TGS - Chapter 37
Chapter 37: The God-Concubine
The following evening, the group set out on time.
Twilight filled the sky, and a mottled canvas of gold and crimson shadows enveloped Surinia. The city, built of white stone, seemed to be burning, until the sun sank below the horizon, the rosy clouds gathered, and the moon rose on the other side.
Now, it was time for the Moon Goddess, Anmila, to watch over the land.
The temperature difference between day and night in this region was not significant. The days were rather hot, the nights warm, and the occasional gentle breeze brought a hint of coolness.
An official led them to the God-Concubine's residence.
By custom, the God-Concubine was to live either at the top of the Sky-Reaching Tower, built for praying to the gods, or in the Sun God's temple, for she was both the master of Surinia and the high priestess of the Sun God.
But this generation's God-Concubine, Naimaer, had staunchly refused to follow tradition. Unable to build a separate palace, she had simply established her residence on the first floor of the Sky-Reaching Tower. The once sacred and tranquil ground floor of the tower had been forcibly transformed into a magnificent palace.
On any sunny day, Naimaer would hole up at the base of the tower, refusing to go out or see guests. Only on overcast, rainy, or snowy days would she appear before outsiders.
By the time they reached the main gate, the sky had just turned completely dark.
Yet the nights in Surinia were also bright. On a clear night, the moonlight coated the ground in a silver sheen. Even without lanterns, one's vision was not obscured by darkness.
That being said…
"Why are there no lamps lit?" Alyuin asked, seemingly at random, as they crossed the garden at the foot of the tower.
Even with a bright moon, the night was ultimately still dim, yet not a single light could be seen in the Sky-Reaching Tower before them, as if it were determined to rely solely on moonlight for illumination.
The official shook his head. "Her Highness the God-Concubine does not like to light lamps. But please, do not worry. There will be other means of lighting once we are in the rooms."
Soon, they discovered what these "other means of lighting" were.
Night-luminescent pearls, polished from fluorite, were placed at regular intervals along the corridor, and insects with glowing tails were trapped in glass cylinders, suspended in mid-air.
Although it couldn't illuminate the space as brightly as burning candles, it at least provided the most basic level of lighting.
In such an environment, people would unconsciously remain quiet. Following this dimly lit path, the group walked in silence to the end of the corridor, to the hall where the God-Concubine received her guests.
The hall was still lavishly lit by priceless night-luminescent pearls. Under their fluorescent, cold light, one could see a large gauze curtain hanging where the main seat was located at the back of the hall. A languid figure could be vaguely seen reclining on a long chair.
Evidently, this was Naimaer.
The ruler of Surinia, the God-Concubine of the Sun God, the former king's sister, Alyuin's aunt.
As if unaware of anyone's arrival, the figure behind the curtain remained in the same posture and made no sound.
The official first forced a smile and mouthed "My apologies" to the honored guests before stepping forward and bowing. "Your Highness, Princess Alyuin has arrived."
The figure sat up a little straighter, though still slumped.
This attitude could no longer be described as merely impolite; it was utterly negligent.
Lotus subconsciously glanced at the princess. Alyuin smiled at her before letting the expression fade from her face and raising her voice. "I have come at my aunt's invitation, but if you are truly unwell, I can only trouble you at another time."
The official silently slapped his forehead, his expression so utterly devoid of hope that it could almost rival that of the envoys from Akhet these past few days.
Naimaer finally spoke, her voice bewitchingly low and soft, with an undeniable hoarseness.
"What do you mean, my invitation? Didn't you come to Surinia because you wanted to see me?"
Alyuin retorted, "You knew, yet you still invited us."
A hoarse laugh came from behind the curtain, which suddenly stopped after a moment. The God-Concubine said mockingly, "If I had been as clever as you when I was a princess, perhaps I wouldn't have ended up here."
The gauze curtain was pulled aside by maidservants standing on either side and secured at the ends.
Lotus raised her eyes.
The God-Concubine Naimaer, reclining on the main seat, was just as the rumors described: a bewitching woman with a strange, spectral air. Perhaps because she had not seen the light of day for years, her skin was a pale shade rarely seen among Solancians. Set against her black dress and the ghostly green night-luminescent pearls, she appeared lifeless, even a little ghastly.
"Sit wherever you like," the God-Concubine said, her gaze complex and cold as she looked down at the princess. Then she swept her eyes over the others. "There are no rules here. Speak if you want to speak, leave if you don't want to talk."
Lotus wasn't sure if it was her imagination, but that gaze seemed to pause on her for a moment before moving to the next person.
