“It’s been too long, Ubi. I’m doing very well, and I see you’re keeping yourself young.”
“She is!” Sardin pounced. “That’s why I love her so! The other day she was chugging wine—”
Snap.
“Don’t share that.”
“Hoof!”
His neck was bent at a very wrong angle. Even owls can’t do that!
“Such a violent way of covering an embarrassing moment.”
“Ha-ha-ha! She’s raised it to an art form!” Accustomed to this, King Sardin simply put his head back right and waved me to the couch. I think making short work of a neck injury is its own kind of art.
“This the interview thing? Is it going well?” Ubi asked.
“Yes.” I nodded. “I want to get a record of everything written down, so I’m doing my homework in every country.”
“Lovely,” King Sardin said, beaming. “I’ve heard! We’ve even discussed the potential of doing a movie tie-in. Once you’re ready to launch the media blitz, you’ll have the full support of Rokujou.”
“I’ll be sure to tell my producer.”
At this point, a very pretty girl came in.
“’Sup, Asako!”
Mena made those sharp eyes work for her. Today she wasn’t dressed down or in her Azami uniform but in a frilly gown. It took my breath away.
“W-wow, Mena.”
Mena Quinone.
A former mercenary, she was actually King Sardin and Ubi’s child—and next in line for the Rokujou throne. Once the crisis was over, she’d left the Azami royal guard and gone full-time princess. She was currently buried in a mountain of educational materials.
“You’re a vision, Mena. Really growing into this princess thing.”
She flopped down on the couch, sighing. “I can make a show of it, but therein lies the rub.”
“You’re a famous actress, too! You can play any part.”
“It’s killing my shoulders! I miss kicking back with Phyllo and Choline.” She leaned forward, raising an eyebrow at me. “So this novel of yours… It’s gonna cover my acting career?”
“Of course! How can I leave a lovely story like that out? Disguising yourself as a movie star to track down your missing mother, right under your own father’s nose! And then Lloyd got involved—that alone makes it a must!”
The more forceful I got, the harder she cringed.
“I never wanted fame! Having this all made public knowledge is just excruciating.”
But King Sardin beamed proudly. “Don’t be absurd, my darling daughter! Your chance to make them all fall in love with you! I’m even working on a script for a film with you as the sole star!”
“You are?!”
“Believe it! We’re the movie magic land! Written and directed by Sardin himself! Lights by Allan probably!”
He was shoring up the specifics, and even Ubi was on board.
“Nice. We could also rope Lloyd in and make it a love story?”
“Mom! Not you, too!”
This conversation was getting out of hand, so I jumped in.
“That aside, I do have news!”
They turned toward me.
King Sardin shook his head, looking crestfallen.
“Ha-ha-ha! Feelings for me? I’m afraid I’m happily married—”
I jumped in before his neck bent again.
“About Amadine.”
“…………………Oh. Him.”
Amadine Oxo.
He’d been a successful movie star while secretly controlling Roukjou through his underworld connections. He was the boss of the Rising Blue Dragon’s mafia, and King Sardin’s friend.
I filled them in on how he’d helped Lloyd defeat the evil warden at Hell’s Lock.
“That’s what Minoxi said. He and Zalko—a thief active in Azami—are still incarcerated.”
“Ah.”
“But he no longer lusts for power. Both of them are hard at work paving roads in the penal labor program. Allegedly he’s even voiced regret for his actions here.”
King Sardin sighed.
“I’ve heard he’s serving his time diligently. Ever since the warden incident, he’s stopped asking to be pardoned and has learned to love an honest day’s work. He regrets not being born under better circumstances.”
He paused, then looked up at me.
“Tell him to apologize to my face. I’ll consider paying a visit.”
“Oh?” Ubi said.
“If that helps improve his mindset.” Sardin shrugged. Very generous of him.
“Okay, I’ll tell him.”
“Welp,” Mena said. Realizing this subject had lowered the mood a little, her voice got a bit too bright. “How’s the novel going, Asako? Tell us everything!”
She was like a classmate trying to get a peek at someone else’s report card, and that helped ease the tension.
“Still working on the plot—or the outline. So much happened. It’s a lot to process!”
Ubi gave me a rare smile. “Then there’s still time to flesh out the Nat/Lloyd pairing! Make it a spicy one!”
“I approve! He’d make a great future king of Rokujou!” the current king said, upping the stakes dramatically.
I was vehemently against this.
“I’m afraid I must refuse. This volume is intended to serve as an account of historical fact.”
“My, my.”
I might have been exaggerating a bit, but Ubi knew I meant business and shrugged.
“Nonfiction, hmm? We’ve got a Rokujou native who specializes in nonfiction books. That may speed up the completion.”
But this advice just made Mena frown. “Mm, I’m gonna say no. It’d be at least sixty percent bragging. Less a historical account than self-mythologizing.”
“True.”
Mena and I exchanged a chuckle, and I gathered up my things.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Yes. I want to visit Profen and Jiou and be back in Azami this afternoon.”
“This afternoon…? Ah, I suppose it’s that time. Would have liked to be there with Choline… Shame I can’t just teleport like you do, Asako.”
“I can teach you how. It’s pretty simple.”
“Ah-ha-ha. It does sound more fun than being a Rokujou princess.”