TGS - Chapter 87
Chapter 87: The Creation Day Banquet
That evening, a white-armored cavalryman from the royal palace brought an invitation—or rather, a summons—from Horst.
The first day of every year was called Creation Day, an important festival for the people of Solancia. The entire nation celebrated it, and its grandeur was no less than that of the festival for any of the major gods.
For Horst to send an invitation at this time was perfectly reasonable.
"Tomorrow, Her Highness the Princess must be sure to attend."
The cavalryman emphasized, his voice cold and impersonal.
The white armor he wore was the standard uniform of the Solancian King's Personal Guard.
If the Royal Guard that followed the Princess existed to protect the royal bloodline, then this white-armored Personal Guard was absolutely loyal to the King of Solancia himself. As Horst's confidants, they were incapable of betrayal.
Feeling he had delivered his message, the cavalryman bowed and took his leave. Just as he turned, he saw Motis standing by the door, leaning on his sword with both hands.
He stopped in his tracks. "Captain?"
"Surprised you still remember me, kid." Motis gave him no face. "But I can't accept the title of 'Captain.' If it's not too much trouble, how about you call me 'Lord Captain of the Guard' instead?"
"...Your Excellency."
The cavalryman watched Motis warily from under his helmet, said nothing more, and walked away quickly.
After the man was gone, Alyuin asked, "You know him?"
The Captain of the Royal Guard shrugged. "He used to work under me. A decent fighter. I don't know when he went over to Horst's side, but he joined the Personal Guard a few years ago."
"What was his name again, Niwen or Niwa? I forget."
That information was enough.
Niwei, the current commander of the Personal Guard, was rumored to be an exceptional fighter. He had once saved Horst's life during an assassination attempt and was deeply trusted by him.
To send such a person to notify her showed just how much importance Horst placed on tomorrow's Creation Day banquet.
Alyuin tapped the armrest of her chair nonchalantly, then suddenly let out a sneer.
If Horst had reached an agreement with the Stubborn Faction, there was only one possibility—one that benefited them both, but was disadvantageous to the Princess.
Ah, perhaps those two groups even took it for granted that this matter wouldn't be a bad thing for the Princess. They were probably scheming away right now, thinking it was a win-win for everyone.
And the Creation Day banquet was clearly the perfect opportunity for them to make their move.
Alyuin's long, slender fingers lifted, the tips coming together as if to crush something to dust.
—Don't even think about it.
Lotus was leaning against the other side of the low table, reading a book. A shadow suddenly fell across the page, and a lock of long, straight, and soft black hair dangled before her eyes.
Lotus looked up.
The Princess had stood up at some point and was leaning halfway over the table, her eyes slightly lowered, watching her in silence.
She was a little too close, so close that Lotus could almost feel the other's steady, rhythmic breathing falling upon her.
Lotus's eyelashes fluttered in a blink so quick it would have been missed if one wasn't paying attention. "Hm?"
"I want to borrow your name," Alyuin said, her voice low, filled with a secret earnestness. "Tomorrow. May I?"
"Alright," Lotus agreed at once, not asking what the Princess intended to do by borrowing her name.
Alyuin gave a soft laugh, straightened up, and sat back down in her chair, casually tucking the stray lock of hair behind her shoulder.
Her gaze unintentionally swept over Lotus's waist. Seeing no sign of the mirror she carried, her expression softened.
For some reason, that bronze mirror, which had inexplicably drawn her in as a child, was particularly an eyesore when it was with Lotus.
It's probably something that belongs to a god, isn't it?
Alyuin didn't give it much thought.
The next day, the sky was bright. The gates of the Princess's residence opened, and a carriage bearing the royal crest drove out.
Inside the carriage were only Lotus and the Princess.
On an occasion like this, even the Princess could only be accompanied by one person. Lena and Motis would also be in attendance, but not as her guards. They would be seated among ministers of their rank, bearing their military titles.
The carriage headed north, but not toward the royal palace. Instead, it went in the direction of the temple complex.
As the royal city of Solancia, Akhet housed the largest and most complete temple complex in the entire country.
Eight temples of the major gods, all of the same scale, were located in the center, forming a perfect circle. The temples of some of the more widely worshipped subordinate gods were built outside this central circle, radiating outwards in all directions, yet surprisingly, they did not follow the principles of symmetry.
If one could look down from the sky, they would see that the entire temple complex formed a vast star, with a circle at its heart and irregular points. It seemed to follow some strange law, creating a silent, awe-inspiring sight.
The nobles and officials attending the banquet would all come here first, because before the feast, it was more important to worship the gods.
The festivals of ancient Solancia were almost all related to the gods, and Creation Day, known colloquially as the God's Birthday Festival, was no exception. Rituals such as worship and prayer were indispensable.
However, while the priests of the various temples usually presided over the rituals on other festival days, on this day, the King of Solancia himself was in charge.
Alyuin stood before the crowd of nobles, observing the ceremony.
Having presided over the ceremony for several years in a row, Horst appeared practiced and at ease. He wore an elaborate and complex gold-adorned robe, held the ritual objects, and wore a solemn and pious expression. He looked quite the part.
