Day 1 of the Fifth Month, Year 1016 – evening

Braun City, Cacao Province

THE JOURNEY back was easier than before. Victoria settled Zanio in one of Braun’s inns, while giving his soldiers enough money to travel first on their own. After all, they couldn’t march through Braun with an army. That was almost a threat to her third uncle and she really didn’t want to start an internal war.

She did, however, hurry him to go as soon as possible. She was afraid Liath and Dustor couldn’t wait.

The duchess welcomed her back with a smile. “Where has Your Highness been? Did you enjoy your trip?”

Victoria had been gone most of the day and only returned when it was evening, not to mention that she had lost her trackers. But she only smiled back politely. “I was walking around the Northern Forest. I even saw the famous cacao plant! Oh, it was really fragrant, different from what I imagined before!” Victoria gushed as if she was a little girl, excited about things she never had seen.

Duchess Amelia smiled in amusement. She felt like this girl was far from the intelligent, scheming princess that her husband described. She had been increasingly polite and cheerful, too, and Amelia couldn’t help but like this niece. “If you like that, would you want to go visit one of our cacao plantations? It’s not as far as the forest, and you can smell it all the same.”

“Oh, can I? Thank you, Your Grace.”

Amelia Lockhart was born in a small, but influential nobility family in Cacao. Because of the nature of her husband’s banishment, she never went to the Capital and never got involved with politics, so she was delighted to receive the Crown Princess’ gratitude. “It is truly not a big deal,” she said. “The plantation belongs to my family on Vernis Town, where I’m from. It’s not far from Braun, I even usually went back and forth to attend parties in Braun when I was a maiden.”

Victoria looked at her and laugh. “Then I suppose Aunt meet Uncle in one of these parties?”

Duchess Amelia was flattered when she heard the princess called her ‘Aunt’. “Yes, when your uncle came to Braun, we met at a party. I know our age difference is a bit big, but Elbert was really a charming one.” Amelia’s eyes were smiling, too.

Victoria observed her, and really felt like the duchess was in love with the duke, or at least got along well. It made her wonder if she could ever find such a thing. But even more, she felt like Amelia was either too naïve to know or just simply don’t care that Elbert was a crippled, banished prince.

But to say she was naïve, not really. After all, to keep her head up and actually headed the nobility in Cacao, one needed ability. As she observed, too, every move of the Duchess was proper and accounted for. She was tactful enough in welcoming a princess to her home, and thoughtful enough to leave the room when Victoria wanted to discuss business.

Victoria let the Duchess brought her to the dinner table and saw that the duke was there already. “How was your trip?” The duke asked in a friendly tone.

Victoria smiled, equally friendly. “It was really good,” she said. “I didn’t expect that this cocoa plant can be so fragrant.”

The duke laughed. “Of course. Some of our people even thought to make perfume out of it.” He seemed to take real pride in it, and Victoria couldn’t help but be stunned inwardly. Outwardly, though, she smiled politely and offered a toast.

The duke accepted it gracefully.

“Has Your Grace think about my request?” Victoria asked after they retreated to the study.

The duchess had thoughtfully retreated earlier. Victoria was beginning to be convinced that the woman was the only clever, yet naïve person she had ever met.

The duke smiled. “Seemed like Your Highness was really impatient.”

Victoria sighed. “We are talking about impending war here, Your Grace,” Victoria said quietly. “In fact, I feel like I’ve been patient enough.”

The duke surprised her by laughing boisterously. “Oh, Your Highness. You are really funny.” He wiped his eyes. “I feel like you really inherited my brother’s decisiveness.”

Victoria didn’t know how to reply.

“Who is the person you settle in the Braun Inn?” the duke asked.

Victoria straightened her back, guarded. “It has nothing to do with you.”

The duke’s eyes twinkled. “Do you think none of my people would recognize Zanio Blackward?”

Victoria sighed. Did she really expect to hide from the city lord’s eyes? “Alright, yes,” she admitted easily. “So what? You’re going to say now that you are even more not needed?”

