12. Going Home
I arrived in the antechamber to find the Najirian and Sunrutan delegations, including Daniel, all there already. The Nigren king and queen, Prince Harold, and Karina were there to say goodbye to us.
“Thank you very much for having us.” I approached the stage and swept into a deep bow.
The Nigren King looked down at me, nodding.
“Thank you for all your assistance in the recent matters, Princess Annabel.”
Prince Harold had told his father, the king, all about what had happened. I smiled, pleased to be directly thanked by the king himself.
“I’m happy I was able to be of service. But without Prince Harold and Prince Daniel’s help, I would never have been able to save Karina.”
Prince Harold pulled all kinds of strings to get us access to Karina. And if Daniel hadn’t been there, we wouldn’t have had the chance to get close to Karina with Fake Karina around.
“I am deeply grateful to both kingdoms,” His Majesty said.
I had come to Nigren to foster closer relations between my country and the neighboring kingdoms. A lot of unexpected things had happened during this trip, but it was still a big success for my first solo international visit.
After saying goodbye in the antechamber, we made our way to the carriage yard.
On my way there, I heard someone call my name from behind.
“Prince Daniel…” I said.
It was Daniel, on his way to his own carriage.
Today, he was wearing a lavish, aristocratic outfit with shining gold epaulets. He looked every inch the royal prince.
I stopped and waited for him to catch up to me.
“Prince Daniel, thank you very much for all your assistance with everything during our stay here.”
“Ah, don’t mention it. I should be the one thanking you.”
Daniel dismissed my thanks.
I watched him for a moment, then I asked him the question that’d been weighing on my mind for days.
“Prince Daniel…the other day, you told me about the strange dreams you’ve been having. Are they really just dreams?”
The world of Daniel’s dreams seemed different from the timeline I had come from. In my previous lifetime, I’d never heard anyone mention the “Witch of the South.”
But perhaps Daniel really did share some memories of the old world with me? I just couldn’t shake that feeling somehow.
Daniel shook his head though, smiling.
“Yes, they were just dreams. Strange dreams, though, right? But this incident has made me suspect I may have some premonition-like abilities…”
“I see…” I smiled vaguely, feeling like I was unable to press him further.
“A lot happened, so we didn’t really get to spend much quality time together on this trip. Let’s make up for that next time.”
“I’d like that.” I nodded, but Daniel was staring intensely at me for some reason.
“Do you know what I mean by that, Princess Annabel?”
“Hmm?”
I tilted my head in confusion and Daniel smiled wryly.
“I intend to marry you. When I came to Najir, your father told me they wouldn’t consider marriage talks until your eighteenth birthday. I will come again then.”
I started blushing furiously as I realized what he was talking about. I remembered that Daniel had brought up marriage when he came to Najir for my coming-of-age party.
My eighteenth birthday…
It was only a little over a year away.
“Is he the reason you asked for marriage talks to be delayed?” he asked.
“What?”
Daniel jerked his head across the yard. I could see Toll and Ed walking this way. I blinked for a few seconds, then pasted a nonchalant look on my face.
“Why would you think that?”
“I saw how frantic you were the other day. It’s clear he’s someone very important to you. Besides, he’s a Royal Magician, but he attends to your safety as if he were your guardian knight.”
I blushed, looking away. I was frantic the other day. Daniel was referring to what happened after everything was over with Elena. Ed had exhausted himself trying to keep everyone else in the vicinity safe with his magic. Once everything was over, he completely collapsed.
Luckily, he’d made a complete recovery after resting a while. But for some time, I thought history was repeating itself. That Ed was going to die protecting me once again. I was quite beside myself with panic and worry.
It was unheard of for a crown princess to fall for a Royal Magician, much less delay marriage talks for his benefit. But Daniel didn’t seem to blame me at all. His gaze was earnest as I looked up and met his eyes again.
“Also…”
“Also what?”
Daniel seemed about to say something, but then he shook his head.
“Isn’t he an aristocrat in Najir?” he said instead.
“…Yes, he is. But he’s the second son, so he won’t inherit a title. He says he wants to become a Magic Count instead…”
“A Magic Count?” Daniel was clearly unfamiliar with the term.
“It’s a special kind of rank we have in our country. It’s on par with an actual count. It’s a title we sometimes bestow to magicians who’ve done extraordinary work for the good of the country.”
“I see.”
Daniel nodded, seeming to understand.
This was why my father had pushed back marriage talks until my eighteenth birthday, to honor the request of one of our most promising magicians.
“So, this ‘extraordinary work for the good of the country…,’ is it due to be completed soon?”
I shook my head. Ed was trying all kinds of things. But, so far, I’d heard nothing about any conclusive results or progress.
“He wants to create a Magic Sigil that can be used by people who can’t use magic. But it’s apparently very difficult.”
“I see,” Daniel said. Then he fell silent as if thinking hard about something.
We’d reached our carriages by now.
The Najirian and Sunrutan delegations were due to leave at the same time, so the carriage yard was very crowded with horses, carriages, people, and luggage.
Suddenly, Daniel turned back the way we’d come.
“I hear you’re working on developing a Magic Sigil that can be used without magical power?” It was Ed that Daniel was speaking to. He was coming up behind us. “If you manage to pull it off, that’d mean that the Nigrenians and my people would be able to use magic easily, just like the Najirians, wouldn’t it?”
Ed looked surprised to be directly addressed by Daniel. But he soon realized that Daniel was asking out of a genuine interest in his magical research.