The meeting started as soon as the Kings entered the room. Nicolas could only mutter to himself, seeing that they were the ones who were late. When Meriane heard the gist of it, he just brushed it off with how much he would rather take a walk outside than sit there and idle. The princess did not take it seriously, though, for she knows what kind of person Nicolas is during these kinds of meetings. She herself knows that the prince is a person with few words; she's well aware that they have been together most of their childhood, but that is why she knew this was no more than an idle chat for him.
The first topic is about the supplies that Gregoria will receive. With the new route created between them and Algernon, things should have been much cheaper to transport. It should have been, but Meriane can already feel the itch in Nicolas's throat and the anger in King Frederick's eyes when the merchant demanded more gold for his usual delivery. She could only cover herself with her fan when Nicolas suddenly spoke while Frederick slammed the parchment he was holding.
There was a brief truce as the father and son debated who should voice their dismay. As Meriane predicted, Nicolas won. These are the only times when their dispute is put aside.
"Don't you think you're overpricing us more than usual?" It echoed around the room, once again proving the princess's point. "We are indeed in your favor, since our kingdom is nowhere near its former state. We are incapable of transporting large quantities of supplies. That doesn't mean that you can exploit our weaknesses just because you can."
Once the prince had his fill, the king followed. "We have already lowered tariffs for your entry into our territory; what more do you want?" If only the merchant was a lamb, he might have already been grilled from their gazes.
The whole table went into an uproar. It was a heated round of hot potato, for whoever speaks gets flamed with no mercy, an open fire free for all, where even friendly fire is free to fly. A suggestion here, an objection there: they're like buzzing bees swarming a hive, though bees have more harmony than them. Another notion, another complaint. No one was prepared to back out, not until King Ferrol nailed the coffin with his words.
"Gregoria has a point with this one," he said, silencing the merchants before turning to Frederick and Nicolas and expressing his own concerns. With everything sorted by the strongest piece on the board, the meeting ended with everyone getting what they wanted in a reasonable price. There were no complaints as they shook hands.
Nicolas was quick on his feet and immediately left the room. Among the trees and the plants is a balcony on the far side of the garden just before his room, situated over the glistening town painted by the colorful stalls, cheerful folks, and the mid-day sun that highlights them. If there is something that he enjoyed during his visits, it would be this simple place that gives peace to his soul.
"Do you mind if I join you?" a familiar voice asked from behind. Turning around to meet her with a smile, he stood up, offering the seat opposite of him.
"There you go again, being formal. I thought you're up for the change, but you just cruised out the door without notice. Have you had your lunch?" she thanked him with a curtsey before sitting down.
"Sorry, you know how those meeting always go. I needed to cool myself immediately," he said, trying to loosen his tie.
"What are you—Nicolas"
It was already late when he realized what he was doing. He quickly turned around and fixed it. Meriane tried to hide her face, but her peeking eyes failed. With both of them flustered, he tried to pull back the conversation to its initial course. "Did you mention lunch? I haven't even had breakfast," He tried to laugh the awkwardness off.
"Well then, I'll ask Selene to bring the food here," She did the same.
"No, no, no, just sit here. I'll go ask Anton to call her," They both stood up and search for their attendants but none of them can be found in sight. "That said, where are they exactly?"
"They are being awfully close this past month; they might be together," she opened her fan and whispered, "I wish we were too," soft enough for the prince to hear a sense of it but when she folded it back, Nicolas is already at the other side of the garden. He waved his hands, shouting that he found them.
"Did our prince give you trouble, princess?" Anton asked, finally separating from Selene.
"No, not at all, we're just wondering where the both of you had gone. We would like to have our lunch under this majestic tree, can you make the arrangements?" she pertained to her attendant, to which she did not complain.
"Are you sure about this?" Nicolas halted them, "I don't think my father would approve of this."
"Trust me, he'll be approving without much thought," Anton grinned.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Just a guess. Don't you believe your butler?"
"How about you try guessing my answer."
Anton took a minute to think; after all, if he was the only one to ask, Frederick might consider it as another one of Nicolas's schemes. He turned to the princess and said, "We are quite hesitant with this, your majesty, you know how up tight our king could be. For this to be granted, a lot more than convincing needs to be done, the one who's going to ask would bring great—"
"I'll go ask them then," Meriane replied without hesitation. "Don't go strolling somewhere again till we get back okay," she quickly grabbed Selene by her hand and insisted on going, "We'll be back," she waved as they vanished into the corridors.
As soon as Anton and Nicolas had the garden to themselves, the words that the prince has been holding on finally erupted. "What is wrong with you?" he lousily sat on the table, his right foot on the seat.
"More like, what is wrong with you, Don't you want to see where she's going with this?"
"Just because I can tolerate her better now doesn't mean I have to."
"Woah, make sure no one hears that or it's the end of you," Anton sighed and leaned against the tree. "You see, my solitude-seeking apprentice, life is about interacting with people. Meriane, especially, is the one you should have good terms with. Don't go hating on her just because who she was as a child. Everybody changes, even you; give her a chance."
It took a while for Nicolas to absorb what he said. He finally left the table and rested his elbows on the railings of the balcony, "I don't hate her. It's just that something feels wrong whenever I try to get close with her; something in here hurts," he said, putting his hand on his chest.
Anton did not need further explanations to understand what it is he's feeling, "Isn't it about time you let her go, She's—"
"Please stop"
"You need to face it, Nicolas, you are not the only one who lost someone dear that night. It's best to let the past go, it's for your own good."
The gentle breeze swayed the trees and brought a melancholic melody to their hearts. Nicolas knew what his butler said was right. He knows that the only path is forward, and he did, as he had always had. Although his feet had always been stuck in the mud of regret and sorrow, he tried his best to crawl; that's why he still stands today.
As the prince finally made his decision to face his current state head-on,. The wind brought another feeling that brought uneasiness to Anton. When an impeding swish was heard in the air, he quickly pulled Nicolas away from the edge and swung his sword out of instinct.
The prince found himself on the ground, and Anton was in front of him, cautiously looking down. He was a bit confused by the event but when he saw an arrow split in two beside him, he already knew what was going on.
"Was it them?" he asked, presenting himself back at the edge, but Anton stopped him.
"Probably. For now, tell the princess to find another place to be. I will be investigating this deeper. Don't go anywhere open-spaced until I get back, do you understand," he mandated as they made their way to the corridors. "Don't even think about going after me if you value your life."