[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]
Third Person POV
Cintra, northern kingdoms.
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Madara looked at Calanthe, who was staring at him like a hawk.
"I heard you entered my granddaughter's room. Can you tell me how you did that, after all, her room is very high up..." She began, clearly aware of some of the boy's abilities from Mousesack and from Cirilla herself, who had been bragging about what she had seen of Madara.
"There are no walls or heights that can hold me, Queen Calanthe." Madara simply said before continuing. "Your granddaughter showed up at my house one day, and I had to take her back to the castle before your men came knocking on my door with an accusation that I had kidnapped the princess of the kingdom." He concluded, while Cirilla looked a bit shy about her escape, knowing the lecture she would receive from her grandmother when they were alone.
"Yes, it was amazing when he brought me back. Have you ever seen someone running on the wall as if it were the ground? Madara took me to the room like that!" She exclaimed, even having run away and despite the consequences she would face for it, she shared her unique experience upon returning to the castle.
"Hahaha. That does sound really amazing. Are you like a spider?" Eist asked, laughing.
"..." Mousesack remained silent.
Calanthe raised her hand to silence Cirilla as she turned her attention back to Madara.
"You have certain abilities, I can understand that. But it's still inappropriate for you to have shown up in her room that day." She spoke, preventing Cirilla from protesting. "I would like you to use the front door the next time you come to the castle because I will not be lenient if you enter Cirilla's room again." Calanthe spoke sternly.
"I can understand that." Madara spoke in a neutral tone, unphased by the queen staring at him like a hawk. "I will knock on the front door next time." He said.
Calanthe was not very pleased with how Madara referred to her, but she did not comment on it now. "I heard you completed all the contracts that Mousesack gave you." She said, and Madara nodded. "To do them in just a few days is quite impressive; you seem anything but a child from what I've heard." She said.
"I have my own abilities." Madara spoke in a neutral tone.
"Yes, we already know that, but let me ask, what is your goal? What do you plan in this kingdom?" She wanted to know what Madara was thinking.
"I intend to settle for a few years; I have some unfinished business in the city, but I still plan to stay here for a few years, since I am just a child." He admitted. Madara planned to travel the world, but he could not do so with his current abilities, hence the intention to strengthen himself in a safe place, even staying in a forest training.
"I see..." She pondered his words and then remembered Mousesack's words.
"Do you still intend to work for the crown?" She asked.
"Yes, I still need some money." Madara spoke, after all, he needs almost 2000 gold coins to complete the first mission.
Hearing this, she made her offer. "Mousesack told me of your worth, I offer you a proposal, how about you work directly for the royal family of Cintra?" She asked.
"What do you mean?" Madara asked.
"She means if you would like to become a force of the kingdom." Mousesack intervened from the side.
"Do you mean some kind of guard or soldiers?" Madara looked at him, disliking the proposal and turned to the queen. "Sorry, but I will not stay in this kingdom in a few years, I cannot accept that." Madara spoke, after all, he had the whole world to explore and even though he knew of Cintra's cruel fate, he would not promise anything, much less his loyalty to any flag, he is Madara Uchiha after all.
Cirilla by his side felt a bit disappointed with Madara's words on one hand, but also hopeful of perhaps being able to travel the world with Madara, as she already saw them as a duo making contracts like witches.
Calanthe remained silent for a while and looked at Mousesack, as Madara had declined her proposal, the druid man simply looked up to say a few words that only Calanthe could understand.
"Even if the boy does not want to affiliate with the kingdom, he will still spend years here, it would be nice to have him around, and helping him would earn him a great favor. Think about it, Calanthe, he can do so much at this age, imagine the reputation he will have when he grows up..." Eist whispered to the queen calmly.
Calanthe remained silent for a while, thoughtful, while Ciri looked on with some tension, wondering what might happen. She did not want her grandmother to expel Madara from the castle, not now that he had finally appeared.
The queen finally looked at Madara after pondering for a bit. "If you intend to stay in Cintra for a while, then let me invite you as a guest of this castle," she said, and Madara raised an eyebrow before she continued. "Mousesack believes he can help educate you, you will live in the castle and receive resources for a good education and training, in exchange, you will do work for the crown and serve as a guard for Cirilla." Despite speaking with a bit of distaste in the last part, she had no choice since her granddaughter would run away to find him whenever possible, as she was already doing.
Cirilla beside her looked with eyes sparkling with anticipation and turned to Madara with hope he would accept, after all, she wanted to be with him, perhaps he could even train her.
All eyes turned back to the boy. Madara, though a bit surprised by this type of proposal, pondered. 'Staying in the castle has its advantages after all the place would be much better to live, but there are still other disadvantages and I would be watched...' Madara thought for a bit.