At this time, the statues of each of the major gods had been carried out of their temple gates. An altar was placed before each one, with an exquisitely crafted ceremonial lamp in the center, unlit.
Lighting the lamps was Horst's task.
Starting with the King of the Gods, who stood apart from the seven luminaries—the God of the Sky—Horst raised a torch, lit the lamp, and loudly recited verses in praise of En. Then he took the offerings from a priest behind him and placed them on the altar.
Next was the following major god, the Sun God, Suriel.
The offerings proceeded in the order of the luminaries. When Horst stood before the statue of the River Goddess, Lotus heard the Princess mutter a curse under her breath, which roughly meant...
"Does a hypocrite like him even deserve to be there?"
A smile touched the corners of Lotus's lips. She raised her head slightly to look at her own statue.
The statue was larger than life, and with the addition of its pedestal, its lowered hand was about level with the top of Horst's head.
Its robes and symbols were more or less the same as the statues in other cities. Only the face, sculpted by an artist hundreds of years ago, could not be said to bear a strong resemblance to Lotus herself; in fact, it was completely unrelated.
The only similarity was its serene and aloof expression.
Lotus: "..."
She suddenly felt that if she were to revert to her true form here and remove iconic ornaments like the snowtu flower, probably no one in Akhet would connect her with the Goddess of the Yilu River.
Alyuin was also looking at the statue.
For a moment, she remembered hiding behind this very statue a long time ago, leisurely eating figs to skip the harp lessons the other noble girls were taking.
The temple musicians had searched the entire area, but no one had thought the Princess would be hiding there.
It was an amusing anecdote worth sharing, but as Alyuin turned her head, she realized she had been trying to avoid mentioning her childhood for some time now.
Lotus cast an inquisitive glance at her.
Alyuin paused, then whispered, "It's been a long time since you've come to see me in your true form."
In fact, the one who has been by your side all along is my true form.
Lotus was silent for a moment. "Then I'll enter..." your dreams.
Alyuin quickly averted her gaze, pretending nothing had happened.
Enter her dreams?
A place like a dream, where one's hidden thoughts were most easily revealed—of course she had to avoid it if she could, at least until she was truly certain.
Lotus didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she let her drop the subject.
When the ritual ended, everyone present came forward to offer bouquets to the major gods they worshipped.
Flowers that bloomed only in winter, tied together with ivy branches, were the most suitable offerings for Creation Day.
Alyuin placed her bouquet before the statue of the River Goddess. Her eyes swept over the others, confirming that hers was the freshest and fullest, its flowers and leaves the most beautiful.
She nodded to herself in satisfaction. After bowing to the statue, she turned to Lotus. "Let's go."
"Next, it's time for the palace."
It was now afternoon. The sun was still some distance from the western horizon, but the palace banquet hall was already prepared for the evening's feast.
Inside the hall, there were only a few people.
Horst, who had returned to the palace early, had changed out of his elaborate ceremonial robes. His naturally upright and resolute face wore a smile, but his eyes betrayed his impatience.
Before him stood several old men in ministerial robes, their eyes sharp.
Most of them had graying hair, and even the youngest was a dozen years older than Horst. From their attire and expressions alone, one could sense their stubborn, old-fashioned nature.
To Horst, the old men of the Stubborn Faction were the most difficult part of the royal city's power structure. They were old, obstinate, and not easily fooled. Crucially, they also held real power—these old diehards all came from powerful noble families.
"Your Majesty, this is what we agreed upon. You won't go back on your word, will you?"
One of the old men narrowed his eyes, his expression suspicious.
Horst laughed heartily. "I never go back on my word. Besides, this is a good thing for us, so why would I push it away? Surely you trust me, my lord?"
The old man also laughed. "How would we dare to question Your Majesty's words? However, does His Highness the Crown Prince know about this matter?"
"He will tonight," Horst said, his expression unchanging.
The old man seemed to disapprove, but scattered footsteps sounded from outside the banquet hall. It was the first group of guests arriving.
The old men exchanged glances and walked to their assigned seats, waiting for the answer Horst would provide.
Before long, the banquet hall was full.
Lotus and the Princess were seated in the first position on the right. Looking up, they could see Horst. Across the wide space for song and dance, directly opposite them, was Romuer.
With such a seating arrangement, any princess with a slightly weaker constitution would have found it difficult to swallow her food, which would have tasted like wax in her mouth.
Lotus glanced at Alyuin.
The latter was perfectly composed, her movements natural. Her expression when looking at Horst and his son was the same as when she looked at the Stubborn Faction—utterly unfazed, as if she were looking at thin air.
She waited for Horst to speak.
Sure enough, halfway through the banquet, during a lull when the musicians and dancers had withdrawn, Horst cleared his throat.
"Alyuin, I recall you've come of age, correct?"
The Princess: "Yes."
"Most girls your age are already betrothed," Horst said sorrowfully. "It's a pity my royal brother is no longer with us and cannot arrange this for you. As your uncle, I should take on this responsibility."
"—My son, Romuer, is also unwed. His mother has been worrying about this, and I think it's time to put her mind at ease."
"What do you think of Romuer?"
Lotus's head snapped up, frost gathering in her eyes.
Beneath the table, her fingertips tightened unconsciously.
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