Epilogue

Epilogue

 

AFTER TREATING JOEL and the abductees, Rishe returned to the villa where she holed herself up with Arnold in his room. She needed to check the progress of his healing and reapply his salve.

The prince was seated on the bed, his torso bare. Rishe sat in a chair before him, meeting his gaze once she’d finished her examination.

“It seems the healing effect of the goddess’s blood is most potent at an injury’s critical phase,” was her determination.

She opened the bottle containing the salve and dabbed it with a brush she only used for this purpose. Arnold didn’t seem particularly interested in what she had to say, but he was still listening.

“You stopped bleeding quickly on the night you were injured, but it’s healed at a normal rate since then. There’s no indication that the wound will heal completely anytime soon.”

“I see.”

“I really have to imagine it hurts when you move…”

Arnold was just too good at hiding it. The old scar on his neck should have caused some differences in how he moved his right and left sides, but he hardly let anyone figure it out.

“You’re really not pushing yourself?” Rishe studied him intently, but Arnold’s expression never changed. Instead, he cupped her face, squishing her cheeks.

“O-oh, would you stop teasing me?!”

“Heh.”

He was only enjoying her protests for some reason. Rishe puffed up her cheeks in irritation as she reapplied her salve.

“You aren’t hurt or ill at all?” he asked her this time.

“I assure you I am unscathed in mind and body. I wasn’t expecting them to be so gentle with me, honestly.”

Arnold frowned, but this was important.

“It bothers me how odd their treatment of us was. They were clearly careful with us as pieces of merchandise, but they didn’t even bother searching us for hidden weapons… I can’t imagine the slave trade is their main business.”

“I’m sure it isn’t.”

“Then there’s the map I mentioned to you earlier, Your Highness.” She’d told him back on the deck. “That ship intended to stop in Ceutena.”

He didn’t respond, but Rishe hadn’t expected him to. She had noticed that they’d left Raul behind on the ship when they departed.

Ceutena is a port in the north, on the way to Coyolles. It’s not an unusual destination for a ship leaving this city, she thought as she wrapped gauze around Arnold’s wound. But Ceutena is Lord Lawvine’s domain. I can’t forget the coldness His Highness displayed toward Lord Lawvine.

There was a man who called himself Thaddeus behind the slave trade. He was likely an arms dealer, and the next most profitable thing for a man like him after war was rebellion.

This is only just a hypothesis, but…Lord Lawvine wasn’t there the first day I participated in the ten-day knight cadet training.

He’d begun instructing them on the second day.

“Youths like you should always aim to improve yourselves. I’ll be assisting with your instruction starting tomorrow. I look forward to seeing how you perform.”

“I was detained later than I meant to be, so I couldn’t attend today’s practice. What are your thoughts?”

That was what Lawvine had said then, but given how much care and effort he took in their training, just what could have caused him to miss their first day? Kyle, another conscientious person, had arrived the next day, at the exact time Arnold had expected of him.

If Lord Lawvine was only there to keep Prince Kyle in check, then it makes no sense for him to arrive after Prince Kyle. If I consider the worst possible reason Lord Lawvine’s plans might have been delayed…

Rishe’s hands slowed as she prepared Arnold’s bandages.

Could Lord Lawvine have stopped by Bezzetoria?

She recalled seeing goods from Ceutena on a ship in town a few days ago. It wouldn’t have been strange for Lawvine to visit Bezzetoria if he did business with some of the ships here. If he hardly ever left his region, it wouldn’t be odd for him to stop by as part of his trip to Galkhein’s capital.

But Prince Arnold kills Lord Lawvine in the future…

What if it hadn’t been because he’d spoken out against Emperor Arnold Hein’s atrocities but because he’d been scheming some other serious crime?

“Rishe.”

“Oh!”

Arnold’s hand settled on hers, still holding the bandages.

“I’ll do it.”

He must have guessed what she was thinking. Rishe felt guilty and wanted to help in his treatment somehow, so she ended up proposing something willful.

“We’ll do it together.”

“Together?”

“Y-yes.”

She was aware of the strangeness of her suggestion, so she mumbled hesitantly as she reached for him. It was easier to wrap bandages around your own abdomen than have someone else do it. Rishe knew that, so she constrained herself to helping.

Still, she put a prayer into her help as well. “May your wound heal quickly…”

As Rishe continued to pray, Arnold regarded her with his indifferent yet somehow gentle gaze. As soon as he was finished wrapping the bandages, he laid a hand on Rishe’s head. Rishe blinked slowly, comforted by the sensation of his fingers combing through her hair.

“What is it, Your Highness?”

“You’re sleepy, aren’t you?”

That wasn’t true at all. She shook her head, but he just continued to caress her locks.

“I-I’m not sleepy.”

“I wonder.”

“I’m not! Wait, huh?” She did her best to deny it, but her eyelids were getting heavy all of a sudden.

“I know you haven’t really slept since the night of the fire.”

Rishe hung her head, unable to defend herself. She felt like she was about to start melting where Arnold’s warm hand was touching her.

“Do you give in?”

“…Yes.”

“Then sleep until evening.”

She knew why he’d specified evening, of course.

Rishe blinked, looked down, and slowly took Arnold’s hand, pleading like a young child, “Can I…sleep here?”

Arnold took a quiet breath and then stroked her hair once more.

“Sure.”

Rishe smiled without meaning to, so pleased was she to hear that.

And when she woke up just before evening, she completed all her various preparations and headed with Arnold to their meeting place.

 

---

 

Rishe sat by a window, deeply nervous, as the golden light of evening began to stream into the room. The women who had helped her change had left the room after finishing their final checks. She inspected herself in the mirror once more, checking her back as well, before a voice came from the other side of the door.

“Rishe.”

She gasped when Arnold called her name.