He even began to see that the advantages of living there were even more important, after all, he could leave at any moment, and doubted any of them could do anything against him in any way, in return, he could learn everything he needed about this world, such as the language, geography, common knowledge.
"Will you accept this even though I have no sworn allegiance to your flag?" Madara asked directly.
"Just swear that you will not harm and betray the kingdom, protect my granddaughter's life with your own, of course. But you will not need to have any permanent ties to the kingdom," she spoke. Madara listened to her words and nodded, finding it quite reasonable.
"HURRAY!!!" Cirilla exclaimed, while Mousesack cracked a small smile.
"Haha. It seems life in the castle will become quite interesting from now on..." Eist commented, smiling at Madara.
Calanthe endured the expression of each before turning back to Madara and even her granddaughter. "Let's discuss our terms better later, for now, let us be alone to discuss our future endeavors. You and my granddaughter may leave," she said and looked at Mousesack, already knowing what she meant.
"Guard!" Mousesack emitted his powerful tone and the royal guards immediately left through the door, "Take Madara and the princess to my laboratory, I will see them soon," he announced while the royal guard responsible for the princess's shift nodded.
"Let's go, Madara!" Cirilla exclaimed, jumping excitedly as she passed by Madara, wanting to talk with him.
Madara nodded and made a small gesture of farewell to everyone there as he followed the princess out with her guard.
As the guards left and closed the door after Madara and Cirilla passed through it, Calanthe turned back to her druid. "This boy... He's a bit disrespectful," she spoke dissatisfied.
"You don't need to be so hard on a child," Eist spoke.
"A child? A child does not run through the kingdom killing monsters and earning hundreds of gold coins," she murmured.
Mousesack intervened. "He has his value, Madara somehow does not use the energy of chaos, which is unique, I believe he has a unique form of energy..." The druid emphasized what he always told her.
"As I told you before, Calanthe, the boy can do all this at his age, what will he not be able to do in the future? Better a powerful ally than an enemy," Eist spoke.
"Still, putting him under the same roof as us..." she commented.
"You heard him saying that walls and high barriers do not stop him, he entered Cirilla's room, have you seen the view from our floor?" Eist commented again, and Calanthe sighed a little, but her current husband was right.
Calanthe remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Mousesack, seeing as Madara had rejected her proposal, the druid man merely raised his eyes to utter words that only Calanthe could comprehend.
"We're taking a gamble here, keeping someone like him. I hope we're making the right bet," she commented.
"He didn't seem like someone who would just talk big. He could lie to you, but he said he doesn't intend to be loyal to any flag," Mousesack stated.
"And what do you think about that, can we change his mind and make him loyal to the kingdom?" Calanthe inquired.
Mousesack scratched his chin for a while before turning back to his queen. "Only time will tell, after all, many things can happen in the coming years," he said.
"He won't harm Cirilla?" Calanthe asked another question.
"I highly doubt it, and anyway, they are bound by..." the druid spoke.
"Yes, by destiny," Calanthe said disdainfully.
"If that's true, he'll be the last person to harm her. It'll be good to have him around, after all, I'm in need of a good challenge for my axe; the royal guards are so weak..." Eist commented.
"You and your games, I'd like to see that enthusiasm in war," she retorted.
"You know I'm always ready, my love," he said with a wink.
"Setting the boy aside, how are our relations with our neighbor? Did you receive anything today?" she asked, given it seemed Cintra might soon go to war with one of the Northern kingdoms, something Calanthe would enter the battlefield to confront and lead her men, as she is the Lioness of Cintra.
"I haven't received any ravens..." Mousesack spoke before continuing in a serious tone. "But things aren't good..." he said.
"Should we declare war or wait for them to attack us first?" she asked, wanting to declare war, but her druid sometimes gave her good advice.
"It wouldn't be wise to declare war, my queen," Mousesack said. "After all, we can't be seen in a good light by the rest of the Northern kingdoms..." he emphasized.
"Who cares about the opinion of those bureaucrats," Eist commented.
"As much as I'd like that, Eist, we still need to maintain alliances, however, you have a point... Tell me, Mousesack, should we let them surprise us while they kill my people?" Calanthe raised her eyebrows.
"We should strengthen our border, my queen. You know we can't attack them, our diplomatic relations haven't been very good since..." He was going to finish but Calanthe cut him off.
"Since Cirilla ran away from her betrothal, I know..." she said, dissatisfied, as she had wanted Cirilla to marry and bring a great ally, however, that contract was canceled while her granddaughter got lost in the forest and met that witcher, later Madara...
"That girl... I hope this boy is worth all the risk I'm taking here..." she murmured to herself, hoping for a better future than what she was seeing now.
Raccoon here: Calanthe has no idea about the threats from Nilfgaard in the coming years. I'll create some conflicts with Cintra and some kingdoms, but on a smaller scale, perhaps Madara will participate in some.