It was just past noon and Martha found herself racing through the halls of White Night Castle with an envelope in hand.
“Your Majesty!” she cried.
She didn’t even bother to knock before busting into the audience room and walking directly towards Silverd and Lloyd. The two men looked at her with shock.
“We’ve received a message bird from the Leviathan!” Martha exclaimed as she presented the envelope to her king. “The butlers have seen fit to write down the contents of the message. Please take a look!”
“Wh-What...happened to Ein?” Silverd asked frantically as he swiftly took the envelope and opened the seal.
The king’s heart pounded loudly; he was gripped with equal parts curiosity and fear in regard to the letter’s contents. But his hesitation lasted mere moments as he steeled his resolve and scanned the letter. For a moment, he froze, but he soon broke out guffawing.
“Heh... Heh heh. Ha ha ha ha ha!” He couldn’t stop laughing as a constant stream of tears ended up sullying his lavish clothes. “Good grief... It’s as though our worries have been completely disregarded! Just how simple could a letter be?”
“Your Majesty, what happened to Sir Ein?!” Lloyd asked.
But the king continued to laugh without answering his question. “Martha, do you know what this letter says?”
“N-No, Your Majesty,” the maid replied. “I was told to bring it to you right away.”
“Hrmm... Whatever is going on?” With that, the king stood from his throne. “We have preparations to make.”
He rubbed his red, swollen eyes and flashed a genuine smile. He walked ahead and handed Lloyd the letter as he brushed past the marshal.
“Have a read,” the king said.
The letter truly was simple, containing no more than a few words.
Crown Prince Ein shall return with Lady Krone aboard one of the Agustos Trading Firm’s vessels.
That was it. But for Lloyd, this was the best news he’d ever read since sending Ein off to Heim on that dinghy. Crying, he clutched the letter with both hands and fell to his knees.
“Lloyd, we must make preparations to welcome Ein’s return. Make haste,” Silverd ordered.
“Yes, Your Majesty!” the marshal cried.
There was no time for celebrations yet. The marshal nodded and stood back up as he wiped away his tears.
“Mrow? Did that mommy lover finally wake up?” Katima said, her voice shooting out from the private meeting room behind the throne.
“P-Phrasing, Princess Katima, phrasing...” Dill replied.
The princess emerged from the meeting room in a wheelchair pushed by Dill.
“Phrasing? Have I said anything wrong, meow?”
“I believe that loving one’s mother is quite a beautiful thing to behold,” Dill said.
“And now you hit meow with an even more convoluted reply instead of just simply nodding along. Good grief...”
Silverd turned around as the conversation hit his ears. “Ah, so you heard me. Let me remind you that it hasn’t been all that long since you opened your eyes, you dingus. You’re staying within the castle’s confines for the indefinite future, but I suppose I can make a small exception—just this once. Follow me.”
“How generous mew are, father! See? We’ve got permission! Dill, push me along, and let’s have some fun!”
“I’m terribly sorry, Your Highness,” Dill said. “I’m unsure exactly how I’m supposed to facilitate ‘some fun.’”
“Just push meow with all your might! We’ll zoom for the stars!”
“I won’t do that.”
“Father, my caretaker won’t listen to me.”
“And you’re to blame for all that,” Silverd replied.
As His Majesty offered Dill some sympathy, a stunned Katima quickly meowed up a storm of grievances. It was now the king’s turn to be troubled by his daughter. Off in another corner of the room, a smiling Lloyd and Martha watched on.
“Good grief,” the king muttered. He had a certain young lady on his mind as he left the room. “I must hear the full story, but I suspect Krone was somehow involved in this affair.”
“I agree,” a familiar voice replied.
“Sierra.”
“My deepest apologies. I had a hunch after I spotted your maid running through the halls.”
Sierra stood by a set of windows that were across the hall from the door to the audience room.
“I shall return to Syth Mill,” she said. “It’s a pity that I can’t welcome the crown prince home, but I must start investigating that stone immediately.”
“I’m counting on you,” Silverd replied. “Should you learn anything, please tell me as soon as you can.”
“Of course.”
“But what about Chris?”
“I know her well. I’m sure she’ll awaken as soon as the crown prince returns.”
She chuckled, bowed in front of Silverd, and said her farewells before she walked away.
“The next king has surely been blessed with a truly splendid inner circle,” he murmured.
