Unnamed Memory - Volume 5 - Chapter 3

3. Returning the Promise

Last-minute appeals came rushing in one after another, and by the time Oscar could reach a stopping point, it was late in the afternoon.

He glanced at the clock and frowned. “Damn. Practice with Tinasha—”

Then he stopped, remembering that she had left Farsas. Not missing how his king’s face had screwed up in a scowl, Lazar gave a wan smile. “I’m sure she’s incredibly busy. Her coronation is in two days.”

“She really was here until the absolute last minute…”

While she could travel back instantly via teleportation, a ruler on the cusp of coronation normally wouldn’t remain abroad. She had done so out of a strong sense of duty and the goodness of her heart.

Tinasha had spent merely half a year living at the castle, but lingering traces of her scent popped up everywhere.

Oscar sighed, recalling how she’d smiled at him while clad in a short-sleeved outfit like something a child would wear. “She’s an odd one, all right. Make sure everything she did and said in Farsas is noted down. I want it recorded for posterity.”

“I believe Tuldarr may object to that,” Lazar said, implying that her behavior had been just that bizarre and surely her homeland would prefer that the queen’s eccentricities were kept quiet. In fact, nothing of note had been recorded about the queen who had reigned four centuries ago besides her status as the Witch Killer Queen and other meritorious deeds she had done.

“If she were a princess instead of a future queen, they might find her antics amusing,” Oscar asserted.

“Are you sure? Let’s not forget how many times she’s wound up covered in blood,” Lazar pointed out with a shudder. Ignoring him, Oscar rested his chin in his hands.

It really would have been better if she were just a princess.

If she were born as Prince Legis of Tuldarr’s younger sister and second in line for the throne, she could have led a very different life. Then she might have married into another country. Oscar didn’t know her as a princess, but he did know of her free-spirited nature.

And for that reason, he wished that she had more options, especially after she’d managed to escape from the Dark Age. He wanted her to have other paths she could choose besides a life of solitude spent under tremendous pressure.

Oscar realized he’d sunk deep into contemplation and snapped back to himself with a grimace. “Ugh, ridiculous.”

How long was he going to spend thinking about someone who was gone? There was no shortage of other things to consider. From the corner of his eye, Oscar noticed that Lazar was watching him discreetly. The king waved a hand at his attendant. “I’m fine. Get back to work.”

“Um, about that, Your Majesty. Several Farsas nobles have put in requests for an audience with you, and they would like to bring along their daughters… Er…”

“And they’re hoping I’ll pick one to be queen? That sounds annoying. Schedule them all for the same day.”

“Are you sure?” Lazar asked.

Oscar detected the layered meaning in the question but kept his face blank as he responded. “The curse is broken, so I need to evaluate some prospects for queen soon. It’s good timing, since I want to pick the most harmless one possible.”

Now that the curse was undone, there was no need to seek out the most suitable partner possible. Things would be the same no matter who she was.

Forcing himself to switch gears, Oscar returned to his work.

Three hours later, he remembered that he had never eaten lunch.

Tuldarr had not had a queen in six generations, and no ruler had inherited so much as a single mystical spirit in eleven generations.

On the day of the coronation, guests were led into Tuldarr’s cathedral, where they whispered about their fears regarding the unusual ceremony.

“A mystical spirit inheritance ceremony after Tuldarr’s spells were only just restricted under the treaty? Can you believe it?”

“It’s a part of the coronation tradition. They’re not going to suddenly stop doing it.”

“But no one’s used the spirits in hundreds of years. Could there be some ulterior motive for making a show of them now, after so long?”

Tiered rows of seats ran the circumference of the oval cathedral, with the altar at the center.

Dressed in their finest, the seated guests gossiped freely.

“Is she even capable of receiving the spirits in the first place?”

The mystical spirits that would serve the ruler of Tuldarr upon coronation were actually high-ranking demons.

Such creatures were native to another plane of existence, and consequentially almost never appeared in the human realm. On the rare occasions they did, they were frequently taken for gods, overwhelmingly powerful as they were. Some still had believers among more rural parts of the continent.

