Chapter 266: The Beginning (2)

It was a festival. A true festival at the end of a long war.

The marriage of Roan Lancephil and Aily Rinse.

The entire kingdom received the news of Roan’s rowdy and urgent proposal. Citizens cheered for the honest and bold confession of the king, and prayed for it from heart.

This wasn’t just because of Roan – the citizens loved Aily just as much.

As a supporter of Roan, Aily had shown great achievements throughout the war, and after the war, she had regulated the conditions of the citizens through the Sale Company.

Roan and Aily.

These two had prioritised the citizens rather than their personal relief or greed. They were more than worthy to receive the love of the people.

Dududududu!

Along with the rumblings of the earth, carriages rushed from every direction. They were guests who were visiting to celebrate Roan and Aily’s marriage from all around the kingdom.

Amongst them was the castellan of Miller Castle in Rinse Special District, Katy Rinse and her guard Pierce.

“I’m really glad.”

Katy gazed outside through the little window of the carriage, as the spring scenery sped past like a painting. Pierce sitting next to her, slowly nodded his head.

“Truly, a matching pair.”

The pair they were talking about was Roan and Aily. Katy murmured with a cloudy expression.

“Thank goodness that at least sister could be happy.”

A somewhat lonely voice and eyes. Pierce stared directly at her.

“At least sister…”

He didn’t feel good about that, and slowly shook his head.

“It’s not just your sister. Even Miss Castellan could be happy.”

There were more words stuck in his throat, but he forced those words down. Katy, who had been gazing outside, turned her head in surprise and looked at Pierce.

“Thank you.”

It was a short sentence, but Pierce could feel her honest thoughts fully. After some fidgeting, Katy asked with a very soft, even whimpering, voice.

“You will stay next to me forever, right?”

“Of course.”

The reply came quick.

“Because it’s his majesty’s order?”

Katy once again asked carefully, to which Pierce replied with a bitter smile.

“No. It is not because it’s his majesty’s order.”

Pierce placed his right hand on his chest.

“I want to do it myself. I want to continue staying next to Miss Castellan’s side.”

At once, a light silence covered the area – a silence that seemed to blow away at a breeze. The two of them stared at another with awkward smiles. Both had given non-confession-like confessions.

“We won’t be late for the ceremony, right?”

Katy naturally switched the topic and Pierce nodded his head as he stared outside.

“Yes, we should be arriving at Mediasis soon.”

“We should’ve hurried a bit more…”

Katy gave a short sigh, but Pierce replied with a wave of his hand.

“We had to take care of the people who had suffered greatly due to the previous war. I’m sure his majesty would understand.”

“That’s true, but…”

She remembered Aily Rinse who had, after the war, become close enough to feel like true siblings, and wanted to arrive before the ceremony for some chatter.

‘I wanted to share all the stories I had in store over the ages…’

Her face was starting to fill with regret. Suddenly.

“It’s the Capital City of Mediasis.”

The coachman’s voice could be heard.

Soon, the rushing carriage started to slow down.

“Hmm?”

Katy and Pierce looked at each other and tilted their heads. It was because the carriage had suddenly come to a stop.

“Please wait for a bit. Let me go out and have a look.”

Pierce calmed Katy as he opened the door. At that instant, his confident steps stopped as he became solid like a statue. People he had never imagined were standing right before him.

“Good work travelling all the way here.”

A soft yet powerful voice.

Pierce finally came to things, and quickly got down onto one knee.

“I greet your Majesty.”

The owner of the voice, who had been standing straight in front of the door of the carriage was Roan Lancephil.

Katy who had been at her seat was startled at Pierce’s words and quickly turned towards the entrance. And indeed, in front of the carriage was Roan.

And.

“Sister…”

There stood Aily Rinse who wore a bright smile on her face. Katy sprinted past Pierce and rushed outside the carriage without further thought.

“Slowly, slowly. You’ll fall otherwise.”

Aily pulled Katy who was about to start crying any time into her arms and patted her small feeble back.

“Sister, congratulations on your marriage.”

Katy somehow forced congratulatory words through her wet voice.

“Thanks.”

With a faint smile, Aily stroked Katy’s head. That smile was so soft and warm that it resembled the smile of a mother.

