Leaving the equivalent of three gold coins with the traveling group should be safe enough. Kanaru was a prince, so his family also had a few gold coins in their treasury. It was not unheard of for him to have some, so it was easy for him to exchange these with some shops. He was also buying a lot of things.
Kanaru kept the purse of gold coins in the special pocket of his satchel. There were more than twenty coins left, and even he was scared of that amount to be in just someone's possession. Moreover, Rodnir gave it away like it was nothing. The man might be from the unicorn race, but he must be so high up for the knights to give in to him and for him to have so much money.
Since he didn't find Rodnir again despite waiting a few hours that morning, he just left the outpost to go home. His flight speed was indeed comparable to the speed of running horses. He managed to reach Burdett before evening came. However, in his eyes, the sun never even moved from sight.
"Kanaru!" An angry voice of a middle-aged woman thundered across the halls as Kanaru entered the old castle of Burdett. A woman with long brown hair was slowly morphing into her beast form and striding across the hallway. When she reached the prince, she whacked him with her only soft-feathered wing.
"I'm sorry, Mother. I'm very sorry." Kanaru lowered his head and received a few more whacks from the soft wing. However, it soon stopped, and his mother's human arms wrapped around his shoulders. Upon hearing her sob in fear, he could only hug her back. "I'm really very sorry…"
"Where did you go? The last time Covey saw you, you decided to walk the caravan. What if you never returned? What will I do?" The queen sniffed and hugged Kanaru tighter. "You should have returned halfway. I don't have anything to convince myself that you're well and that you will return to me."
Kanaru only listened to his mother as she cried. It didn't matter what he thought of her sentiments, but he just let her cry until she felt weak and satisfied. Before he could speak, however, he saw how the king and his brothers came into his view. Covey only had an apologetic look on his face, while the king had an angry scowl as if Kanaru failed him again.
His other brother crossed his arms on his chest and scoffed. "So, you still came back. I thought you'd already run away to live like a free man. It's not that rare, so I won't blame you."
"Kanaru, freshen up and rest well. You still need to meet the ambassador tomorrow morning. They only come by once, so if you fail…" The king didn't say much. At least, his Kanaru returned home. He heard a lot of stories where the princes of other countries ended up running away.
Being in the service of the king only looked good to the ones left behind. The servants of the harem court were subjected to things only women could find pride in. Most princes wouldn't last and have done a lot of other things to be dismissed. Then again, with King Burdett only having three sons, what could he do? Moreover, he knew Kanaru's character. The third son would never disgrace his father.
Kanaru only bowed as low as he could, his mother holding him. When the king and the second-eldest walked away, the queen began uttering soft apologies to Kanaru. After all, even if some people left the country, there was still a lot to be fed and sheltered. They rarely got attacked, but the country grew hungry and distraught.
Covey walked to them and patted Kanaru's head. "So…? What happened to the caravan? Did they get to another village? Where did you decide to leave them?"
"Oh, I found a military outpost a day and a half away from here, to the southeast. They could grant guarded passages to the people to the country of Krillman." Kanaru smiled, not knowing if he should give his mother the gold coins he got from Rodnir. "I think they will be fine from there."
"Krillman is supposed to be fifteen days away from here. I hope they do get there unscathed." The queen dried her tears and held Kanaru's face. "Let's get you ready for tomorrow. I'm really sorry to subject you to this, Kanaru. If the king accepts married women, I would have gone in your stead. Then again, I doubt your father would let me. Please endure for me, Kanaru."
Kanaru nodded with a smile. He was prepared to meet the ambassadors, but he didn't know if he could satisfy what they were looking for. After all, the king had a lot of servants already. He might be looking for more exceptional individuals now.
…
Clocks were the only things that tell the time to the people. Burdett was already lucky to have a glimpse of the original sun in the morning. Two more hours, and it would already be time to eat breakfast. Kanaru looked up at the orange sky and stared in the direction of the scorching sun. He wanted to burn this image to his mind as today might be the last day he would see this sight.
Flapping wings resounded nearby again, and Kanaru turned to find Covey perching next to him this time. The tower had a viewing deck, and Kanaru had been sitting there since last night. Covey stared into the sun as well. "Are you not ready to go?"
"I don't even know if I will pass the test." Kanaru buried his face into his arms and knees. "If I failed, I would have to sit through Father's disdain and Gannett's mockery. Say, Covey, do you think… you can see me as one of the king's consorts?"
"You're kind, brave, smart, and other things. You're already a jewel in these times where everyone becomes greedy and untrustworthy." Covey shrugged his shoulders. "I think we can only hope you look beautiful enough for the ambassador to like. Let's go back now. We won't know unless we try our hardest. Don't worry. If you failed, I'd help you with this communications tower."
Kanaru looked up at his eldest brother, and Covey nodded again. "Based on what you said it can do, you might attract the king's attention for real. Who knows? Burdett might have another chance."
A smile rose on Kanaru's lips. He then got up and wore his wings out again. "You already gave your word, okay? No taking it back, or else you're not the best big brother in the world anymore!"
The two then dove back to the castle for breakfast. After a fast and quiet meal, the queen took Kanaru to prepare for the ambassador. Covey started directing the castle, while Gannett marched with a handful of their knights. The king could only sit on his throne and pray that the odds would be in their favor.