Chapter 28

Time passed fast, yet slowly. The morning walked over slowly to the window and knocked but upon looking up at the sky, the sun was already setting. Night came to visit as if in a hurry and the world became quiet.

Today was the same. White clouds that appeared to be within reach danced across the sky. The morning sunlight filtered through the window and dyed the floor of the room in streaks of white but just as clear as that memory was, red-yellow light soon washed over it. It was nothing short of spectacular. The grey-tinted white palace was dyed with deep red and yellow colors.

<<…I’m thankful for that but Sister, I will not go to Theheras. The king has already permitted it. I told him I would like to study and he didn’t say anything more about it. I think it will be the same in the future. It doesn’t look like something we must attend…>>

Ashite leaned back on the soft sofa. A half-filled piece of paper, a pen with an attached feather, a small ink bottle, and L’avenant’s letter sat on the square table. She closed her eyes for a second.

<>

Lante didn’t come to Theheras. Of course, he had no intention of coming. He was not one to have faced shame. He may have never mentioned it but being in Ramon Chater was difficult enough. Why would he bother coming to such a banquet? It was enough for her to go by herself. Of course, Lante was not staying in Ramon Chater merely out of shame. Luckily, he seemed to have made a friend.

***

L’avenant continued to write the letter meticulously and asked his sister how she was doing. He even bought a present to send with it. On top of the table lay a fancily wrapped book. Ashite glanced at it slightly as she lifted her pen. She filled the rest of the paper with her letter. <> It was a sound she enjoyed hearing.

<<…And so, I received it well. You remembered. Thank you. It must have been difficult for you to find Lyon’s limited edition. Please make sure to relay to the child my thanks. I’ll enjoy reading it. How did I spend my birthday you ask? There was nothing special. I just ate a meal with the king. I suppose the fact that the table was filled with such a variety of food could be considered special. Although meals here are always like that, it felt like there was much more that day. Truthfully, I already had plenty…>>

Ashite let out a quick sigh. There was nothing special. Having a meal with the king was no longer a significant event. After that day, she had a meal with him every day or at least once every two days at the dining hall.

The king mentioned his mother for the first time and then asked her to eat with him tomorrow as well. But the next day, he didn’t mention anything else during the meal, as if he had never brought up the subject of his mother. Ashite didn’t want to bring up the subject herself, and would never do so in front of the king. And so, the topic of his mother ended on that day. And, as always, their conversation strayed to that of books even after a month had passed since they first spoke in the library.

Of course, they didn’t only talk about books. They had simple conversations, too. They were like a taste of something deeper to come, but still only about small things: things that she couldn’t even remember, things that made her wonder if she would talk about these things with his other acquaintances, things that were completely frivolous.

But, truthfully, Ashite realized that their dynamic seemed a bit different from the time they had talked about books. She didn’t know how to put it in words, but it was a strange atmosphere. The king would smile several times. He smiled often. It was not a smirk of superiority, so she responded by smiling lightly back. She had no reason to not smile.

The king visited the dance studio a couple of times. While she was enraptured in her dance, she would suddenly sense a presence and turn around to find him there. He never said much. He clapped after watching her dance and smiled thinly. Then, he would quietly leave the dance studio. As king, he must be very busy, she thought. She wasn’t exactly sure what it meant but she was sure of one thing: the king trusted her.

Of course, he would have no choice but to trust her. He would know better than anyone that she had no power. Plus, knowing that his mother was a member of the Han clan was not something she was able to sneer at him about. She had no desire to do so. Instead, she sympathized with him. The same thing she had felt had happened to the king. Was that why he didn’t seem to sneer or look down on her?

“I heard she was a free spirit,” he had said in a voice of calm demeanor. He had always been a king like that. Even without really knowing the person, she could strangely identify with him, and strangely be able to trust him. She could feel that sense of trust so the king must have realized it also.

Trust. She would have never imagined she could be this friendly with the king.

Not knowing when exactly it happened, her relationship with the king became this way. Their relationship was not deep, but they were not completely oblivious to each other. Who would have thought this could happen? What a novel feeling.

Obviously, she was thankful for the king’s generosity towards her, and did not want nor could she reject his gracious gifts. Thus, from this time forward, such days continued to happen.

Ashite looked out the window all of a sudden. The sky was brightly colored. It was not filled with artificial colors but instead was natural shades of red and yellow light. The day was clear. It was sky blue, red, yellow, ivory, white, black, green, light green, like watercolors. It was a day that made her smile with ease.

Usually a peaceful and relaxed palace, these days, it seemed to have become quite booming. The thriving atmosphere felt elevated. Readying for Theheras, the palace was busy. Theheras was a big banquet that happened at the palace over the span of a week. It was an event that was celebrated in the deepest corners of the ruling nation. At the capital and the surrounding areas, the people would give thanks for their successful harvest and celebrate with a prayer to have a good end of the year. Among the nations, they were the most wealthy, and so they were well-known for their specialty foods, such as seafood from Claremont and fruit from Cena. To boast such harvests was the central reason for holding Theheras.

They also invited kings from other lands. Of course, Ashite had never attended Theheras before. She never regretted that fact but it did make her feel a bit queasy. For her, it was instinctive to feel this way about it. She would see her sisters.

Ashite tried to calm her turning stomach. Instead, she remembered what Lucia had calmly told her.

Because it is an event held by Monterobis, the biggest and wealthiest land of Latrice, she heard that not only people of Skara but the nobility from the cruise continent of Khan, allies from Limone, and the empty continent Safflower would be coming to visit. Sweet drinks and colorful foods would be placed at its center, and the banquet’s entrance would be decorated lavishly so that the guests would be awestruck. With beautiful dance and music, famous artists would shine on stage.