'While Aldeth was in Zirnewald, I needed to contact her in secret, and I need the clothes she wore to use the Aroma Pigeon.'
'If you're an aroma pigeon, you have a very good memory for smells, as the bachelor once told me.'
'You remember that well, because when we talked about it, Aldeth was very young. He wanted to see an aroma pigeon, and I remember showing him one once.'
'Yes. That's right, it was smaller than a pigeon, and its fur was blue.'
'I'll take Aldeth's clothes, and I'll have the aroma pigeon scent-trained, and while you're staying with the Gerhos, keep an eye on the window sill, because you never know when it might come.'
'Okay. Take care of your father while I'm gone, and live a long and healthy life.'
'I'll live a long time. I don't miss a day of walking. I'll be going now.'
Wintry and Aldeth were talking so quietly that the guards could not hear their conversation. Wintry stood up and opened the dungeon door.
Once she was out of the cell, the jailer locked the door.
Aldeth thought he could sleep now.
A few days later, before he left, a painter came to Aldeth and painted a portrait of him.
The painter said he was sent by the Gerjo family.
The painter finished the portrait and took it with him.
The soldiers of Arenberg Castle escorted Aldes to Zirnewald.
Udod, the captain of the guards, accompanied them. It was more than 300 kilometres from Rannefels to Zirnewald. On the way to Zirnewald, Aldes did not speak to Woodod.
When he arrived at Grifenstein Castle in Zirnewald, he had to appear cold before parting ways with Woodod.
If you're going to deceive an ally, you have to go all the way. Later, Aldes planned to send Woodod a letter with his message.
Woododd was unaware of Aldes's intentions and assumed that Aldes was still angry with him.
They were halfway to Zirnewald. As they rode through the convoy, Woodod rode beside Aldeth.
'Aldeth. This is the first time you've travelled this far, isn't it? I've been travelling this way for four years. Time flies.'
'Udod, when I am released from my hostage at House Gerho, do you think you will still be Captain of the Guard? I will not forget the humiliation that took place in my chambers.'
'I apologise. Aldeth.'
Udoad's heart felt so heavy. He hadn't expected Aldeth to ease up anytime soon.
Aldeth pretended to be looking away, watching Woodod out of the corner of his eye. His disappointment was evident.
The men in the convoy around him stopped chatting and fell silent, as did Aldeth and Woododd's chilly mood.
After a long day's march, they arrived at Castle Griffenstein in Zirnewald.
Aldes could see Castle Griffenstein in the distance. They were a wealthy family, and their castle was much larger than Arenberg Castle.
It must have cost a lot of money to maintain such a large castle.
When Aldes and his party reached the moat, the drawbridge was lowered. As Aldeth crossed the moat, he realised that Gauto, the lord of House Gerho, was a greedy man. He must have dug the moat so wide because he was afraid the castle would be robbed by bandits, and it must be quite deep.
The moat was really wide. It took a while to cross the drawbridge.
'Your castle must have many coveted possessions.
Aldeth smiled bitterly.
House Gerho, who had heard the news of the saboteur first, had their vassals waiting for Aldeth in the castle's clearing.
Uldred arrived at the Grifenstein Castle grounds and dismounted his horse.
'I am Udoð, captain of the House of Voldo's guards. We have arrived at Grifenstein Castle with our eldest son, Aldeth, safe and sound.'
'We have travelled a long way to get here, so let's go to the central hall.'
House Gerho's treasurer, Tuoli, said.
Tuoli pulled something from his breastplate. He looked at Aldeth's face intently.
The servants led Aldeth to the main hall of Grifenstein Castle.
The ceiling of the great hall was dome-shaped and covered with paintings of scenes from mythology. Aldes wondered how they had managed to paint such colourful pictures on such a high dome-shaped ceiling.
Each of the columns in the central hall was also embossed with the shape of a horse. The floor was marble with a cloud-like pattern of white and grey.
'That's my lord.'
Tuoli said to Woodod.
Aldes and Woodod went to the lord, Gauto. Gauto stood at a distance before them.
'I'm Udod, Captain of the Guard of House Boldo, and this is Aldes.'
'I see.'
Gauto replied briefly.
Tuoli stepped to Gauto's side, unfolded a piece of paper, and showed it to him.
It was a portrait of Aldeth.
Gauto stared at the picture and Aldes's face over and over again.
The Gerhos had sent a painter to Arenberg Castle in advance to paint Aldes' portrait, suspecting that the Boldos might send someone else as a hostage instead of their eldest son, Aldes.
Aldes thought Gautauthau was a very suspicious man.