Tuldarr was already feared by other nations for being home to so many mages of preeminent magical power. For its ruler to command the mystical spirits after so many had failed to do so would make the country a concerning threat.

“It’s nothing to worry about. Even if she does succeed in the ceremony, I can’t imagine she’ll be able to handle more than one, at most.”

A wry smile came to Oscar’s lips as he listened to a fellow attendee’s optimistic opinion.

Of the twelve spirits, one, which took the form of a girl, was already under the command of the soon-to-be queen. No matter how things played out, she certainly wouldn’t walk away with just one. Oscar’s grin broadened as he envisioned how all of these guests would react once they witnessed that part of the coronation.

Yet at the same time, Oscar also understood that there was merit to the guests’ concerns. Other nations would be wary if Tuldarr suddenly grew stronger. While the Magic Empire had never launched an invasion in its history, Druza had set a precedent several months before by attacking Farsas with a forbidden curse. That immense power wielded by a comparatively small group had easily disrupted an entire country. Those aware of that would harbor doubts about Tuldarr as well.

It was the wish of former king Calste, who had abdicated the previous day, that Tinasha be coronated and inherit the spirits. However, she would be the one to pay the price for it. Tinasha had a tendency to make rash decisions, and Oscar was afraid and curious to see how she would direct her country.

All of a sudden, a hush fell over the audience, and Oscar peered down toward the center of the cathedral hall. A plain altar sat atop a raised platform with ten steps. True to the atheistic beliefs of Tuldarr, there were no adorning statues or idols.

Legis had appeared, standing upon the dais and wearing ceremonial robes. The prince of Tuldarr surveyed the faces of the attendees before bowing to them. “Thank you all very much for taking the time to be here today. On behalf of the queen, I offer my warmest gratitude.”

The simple address called Tinasha to mind.

A gentle smile on his lips, Legis continued. “The mystical spirit ceremony will constitute the coronation today. I am aware that there may be many unconventional elements, but I implore you to accept them as the will of our queen.”

None said a word.

Strictly speaking, the kings and queens of Tuldarr did not inherit a throne.

The previous ruler had abdicated, and the new one was crowned the following day. A new ruler acquired the mystical spirits and nothing more. This long-standing tradition of ascension via magical power made Tuldarr’s ancient ways plain for all to see.

The now former king Calste stood at the base of the steps alongside other mages. Only his son Legis stood at the top of the platform.

Legis bowed once more, then held out his hands. In apparent response, a transportation array appeared before the altar.

The first thing to come through the portal was the small ivory hand of a woman.

That hand, mystery incarnate, came to rest atop Legis’s palm.

Next, the bottom edges of blue robes materialized. The shade, symbolic of the Tuldarr royal family, looked made of dye crafted from ground gemstones. It was a blue deeper than the sky and clearer than the sea, calling to mind the history that had fostered this Magic Empire.

Basking in the silence from the audience, the queen stepped slowly from the magic circle.

Her long hair flowed freely as waves of black, and over it she wore a silver-threaded veil embroidered with lines of pearls.

Her mage’s robe was trimmed in deep blue and pure white; it outlined the slim and elegant curves of her body and flared out into a full ball gown. She lifted her skirt to stride forward, and the hem formed an arc with her movements.

Her eyelids were slightly downcast, but her eyes contained the depths of darkness as she gazed straight ahead. There was gravity to her beauty, lending her a magnificence that tugged at the soul.

“So that’s the queen of Tuldarr.”

Awestruck whispers ran through the crowd. Again, Oscar grinned wryly.

He should have been intimately familiar with her rare and exquisite beauty, as well as with her dignity as a queen. Seeing it on display exceeded all imagination, however. He, too, had been completely enthralled by her from the moment she appeared. This was her other side—the queen who would take the throne through force of magic.

Tinasha stood in front of the altar and drew a deep breath. As she did, Legis took two steps down the stairway and knelt.

The queen’s long sleeves billowed as she spread her arms wide. Bells on her bracelets sang tinkling notes.

“The words of this contract are assembled from the will of the unvoiced.”

Her voice rang out in sonorous incantation.