Afterward, he shuffled off to his chambers to let Lalalua know their grandson was safe.
The Ishtarican public had been informed of Ein’s return from Heim. However, not a word had been uttered of the presence of Arshay, Misty, and others on the prince’s voyage home. This selective telling of the truth was done to prevent a potential uproar. While questions surrounding the Ishtarican-Heim conflict still remained, the people of Kingsland were more concerned with their heroic crown prince’s valiant return above all else.
The trading firm’s vessel slowly approached the royal capital. Once the anchor was finally dropped, a ramp was lowered onto the docks. Krone supported her beloved as he managed to just barely shamble off the ship. While everyone else looked pained to see their prince so beaten down, a certain feline princess felt like cracking a joke.
“No need to flirt while you get off the ship, mrow!”
“No, my body’s just covered in wounds, that’s all!” Ein replied before he changed topics. “Aunt Katima?! Why are you in a wheelchair?!”
“W-Well, I’ve got my reasons, mew see...”
Even if he were provided with a full explanation, he knew that he wouldn’t be able to process it now. That story would wait for another day. Ein walked forward, still with the aid of Krone, and stopped in front of Silverd.
“Grandfather, I’m back,” he said. The king remained silent as the boy went on, “I acted despite your attempts to stop me, and the Demon Lord’s power sent me spiraling out of control. There’s no excuse I can make to defend myself.”
He knew that he’d caused a lot of trouble, and didn’t expect his triumph over the red foxes to square everything away. And so, he chose to apologize obediently.
“And Krone also went a little wild,” the king replied.
“Yes, I understand that, Your Majesty,” she said.
“As you know, no good deed shall go unrewarded, but I also believe that no sin must go unpunished. Thus, I have a punishment for you too.”
Ein and Krone listened solemnly, gulping as they awaited the punishment Silverd was about to proclaim.
“You’re both fools,” the king said. “Neither of you shall be allowed to work for a while. Until the day I see fit, you both must live peacefully within the castle.”
“G-Grandfather?!” Ein cried.
“Your Majesty?!” Krone gasped.
This hardly counted as a punishment. But before the two could voice their concerns, Silverd’s shoulders trembled and he drew them both close.
“I’m so glad that you fools returned home safe and sound!” he said.
A single tear fell upon Ein’s neck. The king clung to the both of them for a good while before he suddenly stood tall and silently walked away, much to their confusion.
“I’m sorry. He’s a king, you see,” Lalalua said as she approached the couple. “He must hide his tears in front of the populace. Ein, welcome home. And Krone, thank you so much for risking your life for him.”
The queen hugged the crown prince and then his advisor. Lalalua’s eyes were damp—no doubt she was trying to hold back her own tears.
“I shall wait to hear the full story until you return to the castle,” she said. “Both His Majesty and I shall be waiting there for you. Take your time, and come back home.”
“Umm... G-Grandmother!” Ein called.
But he was soon stopped by Krone, who gripped his hands tightly. It was best to listen to her words here; they could talk again in a different place. Now all alone, Ein soon heard a familiar voice call out to him.
“Sir Ein!”
How could Ein ever forget him? It was the loyal knight who had served him for years, risking his life numerous times in the process.
“Dill!” Ein cried. “You’re okay! I’m...huh? D-Dill?”
He looked around, but the knight was nowhere to be seen. The crown prince glanced at his surroundings, but his fearless friend couldn’t be found.
“I’m right here, Sir Ein!”
Ein turned towards the voice and saw a Cait-Sìth that possessed the fur of a lion. A sword hung by his side and he wore the knightly clothes that looked so familiar, but Dill was no longer a human. Only his burly body bore a slight resemblance to the Dill that Ein had once known.
“D-Does House Gracier have some kind of species-switching ability that I know nothing about?” Ein yelped. He had no idea what else to say.
He could hardly believe his eyes and had even wondered if he was still trapped within the World Tree of Gluttony.
“It’s a long story, but Princess Katima saved my life,” Dill replied.
Completely befuddled, Ein turned to the no-good cat, but she only crossed her arms in front of her proudly. She’s useless... the crown prince thought. Left with no other choice, he turned back to his loyal knight.
“There are many things I’d like to speak with you about, but perhaps it’s best we returned to the castle first,” Dill said.
He went back to push Katima’s wheelchair and he encouraged the royal to set foot in the castle.