If I were walking around with my maid escort, it would draw people’s attention to me. We were able to stop the knight, but we wouldn’t be able to talk our way around every obstacle. I wonder if my enemy, Prince Albert, will make it in time. He should be busy around now. The frontier region lords and the Church had asked for an audience with him. Even if he could make his excuses not to meet with the lords, he couldn’t say no to the high priest. There’d been talk that the Church and frontier lords were about to take action. Then, suddenly, I’m acting suspiciously as well. The prince is probably panicking over what to do.
Unable to stifle my smile, I made my way through the palace hallways. My destination wasn’t where I could meet with those from Sacula, but rather, I was headed to the drawing room where the king did his work. Although it was one of the areas of the palace held in high prestige, there were several people walking around quite carefree. Their clothes weren’t that extravagant, yet they carried themselves with an air of importance that gave the impression of high-class nobles nonetheless. As I made my way to a spot where I could see their faces closer, I could tell from the smiling face looking back at me that everything had gone to plan.
“Father Birkan, it’s nice to see you.”
“Your Highness Alicia, it is an honor to see you doing so well.” He could tell that all had gone according to plan from my expression. “I have just finished speaking with the king. My appointment ended a little earlier than usual so he has some time to spare. I believe Count Gentoh will be here soon.”
“Oh, so the king is available right now?” I confirmed.
“Yes, I believe so. If you also have time, Your Highness, maybe you could also have a talk with him? It might make you feel a bit better after being locked up here for so long.”
“Yes, I think I will.” Although we weren’t far apart, we spoke in loud voices aimed at the king who was further behind us. Naturally, this was all a part of our scheme.
First, Father Birkan requested a meeting with the king. Then Count Gentoh requested one too. Father Birkan would cut his meeting short, allowing the king some free time in between, which would be my opportunity for a “chance” meeting with my father in the hallway. Inside the palace, I had been enduring an overwhelming loss. But outside of these walls, that wasn’t the case. Ever since I worked with the Church to send relief supplies to Sacula, they’d been looking out for me. Father Birkan would have been talking with the king about just how hard it was getting relief supplies to Sacula with the princess now under house arrest. The king, no doubt sensing the irony in his voice, would have to acknowledge how difficult it would be for the princess to do anything locked up within the palace. Then, all I had to do was take advantage of that and propose a plan. There was nothing odd about a daughter inviting her father to tea, after all. After all, Prince Albert would often play it up, calling him ‘father’ in official settings. So it wouldn’t be all that strange if I did the same.
“So I’ll speak to him as a...” However, I found it impossible to call him father. “I’ll speak to him as the princess.” My smile was just part of the performance. A calm but elegant expression befitting of a noble and a princess. This masked smile I wore was a symbol of my pride, and the tea would act as a reminder of that day my favorite herbal tea was left to go cold. It may just be a beverage, but it was something I had been given by Ash, and it was so very important to me. Yet the king didn’t seem to care to find out how much. I wasn’t going to let him laugh it off as if it were a simple drink—that tea meant everything and it warmed my heart.
“As it appears you have time, I would like to invite you to my room to have tea. I have something I wish to discuss with you,” I asked the king once he’d walked over.
“It seems Princess Alicia feels very strongly about this,” Father Birkan urged. The king focused on Father Birkan’s expression rather than mine and accepted. As king, he was more likely to acknowledge someone in a higher position. As a king, he was still able to respect someone else in a high position. That could be seen as a respectable trait.
“Alicia!”
However, his one big downside had arrived. Prince Albert. Judging from his sweaty face, he had run here in quite a hurry. He must have completely fallen for the plan, thinking I’d left the palace when in actuality, I had come to meet with the king.
“Oh, it’s His Highness Albert. Whatever could be the matter?” I asked.
“That’s rich coming from you! You’re banned from leaving the palace!”
I acted surprised.
“I have no plans to leave the palace. What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play the fool with me! I’m fully aware that you planned to leave the palace surrounded by your subordinates, and then once you were outside, you were going to seek escort from the Sacula knights!”
“Well, yes, that was what happened after the royal council meeting not too long ago. But I’ve never once said that I planned to leave today.” I wasn’t lying. Count Gentoh was the one who had said that if I ever needed to go outside the palace grounds, the Sacula knights would escort me. However, we never spoke about when that would be.
“In that case, why are there people from Sacula here within the palace!” Prince Albert pressed on.
“I mean, I don’t know why you’re asking me... Actually, Father Birkan did just mention that Count Gentoh would be meeting with the king soon. I guess they’re here for that?” That was indeed the case, so all Father Birkan and the king could do was nod in agreement. “Anyway, if you have no other urgent matters, could you please give us some time? I plan to have tea with the king now.”
“You and father? Wait, isn’t Count Sacula supposed to be meeting with him now?”
“We still have some time before that, so I took the opportunity,” I responded.
“Oh? Father has some time now? As luck would have it, I also need to speak with him.”
“What...” mumbled Father Birkan. While Prince Albert had no idea what was going on or what we had planned, he was trying to brute-force his way in regardless. How shameful. He was being too blatant about it, no doubt on purpose. Father Birkan had a troubled look on his face.