From the other side of the door, another group of visitors stepped into the space. The sight of them left me speechless. Darius, with his long fringe swept to the side, which was unusual for him, wearing a cloak over his full dress uniform. The cloak sported a gorgeous crest featuring a black dog, very different from his usual attire.
And holding his arm was a slender gray-haired noblewoman, slight of stature, wearing a pure white dress—Solarus. When she lifted her downcast purple eyes, it felt like a cold, snow-leaden wind rushed through the room, as if the temperature suddenly dropped in here. She could be mistaken for the snow queen from the land of ice.
Her dress rustled as she walked toward Their Majesties, her steps almost weightless. She stopped in front of them and smiled with her rouged lips. The rose color suited her pearl-white skin beautifully. Then she bowed formally to them, a bow different from the type she executed in her role as a maid.
“It has been a very long time, Your Majesties. And a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Royal Highness.”
They must have been stunned that she even addressed them directly. Next to his parents, Prince Medaikonar couldn’t conceal his shock. But Their Majesties, old hands at politics, maintained their composed expressions and said nothing.
“Who…are you?”
It was Medaikonar who spoke.
From next to Solarus, Darius answered instead, his sharp blue eyes unobstructed by his usual hanks of hair. “This is Her Grand Ducal Highness, Princess Solasvita Rustis Novenbled Arjentia, first in the line of succession to the Principality of Arjentia. And I am Darius Sye, son and heir of the commander of the Canes Venatici, the grand ducal guard.”
“Ah, Arjentia… But why is the princess of a ruined nation here?” Medaikonar asked.
Solarus smiled in a refined demeanor so unlike her at the surprised crown prince of Kophe. “It as you say, Your Royal Highness. An imperial margrave conspired with the neighboring Philisbyl Kingdom to destroy our homeland. The one who safeguarded the survivors and rendered judgment on the margrave was His Imperial Highness, Prince Richard. When I became privy to the knowledge that he had been invited to this summit, I strongly requested he allow Darius and myself to attend as ones who could attest to his sincerity. But this visit needed to be kept secret for my safety, so please accept my humblest apologies for withholding such information.”
“So…you lived…”
To me, it almost sounded like His Majesty groaned the words. Speaking of myself, all I could do was stare goggle-eyed in amazement at the transformation Solarus and Darius had undergone as well as their true standings.
When I shifted my gaze to Richard, I found him smiling back at me, like the cat that ate the canary. As if he was silently saying, “Oh, are you surprised?” Then he inserted himself into the conversation with a bright tone.
“Right, then, shall we continue this over lunch? I’m quite looking forward to enjoying Kophe’s traditional cuisine.”
His words brought all the other attendees back to their senses, reminding them why they were here in the first place. By taking the initiative from the start, Richard established his authority over them.
With the formal greetings now complete, we on the imperial side also took our seats at the table. Richard and I sat down side by side then Solarus followed. Darius stood nearby, where he could watch over both Richard and Solarus. When my eyes met Darius’s, he winked slyly at me. Goodness, he really was much too dashing like this.
The luncheon began with the chef’s greeting. Perfectly coordinated and movements crisp, the male servers arranged on the table the royal cuisine that was the pride of Kophe’s royal family. Everything looked delectable and I knew it actually must have been. But I couldn’t taste a thing because of my nerves. As I awkwardly executed what I could recall of formal table manners, I realized how acutely grateful I was for the education I’d received as a queen in training.
Smiling sunnily, Richard interacted amiably with the distinguished nobles of Kophe gathered around the table. His initial menacing aura felt like a fever dream in comparison. The nobles responded easily to the handsome imperial prince’s affable charm and conversational ability. They relaxed more and more under his attention, their tension dissipating.
Although I knew him well, it still surprised me to learn how much he knew about Kophe. From the best ports to harvest sea urchins to the places where the herbs in the quiche grew. Even the hobbies the nobles’ sons enjoyed. The conversations were lively enough. But. It almost felt as if…
As if Richard wants to say he sees right through them…
Their Majesties remained silent as did a few wary nobles along with the Church’s high priest and priests. Prince Medaikonar was the only one obviously on edge since he was unable to read the situation.
Richard chuckled lightly at a joke one of the aristocrats told. “Yes, indeed, Kophe is a wonderful place. Blessed by a temperate climate and protected by the earth itself with few natural disasters, the land yields high-quality crops. For example, this sauce. It uses distilled spirits and a renowned liquor from Ezeleya as the base into which fresh fruits are crushed. Then the whole mixture is simmered down to achieve this consistency. Kophe’s position on the western edge of the continent made it a major maritime trading center, which allowed this sauce to even come into creation.”
The nobility in the room were thoroughly captivated by the good-natured young man before them. He had them eating out of the palm of his hand.
Then, all of a sudden…
With a smile still on his face, Richard transferred the dinner knife he held in his right hand to his left and adjusted his grip accordingly with the switch.
“However.”
Bang. The violent sound echoed.
The knights standing at attention near one of the walls stirred in anger. Because Richard had stabbed the knife into the table with all his might.
Silence descended abruptly at the unexpected act of savagery. The atmosphere chilled. The knights rested their hands on the hilts of their swords and the attendees stared at Richard, holding their breaths anxiously. It was a tense situation.
“Oh-ho, how rude of me.” Richard accepted a replacement knife from Darius with a smile. “Forgive me if I’m being rude, but am I right in assuming that today’s luncheon menu consists of ingredients and dishes from towns and cities in Kophe destroyed by monsters?”