Ayla and Duke Nozim left the intense atmosphere of King Acrisios' meeting room, walking side by side down the corridors of the palace. Ayla walked fast, with hurried steps, while the duke remained composed.
As they headed for the indoor combat area, Ayla turned to the duke. "I must say, Duke Nozim, I'm rather curious about what my journey to Eredar will entail. The land is foreign to me, and I'm a fair bit curious about the language barrier. Need I bring a linguist with my entourage?"
Duke Nozim glanced down at the young princess, his face revealing little. "No need to worry, Your Highness. Although vastly different, Eredar won't feel like a completely different world. As for a linguist, I advise you to hire someone from Eredar's eastern border. Not only are they cheaper, but they are more likely to know the Common tongue. However, the higher society is well-versed in the Common language, so conversing wouldn't be a problem.
"Of course, a Royal linguist is perfectly well suited for this job. However, I fear they would be unable to mingle with Eredar's population as easily."
Ayla nodded, taking several mental notes. "Do Eredar's people speak a different language?"
"Miss Ayla, you must understand Eredar conquered several smaller states in its lifetime and incorporated many small tribes into its populous. The working class speaks a variation of the Thalan language with few Common words. The grammar is different, and even the pronunciation of the Common words is different. So yes, Eredar's population en large speaks the Thalan language."
"I understand." The princess nodded as the two finally entered the combat arena, where many recruits trained to become knights or join a Royal Division.
As soon as the two entered the open area, all sounds of battle and training ceased. All trainees turned to watch the princess before one of the older knights stepped forward and bowed. Tall and although aged, the knight's posture was straight, and his physique filled with muscles.
"Your Highness, we're honored by your presence. How may the Royal Divisions be of help?"
Ayla nodded and lightly smiled. "Good to see you in good health, Sir Valius."
The Commander seemed pleased by the princess recognizing him and straightened out with pride. "How may the Royal Divisions be of help, Your Highness?" He asked again, as the divisions were quite busy these days.
Ayla didn't answer right away, instead taking her time to take in the number of soldiers and trainees present in the castle. "There's quite a number of trainees. May I ask why is that?"
"You don't know, Your Highness?" He asked, confused, and sent a questioning look toward the duke.
Ayla seemed conflicted for a moment and sighed, waving her hand. "It's fine. I'll ask Father about it later. Now..." She continued, clapping her hands.
"I need the man named Hystor to accompany Lord Nozim in his journey to Enrilth Keep. He will be provided with the instructions and his pay just before Lord Nozim is ready to set out."
Valius looked curious but nodded right away, knowing better than to question his superior's orders. "I'll send word to him. He'll be ready in 15 minutes."
Ayla nodded, and so did the duke. "Perfect. Send him to the stables and tell him to prepare for the journey. Also, tell him to let the stablemaster know I will prepare to depart as well."
"Of course, Your Highness." Valius bowed and watched as the princess turned around before he did the same.
"What are you all sitting around for? Gear up..."
As the noble duo left the training area, the duke broke the silence first, surprising the princess. "You have some capable commanders. Strong. Especially the man in the back. The one dressed in dark armor. Someone with his strength would be hard to find even in Eredar."
"Oh?" The princess asked with an indifferent tone, but internally, she was confused. There wasn't a member of the Onyx Division around. At least she didn't see them.
Quickly putting this thought to the recesses of her mind, Ayla focused on the duke's statement. "How hard would it be to find someone as strong as our man in Eredar?"
"I may not have an exact number or percentage, but even some of our top noble families do not have many members of this strength. One or two, maybe three cultivators maximum."
"That's still a lot. I can only imagine how many high-ranking noble families Eredar has."
Duke Nozim nodded slowly. "That is true. There are a lot of noble families in Eredar, but you also must take into account the empire's population. Eredar population is easily two or maybe three times that of Blackwater's, so the strength-to-number ratio is higher here, which is impressive."
Ayla smiled lightly and changed the subject. Both had objectives to achieve, so it was best to keep the conversation sweet and short. "I'm pleased that you think that highly of our kingdom, Lord Nozim, but I must prepare for my journey. I'm sure you must, too."
Valerius smiled. "That is true, Your Highness. Well then, I am thankful for your help, and if there is anything else I could help with, please let me know. I wish you a safe journey to Eredar, Princess Ayla."
"Thank you, Lord Valerius. I look forward to meeting again."
With that, Ayla lightly curtsied and left for her chambers as the duke did the same.
Walking through a large hallway, at least compared to the rest of the castle, Valerius turned his attention to his thoughts. His own and his family's problems came to mind but were quickly overshadowed by his worries about his son.
Valerius' mood plummeted as memories of a young Alex flooded his mind, but what hurt most was that he forgot his son's face and voice.
Alex's laughter slowly faded from his memory as the years went on, from a clear memory to just a conceptualization of what it truly was. His refined and unmistakable features turned to a vague shape that closely resembled his mother's.
Valerius could imagine what Alex looked like, but as good as that might sound, he felt hurt to forget something this important. He thought back to Isadora and wondered if she also forgot how their son looked and sounded like.
'Certainly not.' He mused as he waded through his memories' maze.
Weird as it might seem, what he remembered most vividly were the small and inconsequential memories of his son. He remembered when Alex was playing in the dining hall, waddling towards his favorite maid - the one with the finest ass.
Then there was the time when Valerius walked in on Alex late at night. Instead of playing or sleeping, Alex stood over his desk, fully immersed in a six-inch thick history book.
'Was he six at that time?...'
"Oh? Lord Nozim..."
Like the flash of lightning, Theodos' voice cut through Valerius' reverie.