and decided to accompany you, since my daughter walked away."
"Huh?" Kaze blinked, thinking he heard wrongly. "Uhh, which daughter?"
"Lunatea, of course," Laevia smiled. "That girl has a tendency to avoid people, so she chooses to look at them from afar instead."
"Ah… I didn't realize she was looking at me," Kaze whipped his head around to try and spot her for himself. "She's gone?"
"Who were you talking to earlier, Kaze?"
"Ah, uh, Ash. He told me about his time together with Lunaria."
"… So he did," Laevia made a bitter smile at this. "And how did it turn out?"
"Probably as you would have expected, Laevia-sama. You always seem to know everything and anything without needing me to tell you."
"One thing is for sure: Even if I do know everything, at least the way you talk to me has gotten informal."
"Ah, my apologies. I have a lot on my mind right now."
"Please don't apologise. I want you to speak to me like you usually would to my daughters. It's lonely being the Empress, knowing that everyone treats you with respect all the time."
"… Was that what Lunaria had to go through too?"
"Think of it as a curse of being the eldest princess. As a firstborn, people place expectations on you that you never asked for, especially if you are someone especially gifted."
Laevia sighed warily and looked at Kaze.
"Are you not hungry? You barely touched your plate."
"Listening to Ash made me lose my appetite… Not that it's his fault."
"Indeed. The fault would lie with me if anything. As a parent, I have failed Lunaria."
"The coup was an unfortunate circumstance, Laevia-sama. There was nothing to be done that you would know about the devil intrusion beforehand."
"That aside, what about every other time? When Lunaria was in school, when she was isolated, when she never returned to the palace?"
"T-That…"
"These are some things that you would never hear from anyone other than a parent, Kaze. And as that girl's parent, I believe that some things can't be achieved by family alone. Ash was our last hope when he gave Lunaria comfort, but then Sera and her friends came along. By mingling with people her age, she was able to recover and resume with her normal daily life, even to the point of being willing to go to Tristania."
"Has the recent incident… sort of triggered Lunaria's trauma again?"
"Something tells me you already know the answer to that, Kaze."
"But weren't the devils wiped out already?"
"Only the portion that we were able to pursue after. You can't wipe out an entire race over the assumption that only a group believed in something different."
"Laevia-sama, is Lunaria… ever going to recover?"
"… Magic can only do so much when it comes to curing wounds. For the emotional scars like war traumas and recovering from rape, that would depend on the person themselves. Even my husband and I took a while for us to return to our normal lives without fear of waking up to find our citizens and people we care about slaughtered. For Lunaria's case, it… is something words alone can't describe."
A short pause followed Laevia's words. She picked up her cutleries and began eating out of her floating plate while staring at the sky with Kaze.
"It is a beautiful night."
"It must be nice getting to see this every now and then, Laevia-sama."
"Hehe, thank you for the praise. My husband would be happy to hear that. He was concerned that your group wouldn't be able to get used to living inside a mountain, since historically our ancestors lived in caves while your ancestors lived near rivers and built straw huts."
"The treatment we have received is the best. I'm beginning to wonder if I could ever get used to bed at home again after experiencing such a soft fabric."
"Want me to tell you how you can get such a bed too? The materials are surprisingly easy to gather if you have the right knowledge of how to weave them together to a fabric."
"I appreciate the concern, Laevia-sama, but I think I will simply enjoy the feeling of sleeping here for the next few days."
"I will put a word in to Tuarle about this. The maids of the palace would be happy to hear your kind words."
Another long pause followed. Kaze enjoyed the company of the Empress of Aravel, who emitted a homey and comfort feeling from staying beside him. It was like having a parent he never knew existed who cared for him just as much.
Relaxing a little more, Kaze finished the rest of his food while contemplating on a certain issue he knew needed to be dealt with sooner or later. Laevia noticed the change in his eyes while she ate, something that made Laevia relieved. As a parent, she was all too familiar with the look Kaze had, especially when it was relating to something they were talking about this whole time.
Still, she said nothing, giving him the time he needed to think for himself. It was for Kaze to decide what he wanted to do, and how he wanted to do it. This was also the duties of being an Empress, to observe and understand the people around her. Where appropriate, she would choose to act or forfeit.
"… Laevia-sama."
"Have you made up your mind?"
"Eh?"
"Don't look surprised; I can guess what you were thinking of this whole time."
"Aa, I forgot… Laevia-sama is scary."
"Fufu. Let me guess, you're thinking of confessing to me."
"That's not it! If I did that, the Emperor would kill me."
"That was a joke. You should know what I mean though~"
Kaze's eyes hardened when Laevia casually answered him. Gripping his fist tightly, his gaze lowered to the floor.
"Laevia-sama, my biggest concern is… I'm a commoner."
"That's something I can't help. If your concern is whether you are enough, I think that is not something that requires an answer right away. How people value each other is different. Be it your status, wealth, personality, attitude, you can only find out if you are enough by being brave to make that first step."
At the same time, a ring came from the dining hall. This prompted Laevia to turn around along with Kaze.
"Ah, dinner has ended. Come on, we should see off the guests."
"Uhh, Laevia-sama, one more thing."
"Mm?"
"… Are you… fine with me?"
Laevia felt a little surprised by this question, but quickly softened her gaze on the human boy.
"Silly boy," Laevia giggled, pulling him into a hug. "If I felt you were not suitable, I wouldn't have needed to consult with you, would I? Just be yourself."
"But I'm-"
"Not a dragonkin?"
"Y-Yes…"
"So what? It's not like the person you fell in love with is a human too."
Blushing brightly at her words, Laevia patted his head to comfort him.
"As I said, don't worry about it. You have my consent."
"Y-Yes, Laevia-sama…"
"Don't let me down~"
With her playful words of encouragement, Kaze found the courage he needed to move the weight of hesitancy from within his heart, ready to make a change in someone else who had affected him.