The atmosphere in the cathedral shifted. Magic began to swirl with Tinasha at the center.

“Hope is born from the depths of despair—the flow of time is irreversible, and all possible meanings give rise to awareness. A concept kept hidden makes the individual so, and it crawls to the cusp of the lineage it is bound to.”

Dense power knit itself into an intricate spell. Like rings on water, it rose up and rippled out but did not disappear, interweaving to form a gigantic structure.

“I call upon the ancient contract, the chains that bind human to inhuman.”

As the array rose higher around the altar, its complexity grew.

The gathered magic condensed toward the center, responding to Tinasha’s own immense power. Her lilting incantation made the magic in the air even denser and thicker.

“Listen to me, o sleeping ones, our unfamiliar neighbors. Long ago was the day of the beginning, but you are eternal.”

The magic converged. It was so thick that the faces of the mages, who were gathered at the base of the steps, had gone white.

Suddenly, a ray of pale light appeared at the center of the altar. The layered spell formed an intricate circle on the stone as if shaped by an invisible hand.

On the edges of the array, a tremendous light erupted from the one o’clock position. Then luminous bursts flared from the two o’clock and three o’clock positions as well. The same happened with each spot in order, except for the five o’clock point. On a shallow exhale, Tinasha spoke.

“Appear!”

Her voice was low, but it reached everyone present. It was as if it were coming from terribly far away but whispered directly in one’s ear at the same time. The power in the word made the audience stiffen.

Tinasha’s dark eyes flashed as she presided over the glowing circle.

“O spirits sleeping in Tuldarr by an ancient contract! My name is Tinasha As Meyer Ur Aeterna Tuldarr!”

Gasps erupted from different onlookers.

This power could forcibly alter the immovable. Her peerless magic could rewrite anything at all.

At last, the queen made her decree.

“I am your regent, and by this proclamation you are defined… Come to me!”

Light burst forth.

A white light blanketed every corner of the cathedral, but it was soon swept away by the wind.

Having shut their eyes against that blinding radiance, the attendees cautiously opened them to glance fearfully at the altar. The sight caused their jaws to drop.

“Those are…”

Where there was nothing only moments before, there were now beings standing in a circle at the center of the platform. These were Tuldarr’s mystical spirits.

All twelve were present.

Each had taken a humanlike shape and was standing with complete indifference.

“Ludicrous. All twelve of them,” guests muttered in utter shock.

In all of Tuldarr’s long and storied history, only two rulers had wielded all twelve of the spirits alone.

One was King Otis, who had first summoned them and tied them to the founding of the nation. The other was the Witch Killer Queen.

Only a select few knew that Tinasha and that queen who had bested a witch four hundred years ago were the same person. Thus, the audience’s astonishment quickly gave way to fear. Tuldarr had just gained immeasurable power. This would undoubtedly be a turning point in history.

Much like the audience, all of the spirits eyed the queen with surprise. Tinasha noticed, and her face broke into a smile for the first time since she’d appeared. In a voice only they could hear, she said, “It’s been a very long time. Just wait a moment, all right?”

Taking that request as an order, all twelve stayed silent.

Tinasha subdued her grin and regarded the guests with a queen’s countenance. “I am Tinasha As Meyer Ur Aeterna Tuldarr, and I have been enthroned as the forty-third ruler of this nation. I offer all of you my deepest gratitude for gathering here with us today.”

None dared to so much as move. Courteous words though they were, they had come from a woman with strength enough to control the lives of everyone in the cathedral. Quite a few in the crowd wore white-faced expressions of terror.

Tinasha smiled, though it was a shallow one this time. Her eyes burned with the fierce glow of a monarch. She looked out over her spirits and said, “I order the spirits of Tuldarr.”

The twelve knelt in response.

With unwavering confidence she said, “As your master, I call an end to our ancient contract. Henceforth, you are released from that which binds you to Tuldarr. You are now set free. You may do as you wish.”

She said it lightly and liltingly.

Her proclamation petrified the entire hall. All were speechless.

