“Here you go, Falanya.”
“Yay! Thank you, Nanaki.” The princess happily accepted the food from her servant. “Mmm! It’s delicious!”
Falanya munched on her boiled egg. The simple, poorly seasoned thing paled in comparison to the palace’s lavish cuisine, yet to a sheltered young noblewoman like Falanya, the very idea of food from an outdoor stall gave it a rustic flavor and charm beyond compare.
Indeed, Falanya was not currently in the palace but standing on a crowded thoroughfare in the castle town.
“Don’t let your guard down. You never know what might happen out here,” Nanaki cautioned as he watched his mistress eagerly nibble the egg.
“Yes, I know. Still, this disguise should be enough to keep me hidden,” she replied.
Falanya certainly looked unlike herself. Her hairstyle was different, and she wore plain clothing that allowed her to blend in. Her natural elegance was impossible to mask, but any normal stranger would only think to themselves, What a nice young lady.
She’d stick out like a sore thumb to anyone who paid close attention to the princess. Even clueless thieves would think her the daughter of a noble family and harbor ideas of easy prey. Falanya had been forewarned, of course, but how well she heeded such advice was a separate issue.
Just as Nanaki wondered if a minor threat might prompt his lady to be more cautious and therefore be to her benefit, Falanya gave him a radiant smile.
“Besides, you’re here with me, Nanaki. I have nothing to fear.”
“…”
“Um, why are you making that face? Have I annoyed you?”
“…I’m more annoyed with myself.” This was true. A single smile from Falanya had so easily left him speechless. “All right. What next, Falanya? We’ve still got time to walk around, but…”
“Hmm…” The princess fell into contemplation when Nanaki changed the subject. They were here only because of her request.
“I want to visit the castle town and observe the people.” That was what she’d said out of the blue several days ago.
Needless to say, her attendants and advisors had immediately expressed reluctance. A noble among the masses—the public would relish such a story. However, it was any guard’s worst nightmare. Falanya was also an elite among the elite and one of Natra’s top three leaders. Heads would quickly roll if she suffered even the most minor scratch, yet assigning a guard retinue made it difficult for her to travel unnoticed. Thus, everyone agreed that such an excursion was too dangerous for the princess and suggested Falanya instead send servants in her place if she wished to better know the people.
Falanya had remained uncharacteristically insistent, though, and ultimately, the vassals were forced to yield to her demand. After disguising herself as best she could, Falanya had left with Nanaki, along with a few guards, who kept their distance.
“……”
As her protector, Nanaki thought their covert investigation had gone well thus far. The objective of their outing wasn’t what worried him, though.
“Hey, Nanaki, has the town always been like this?”
“Lately. Although the main road wasn’t as busy before.”
Falanya watched passersby as she spoke with Nanaki.
Most of the officials involved considered this nothing more than a leisurely stroll born from the whims of their gentle princess. And they weren’t necessarily wrong. Falanya thought it would be a good way to relieve her recent stress, but very few knew the truth of what actually troubled her.
“…Thanks to my brother, Natra has prospered,” she muttered.
How much emotion could one whisper hold?
Falanya had yet to explore the town for even half a day. She didn’t understand every facet of the citizens’ lives. Like her servants had said, she’d gain a more complete picture by reading their gathered reports.
The princess was acutely aware of this, but she still wished to view things in person. She wanted to look upon this nation that she’d likely be responsible for soon. If anything, this outing was a ceremony of sorts.
“…Let’s return to the palace, Nanaki.”
“You’ve had enough?”
“Yes,” Falanya replied, her mind set. “I’ve seen plenty. The rest…is up to me.”
The Flahm were a people known for their distinctive white hair and red eyes. Their history was steeped in turmoil. After a generations-long enslavement, they rose up and established their own prosperous nation. However, several vengeful attacks on neighboring countries led to backlash that doomed the Flahm country. The religion that would become the Teachings of Levetia quickly branded the Flahm people as the descendants of demons, ushering in a new era of cruel oppression.
This insufferable reality persisted even into the present day. Although the Flahm of the past had surely meant well, the end result had been a torturous bloodbath no one asked for.
Prosperity and stability were but distant dreams.
“…And I suppose we’ll soon face a new era of hardship,” a man in his prime mumbled to himself as he slouched in his office chair.
He was Levan, one who bore the white hair and crimson eyes of the Flahm and served as head of the Ralei family, who represented their people in the Kingdom of Natra. About a century prior, a group of Flahm led by a man named Ralei had arrived in Natra after years of wandering. They won the king over by offering skills and knowledge acquired during their nomadic travels, and he accepted the Flahm as citizens—an unthinkable development in the West, where the Flahm suffered endlessly under the crack of a whip.
However, that hadn’t been enough to set Ralei and his people at ease. For all the king’s benevolence, Natra’s vassals and citizens carried deep prejudice against the Flahm. Unless their opinions changed, it was only a matter of time until Ralei’s group was chased out.
For the next century, the Flahm entirely devoted themselves to Natra and continued to prove their value. Thanks to this, present-day Flahm enjoyed lives of freedom in Natra. Their place in the nation was a priceless crystallization of many years of work.
Regrettably, it seemed as though that delicate peace would soon crumble, thanks to none other than the Flahm themselves.
“A Flahm nation? After all this time?”
Hopeful whispers of independence and a new homeland were spreading among Natra’s Flahm. They had once established their own country, and the legend of it burned within every Flahm soul. It was their dearest wish to rebuild someday.
Reality was not so kind as to merely allow it, though. Everyone knew this. And with no other alternative, they could only pray for a better future that might never come.
—Until now.
“Ninym will soon return. And then…”
They’d come to a crossroads. Levan could feel it.
The Flahm’s history was well-intentioned yet intensely bloody. Would they reach their lofty goal this time? Levan brooded, searching for the answer in an empty room.