Arya didn’t realize what slip of the tongue she had just made. It was natural for Valore to follow only her words. It was rather strange and pathetic that he would not listen to her from some time on.
Valore spoke to Arya in a subdued voice, contrary to what had just been raised.
“I don’t listen to my Queen?”
“You didn’t do that before, but now you talk back to me regularly, refute me, raise your voice as you are now!”
“Ha! My Queen was not angry with Sienna, but you were angry with me! Because I didn’t act as you expected me to while you wanted me to be an emperor like a paper doll that you could easily control!”
“How can you say that?! How can you hurt your mother’s heart like that? You mean you don’t really know what I mean? I’m just awfully anxious if the Emperor would go the wrong way…”
If anyone sees her now, everyone would think that Valore was unfaithful. Her acting was excellent. Arya had a sad face, clutching her trembling chest.
The problem was that the person she was performing to was his son. He knew his mother better than anyone else. She has no maternal love. Valore knew heartbreakingly well that Arya saw him only as a tool to gain power.
“Don’t lie. I still remember what you said clearly—if you can’t be an emperor, you can’t be my son! I wanted to ask you then, too. What am I to you? Am I even your son? If I hadn’t become an emperor and if I hadn’t been worthy of use, would I have been recognized as a son?”
Tears fell over Valore’s cheeks. Arya looked at him with such a cold face. Her expression was speaking instead—that he was only her son because he’s the emperor.
Valore roughly rubbed his face with the tip of his sleeve, wiping away tears, and calling in his knights to order.
“As of today, let the Empress be locked up in her palace for a week. Don’t let her out for a week or let anyone in!”
“What? Valore! How dare you do this to me!”
Arya flew into a rage at Valore’s order. Even if she was a mother, speaking informally to the Emperor showed that she had lost her reason.
“I am punishing you for not keeping dignity as the elder of the Imperial family and acting in violence in front of the emperor.”
As Valore winked, his knights approached Arya. Rejecting the knight’s hand that was grabbing her arm, she said, “I’ll walk on my feet, so get these dirty hands off me!”
Arya stared at Valore with a spiteful face.
“Your Majesty, you will surely regret your decision today.”
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll regret it. Today and tomorrow. I’ve never had a day without regret since I became the Emperor.”
As Arya went outside, Valore stumbled with a weak face. Sienna reached out to him and helped him not to fall on the floor.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m just… a little dizzy.”
It was Sienna whose cheeks were swollen by Arya’s slap, but Valore’s complexion was worse than hers. His hands were as cold as a corpse and his lips turned blue.
…
Stomp, stomp.
Milton Taylor, head of the Phoenix Knights, drove a horse near the carriage in which Sienna was riding.
Jamie’s efforts have transformed the Phoenix Knights into a different shape. Some people quit amid the tough process. They were reduced in manpower compared to other knights, but after overcoming harsh training, it was not an exaggeration to call them the best knights in the imperial family.
Milton, now leading the Knights, was unusual in particular, as he was popular not only within the Phoenix Knights but also with Jamie and Sienna.
“Your Royal Highness is now near Tromil.”
“Tromil?”
Sienna nodded at the familiar word. As Milton said goodbye, Sienna grabbed the wagon’s curtain and called him up again.
“Then how much time do we have before we get to Tromil?”
“It’s less than half a day away. If it’s hard for you to ride the carriage, shall we take a rest?”
“No, we’d better get there before the sun goes down. Let’s keep going.”
She turned back the curtains and closed her eyes.
On that day, Arya went back, grinding her teeth, and eventually decided to urge the nobles to send Sienna to where Carl was at the height of the war. The excuse was really good. The reason was that the princess should visit Carl, who has been at war for nearly half a year.
Although Emperor Valore opposed the idea, saying, “Is it right to push the princess into a dangerous battlefield?” There was no one on his side in the conference room. Eventually, Sienna left for the battlefield.
The place she headed was not close to the capital, so she was stuck in a carriage for fifteen days. Inside the carriage was filled with red cushions, but it failed to absorb all the vibrations that rang the floor. She was getting tired of motion sickness.
“Don’t you have to eat something? You won’t feel good if you don’t eat like that…”
Next to her, Hain worried about Sienna.
Usually, when a person from the royal family moves far away, he or she leads a large number of maids, servants, and knights. Naturally, Sienna’s party also tried to move a large number of Phoenix knights, maids, and cooks but failed due to Jamie’s opposition.
He pointed out the problems as more people making it difficult to find a place to stay, slow movement, and more luggage to carry. He made the claim because of his personality, which suits the military, strove for practicality rather than the honor of the aristocrats.
