Kanaru's golden eyes reflected the bright light coming from afar. After this morning, the only reminder that he used to gaze at the sun was the color of his eyes. His feathers could also light up, but it would never be close enough. There was only light, no warmth on his skin.
The night skies looked exactly like the daytime in all parts of the planet. However, Kanaru would feel the absence of natural light the longer they traveled south to Middlemist. Only a few countries with sunlight thrived in this age, and soon, Burdett would have to move underground as well. Kanaru just wished the transition wouldn't be too much for their people.
"I don't know when I will return to this place… or if I will ever see Burdett aboveground again." Kanaru stood in the viewing deck of the castle, seeing the degrading state of his small country. "Don't worry. I won't let everyone down. I will get as many resources as I can from Middlemist, so everyone can live peacefully and happily underground."
He said that, but he still feared the harem court. Rodnir spoke about how complicated it was. Kanaru didn't know how much he could get upon entry and how much he needed to work. Would it be a brutal fight to a good spot? How much did he need to fight to keep it?
The harem court might not even be a fighter's arena. Most participants were princesses from other countries. They might be the most cunning and intelligent to play the game.
Sigh. Kanaru only sighed at the circumstances. He knew that being male and coming from a detached country would be disadvantages, but he didn't want to give up before he could even see the challenge. He wasn't raised that way. Neither was he planning to leave Burdett to rot.
"Kanaru, are you ready?" Queen Burdett asked as she placed a special kind of cloak on his back. "I sewed you something from the feathers of my severed wing. You wouldn't have to deploy your wings to warm yourself. Also, Gannett wants you to have this."
"What is this?" Kanaru turned to receive what Gannett supposedly gave him. It was a pair of bracers that only had half the usual length. It was engraved with a few glyphs, and it felt light and warm. Moreover, each had steel fingerguards. "I think I've seen this before…"
Queen Burdett smiled. "That's one of the artifacts he and Covey unearthed from an expedition before. He didn't have a use for it since his claws were not as strong as yours or Covey's. His wings and swords are better weapons, he said. Middlemist is a dangerous place, especially when everyone just wants to have a share of King Fenris. You have to take care of yourself."
Kanaru received the braces and wore them with the help of his mother. He also put on the cloak that his mother made for him. Even if he looked nothing feminine like the last time, Kanaru didn't mind. After all, he was traveling and not simply sitting around a pretty banquet.
He would also thank Gannett for the gift, but it was hard to speak with that brother. He just asked his mother to pass on his message. When Kanaru was done suiting up, Covey came to fetch the brother from the castle. They exchanged smiles as if Covey knew about those gifts.
"…days, so expect to hear from us as soon as we house Kanaru properly…" Kanaru heard Rodnir speaking to his father about the guarantees. They were traveling through space, a new thing for the lesser countries. King Burdett was worried even if it didn't show enough.
"Please take care of my son. If Middlemist doesn't want him anymore, please kindly send him back. Don't hurt him," King Burdett murmured. He heard a few things, and he knew how brutal Middlemist was to the non-unicorns. If Kanaru was turned away, he would rather have his damaged son back. He wouldn't want to hear about an execution.
Rodnir stayed quiet for a bit as if wondering why King Burdett would say such a thing. Then again, he smiled as if assuring the old king. "We will take care of him indefinitely, King Burdett. I will return your son to you if I cannot protect him anymore. As for King Fenris disliking him, I don't see it happening in the near future. Please don't be too anxious."
King Burdett nodded, but he was only speaking to the king's ward. It was a different matter if Fenris said so himself. By then, he felt gazes on him. Kanaru, Covey, and his wife were all walking toward them now. His somber expression must be making them worry as well.
"Are you ready to go?" Rodnir smiled at Kanaru as if the other hadn't hit him in the cave yesterday. Kanaru hadn't apologized for that yet, but Rodnir didn't seem to mind anymore. He just took in the regal look of the third prince for this journey.
Unlike the first time he saw Kanaru, the third prince was now suited in clothes that denoted his status. The air around him also changed a bit, showing off his noble descent. It wasn't arrogant or proud, but even the king's ward wouldn't underestimate someone like him. This sight made Rodnir visibly happier. He didn't even care if it showed.
At the side, the ambassadors and the captain were watching the scene intently. One of the noble unicorns only sighed quietly. "Look at how His Grace looks at that boy. Did he fetch the bird prince for His Majesty… or for himself? I wouldn't even doubt it if he asked for the concubine from His Majesty."
"How preposterous. That ward is the most arrogant." The other almost snorted in response. "Just because His Majesty favors him among everyone, he even makes use of the outer court's recruitment to look for his own people to play with. Birds and horses won't even reproduce with each other."
"Watch your tongues, my lords." Sir Heinz's face twitched at the unfiltered words of these two. "His Grace is supposed to be seen as His Majesty in multiple cases. If you continue talking like that, I would have to arrest you for defaming the king and his sole other facet. Also, so what if His Grace picks fruits from His Majesty's tree? His Majesty only grows possessive over the inner court, after all."
The first one to speak turned to Sir Heinz and nodded. "Right, if the talks between Middlemist and Bourbonia go well, we might even have a queen soon."
Sir Heinz hummed and scratched his head. He wasn't so sure about that for a few reasons, but he didn't want to show off his closeness to the king. That queen candidate was nothing but a concubine in the king's words about her. How could she become queen? No matter. It was irrelevant at the moment. He just needed to ferry this troublesome ward and the favored concubine to the castle.