TGS - Chapter 17
Chapter 17: The Captain's Request
Two young birds were placed on the table.
One of them had an injured right leg, but it wasn't serious. It was still energetic enough to look around, twisting its neck back and forth, and occasionally spreading its barely-grown wings.
The other one was much quieter, huddled next to its companion with its head tucked in. It seemed to be sleeping with its eyes closed, but a closer look revealed it was peeking out and observing its surroundings.
Lotus bandaged the injured leg of the first bird, then gave them both some water, one after the other. Alyuin sat to the side, watching with a curious expression.
As time passed, the two young birds grew hungry. Regardless of whether they had been actively looking around or quietly observing, they now uniformly raised their heads, opened their beaks, and let out the standard chirps of fledglings begging for food.
Birds are like that. Whether it's a chicken, a sparrow, or a golden eagle, they're all the same when they're young: open beaks and loud chirps.
The young princess suddenly showed a slightly disdainful expression and said, "They seem to be hungry."
"Would you like to try feeding them something?" Lotus asked gently, noticing her gaze.
The young princess said uncertainly, "They eat meat, right? Any kind of meat?"
"Yes. But you have to tear it into small pieces and feed them a little at a time."
"I understand. I'll go get some meat."
Alyuin got up and ran out. When she returned, Motis, the Captain of the Royal Guard, was with her.
As soon as he entered, he asked enthusiastically, "Her Highness the Princess said you found two little golden eagles? Are they pretty? Let me see."
Two fluffy, whitish creatures came into view. They had large heads and round bodies, and their open-mouthed begging was as noisy as a duck's. To be honest, they were a bit ugly-cute.
"..." Motis sullenly withdrew his gaze.
Alyuin meticulously tore the raw meat into small strips and fed them to the two young birds in turn. She only stopped when they closed their beaks and stopped chirping, then tentatively touched their heads with her fingertip.
The lively one immediately whimpered and dodged away. The quiet one didn't move, but with its eyes closed, it looked for all the world like it was enduring a great humiliation.
Lotus rested her chin on her hand and smiled. "Young Princess, why don't you take care of them from now on? What do you think?"
Alyuin: "Me? I'd rather not—"
"Absolutely not, for the sake of the little eagles' lives." Motis shook his head with feigned seriousness. "The late king told me about the little things Her Highness has raised. The peacocks gifted from another country, the hunting dogs brought by the guards, the fish in the pond—not a single one survived a month under the princess's care."
"I see." Lotus gave the young princess a look of inexplicable sympathy. What kind of animal-killer constitution is this?
Alyuin glared at Motis. "Those were accidents!"
The Captain of the Royal Guard received the princess's warning glare, shrugged, and changed the subject. "Enough about the eagles. Your Highness, I came to ask about your recent plans."
The young princess removed her finger from the little eagle's downy head, folded her hands, and looked calmly at Motis. The moment they turned to serious matters, all her earlier innocent curiosity vanished, leaving only the glint of contemplation in her golden eyes.
"Of course, I will stay here until after my thirteenth birthday. I will not act rashly before then."
Thirteen years old—an age of great significance to the ancient Solancians, second only to the coming-of-age ceremony at eighteen.
Most children of this age had successfully completed their basic education. They could return home to help their parents or leave home to find a trade they preferred, starting as apprentices.
From this point on, they were no longer considered children with no voice, but had entered "adolescence."
Alyuin's thirteenth birthday was that winter, less than six months away.
Motis understood why Her Highness wanted to make her move after that. After all, in the eyes of potential supporters, there was a significant threshold between twelve and thirteen. Only after crossing it could the "young" princess drop the "young" from her title and be truly taken seriously by them.
But...
"If the Lord of Kadera City makes another move during this time, I'm afraid we'll have a difficult time responding. The Royal Guard is small in number, and this is his home base."
"He won't," Alyuin said with certainty.
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because that's the kind of man the Lord of Kadera is. He's probably so scared right now he can't eat or sleep. By ignoring him, I might even frighten him into coming to apologize out of his own paranoia," Alyuin said. "If he had the guts to make another move, he would have stopped you before you even entered the city."
Motis thought about it and agreed. "Alright," he said with resignation, "we'll wait with you for a few months."
Having finished his official business, he turned to look at Lotus and suddenly said, "Miss Scribe, may I speak with you alone?"
Alyuin frowned, subconsciously reaching out to grab Lotus's wrist, then abruptly let go as if realizing what she had done.
But Lotus just smiled faintly. "Of course. Let's go outside to talk."
The young princess's eyes widened, trying to show Lotus her displeasure, but in the end, she reluctantly stepped aside.
Lotus walked behind Motis. The Captain of the Royal Guard didn't stop until they were outside the courtyard gate.
He scratched his head, choosing his words carefully. "Sorry for calling you out so abruptly. There's just something I wanted to ask you."
Lotus: "It's nothing. Please, ask."
"It's not a big deal... How has Her Highness the Princess been these past three years?"
Lotus was momentarily speechless. How was one supposed to answer such a broad question? She could only give an ambiguous reply: "The young princess has always been diligent and hardworking, secretly improving herself. She has also forged a good relationship with the priestesses of the Kadera temple."