Naturally, Hain, the chief maid who assists Sienna, jumped at the idea. How can a princess move with such a small number of people?
But Sienna, as Jamie said, decided to move with the minimum number of people. Hain voiced that Sienna should think of her dignity, but couldn’t break the stubbornness of Sienna and Jamie. In fact, Hain was able to follow her mistress only because she begged to be taken.
Hain was also unhappy with Sienna’s packing because she wouldn’t be allowed to take a lot of dresses and accessories. Both Sienna and Hain were wearing men’s clothes as Jamie objected to their fancy dresses, saying they were not simply going on a trip but going to the battlefield.
Unlike Hain, Sienna rather liked it because the pants were easier to work rather than the fluffy dress.
Her attire was a horse-riding suit worn by knights, with a black jacket and trousers large in thighs and narrow calf, making it easier to wear boots that come up to the knees. Hain, who was complaining about how a woman wore pants, stopped complaining when she actually wore them as if feeling comfortable in them.
As Sienna stretched weakly, Hain wet the towel and wiped her face and the back of her hand. Sienna felt much better when the coolness touched her skin.
“Why did you say yes to leaving when you were going to get so sick?”
“Well, what do we do? It wasn’t my choice.”
“Yes, it is. They are so heartless. How can they think about sending your Royal Highness to war? By the way, wouldn’t it be really dangerous to go there? They say that when you go to war, bows pour down like rain, and evil enemies run like a mad pack of wolves.”
Hain, who was pretending to be okay all along, shook her fingertips as if she was scared of having to go to the battlefield.
“It’s okay. We’re not going to the middle of the battlefield. Tromil belongs to Leipsden. Come to think of it, Tromil is also Shaylin’s hometown.”
“Shaylin?”
“Yes. She said there was a really big lake in her hometown. I heard there’s a really cool lake in the direction of sunset from Tromil. I want to go once.”
“Don’t think about going alone! It’s dangerous.”
“Of course. How could I go alone? I don’t even know how to ride a horse.”
“That’s true. Anyway, no matter how close Shaylin’s hometown is to the war zone, you must take me with you whenever you go somewhere.”
“Okay. I’ll stick by your side, Hain.”
Arya didn’t realize what slip of the tongue she had just made. It was natural for Valore to follow only her words. It was rather strange and pathetic that he would not listen to her from some time on.
Valore spoke to Arya in a subdued voice, contrary to what had just been raised.
“I don’t listen to my Queen?”
“You didn’t do that before, but now you talk back to me regularly, refute me, raise your voice as you are now!”
“Ha! My Queen was not angry with Sienna, but you were angry with me! Because I didn’t act as you expected me to while you wanted me to be an emperor like a paper doll that you could easily control!”
“How can you say that?! How can you hurt your mother’s heart like that? You mean you don’t really know what I mean? I’m just awfully anxious if the Emperor would go the wrong way…”
If anyone sees her now, everyone would think that Valore was unfaithful. Her acting was excellent. Arya had a sad face, clutching her trembling chest.
The problem was that the person she was performing to was his son. He knew his mother better than anyone else. She has no maternal love. Valore knew heartbreakingly well that Arya saw him only as a tool to gain power.
“Don’t lie. I still remember what you said clearly—if you can’t be an emperor, you can’t be my son! I wanted to ask you then, too. What am I to you? Am I even your son? If I hadn’t become an emperor and if I hadn’t been worthy of use, would I have been recognized as a son?”
Tears fell over Valore’s cheeks. Arya looked at him with such a cold face. Her expression was speaking instead—that he was only her son because he’s the emperor.
Valore roughly rubbed his face with the tip of his sleeve, wiping away tears, and calling in his knights to order.
“As of today, let the Empress be locked up in her palace for a week. Don’t let her out for a week or let anyone in!”
“What? Valore! How dare you do this to me!”
Arya flew into a rage at Valore’s order. Even if she was a mother, speaking informally to the Emperor showed that she had lost her reason.
“I am punishing you for not keeping dignity as the elder of the Imperial family and acting in violence in front of the emperor.”
As Valore winked, his knights approached Arya. Rejecting the knight’s hand that was grabbing her arm, she said, “I’ll walk on my feet, so get these dirty hands off me!”
Arya stared at Valore with a spiteful face.
“Your Majesty, you will surely regret your decision today.”
“Yes, I’m sure I’ll regret it. Today and tomorrow. I’ve never had a day without regret since I became the Emperor.”