“O-one moment, please!”

With one last look in the mirror, she fidgeted with her bangs. Her hair was down, but she was beginning to think maybe she should have done something with it today instead of leaving it be for the ceremony.

But she couldn’t put this off forever.

I need to think of Prince Arnold! He’s injured, so he can’t wait out in the hallway for long!

Rishe took a deep breath, steeled herself, and called out, “C-come in!”

“Okay.”

Was the door opening slowly because Rishe’s heart was beating so fast?

Arnold entered the fitting room and stared straight at her. Rishe felt her cheeks burning as the object of her one-sided love gazed intently at her.

Augh!

The sight of Rishe in her wedding dress was reflected in Arnold’s blue eyes.

The pure-white dress seemed to glow as it hugged Rishe’s frame, giving her a slender silhouette. The dress bared her shoulders and collarbones but used plenty of lace as well, so it struck a good balance between what skin it hid and exposed. Even Rishe’s nectar-polished skin appeared to shine in the evening light thanks to the dress. The long train pooled on the floor like a puddle of milk. So much cloth had gone into the dress, yet it was as light as air. Each time Rishe moved, it flowed around her elegantly like ocean waves. The open back made for a nice contrast with the long train.

The embroidery and embedded gemstones were the product of the craftsmen of this city. They’d used ample gold and silver thread to create embroidery with both detail and dimension. It depicted not only beautiful flowers and fluttering butterflies but also stardust in the form of tiny diamonds and sapphires.

“These sapphires…” Rishe lowered her head in embarrassment, telling Arnold what the seamstresses had just told her. “The craftsmen were very particular with them. Since they found out that I treasured a ring with a blue sapphire in it…”

“…”

“So, um…” Rishe was getting nervous because Arnold wasn’t saying anything.

Is there something strange about it?!

The thought crossed her mind and Rishe hastily said, “Listen, Prince Ar—”

Arnold suddenly embraced her. His voice was lower than usual as he whispered into her ear, “Must I really let other people see this?”

The fiery passion in his voice caused Rishe’s face to burn hotter. His touch was so earnest, she felt trapped in his arms. She knew he was complimenting her, but she still hesitantly asked, “D-does it look…bad?”

“Of course not.” Stroking Rishe’s hair, Arnold said, voice husky, “I told you, didn’t I?” His voice sweetened like honey as he delivered his message to Rishe. “You’re the only beautiful thing I know.”

Rishe’s body temperature surged at Arnold’s direct words. Her back was exposed almost down to her waist, and she felt extra conscious of Arnold’s hand on her bare skin. She buried her face in Arnold’s chest to try to mask the heat coursing through her veins.

And you won’t even let me wish to be your wife in all my future lives… She pouted until Arnold softly called her name.

“Rishe.”

He kissed the top of her head. She looked up in surprise, but he was just staring down at her as if nothing had happened. She yearned to tell him what a vise grip his teasing had on her heart.

“Urgh…”

“I see,” Arnold said. “So I haven’t said enough yet.”

Rishe shook her head. That wasn’t true, but she’d already begged him for one selfish gift on her birthday: the practice kiss for their wedding. It would be greedy for her to take even more joy in the man she loved complimenting how she looked in her dress.

Trembling, Rishe said, “It would be an abuse of authority…”

Arnold couldn’t possibly know why she’d said that, but he lowered his gaze and took Rishe’s left hand, kissing her ring finger.

“Ngh!” Her bare shoulders jumped. Rishe grasped Arnold’s sleeve without thinking and found herself begging, “One more time…”

It was unfair of her to beg like this. She knew that, yet she couldn’t stop herself. Even so, Arnold didn’t scold her.

Instead of kissing her finger again, Arnold cupped her chin. Rishe’s eyes went wide when their lips met. Then she let her lids droop. She felt a twinge in her chest at the heady blend of emotions as she entwined her fingers with Arnold’s.

He must have thought I wanted to practice kissing again. Because I’m in my dress now, so it will be different…

She knew that, but her heart still ached at his soft kiss. Their lips parted, then met again, and Rishe closed her eyes.

They kissed again and again, but Rishe never felt like she got any better at it. After one of them, Rishe let out a hot sigh and pressed her face against Arnold’s chest to hide it.

“You’re terrible…” She stuffed down everything else she wanted to say and left it at that.

As though he could read her mind, Arnold stroked Rishe’s hair and murmured, “I know.”

He was kind and terrible all at once. He allowed her to kiss him so much to practice. He toyed with her the whole time, since she wasn’t getting any better at it.

He’ll never promise me a happy future with him, the one I want more than anything else.

That was why Rishe had to win it for herself, no matter what it took.

“There’s something I want to ask you, Prince Arnold…in order for me to marry you.”

“Yes?”

She tightened her grip around Arnold and said, “Please let me meet with your father.”

 

---

 

That night, a line of carriages arrived in Galkhein’s capital city of Schiengisse. The carriages were finely decorated down to the minute details. Even their horses wore gaudy-looking tack.

Inside one of the carriages, a man sat atop brightly colored cushions, his chin resting in his hand as he cheerfully downed a drink.

“It’s been a long time since I last visited Schiengisse, hasn’t it?”

He’d purchased the drinks he was enjoying in each of the countries he’d passed through on the way to Galkhein—cheap liquor that the common folk enjoyed. He took great pleasure in tasting the drinks that had taken root in the local culture and contemplating how their lives informed the flavors.

“I can’t believe little Arnold’s taken a wife, though.” He set the gold cup down beside him and grinned gleefully. “I have to wonder what sort of woman could change his mind when he looked at me with such contempt over my harem.”

King Zahad of the desert country Halil Rasha chuckled deep in his throat.

“I’m looking forward to meeting her.”

 

To be continued…