Except for Maris, I still haven’t been able to meet with any of those good friends of mine. I haven’t even seen my parents. Of course, it’d be absurd of me to expect that everyone would immediately gather together from all across the Kingdom just to come see me, but even so. There are so many people here on the Isle today, but how come no one’s come to see me? Something else must be going on here. The conspicuous absence of my friends and family isn’t the only thing on my mind, however.
“Ms. Hel! Please, do grace us all with a wave!”
“Lady Hel! Thank you for all you did!”
“Hey, Mom, is the Princess up there?”
“ARE YOU REALLY THE PRINCESS OF THE SEA??!!”
“Lady! Nanalie!”
“Everyone, please, stay back!”
“Um! Excuse me! Lady Hel! I—you saved me back at the stadium!”
Someone calls out to me from beyond the Knights protecting me. They call me “Lady Hel.” Ooh, that feels weird. I look to see who had spoken to me. There. One of the people I’d seen getting attacked by demons during Städal’s assault is waving to me as she thanks me. “You’re alive!” I say, smiling. I try going over to see her, but a crowd of others pushes forward once they notice me.
“Thank you!”
“We’re so glad you’re awake!”
“Lady Hel, look over here!”
The Knights get into formation and prevent them from coming up onto the stage. In the end, I am unable to have a conversation with that first woman who thanked me, and am made to sit down in a seat at the edge of the stage.
What’s the meaning of all this? Why are they treating me this way? It’s certainly nowhere near what I would call “normal.” They’re acting as though I’m a noble.
“The ceremony will begin shortly, Lady Hel. Please remain seated until then.”
I know that voice. I know that face. It’s someone I met when I’d gone out drinking with Nikeh and the others. I get up and look closer to be certain.
“Mr. Drografia?”
“Please do not refer to me in such a matter, my Lady. Whatever is the matter with you?”
“That’s—that’s what I want—”
A great swell of music begins to play; the festivities are beginning at last. I suppose I need to go back to my seat. I look left, towards the throne.
One by one, the members of the royal family ascend the stage steps, and slowly seat themselves in the chairs provided for them. The fourth member to come up on stage is Prince Zenon. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a slight smile and nod. I stand to return the greeting. Ah! Good, his legs are moving like they should again. There’s not even a hint of injury to his gallant gait.
From every direction, I hear the joyous cries and cheers of all the people of Doran who have gathered together on the Isle to celebrate today.
Despite the festive atmosphere, I’m still locked in on all sides by a phalanx of ten white Knights, all guarding me as if I am a member of the royal family or part of the aristocracy. This certainly isn’t the most enjoyable way to attend a party. People must be talking about how I’m connected to the Land of the Sea, or something like that—not that I myself understand what, exactly, my role is down in the Sea Kingdom. Surely no one should be going around calling me a “Princess,” right?
“How lovely it is to call you a Princess. Charming, even! Don’t you think so, my dear?”
“Oh, come on now, cut it out.”
With Maris at my side, I do feel a good bit more at ease than I would otherwise—but at the same time, I know there’s something I have to tell her. Something that certainly won’t be easy.
Maybe I don’t need to tell her. But if I’m going to cause her trouble anyway, I should probably let her know ahead of time. She’s Maris, after all. She’s my friend.
“Hey, Maris?”
“Goodness dear, whatever’s the matter? You look so serious.”
Even now, she’s worrying about me and how I’m feeling. I clench my hands into tight fists and press them against my knees in preparation for what’s to come.
“I...I’ve fallen in love with someone.”
“...It wouldn’t happen to be Sir Alois now, would it?”
My eyes go wide at her reply. Looking amused, Maris lets out a laugh. “Ohoho! You know I’m no fool. Why, ever since you first met him at school, he’s always been on your mind, has he not?”
“Always been on my mind?!”
