Chapter 10

Lu Havre easily permitted Ashite’s day off. He believed that the princess would not know anyone in Monterobis, and he definitely knew that she would not run away. Nothing serious would happen.

Time flew by and the day had come. The king called for Yeref. Lu Havre already received a special report from Yeref about the meeting between the princess and the crown prince, and that there would be no problem with it. Just like he’d been doing, the king believed that Yeref would do a great job of escorting Ashite. But there was one thing the king requested.

“Make sure there is nothing causing inconvenience for the princess.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“Make sure there aren’t any problems for her.”

“Yes, your majesty.”

“And report about this matter orally.”

Yeref had been sending the reports about the princess to Lu Havre without skipping a day. However, the reports detailing what the princess did day by day were not something he was interested in. Lu Havre read the first few reports of information he didn’t need, and the rest of the reports had been building up on a corner of the king’s desk. Yeref was aware of that.

However, he never complained about this process or thought it was an unnecessary job for Etutu. These reports could prove to be important one day.

A servant who understood his owner bowed down to him.

It wasn’t even April, but the flowers seemed to tell people that it was already spring. Ashite left the palace. She could see the outer part of the palace colored in gray, covered with various trees and flowers. Under the sky pure as a painting, the view of the field was as pretty as a watercolor picture. Green grass, red flowers, white flowers, purple flowers. Yellow flowers, orange flowers — all the colorful plants were harmonizing together. It was the perfect day for Menang.

A carriage with the royal trademark was standing by the palace. As soon as she got in the carriage, Ashite opened a small window inside. A spring breeze was spreading around flower scents. She relaxed a little bit.

The carriage moved out of the palace and moved a bit more until it got to the royal college. Young scholars from Monterobis gathered here at Ramon Chater.

Ashite got off the carriage. She blinked a few times to get used to the lights. The first impression was that it was pure white, and then she noticed the vine-like golden decorations. Water came out of a fountain surrounded by historical statues. The main building and annex faced each other. The fountain, the statues, and the walls of Ramon Chater were all white, seeming to represent a pure scholar spirit.

One servant led Ashite into the annex. The middle part of the first-floor annex was Chater Hall, where students got to socialize with each other. A few rooms were prepared around the corner for guests to stay. The room Ashite was introduced to had a huge window inside. The servant opened the window a little as he brought in some tea. Some breeze came in, and she enjoyed the tea. A few minutes later, the servant announced the entrance of the crown prince.

“Sister.”

A deep voice was heard, coupled with steps light as feathers.

Ashite looked at him and truly was impressed. The steps of Skara. One thing she was proud of in Skara was that they picked the right person to be the next king.

Ashite admired him. This guy was now just a captive for Monterobis. He looked nice as a student of the royal college, but it was clear that it was not necessary for the crown prince of Skara to study abroad. Comparing the quality of education between countries, there was no place like Skara. Ramon Chater was nothing compared to Skara’s institutions. If Lante did not come here, he would have been in Baya Lenand. He could have been communicating and learning together with the best scholars from Latrice. It was depressing, especially to his father.

However, she did not feel much about it. It was weird for a captive to feel bad about the other captive.

“Lante.”

“It’s been a long time, Ashi.”

The golden boy smiled at her. She smiled back. Ashite was relieved. Lante grew up just the way he was before. Slightly wavy purple hair, golden eyes, and a sharp face, but with an adorable smile.

Lante was the closest sibling to her. Though there was huge difference in them, they were significant to each other. Ever since she was young, Ashite built up a wall to hide from anyone. He was the first person to ask her to let him in with that bright smile of his.

Ashite cherished L’avanent. She would only let him call her by the nickname that her mother used.

However, her cold behavior towards him was the same. She was so used to treating everyone like that. Knowing that the slightest smile and the eyes with warmth were still there, L’avanent understood her.

“Have you been doing well?”

Ashite liked this about him. While she was spending time alone in Skara after she lost her mother, his caring words would make her feel less lonely.

“Of course. Have you?”

The siblings continued their conversation. They asked how they were doing and worried about each other’s health. L’avanent told her about how Skara was doing and life in Ramon Chater.

