“Barlama welcomes you, Your Imperial Highness Crown Prince Auriol Ref Argenteia. What do you think of our fair nation?”
In the audience chamber of the Charlgian royal palace, a man seated on a grand throne addressed the prince.
“It is even more beautiful than the stories say,” Fiarca replied. “The people are happy and productive; a testament to your wise and gentle rule.”
“An honor to see the silver tongue of Argyll’s son in action. Versed though you are in flattery, your words gladden me nonetheless.”
King Marian VI was a plump fellow with kind eyes. Beside him sat a slender, golden-haired woman, so beautiful and youthful despite her age that people said the blood of the forest elves ran in her veins. Her name was Maia Lumedienne Charlgiana, the fifth queen consort of Charlgia.
“I heard the mask conceals a terrible war wound. Is that true?”
“You hear correctly, Your Majesty. I apologize for showing such disrespect, but I fear removing it would upset all present.”
Playing the role of her brother, Fiarca kneeled before the king. Since Prince Auriol was visiting the kingdom in the capacity of his father, there was normally no need to do such a thing. But at least away from the eyes of the public, Fiarca wished to show her respect. Here, she was not a representative of the empire, but a candidate for Princess Tishna’s marriage.
“Wear your scars proudly, Prince Auriol. They are the mark of a true warrior.”
“Thank you for your gracious words, Your Majesty. In fact, it was artisans of your nation who kindly made this mask for me.”
“Was it, now? That is surely a point of pride for our kingdom.”
Fiarca’s audience proceeded in a relatively casual manner, with small talk sprinkled among the formalities. Aside from the court guards, only four were present: the king, queen consort, Fiarca, and Ras. At times like this, Ras’s rank as a Guardian of Silver came in handy. No ordinary bodyguard of a foreign nation would be allowed to stand in on important international discussions like this one.
Suddenly, however, the king said something Fiarca didn’t expect.
“Crown Prince Auriol, allow me to thank you once again for hearing my daughter’s plea and visiting us earlier than we originally planned.”
Fiarca’s eyebrow shifted almost imperceptibly.
Under normal circumstances, moving an engagement like this placed a large burden on the host’s side. There were guards to be arranged, catering to supply, and it cost a sizable sum of money. Fiarca had understood all that when she changed her plans and was prepared to take on some of the costs herself, if need be.
But within Charlgia, it seemed that the crown prince’s early visit was seen as a result of Princess Tishna’s selfishness, and not Prince Auriol’s.
Of course, this was no simple misunderstanding. Someone must have conspired to make it seem that way.
“I have asked my daughter to keep you company until the conference begins. I have no doubt you shall spend a fruitful time together.”
“Your kindness knows no bounds, Your Majesty.”
Fiarca bowed deeply. The king of Charlgia retired, content, and Queen Maia followed him out of the room. However, just as she reached the door, she stopped and looked back at Princess Fiarca. A small smile appeared on her lips for a second, then she turned and went away.
Ras waited for Fiarca to rise to her feet, then, knowing the audience was over, breathed a small sigh of relief.
The rumors painted King Marian as kind and gentle, but with a rather weak impression, and Ras couldn’t help but agree. If anything, the golden-haired woman silently sitting by the king’s side commanded more of Ras’s attention.
“So that was the Queen of Lumede, was it? She seemed nice enough.”
“Did she? You must be losing your touch, Stallion,” Fiarca replied. “Did you fail to see the look in her eyes? She’s a malicious, ill-hearted schemer if ever I’ve seen one.”
“What, like in a mirror?”
“Are you saying we’re the same?”
“Well, you both wear masks.”
Judging by the deeply unpleasant look on her face, Ras’s joke had caused the princess more offense than he’d intended. He didn’t understand why, but Fiarca apparently had something against this woman. If that was the case, then Ras shuddered to think what would happen if the marriage went ahead and Queen Maia became Fiarca’s mother-in-law.
Soon, the palace guards came to lead Ras and Fiarca out of the audience chamber. Today’s meeting had been an impromptu one, and no other events were planned for the day. Thus, Ras and Fiarca were expecting to be quietly ushered into a waiting vehicle and taken back to the villa where they were staying.
However, when they arrived at the palace drawing room, they found that someone was already there. She had hair like glittering gold, and her features were so smooth and perfect they seemed to be carved out of ice.
“Lovely to meet you, Prince Auriol,” the girl said. “My name is Tishna Lumedienne Charlgiana.”
She conducted herself with perfect courtesy, in a manner both modest and suggestive at the same time.
“A pleasure, Your Highness. I am Auriol Ref Argenteia. What an honor it is to finally lay eyes on the one they call the Snow-White Tranquility. Why, the tales hardly manage to express your true, captivating beauty.”
Fiarca stood up straight and returned Tishna’s greeting. It was enough for the air of the room to feel so tense that even the guards stiffened.
“I thank you for your kind words. However, any beauty I may possess pales in comparison to that of the Argyll Empire’s Silver Bloom. Ah, what a shame that she is no longer with us.”
Hearing Tishna’s words, the maids in the room all paled.
The Silver Bloom was another name for the late Princess Fiarca of Argyll. For Tishna to bring up her name now, two years after her death, to Fiarca’s own twin brother, could only be either the gaffe of the century or a deliberate insult. But to Ras and Fiarca, those words concealed a third possible meaning: I know who you really are.
A stare down commenced between Tishna and Fiarca, as if each were probing the other’s motives. Then, Tishna suddenly broke the eye contact and turned to Ras.
“As for this aura knight, I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,” she said. There was a hint of annoyance in her eyes, which Ras pretended not to notice.