Pierce, who was still down on one knee, looked towards Roan.

“Sh, shall we embrace as well?”

An awkward sentence.

The faint smile on Roan’s face turned rigid.

“Don’t say something so terrible.”

A humoured, relaxed voice unlike his expression.

Pierce gave a light smile as he stepped down from the carriage. The warm spring wind embraced the four people.

“Why are your esteemed selves who are marrying today receiving us outside the castle gates?”

Pierce asked carefully, but Roan answered as if it was natural.

“It’s natural, since our family’s coming.”

In response, Katy who had been within Aily’s arms couldn’t hold it in any longer and broke into tears. Those were silent and warm tears full of happiness.

Pierce, who had been staring at that from the side, approached right next to Roan and whispered in a low voice.

“Then, am I family as well?”

A somewhat reddened expression. Roan stared quietly at such Pierce and eventually lightly smiled as he grabbed his shoulder.

Gulp.

With a nervous expression, Pierce waited for Roan’s reply. Roan whispered back in a similar soft voice.

“You had always been…”

The voice was clear, and was filled with certainty.

“A part of my family.”

“Ah…”

A light cry escaped Pierce’s lips, as one sentence had warmed his heart significantly.

Roan stared at those three and smiled wryly.

“How long are you going to stay like this? We need to go back, no?”

Right now at the wedding venue, all the preparations had been finished as they waited for Roan and Aily’s arrival.

“Ah…”

Katy escaped Aily’s embrace with surprise. She had a worried look as she checked whether Aily’s dress had tear marks or not. Aily looked at that quietly before reaching her right hand out.

“Sister.”

Forcing her tears in, Katy grasped onto Aily’s hand as they entered a carriage. Roan and Pierce looked at each other before similarly entering another carriage.

“Let me lead you to the palace.”

The coachman’s voice softly echoed.

Clip, clop.

The carriage hanging the Nation’s Banner which symbolised Roan entered the Castle of Mediasis.

“Wow.”

Both Pierce and Katy let out sighs of admiration. The castle was filled with all sorts of decorations, and wherever one’s eyes turned to, beautiful sceneries would fill the sight.

‘Much bigger and beautiful than Miller Castle!’

The people filling the town all wore happy and joyful expressions. More importantly, despite knowing that the carriage sprinting past was the king’s, no-one was frightened away by the fact. There would sometimes be adults lowering their heads in courtesy but most would wave their hands and send cheers.

‘Different. The Amaranth Kingdom is different.’

The monarch of the Amaranth Kingdom was not someone up above the clouds – he was someone next to them.

‘That’s good. That’s for the best.’

Everyone was able to get a good monarch.

‘I need to try harder to become a better city lord.’

Katy made a tight fist with her small hand and Pierce from the side watched over her with a slight smile on his face.

On the other hand, the carriage ran swiftly and had reached the palace. The Amaranth Palace where Roan was known to have bellowed his proposal was huge but not fancy. It was indeed magnificent and beautiful, but it wasn’t boastful enough to overwhelm people.

The venue of the ceremony was the central garden where Roan and Aily had shared the kiss on one knee.

“Wahhh!”

“You have finally arrived!”

The subordinates, various nobles as well as guests that had been waiting raised their voices while clapping.

Roan and Aily headed up the prepared podium with bashful smiles, while Katy and Pierce had been guided to their designated seats.

Those were the seats closest to the podium. Both sides of the seats were already packed with several people.

The maid who had guided the way whispered.

“They are from His Majesty’s hometown.”

The people sitting there were citizens from the Larr Village.

“Ah…”

Katy and Pierce slightly lowered their heads in surprise. The people of the Larr Village stood up with a start – they had already heard who the owners of the empty seats were.

‘Rinse Royal Family…’

‘A sibling of the one who will soon be the Queen…’

It was an existence hard for average citizens to meet in their lifetime. Although she was currently not a member of the royal family, and was a mere castellan, her identity was fundamentally different from average people.

However, that didn’t mean Katy acted unscrupulously, as she had also learned through watching Roan – that a kingdom required citizens to exist.

“From hereon, we shall start the wedding ceremony.”