The only ones unsurprised were Tinasha herself, Legis, and Renart, who stood with the other mages at the foot of the dais. Even the spirits couldn’t hide their astonishment, save Mila.

The former king Calste, the first to snap from the shock, grew red in the face and cried, “Wh-what do you think you’re doing?!”

He dashed up the steps, and Tinasha met him with a gentle expression.

Heedless of the international audience, Calste yelled, “Are you aware of what you’ve just done?!”

“Yes, of course I am. The Dark Age is long past. We are no longer in an era in which rulers must possess mighty power. As you can see in many of the faces around you, power that exceeds reasonable limits only begets fear. And most importantly, Tuldarr is a capable enough nation without the spirits. You should know that best of all.”

Tinasha glanced at Legis. The prince evidently understood Tinasha’s intention from the look alone and came to stand next to her, ignoring the daggers his father was glaring at him.

Calste’s balled-up fists trembled. “Legis! You knew about this?! How could you allow such a—”

“It only made sense, Father. Even if she inherits the spirits now, a day will certainly come when no king or queen wields them. So instead of relying on fleeting strength, we should prove that the people and technology of Tuldarr are what make this country strong.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Calste said after a pause, but he issued no further protests.

After moving his father to one side, Legis nodded at Tinasha.

She faced the audience with a smile. “I hereby ascend the throne for one year, as the final queen of an era in which the rulers symbolized the power of their nations. After that, Prince Legis will become king and govern the country alongside a newly established parliament. This year will be the last for Tuldarr’s ancient traditions, and you may also think of it as the time we need to prepare for a new departure.”

The guests let out held breaths at her graceful speech. Little by little, the crowd began to buzz.

The Magic Empire, which had ever valued tradition, had proclaimed that it would move on from the ancient ways. Those who had shuddered fearfully only moments before now stared at the queen who had just taken the throne under such unbelievable circumstances.

Tinasha shrugged at the spirits. With a sardonic expression, she told them, “There you have it. We’ve only just been reunited, but I’d like to thank you for your service.”

A spirit in the form of a young man stood up. “Little girl! Can we really do what we want?”

“Of course,” Tinasha replied.

“Then I’m going to stay a spirit until you die. Our contract with Tuldarr may be over, but that doesn’t mean you’re not still my queen.”

“Oh, really? I don’t mind either way,” Tinasha replied.

“Lady Tinasha, I’m going to stay, too!” added a female spirit.

“What? Then I guess I will as well. It’s never boring with our queen, after all,” drawled a male spirit.

“Nil, you get out of here! You’re annoying!”

As the spirits began to bicker and banter, Tinasha massaged her temples with a grimace.

Legis’s eyes widened as he watched. “They’re very fond of you…”

“I think it’s more that they enjoy pestering me…”

Recognizing that things would not calm down so long as the spirits kept chattering, Tinasha shot a beseeching glance at the one situated at the twelve o’clock position.

This was the oldest-looking spirit, sporting white hair. They gave the queen a dignified bow. “I am very grateful that you have ordered the end of our contract. However, as Karr said, our contract with Tuldarr and the fact that you are our master are separate things. Please allow us to accompany you to the end of your short human life span. We do so of our own free will.”

“Well, I did tell you to act as you pleased. All right, then,” she agreed.

“We shall take you at your word,” responded the spirit. With that, the twelve fell silent. They bowed to her, each with different expressions on their faces, and then vanished from the cathedral.

Without the bickering, the spacious chamber fell deathly silent. Tinasha gave a self-possessed smile. Even beneath the weight of every eye in the room, she did not falter. There was no doubting she was the queen.

Just as many had predicted, but not at all in the way they had expected, her coronation heralded a turning point in history. Her utterly unique beauty and power would leave a vivid and eternal mark on the memories of the people.

Foreign and domestic attendees alike remained still as surely as if a binding spell had been placed on them. It was like time had stopped.

In the midst of them all, Oscar gazed at the young, beautiful ruler of Tuldarr in amazement.

“She really did do something unconventional,” Doan said as he and Oscar made their way to the great hall. Doan was attending the coronation as Oscar’s guard. General Als, a few steps ahead of the other two, nodded deeply.