Suddenly, L’avanent took a sip of his tea and continued talking.

“I met the king as soon as I got here.”

Did he ever visit the palace? Ashite’s eyes were wide open. L’avanent smiled and shook his head.

“Ah, not at the palace. We met at the government office in the capital. That’s what it’s called in Skara, so I’m guessing it is called the same here, too. Anyway, he was talking about the welcoming that will happen in Ramon Chater. He said he was sorry for not making it happen in the palace… Well, it doesn’t matter to me; it just sounds funny. It sounds like he’s sorry for forcing me to be here and do welcoming for me. It is funny, isn’t it?”

He wasn’t wrong. Ashite nodded. According to the post-war pact, everyone knew that the crown prince was coming as a captive. The welcoming must be done, but it wasn’t anything grand or worth celebrating. It was not necessary to make it happen in the palace. Even her own welcoming happened to be just because of the Terre Festival. She assumed that there would be a welcoming for Lante in Ramon Chater before everyone came back for school.

L’avanent talked about how he met the king, then continued while he was touching his teacup.

“The king. He seemed more human-like than I thought he would be. I wondered if he had his own stand-in.” L’avanent laughed as he said this. The king does look like a normal human and not a monster, she thought. Thinking about it made Ashite laugh, too.

“That is how you thought also, right?”

“Yes, I was surprised. I remember the first time I met him.”

That day. The memory was a blur, as it had already been few months since then. It would be a lie if she said she wasn’t trying to push that memory away from her mind. The only thing she remembered was when the king wrote the pact for her.

“Well, it seems like the rumors about his brutality are true.”

“Sorry?”

“It’s just the personality of the king is different than ours.”

“What do you mean? In what way?”

“Hmm. Well first, the king in Skara is always gentle and elegant.”

That was not true.

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However, Ashite could not deny him. She would look the same as the king of Skara to others, especially in a country where gold covered nearly everything. Skara was definitely not a gentle and elegant country. If that were true, why would they do what they did to her mother?

She straightened her frowned forehead, trying not to sigh.

Ashite’s mother was completely looked down upon by everyone. Just because she shared the same blood as her mother, that was how she was treated, too. Floka was just the name of concubine from the low free spirit class. Although they got to stay in Lotte Bishel, the palace that the king only gave to the most loved lady, she and her mother were outcasts.

Ever since Ashite was born, she was thankful that her father, Hanus II, did not visit Lotte Bishel. She could not imagine how many attacks she would have gotten from him if he ever saw that she was learning dance from her mother. How much more degrading could she have gotten? Apathy was so much better than that.

If only he was truly ignorant of them… it would have been nice. The king never paid attention to his only daughter from his concubine, but the only time he would make the visit was to have Floka.

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It was impossible to refuse. As soon as she tried, the king would slap her face and kick her chin to kneel down in front of him. Floka was tortured a few times in front of her daughter. Begging, screaming, crying, yelling, violence, rape, screaming again, crying, more violence. Those were endless days of being tortured.

Soon Ashite fell in the maze of nightmares every night. The things that were done to her mother were cruel, and they left painful memories in Ashite. It would still be the same no matter how old she got. She could not push them away no matter how hard she tried. In order to do that, she would have to forget her mother. But she could not forget the root of her own life. She simply could not do it.

Ashite decided to wear a mask instead. It was just easier to pretend to be cold-hearted and calm. Every time the memories climbed on her at night to hunt her, she tried her best to ignore them. But she couldn’t forget. She shouldn’t forget.

The nightmares.

It all ended with the suicide of Floka.

Even after Floka died, Ashite was still looked down upon by everyone. The nightmares were still there. She decided to hide behind the wall she built.

The wall she built around her would get thicker and stronger day by day. The only person who came into her space was L’avanent. Unlike her, he was born with royal blood, raised as a perfect fit for the royal family. She could not say that her wall completely collapsed, but he was the first one to ask to be let in.

One day, L’avanent approached her saying he wanted to be a friend of hers.