"That's not what I'm asking. I mean mentally, her mood." Motis was clearly not good at this kind of conversation. He scratched his head again in frustration. "Her Highness is very different from before. Since I've seen her this time, I haven't seen her smile much."
Lotus finally understood what he wanted to ask. She thought for a moment before replying, "Even an adult would be dispirited after such a sudden turn of events, let alone a young princess. Adversity forces one to grow. That isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Motis sighed heavily. "Ah, you have a point. But we watched her grow up. She used to be so bold and unrestrained, and now..."
It was impossible not to feel a sense of regret and melancholy.
Lotus lowered her eyes and said nothing.
After a long moment, Motis gave Lotus a solemn bow.
"I can see that Her Highness is very fond of you and relies on you. You must have helped her a great deal when we were unable to reach her. Thank you."
"If it's possible, I'd like to ask you to always stay by the princess's side. Please."
Alyuin was distractedly playing with the little eagles, pretending to casually glance out the window. She could see Lotus and the captain of the guard talking, but she couldn't hear what they were saying.
After a while, Motis suddenly bowed to Lotus, said a few earnest words, and then turned to leave.
With a creak, Lotus pushed the door open and came back inside.
The young princess immediately went to meet her. "What did he say to you? He wasn't bad-mouthing me, was he?"
Lotus had been about to give a brief summary, but she was taken aback by the question. "Why would you think that?"
Alyuin lowered her head without a word and poked one of the little eagles on the head, making it coo and fall backward. Only then did she say, "I believe in his loyalty, but I also believe that he—and the others who were loyal to my father—don't really like me."
Lotus: "...Because of the late queen?"
She remembered that when Motis had first arrived, he had indeed said, "She's becoming more and more like that annoying Selina."
"Yes. I overheard the head lady-in-waiting gossiping once. Apparently, when my father and mother married, almost all the ministers were against it. The generals who followed my father made the biggest fuss, but in the end, they couldn't stop it."
Alyuin's tone was light, but her lowered eyelashes betrayed a hint of sadness. "Afterward, they acted like they were very fond of me and respected my mother in front of my father. But when he wasn't around, they couldn't be bothered to keep up the pretense."
Lotus: "Including Motis?"
"..." Alyuin paused, seemingly trying to recall. After a moment, she said with a deadpan expression, "Not really. He couldn't be bothered to pretend whether my father was there or not. He'd just roll his eyes when he saw my mother. His attitude toward me was alright, though."
"He's actually quite concerned about you."
"Of course he has to be concerned. After all, I've become their only hope," Alyuin said listlessly.
Lotus continued, "He was worried about your mental state. He also said he hoped I would always stay with you."
The young princess: "He said that?"
Lotus nodded.
The gloom on the young princess's face vanished instantly. She grabbed Lotus's right hand with both of hers and said sincerely, "Now I believe it. Motis is truly a loyal captain. I thank him."
Lotus: "..."
There's no need for such a quick change in attitude.
But looking at the young princess's beautiful eyes, which seemed to sparkle with starlight, she couldn't help but smile softly.
But soon, that smile faded as her thoughts turned.
In truth, Lotus hadn't given Motis an answer to his request.
Could she stay with the young princess forever?
An image of a modern city flashed through her memory. Lotus closed her eyes, ignoring Alyuin's slightly hopeful gaze, and deftly changed the subject.
In the following days, just as Alyuin had predicted, the Lord of Kadera City made no further moves. In fact, according to news gathered from the city, the lord hadn't left his residence in days.
The Lord of Kadera City was cautious and careful, smiling at everyone he met. He dared to commit all sorts of minor misdeeds, but when it came to major matters, he would never act unless absolutely necessary, and would even scare himself from every possible angle—like the assassination attempt on the young princess.
In short, he was a bully to the weak and a coward to the strong, with a penchant for overthinking.
A week after the Royal Guard stationed themselves at the temple, the city lord finally paid a visit, this time bringing lavish gifts as an apology.
"I am aware of the assassination attempt on Your Highness. For you to encounter such a thing in the city under my jurisdiction is indeed my failure. Please accept my apologies."
The Lord of Kadera City spoke, carefully glancing at the armored Motis beside the young princess, then called to the daughter hiding behind him. "Tarsha, weren't you and Her Highness classmates? Come, greet Her Highness."
Alyuin chuckled lightly. "So Tarsha is your child. She took good care of me at the academy."
Tarsha flinched slightly but still puffed out her chest and held her head high, refusing to be cowed.
"You couldn't have known when the assassins would come. I will not blame a city lord for that," Alyuin said slowly, turning her gaze away.
Hearing the princess's words, the Lord of Kadera City finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After the visitors left, Motis said resentfully, "That sickening expression of his is nauseating. Are you just going to let him off like that?"
"How could I?" The young princess smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
The seasons turned in Solancia, from the scorching summer to the bountiful late autumn, from a world of lush green to one of dazzling gold. With one more turn, early winter arrived.
The second Wednesday of November was Alyuin's birthday.
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