The other attendees had evidently not recovered from the surprising corononation yet, either. All were offering their impressions and thoughts. Some approved of Tuldarr for rejecting such preeminent power and even endorsed this revolutionary system overhaul, but others quietly criticized Tinasha’s eccentricity and abrupt reforms.

Most nations were governed by monarchies. An attempt at utilizing a two-pillar system of a parliament and a royal monarch would certainly attract people’s attention. Four hundred years after instating too many reforms during her first rule, the queen was still trying to blaze a new trail.

Oscar snorted at the circulating opinions. “There’s no telling how her decision will be viewed in the years to come. But so long as the spirits continue to serve her, that will be enough to deter other countries. Tuldarr can establish its new system during that time.”

Tinasha had always held Legis’s aptitude for ruling in high regard. More than likely, she had been planning to enact this revolution for a while now, and approving of his temperament had only emboldened her. She took the throne, even though it would be only for a year, in order to dissolve the contract with the spirits.

“At best, a ruler of Tuldarr inherits one or two spirits. Even if she has a child who claims the throne, there’s no telling if they will be a greater mage than she is. Besides, it’s clear from the state of the royal family that magic wanes over generations. She must have known that this was the last chance to inherit all the spirits and release them,” Oscar remarked.

Doan sighed. “Because Tuldarr originally let power determine succession, it’s always been a very logical country, in a way. A royal family that inherits the crown via its bloodline deviates from the true tradition.”

“Surely that’s a result of external influence from the moment Tuldarr opened itself to diplomatic relations. They must have had outside pressure,” replied Oscar.

“The monarchy being absolute is a holdover from the age of the spirits. Tuldarr was actually founded in the hope that oppressed mages would cooperate with one another, and the members of the royal family were meant only to be the strongest representatives of the people. Queen Tinasha made her decision because things are different now. In a sense, she may have restored Tuldarr to its roots.” Doan’s tone was indifferent, but he asserted his opinion in an uncharacteristically firm way, perhaps because he was a mage himself.

Als listened to the conversation with interest but remained quiet.

When the three from Farsas reached the great hall, Legis was there receiving the guests. Attendees from every nation were clustered around him, pelting the poor man with questions.

The queen was conspicuously absent. Oscar found a mage who served her standing near the entrance and approached him. Upon catching sight of the king of Farsas, Renart bowed.

“Where’s Tinasha?” asked Oscar.

Renart answered calmly, but in a low tone of voice. “She is arguing with King Calste, though I expect it to end soon… She should arrive once she’s changed her clothes.”

Calste had flown into such a rage in front of their audience. He had to be seething.

Oscar nodded, falling into thought. It was growing dark outside. The eastern windows revealed that the night sky was still bright, matching the color of Oscar’s eyes. A faintly glowing crescent moon hung above all else. He gave it a little smile, then turned back to the other two. “I’m heading out for a bit. I’ll be back once I’ve finished what I need to do. Do whatever you want while I’m gone.”

“E-excuse me, Your Majesty?!” Als cried out in shock.

Doan looked like he was holding back a vexed exhale. Normally, he never wanted to get involved in any disputes, but this time he wore a knowing look as he asked the king, “Are you sure about this?”

“I’m not the only one. The other countries will be making their moves soon, too. Best to be quick about it.”

“Your Majesty?” Als said again. He was the only one who didn’t understand. Oscar clapped him on the shoulder, then moved against the flow of guests to leave.

Having escaped the crowded hall, Oscar gazed out a window at the castle’s other buildings. True to a Tuldarr structure, magical protective barriers were positioned here and there around the blue and white edifices; Oscar could sense them. A thin sheen of water cascaded from an azure stone shelf jutting out into midair and splashed down into the moat of the hanging gardens.

Not many soldiers stood guard. Sentinels were patrolling around, but magic formed the crux of the palace’s defense. Oscar glanced down at the sword belted at his waist and grinned. “Glad they didn’t confiscate this.”

The royal sword of Akashia could neutralize any magic, making it the natural enemy of mages and Tuldarr’s greatest nuisance. But as it was a national treasure of Farsas and a part of the king’s formal dress, it could not be confiscated without reason.