The duke smiled widely. “Of course not,” he laughed. “You impress me, little niece. Do you know how many times I send people to convince him to join me? They always come back injured. But not only you weren’t injured, you even successfully convinced him!”

Victoria thought derisively, well, obviously, I have the token and you don’t. Besides, you’re only sending people and I come on my own. But it didn’t show on her face and she kept her polite smile. “So did Your Grace decide?”

“Then of course I’ll send my army,” the duke laughed. “There’s no other chance for me to wash off my name clean, right?”

When she left the study, Victoria was in a state of bewilderment.

Day 2 of the Fifth Month, Year 1016 – dawn

Even until the next day, she was still pondering her uncle’s change.

Truly, Duke Elbert was unlike her expectations. Her uncle seemed different than his imaginations. He didn’t seem like the power-hungry prince that joined hand with his brother to topple his other brother.

When she saw him interacting with his wife, she somehow understood.

She felt a bit wistful. Was that the power of love that she kept reading in the novels? Victoria shook her head. Now she was influenced by that guy. Honestly, Dev kept recommending novels to her that she actually tried one during her free time. But now her thoughts turn to him. Was he okay now? The war with Liath and Dustor pinched on both sides…

She came to her senses. The duke was finally done talking sweetly to his wife and turned to her. “Well, time to go now.”

Victoria mounted her own horse and went next to him. “I’m surprised you are going, Uncle.”

Elbert laughed. “What? Do you think because I am crippled, I can’t go?”

“No, that’s not…” Victoria anxiously denied.

“Ahaha, I was just kidding! Yeah, I’m going, but don’t you know the leaders usually just stayed back in the tent?” Elbert looked completely relaxed that he even was able to wave back at his wife. Amelia looked amused and covered her mouth to giggle.

Victoria looked at him, complicated. This public display affection…

Her uncle glanced at him. “What? You’re envious? If you are, just go find your own husband.”

Victoria sighed. She really was tired with all these husband nonsenses, especially when one of the candidates was actually traitor to the Kingdom. “I heard you met at a party,” she said, to begin the conversation.

Elbert glanced at her in amusement. “Your Highness even gossiped?”

“It’s not a gossip if I heard it from the source,” Victoria replied nonchalantly.

Elbert couldn’t help but chuckle. “That is true. She told you, huh? Yeah, we met at a party. That was when I first came here, crippled and disgraced. I saw her all glowing, all the men were trying to woo her.”

Victoria glanced in interest.

The duke smiled wistfully, before turning to Victoria again. “I can almost read what you are thinking. Did I change because of love?”

Victoria frowned. Was she so obvious?

“Well, in fact, many people asked me the same along these years. If I am no longer interested in the throne now that I’m married.” He sighed. “In fact, no, love didn’t change me.”

Victoria was surprised. “No?”

He shook his head. “No, my own perception changed along the years. I thought to myself, do I really want to keep doing it? Marrying her, I have a family. At first, I still think to fight for it, but then she got pregnant and I thought to myself, do I really want to bring my family to suffer?”

Victoria kept quiet as she listened to him.

Duke Elbert glanced at her. “But I was still continuing my plan at that time, and then my wife miscarriage.”

Victoria expected that, as she never met any cousin, after all.

“I thought that it might be Goddess’ punishment for me, to still be so greedy even after all that thing. I decided it wasn’t worth it.” The duke smiled widely. “Well, so I guess you can say it was because of love.”

Victoria cursed inwardly. Going around for so long, you were still just showing off your love life! But she didn’t say that out loud. “I guess I should thank Aunt.”

Duke Elbert laughed. “You really should. If not for her, I don’t think we’ll be able to ride side by side like this.” He sighed regretfully. “In fact, I think I was really too impetuous back then. I felt unfair that Father chose Brother out of us three. But there is a reason for that, after all.” He glanced at her. “Your father was a good king.”

Victoria bowed down her head and was silent for a few seconds. “Yes, yes, he was.” That’s why they had to hold on to this kingdom. She couldn’t let it be destroyed by Lirsk.

They had to win. []