Alyuin, of course, noticed it the instant she did. She subconsciously wanted to block the God-Concubine's strange gaze, but barely managed to restrain herself, merely looking over with a slightly sharp glint in her eyes.
The God-Concubine had already looked away, but sensing the princess's cold stare, she actually turned back to scrutinize Lotus from head to toe, as if to say: I'm looking. What can you do about it?
Lotus was speechless.
Alyuin frowned, carefully taking Lotus's hand and leading her to a seat at the side.
The God-Concubine watched with great interest. "Have you heard the rumors about me?"
Alyuin sat in front of the goddess and asked without emotion, "To which rumor are you referring?"
"The one that would make you nervous about the person behind you, of course."
The God-Concubine said.
The princess met her gaze, knowing what she meant.
Among the many mixed reviews they had collected, there was one piece of ambiguous intelligence—the "decadence" in the God-Concubine's extravagant lifestyle was manifested in the many beautiful female singers and dancers she kept in her palace.
Naimaer made no effort to hide it, nor did she care what others said. An official had once condemned her behavior, admonishing the God-Concubine of the Sun God to maintain her chastity. She gave no response, and that official soon vanished under mysterious circumstances. From then on, no one dared to question this matter.
In Surinia, the God-Concubine enjoyed absolute power. The system established by her ancestors allowed her to rule the southern domain on behalf of the Sun God and her father and brothers. This meant that as long as Naimaer's actions were not too outrageous, no one dared to challenge her authority.
Alyuin was wary of this person, even though they were closely related by blood.
But for now, at least, it was not appropriate to show this wariness.
The princess lowered her eyes, her expression unreadable. "I am not interested in my aunt's private affairs. I am more concerned with your answer."
"You haven't even asked me yet. How would I know what to answer?"
"You know. Otherwise, you would not have sent for me."
"Perhaps I sought you out for another matter," the God-Concubine said in a ghostly tone. "For example... your aunt is getting old. Like the God-Concubine of the previous generation, I'd like to bring a child here to keep me company and take over my position."
Hearing such a young and bewitching-looking woman say she was getting old always gave one a sense of dissonance, but Lotus did not overlook the danger behind it.
A person who detested sunlight to the point of not wanting to see guests on a sunny day—would she truly be willing to remain in the position of the Sun God's Concubine?
The answer was no. Only then did Lotus truly understand the meaning behind Naimaer's earlier complex gaze. She was looking at the princess not as a blood relative of a younger generation, but as a substitute who could grant her release.
The worst-case scenario had occurred.
Alyuin's expression was indifferent. "You must be joking, Aunt. I will be holding my coming-of-age ceremony in a few months. I'm afraid I do not meet your requirements."
"But in all of Solancia, you are the only one qualified to succeed me." The God-Concubine suddenly stood up from her long chair, her speech quickening. Her hoarse voice took on a strange, shrill quality as she raised her tone. "I know why you've come. Even if I were willing to help you, what good would it do? Are you seeking the support of a pathetic woman who can never leave Surinia for her entire life?"
At this moment, besides the God-Concubine and her two silent maidservants, only Alyuin's party remained in the vast reception hall. The official who had led them there had long since withdrawn.
Before their arrival, the God-Concubine had already prepared for a secret conversation.
Alyuin was not startled by the sudden, lengthy tirade. She said calmly, "I do indeed need your support."
"But I don't want to give it. If it weren't for the border army corps behind you, you would have been detained on your first day in Surinia," the God-Concubine sneered.
Compared to her quiet, gloomy silence, the hysterical Naimaer was more like a resentful spirit nursing a grievance.
But Alyuin was not the least bit afraid.
"If you maintain this attitude, there is no need for us to continue this discussion." The princess was confrontational. "I am not begging for your help. In fact, I came here for a cooperation that would be beneficial to both of us."
"Cooperation?"
"That's right."
Alyuin's tone carried a natural, convincing power, but the God-Concubine once again laughed hoarsely. "I have no need for so-called benefits. Leaving this place is what I want."
The princess did not reply immediately.
The God-Concubine tilted her head, her deep amber eyes wide, making her look even more like a nocturnal specter. "Before you came to see me, did you ever consider you would face such a situation? I won't detain you by force, but to expect cooperation... isn't that thinking me a bit too magnanimous?"
"What if I told you I could help you leave?"
"What, have you finally thought it through? Are you willing to stay here and replace me?"
"You're overthinking things," Alyuin said coolly. "I will never become the God-Concubine of the Sun God."
The God-Concubine was instantly disappointed. "Then what do you plan to do? Giving me a daughter you bear would be useless. I might as well pin my hopes on Horst."