Gauthau and Tuoli confirmed that the Aldes before them was the real Aldes.
Gauto was tall and fat. He had blond hair and dark eyes.
Gauto gestured for Aldes to come closer.
Aldes walked up to Gauto, knelt down on one knee, and kissed the back of Gauto's hand.
'Aldeth, I have heard of the resistance you faced before coming here, but you need not worry. As you can see from here, Castle Griffenstein is much larger and more ornate than Castle Arenberg. You won't have to go hunting and picking olives in the Rannefels. Now that you are here, you must make the best of it.'
'Thanks to your generosity, the northern families of the Heneruk continent are not starving. Thank you for your generosity. Even though I came here as a hostage, I will do my best not to become a liability to the Gerho family.'
Aldeth could have given Gauto a lot of lip service.
'Your father has educated you well, Am. I hope so, so that we, House Gerho and House Boldo, can continue to have good relations.'
'I've only lived in Rannefels all my life, so I'm not well travelled. By staying with House Gerho, I will expand my horizons and be of use to House Gerho.'
Aldeth spoke, his expression unchanged.
Gauto smiled.
'I see. You must be hungry after travelling so far, and I've heard that meat isn't served often in Arenberg Castle, but here it's available every day.'
Udod was surprised to hear Aldeth's remarks to Gauthau.
On the way to the hostage, he had resisted fiercely, but when he arrived at Castle Griffenstein, he had found the lord Gauthau spouting off words that were pleasing to the ear.
Woodod could not tell which was the true Aldeth.
Still, Woodord could still remember Aldeth's swordplay from the bordering forest.
A man of his strength is more than capable of defending himself in any situation.
I've been feeling sorry for Aldes ever since I left Arenberg Castle, but now I'm at peace.
The men of House Boldo will spend the rest of the day at Castle Griffenstein and leave for Rannefels tomorrow.
The men of the House of Boldo were led to a banqueting hall set aside for the soldiers.
There was plenty of food in the banqueting hall. Udo and the men of the convoy ate heartily.
Aldes was led to the great hall. The great hall was larger than the central hall of Arenberg Castle.
The table seemed to be twenty metres long. Apparently, there were more than twenty such tables in the great hall.
Aldes wondered where and how the Gerhos had amassed the wealth to build such a large and lavish castle.
For hundreds of years, the Gerho family had been one of the wealthiest families on the continent of Heneruk.
Servants bustled around the huge dining room table, carrying food to and from the table.
Aldeth sat at the same table as Gauto's family.
At the front of the banqueting hall were musicians.
They played soft music before the meal.
Soon, the vassals and their families were seated. Food was set out on the table.
Gauto stood up and raised his cup.
'Fill your glasses, everyone.'
Gauto said.
Servants stood around the table and poured wine into everyone's glasses.
Gauto raised his glass with a flourish, and at the sight of it, they all raised their wine-filled goblets.
'May the House of Gerho continue to prosper in the northern part of the Heneruk continent. Cheers.'
Everyone cheered. Aldeth joined in.
The table was set with finely chopped and peppered lamb, mushrooms, and
lamb, stuffed with mushrooms and onions, and roasted.
Aldes had never tried lamb before.
In Rannefels, it was considered a serious waste to eat a lamb before it was fully grown.
Aldes picked up the lamb with his hand and took a bite. The meat melted in his mouth. He had never tasted meat so tender.
'You've never eaten anything like this before, have you?'
A voice spoke from across the table from Aldes.
It was a fat boy with blond hair. He looked like Gauto, the lord. It looked like his eldest son, Rato.
'Yes. It's my first time. The meat is tender and very tasty.'
Aldes was prepared to be a bit of a wimp at Castle Griffenstein.
'You wouldn't have seen anything like this in Rannefels. Eat up.'
'That's right, we don't dare to waste a lamb, so I'll eat a lot.'
'Hmm. Do you know who I am?'
Aldeth knew who he was, but decided to pretend not to.
'I don't know.'
'You are the future heir to the House of Gerho.'
'In that case, you must be Rato.'
Aldes had learnt the Gerjo family name before.
Aldeth looked at the man sitting next to Rato. If they were sitting together at the table, they must be members of Lord Gauto's family.
The man had blond hair and dark eyes. He was slim and handsome.
Looking at his face, there was a slight resemblance to Gouto and Rato. His hair was the same colour, blond, so he must be Wolpo, Gauto's brother.
Aldes had heard rumours about Wolpo. He was said to have a strong preference for women.
Aldes ate his food and stole another glance at Wolpo.
Her eyes were decadent. Some women, he thought, might like a man with eyes like that.