And in a nation of spells and enchantments, it was as good as a master key for Oscar. He slipped into a random deserted passageway, opened the window, and went out into the courtyard. As he made his way across the carefully manicured grass, he glanced up at a particularly tall building in the center.

“There it is.”

The spray of water falling from the stone shelf glittered in the setting sun.

The blossoms in the gardens were all varieties not found in Farsas. Azure flowers shaped like round lanterns glowed faintly from the inside, and the way they swayed brought to mind the first page of a picture book.

It was like the palace of a magical kingdom from a fairy tale. And the one who would govern this castle was a woman from four hundred years ago.

A queen for only a single year.

Tinasha must have discussed it with Legis and other advisers on countless occasions. While Tuldarr’s parliamentary system was not without historical precedent, no other nation utilized that system. Establishing one now was sure to be an uphill battle.

Still, she had chosen this fight. This method of governance—monarch and citizens supporting one another, with no room for self-righteousness—was likely an ideal she’d held on to since the Dark Age, when power was crucial to survival.

The gardens that streamed between the buildings sloped upward so gradually that the incline was almost unnoticeable. Oscar came to the base of a spire that adjoined the tall building, and he gazed up at the white stone walls. “All right, let’s go.”

“Where are you headed?” inquired an amused-sounding feminine voice from overhead. Oscar looked up to see a red-haired girl floating down, hugging her knees. It was Mila, one of the spirits who served Tinasha.

Oscar replied, “I need to talk to her. Are the regent’s chambers just above here?”

“Yes, but you’ll see her later in the great hall if you just wait.”

“That’ll be too late, and I don’t want anyone else to overhear us. Can you stop her?”

In all likelihood, Mila had appeared to protect her master. Conscious of Akashia, Oscar met Mila’s gaze and waited to see if she would chase him away.

The redhead grinned. “You can do what you want, but I’m not going to help you.”

“That’s fine, provided that you don’t obstruct me, either,” Oscar answered, placing a hand on the wall.

Mila’s eyes grew wide. “You’re going to climb?”

“The guards will stop me if I go inside.”

“Seriously? Do you have a death wish? Look, I’ll do you a favor and put an illusion on you, so the snipers don’t shoot you and send you plummeting to your demise.”

“That would actually help a ton, thanks,” Oscar said.

Mila shook her head and sighed in disbelief. She disappeared with a snap of her fingers, and Oscar placed his hand on the wall once more. He began to climb up, his eyes on a tiny transom window.

He wouldn’t think about how he wished Tinasha had only told him she planned to be queen for just a year. He knew it was a matter of national politics. She couldn’t reveal her plan to someone from another country. If their positions were reversed, he wouldn’t consider telling her, either.

So it wasn’t too late. Now was the soonest he could do this.

Oscar came out onto a small corridor and grabbed hold of the wall of another adjoining building.

He passed several magical barriers on his climb to the highest floor, but Akashia nullified all of them.

The window of her room was not locked and was protected only by a barrier. Oscar took out the royal sword and looked around the dark room that was occupied by only a few pieces of furniture

“Did we pass right by each other?”

Night had fallen entirely by now. Oscar had climbed via the shortest path, but could Tinasha have already changed clothes and headed for the great hall? Unsure whether he should trespass further after already breaking in, Oscar sank into a chair by the windowsill. Then he remembered his dragon.

“Nark.”

In answer to his summons, a red dragon the size of a hawk appeared and perched on his shoulder. Oscar was about to order it to see if Tinasha was in the great hall when a door in the back of the room opened.

Light spilled into the dark chamber. Heedless of the other occupant, the girl who entered headed for a door opposite the one she’d come through.

Then, out of the blue, her left hand sliced through the air. Instantaneously, orbs of magic launched in Oscar’s direction.

Before he could say a word, he had Akashia up and its blade out against the attack.

The magic orbs struck the sword and were dispelled. The girl turned to look, and her eyes widened with realization. “A-again?!”

“What do you mean ‘again’?”