The princess said in a heavy voice, "Have you never considered that the Surinia of today no longer needs a God-Concubine?"
Naimaer was stunned.
"You want to abolish the God-Concubine system..."
"If you are willing to cooperate with me, this will be my reward. When the time comes, whether you want to be a princess, a city lord, or abandon everything, it will not matter."
For a moment, there was not a single sound in the hall. The conversation between the only two remaining direct descendants of the royal bloodline made everyone but Lotus hold their breath unconsciously.
The God-Concubine stood frozen, her eyes shifting eerily.
"Why should I believe you?" Naimaer asked after a long time. "This isn't the first time I've heard such words, Alyuin. Your father also once promised me that he would bring me back, that he would make the so-called God-Concubine a relic of history. He swore he would not let me be trapped in Surinia for my entire life—because he was my brother."
"But you've seen the truth for yourself. He stopped his own beloved daughter from following in my footsteps, but what else did he do? Now he is dead, and I am still here!"
Recalling the past cast a shadow over the God-Concubine's pale face, and her voice seemed even hoarser than when they had first met. She suddenly began to cough.
A maidservant at her side immediately brought over a medicinal soup that exuded a strong scent of mint and herbs, while another took a small spoon and carefully fed it to the God-Concubine.
Had Father really said that?
In Alyuin's memory, she only recalled her father mentioning that he was reluctant to send his daughter to the city of the Sun God, but she could no longer remember the expression he wore when he said it.
"Father once spoke of you, Aunt."
The God-Concubine's attitude was cold. "Playing the family card with me is useless."
"I have no intention of achieving cooperation through so-called kinship. We have never met before; we couldn't act like a loving family even if we tried." Alyuin sighed. "It's just that since you brought up my father, there is something you should know."
"...Speak."
Alyuin walked forward calmly, and under the wary gazes of the two maidservants, she whispered something in a low voice.
The God-Concubine froze, her pupils constricting sharply. A moment later, she said, "Is what you said true?"
"I am only telling you what I know. Whether you believe it or not is up to you." The princess stepped back and gave a courteous nod. "It is getting late, and we should be leaving. What I wanted to say today has mostly been said. Whether you find the next person to repeat your past, or let the God-Concubine end with this generation, the choice is in your hands."
"Farewell, Aunt."
As the group walked out of the hall, the God-Concubine made no gesture, merely watching them leave in silence as the gauze curtain was lowered once more.
The official had been waiting outside. Seeing them emerge, he hurried forward, craning his neck to look worriedly into the hall before retracting his gaze. "Allow me to escort you back."
Alyuin said, "There's no need to trouble you. You should go in and check on my aunt."
"Then I shall take my leave."
The official did not insist. He bowed deeply and headed straight for the reception hall.
On the way back, Lotus and Alyuin once again shared a carriage.
Lotus could feel the princess's tense spirit relax the moment she entered the carriage. She turned and collapsed onto the goddess's lap, burying her face and saying in a muffled voice, "So tired. But things with Naimaer should be fine now."
Lotus thought about sending a messenger to ask the Sun God himself when they returned, while she familiarly combed her fingers through Alyuin's long hair, which had fallen to her sides.
"You should rest after you bathe. It is indeed a bit late today."
"Mm." Alyuin stretched languidly while still lying on the goddess's lap, then suddenly remembered that this posture must look very immature. She immediately sat up straight as if nothing had happened, merely leaning her head against Lotus's shoulder and closing her eyes, pressing her temples.
There was no curfew in Surinia, but there were few people on the streets at night. It didn't take long for the group to arrive at their temporary residence.
The cavalry of the Royal Guard saluted and returned to their respective rooms. Only Motis remained where he was, his expression conflicted.
Alyuin asked, "What is it?"
Motis said, "There's something... I only just remembered it at Her Highness the God-Concubine's residence. It's about when Her Highness left Akhet. It might not be of much help to us now..."
He made noise when he shouldn't have, yet when it was his turn to speak, he stammered. The princess's hand silently moved to the longbow on her back, and the Royal Guard captain's speaking pace quickened accordingly.
"At the time, Her Highness the God-Concubine was about the same age as you were when you were sent to Kadera. Surinia sent a request to the royal city for a new princess, and the former king's father—that is, the God-Concubine's father—agreed."
"But I heard that the God-Concubine was very unwilling. It seems she had a conflict with the former king's father and was punished by being chained under the sun without food or water. She was chained for two or three days and nearly died. In the end, she was still sent away."
Motis averted his gaze, looking uncomfortable. "I only remembered when I heard Her Highness the God-Concubine speak. Her voice... it probably became hoarse back then."
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