As Arya went outside, Valore stumbled with a weak face. Sienna reached out to him and helped him not to fall on the floor.
“Are you all right?”
“I’m just… a little dizzy.”
It was Sienna whose cheeks were swollen by Arya’s slap, but Valore’s complexion was worse than hers. His hands were as cold as a corpse and his lips turned blue.
…
Stomp, stomp.
Milton Taylor, head of the Phoenix Knights, drove a horse near the carriage in which Sienna was riding.
Jamie’s efforts have transformed the Phoenix Knights into a different shape. Some people quit amid the tough process. They were reduced in manpower compared to other knights, but after overcoming harsh training, it was not an exaggeration to call them the best knights in the imperial family.
Milton, now leading the Knights, was unusual in particular, as he was popular not only within the Phoenix Knights but also with Jamie and Sienna.
“Your Royal Highness is now near Tromil.”
“Tromil?”
Sienna nodded at the familiar word. As Milton said goodbye, Sienna grabbed the wagon’s curtain and called him up again.
“Then how much time do we have before we get to Tromil?”
“It’s less than half a day away. If it’s hard for you to ride the carriage, shall we take a rest?”
“No, we’d better get there before the sun goes down. Let’s keep going.”
She turned back the curtains and closed her eyes.
On that day, Arya went back, grinding her teeth, and eventually decided to urge the nobles to send Sienna to where Carl was at the height of the war. The excuse was really good. The reason was that the princess should visit Carl, who has been at war for nearly half a year.
Although Emperor Valore opposed the idea, saying, “Is it right to push the princess into a dangerous battlefield?” There was no one on his side in the conference room. Eventually, Sienna left for the battlefield.
The place she headed was not close to the capital, so she was stuck in a carriage for fifteen days. Inside the carriage was filled with red cushions, but it failed to absorb all the vibrations that rang the floor. She was getting tired of motion sickness.
“Don’t you have to eat something? You won’t feel good if you don’t eat like that…”
Next to her, Hain worried about Sienna.
Usually, when a person from the royal family moves far away, he or she leads a large number of maids, servants, and knights. Naturally, Sienna’s party also tried to move a large number of Phoenix knights, maids, and cooks but failed due to Jamie’s opposition.
He pointed out the problems as more people making it difficult to find a place to stay, slow movement, and more luggage to carry. He made the claim because of his personality, which suits the military, strove for practicality rather than the honor of the aristocrats.
Naturally, Hain, the chief maid who assists Sienna, jumped at the idea. How can a princess move with such a small number of people?
But Sienna, as Jamie said, decided to move with the minimum number of people. Hain voiced that Sienna should think of her dignity, but couldn’t break the stubbornness of Sienna and Jamie. In fact, Hain was able to follow her mistress only because she begged to be taken.
Hain was also unhappy with Sienna’s packing because she wouldn’t be allowed to take a lot of dresses and accessories. Both Sienna and Hain were wearing men’s clothes as Jamie objected to their fancy dresses, saying they were not simply going on a trip but going to the battlefield.
Unlike Hain, Sienna rather liked it because the pants were easier to work rather than the fluffy dress.
Her attire was a horse-riding suit worn by knights, with a black jacket and trousers large in thighs and narrow calf, making it easier to wear boots that come up to the knees. Hain, who was complaining about how a woman wore pants, stopped complaining when she actually wore them as if feeling comfortable in them.
As Sienna stretched weakly, Hain wet the towel and wiped her face and the back of her hand. Sienna felt much better when the coolness touched her skin.
“Why did you say yes to leaving when you were going to get so sick?”
“Well, what do we do? It wasn’t my choice.”
“Yes, it is. They are so heartless. How can they think about sending your Royal Highness to war? By the way, wouldn’t it be really dangerous to go there? They say that when you go to war, bows pour down like rain, and evil enemies run like a mad pack of wolves.”
Hain, who was pretending to be okay all along, shook her fingertips as if she was scared of having to go to the battlefield.
“It’s okay. We’re not going to the middle of the battlefield. Tromil belongs to Leipsden. Come to think of it, Tromil is also Shaylin’s hometown.”
“Shaylin?”
“Yes. She said there was a really big lake in her hometown. I heard there’s a really cool lake in the direction of sunset from Tromil. I want to go once.”
“Don’t think about going alone! It’s dangerous.”
“Of course. How could I go alone? I don’t even know how to ride a horse.”
“That’s true. Anyway, no matter how close Shaylin’s hometown is to the war zone, you must take me with you whenever you go somewhere.”
“Okay. I’ll stick by your side, Hain.”