“Never mind.” Tinasha sighed, deflated. Clad in the same outfit from her coronation, she must have just come from her debate with Calste. It was very like her to attack with magic before checking to see who was there, and Oscar had been expecting it. That was why he had waited with Akashia drawn.

Tinasha stared at him. “How did you get in?”

“The window. I must be growing comfortable with your barriers because I entered pretty easily. You’re so careless.”

“Not many people are capable of breaking my barrier,” Tinasha said, obviously cross. This was the same person who’d been in the cathedral, but her aura was different. Things were the same between them as they had always been—a mood of closeness and openness. It comforted Oscar.

Resting an elbow on the chair and his chin in one hand, he gazed at Tinasha. “You really went for it back there, huh?”

“Well… my mind was made up for a while.”

“Calste looked livid.”

“He was about to pop several blood vessels,” Tinasha admitted with a laugh, heading for the far door again. There was a closet there, and she emerged soon enough wearing a simple version of a queen’s formal dress.

“Anyway, I’d like to get changed…”

“Ah, sorry. I need to talk to you, and it will only take a minute.”

This was why he had come. He was visiting her room to speak to her not as royals, but as individuals.

Still clutching the new outfit to her chest, Tinasha cocked her head. “Talk to me about what?”

“What are you going to do once you abdicate?”

“I—I’m not quite sure… I suppose marrying Legis would be the right thing to do? That should satisfy Calste a little as well,” she replied in a way that almost suggested she wasn’t connected to the matter. Oscar had expected an answer like that. She would exit the center stage, make a marriage of convenience, and ensure that her blood remained in Tuldarr. That was indeed the safest choice. But there had to be other options available.

Oscar had begun to scowl unconsciously. Upon realizing it, he straightened out his face and said lightly, “Why not come with me?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why don’t you marry me?”

This was why he’d climbed the tower.

While it was indeed blunt as proposals went, Tinasha couldn’t immediately comprehend it. She stayed frozen for a bit; something Oscar had anticipated. After deliberating over how to make this easier to swallow, he elected to begin with the part Tinasha was probably most anxious about.

“It’s not a bad idea at all. If you’re going to change the system, an alliance with another country will give greater security, and it will relax other nations more than if you marry Legis. Some people are going to see you as a threat no matter what you do, but no one will want to challenge both Tuldarr and Farsas at once.”

“What? I—I mean, that’s true, but something seems… Um, give me a moment,” Tinasha trailed off, shaking her head at the neatly wrapped facts he had presented her with.

Undoubtedly, other nations were thinking the very same thing.

If Tinasha planned to abdicate, then they could lure them and forge a bond with Tuldarr. Not only that, but Tinasha had demonstrated her own strength at the coronation. She would be an immediate asset to any power on the continent. While a threat in Tuldarr, she could also make a powerful ally.

However, Farsas was the only country that would be able to safeguard Tinasha’s homeland in return.

After Oscar’s declaration, Tinasha’s expression changed from confused to serious and pensive. It was the face of a queen evaluating the political merits of what she had been offered.

She was well within her rights to do so, but it clashed with Oscar’s intentions. He flashed a strained smile at this deeply earnest queen. “Sorry. The way I phrased that was a little unfair. Let me say it again.”

He recalled the day they met.

She had been asleep under the palace for four hundred years, all to meet him.

Oscar had thought of her as childlike. A ridiculous person who couldn’t fit a mold if she tried. In his wildest dreams, he could never have anticipated any of the stunts she pulled.

However, he could envision a future with her.

Walking hand in hand and growing old together—he could see that life with her.

His offer was born of personal feelings.

Oscar gazed right into her dark eyes. “I want you. So I’m asking you to marry me. That’s all it is.”

He had no other reason, and he didn’t care to think of one.

His feelings were so simple; Oscar could almost laugh at himself.

Tinasha’s eyes grew round as saucers. “… Excuse me?”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that response,” he said, a little offended by her shock but also enjoying needling her about it.

Oscar headed for the window to leave the same way he came. Tinasha was still rooted to the ground, and he turned back to look at her. “Well, you have a year, so think it over.”