Similar to the coronation, the person leading the ceremony was Austin. In response to his words, the noisy venue turned quiet.

“First of all…”

Austin slowly proceeded with the ceremony within the solemn atmosphere. The ceremony was similar to Roan and Aily; very modest and short.

After giving thanks to the visitors, the two’s vow of marriage began.

Roan gazed into Aily’s two beautiful, large eyes.

“If I die one day and am reborn, I will dream of a life different to that of a monarch.”

No-one would know, but Roan had already dreamed of two different goals through his two lives. The first – a general and the second, a monarch.

“But even then, and even if I were to die and revive time after time, I will only love you.”

He had the confidence that even if the whole world was to change, that this love would never be affected.

“I will love only you, forever, forever and ever.”

The voice sounded calm, but it trembled towards the end. Aily smiled lightly and gave a nod.

“I will spend my everything accompanying you. This life, the next and the last…”

Her voice too quivered slightly.

“I wanted to say this more than anything else.”

The smile hanging on her lips deepened.

“I love you.”

Their hands met its counterparts, and their lips softly touched.

“Wahhh!”

Claps came out along with the cheers.

Buried within everyone’s blessings, Roan and Aily stood still staring at another’s eyes. Those eyes burned brighter than the stars and their hanging smiles overwhelmed the beauty of the flowers.

Everyone was happy.

“Next will be the holy declarations of marriage.”

Austin continued the ceremony despite the noise.

Everyone’s eyes gathered onto the podium. Normally, the holy declarations would be a priest’s duty, but there were no priests inside the venue.

“The holy declarations of marriage will be done by Sir Bas, the foster father of His Majesty and the castellan of Miller Castle of Rinse Special District, Katy Rinse…”

When his words reached that point.

“How dare you! Move away immediately!”

Suddenly, a loud scolding voice was heard. The people who had been waiting for Roan and Aily’s holy declarations all frowned.

‘Who’s making a fuss on such a happy day?’

‘Who dares to make such…’

The people’s eyes headed towards the entrance of the palace where the rebuking voice was heard. Even Roan and Aily who had been holding each other’s hands tilted their heads.

A group of five men appeared as they pushed through the crowd, and the one at the very front was a middle-aged man wearing purple garments.

“Ah…”

“Oh no…”

At an instant, countless sighs emerged. The owners of the sighs were the close subordinates of Roan. Some visitors stood straight up and lowered their heads, and most didn’t dare to move as they stared at the unwelcome guests.

The man in purple garments shouted towards Roan.

“The Count of Rinse Kingdom, Roan Lancephil, receive the holy letter!”

As soon as his words ended, a heavy silence submerged the venue.

The people frowned.

They not only mentioned the fallen country of Rinse, but had called The Monarch of Amaranth Kingdom by his previous position, and had earned their dissatisfaction.

But no-one could come out and scold them due to the words that had followed.

Holy letter.

It was a form of message conveying the holy words of Devesis, given by The Church or The Pope. As most countries had believed in Church Devesis, whoever they may be – The Monarch, a noble, a citizen or a slave, they had to kneel before a holy letter if they were a believer.

The middle-aged man adorned in purple garments – he was Cardinal Hurvert, who had visited Mediasis Castle under the commands of the Pope, Beldrica.

He sneered and shook his head.

“A wedding without a priest… Tch, everything’s a mess.”

A scornful voice flowed through the wind. He opened his arms wide and admonished in a loud voice.

“Count Roan Lancephil! Come and kneel right now!”

Suddenly,

Thud.

A person with a green robe deeply covering the face appeared before Hurvert.

Clank!

Along with the sounds of steel, a thin flexible blade reached his neck.

“Gu, gulp.”

Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Hurvert swallowed empty air. The priests and monks behind him started approaching as they screamed.

“How dare you bring a sword to the Cardinal’s neck!”

“Who the hell are you!”

The person in green robe replied in a cold voice.

“Don’t move. Or there might be a hole in the cardinal’s neck.”

Gulp.

Hurvert gulped with a pale face.

It didn’t seem to be a lie – the man in green robe emanated intense killing intent from his entire body.

<The Beginning (2)> End.

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