It was scary at first. <>

Nonetheless, Ashite refused him, trying to hide the fact that she was scared. However, no matter how many times she refused him, denied all the gifts he sent her, and rejected any of his offers, he would still try to come to her with his smile.

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Just like this.

“Are you okay?”

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“You don’t look good.”

Why did Skara do that to me and my mother?

“Maybe you should have rested; it was my fault. I should have just paid you a visit. I apologize, sister.”

“…It’s okay. There is nothing you should be sorry for.”

“But sister.”

“It’s nothing. So…What were you saying? You said that it is true about the brutality of Del Monte III?”

L’avanent looked and checked Ashite like a mother bird. Knitted brows, frowned lips, depressed face. Yet she was saying she is okay. He sighed.

He was not a young boy anymore. His sister was hiding something from him, even though she said there was nothing. It’d been a few years since he befriended her, and it seemed like there was still a gap that he could not see between him and her.

There had been a few times in the past where they were having a conversation and her face turned blue. Every time it happened, he would ask if she is okay but she would never say what was happening and moved on to a different topic. There must have been a reason why she never says anything, he thought. He believed that she would let him know someday when they are close enough, but it seemed like it wasn’t happening today.

“… yes. Just by the feelings. Everyone here knows what happened at the coronation; they just never talk about it. About how violent and monstrous he is. So I am worried about you, sister.” L’avanent pretend like he did not notice her.

“Lante, the king isn’t as cruel as the rumors say. Because—”

“I’m sorry?”

Ashite almost made herself a fool. She interrupted Lante and without her realizing it, she mentioned something that seemed like she was supporting the king of this country right in front of the crown prince of Skara, who had to be stuck in Ramon Chater for three years. She could feel the pressure of the word “lost country” on him.

Oh no, what was I saying? Ashite thought. Although she was fully aware that Del Monte III was not as cruel as the rumors seemed to make him, that she knows what proper manners were. However, she did to tell that to Lante. She could have just told him to not to worry too much.

“What are you saying, sister?” Lante’s eyes were bright and pure, just like collections of all the yellows of the spring and gold.

After looking at him, Ashite decided to let go of all her deep thoughts.

It was Lante who was in front of her. There was no way he would degrade her or misunderstand her. She trusted him. Also, they were staying at Monterobis, so no one else would care to talk about this. It was not Skara. Ashite relaxed a bit and started to talk again.

“Take a look at how we both are treated now.”

“But there is the Jeice pact. They have to do these things for us.”

Lante seemed confused. There was no criticism in his eyes or voice. It felt just like the old times in Skara when they would hang out together. Ashite smiled. Lante was just the same. She had to make sure that this kid wouldn’t worry about her.

“Yes, that is true, Lante. But have you ever read the pact?”

“Yes, a bit.”

“I’ve never seen it, but I could tell what was in it. First of all, most of the details are probably about you, Lante.”

“Hm. You are correct.”

“And there isn’t much about me.”

L’avanent made a guilty face. Ashite smiled with no meaning behind it. He did not have to feel guilty.

“But look at how the king is treating me. I was permitted to get out of the palace and my escorting knight is from the top tier of Etutu.” Ashite smiled at the surprised little boy. “Oh, did I mention my room? It is so beautiful and shiny that I’m in awe every morning I wake up. So Lante, you don’t need to worry about me and how I am treated here. The king is treating me better than anyone.”

Lante could not hide his surprised face. He was thinking for a while, then he nodded.

“Okay, sister. I understand it now.”

He was like a well-behaved child. Ashite smiled brightly. In front of her, Lante would always share his story with his pure eyes and lovely smile. She liked this. Meeting Lante made Ashite feel warm inside.

They talked and had a meal together. The time went fast. The green grass was now filled with dark shadows. The siblings had their goodbyes in front of the fountain covered by sunset. After making sure that Ashite went on the carriage well, Lante said farewell politely.

“Bye, sister. Take care. I will write you letters from time to time.”

Until he could not see the carriage anymore, L’avanent stood by the doors of Ramon Chater. Ashite looked back at him as well. “Take care, Lante.”