“H-hold on just a minute. Why are you going out the window…? Wait, that’s not the point!” she cried, burying her face in her hands.

Then she managed to find the words and popped her face back out. “I thought you weren’t interested in me?” She sounded like a little girl who knew nothing at all.

One hand already set to climb down, Oscar paused and replied, “I couldn’t disrupt my country because I had personal feelings for someone. I did my best not to get attached. But if you’re going to abdicate, that changes everything.”

The moment Tinasha had announced she would relinquish the throne in a year, something like shock had run through Oscar.

Once she wasn’t a queen, he could pursue her without issue. Marrying her would be a boon. However, more than any sort of diplomatic calculation, he simply wanted to be close to her.

Tinasha’s childlike happiness and anger, the defenseless way she carried herself, the way she was farsighted, coolheaded, and bold. She was a hard worker, stubborn, and never ashamed of herself. Everything about her was inconsistent and odd. How could Oscar not have felt captivated?

And when he learned of the deep loneliness she carried, he wanted to rid her of it.

Oscar wanted to make a place for her at his side, yet he’d never been able to.

Tinasha was a rare find.

Irreplaceable.

If only he could take her hand in his, if only he didn’t have to let her go…

“I want to be with you. I don’t want to let anyone else have you. If you desire me, I’m yours,” he said fervently, roguishly. Tinasha shivered violently. Evidently, she hadn’t fully processed such a sudden change. Oscar shrugged. “That’s all I came to say. You’re in a hurry, aren’t you? Sorry about that. I’ll go say good-bye to Legis and head home. See you.”

With that, he leaped out the window. As the garden below rushed up to meet him, he called, “Nark!”

In response to its master’s order, the scarlet dragon rapidly grew to the size of a small house and caught its master on its back. Nark made a leisurely turn in the air, and Oscar laughed out loud.

After sheathing the royal sword, he asked the dragon, “How did things turn out in that future you’ve seen? Did she marry me?”

Nark let out a shrill cry and dived for the gardens. In the night sky, the moon shone with an azure glow.

Als and Doan breathed great sighs of relief when their king returned an hour after he’d left.

While Oscar hadn’t done anything too bold lately, this was a king with a natural propensity for recklessness. Both men were filled with trepidation whenever he was left to himself.

When he showed up again, he was in a strangely good mood. They wanted to ask where he had been, but they had a pretty good idea. All Oscar said was, “I’m going to go say good-bye, and then we’ll go,” so they held their tongues and gave up on questioning him.

The reception went on without the queen. Legis, still inundated by guests, caught sight of the king of Farsas heading for him, and his eyes widened slightly. He’d been wondering the entire time where one of Tuldarr’s guests of honor had been.

Legis strode up to Oscar and bowed to him. Formal words of greeting were exchanged.

Once the social niceties were complete, Legis kept his pleasant smile as he made a pointed remark. “I’m afraid I haven’t seen you in the hall for quite some time.”

“Mm-hmm… I had something to discuss with Tinasha. I left to go see her,” Oscar answered.

Legis gasped. Once the surprise faded from his face, he seemed a little bitter.

After Tinasha’s announcement that she would abdicate in a year, he had wondered if something like this might occur. Even if she had remained queen, it might still have happened anyway.

What had they discussed? And how had she answered? Legis could hazard a fair guess. He understood the situation as well as they did—better, perhaps, as an outside observer. For a moment, a flash of loneliness passed through his eyes, and he closed them.

When he looked up at Oscar again, his gaze was direct. “She is the treasure of our Tuldarr. Will you give what she’s worth?”

“Of course, if that’s what she wants.”

Legis’s judgment stemmed from the coolheadedness of someone who would rule over the country. He didn’t allow so much as an ounce of his personal feelings to factor into it. He could already see marriage with Farsas as a way to uphold a peaceful reign.

Oscar respected the other man’s sensibility. He thought of the woman at the center of it all.

All that’s left now is to wait for her answer.

The six months since he’d met her had passed quickly. So, too, would the year to come, surely.

Oscar wasn’t in any hurry.

Compared to four hundred years, this would be but the blink of an eye.