Why is she talking to me like this? Like she’s predicted and rehearsed this whole conversation? I never felt this way about him at all back when we were students. Never! I’ve only felt this way about him quite recently, in fact, so why—how—
“No matter what the time or occasion, it was always ‘Rockmann’ this and ‘Rockmann’ that with you, dear; every other word out of your mouth was his name. I was quite beside myself with it all.”
“S-Sorry about that.”
“Oh, no need to apologize. If you do indeed love him, do you also intend to tell him how you feel?”
“Well, about that...”
“Or will you run away? Dear, will you run away from your own feelings?”
“‘Run away’? I’m not sure I’d—”
“Will you lie, then? Tell him you don’t love him?”
Now that I know how I really feel about him, can I hide those feelings away, not just now, but for my whole life? That doesn’t sound like me at all. I’d started this conversation with Maris with the unconscious assumption that I’d be confessing my feelings to him anyway, but to be asked about whether I actually intend to do so, and so directly—my whole body’s practically shaking with nervous, hesitant anticipation, unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.
Can I tell him—tell Rockmann—tell him...that? He’ll make fun of me, no doubt. I’ll tell him how I feel, and he’ll just laugh, saying, “I wondered what you were going to say, looking all serious like that.” It’ll just be one big joke to him.
“I myself strive to live true to my own heart. You’ve always told me you hate lies and lying—or was that a lie? Your feelings will not wait for you to be ready to act on them, my dear. One never knows when this peaceful world might once again fall apart.”
“Maris—”
“Hmph! Tell him how you feel! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, my dear. Heaven knows I’ve gained nothing despite all my confessions, however...?!”
“Don’t talk about yourself like that!”
“Sir Alois wished one thing for his reward: ‘The freedom to marry whoever one chooses.’ The wish was granted, albeit limited to only a single generation. Upon hearing this, girls hither and thither across this Kingdom were besides themselves with a most amorous desire for him!”
“The freedom to marry whoever one chooses?” Why would Rockmann wish for something like that?
While I’m over here pondering the mystery of it all, Maris continues talking. “Seriously, though, how many times do you think he’s broken my heart? You’re being a little naive with the whole ‘falling in love’ with him, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not being naive—I don’t think that this is going to go well at all...”
“That’s what I’m telling you! Getting all weak-kneed over him is naive...!”
And so on and so forth, our banter continues. After we’ve teased, scolded, and consoled each other to our heart’s content, Maris gets up to leave. “I must ensure Princess Mislina is well,” she says, and walks back behind the stage curtain. Our little argument—half in jest, at that—leaves me somehow feeling warm and relaxed even after she’s gone.
I close my eyes and take her words—Maris’s words—and write them across my heart.
＊ ＊ ＊ ＊
“Ms. Maris, are you really alright with how things turned out?”
“Well, I certainly ended up encouraging my rival in love a good deal more than I expected.”
Nikeh and Benjamine, as good friends of Nanalie, have been given special permission to meet with her, and they watched Maris and Nanalie’s conversation from behind the stage curtain. Of course, they hadn’t been planning on eavesdropping on the two of them, but once they’d heard the topic of discussion, they’d decided to wait until they were finished talking. Once Maris heads back behind the curtain herself, they pull her aside for a brief conversation.
Maris looks at Nikeh and Benjamine, winces at their wide eyes. “Did you hear all that?” she says, smiling. “She came right out and told me that she’d fallen in love with him! Honest to a fault, that girl is. Normally one would conceal such feelings, would they not? And yet without any hesitation whatsoever, she tells me, someone who adores Sir Alois, that she’s fallen in love with him! Love makes fools of us all, does it not?” She sighs, glancing back over at Nanalie, who is looking to and fro in the crowd for her friends. “But that’s what I like about her.” A pause, a shake of the head, and then she continues. “Why, he’s always, always, been the apple of my eye, you know. If he must indeed be taken away from me, then, truly, I would want him to be Nanalie’s. I’m much less vexed if he’s hers, rather than married off to some random upstart little princess from nowhere. Even so,” she says, tearing up a little, “I wonder if you two might lend me your shoulders, for a moment?”