All were drawn to silence by the sudden kiss.
Even Sera looked shocked at seeing them lock lips for a few seconds. But who were most shocked were Lendros and Tahreni, with Lendros’s hand trembling on his polearm.
“Taga Lendros, taga,” Tahreni whispered, trying to calm him down.
Still, as their lips departed from each other, the move was made.
And the reactions soon followed.
“Daughter,” Fiamma began, “A kiss does not constitute authority.”
“It does not,” the Daughter shook her head as she approached Velakia and Blanc, looking at the two, her eyes looking for a mont at Velakia’s abdon, “Interesting…”
“What?” Blanc asked, confused.
“A kiss usually does not constitute authority, but your relation is not limited to that, correct?” the Daughter asked the two.
“We’ve had intercourse plenty of tis, yes,” Velakia nodded casually, “Is that proof enough?”
“It is,” the Daughter nodded, “And it would be the Order’s honor to officiate the engagent and marriage ceremonies when the ti cos.”
Blanc clenched his jaw, for if the Order placed itself comfortably in the middle of this, there was no going back, not an easy one at least.
But Velakia seed unaffected by the thought of that, “We can talk the details, but it does sound like a wonderful idea.”
“I will let the Order know,” the Daughter replied, before turning on her heel, walking back towards Fiamma, “His authority as the future fiancé of the First Princess of Iskahul stands. The proper negotiations can now start. But I would recomnd a more proper place than a hill littered with more than a dozen corpses.”
Fiamma sighed, annoyed by the failures of today, “So be it.”
“Since we will relocate, Aidan of Noble Blood Seraph will be returned to his Blood, while Sera of Blood Denegis will remain with her own, without further violence between both parties. Are we agreed?” the Daughter asked flatly.
“Our side agrees, as long as there is a place where we can be hosted for the duration of the negotiations,” Blanc nodded.
“Lady Sera’s wing will be yours to live in for the ti being, as our side agrees as well,” Fiamma agreed, “Food will be provided, and we can start the negotiations first thing tomorrow morning.”
The Daughter lowered her head, pleased with the conclusion of the first round of talks.
Although she herself was the only one.
After Fiamma ordered her soldiers to collect the corpses left by Blanc and his companions, she, the Daughter, Blanc, Sera, and Velakia entered the carriage. Aidan, still unconscious, was carried by one of the riders, while Tahreni and Lendros followed on foot behind, weapons in hand.
None spoke for the entire hour it took them to get to the estate, but once there, maids ca, taking Blanc and his entourage straight towards Sera’s wing.
Only when he sat down on the couch in a large common area did Blanc exhale loudly.
“I knew it would be difficult, but not to this extent,” he sighed, turning to Sera, who stood on his left, “But at least we are one step closer, sister.”
“You held your ground well,” Sera smiled, “Father would be proud.”
“I doubt that,” Blanc chuckled, “All the plans we’ve made were almost useless because of that, Aidan. Good thing Velakia had an idea as a last resort.”
“Do not thank yet,” Velakia sighed, sitting on Blanc’s right, “We’ve sold one issue only to make another.”
“Already regretting it?” Blanc turned to face her.
“No,” Velakia smiled warmly, “But I know you will.”
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“What makes you say that?” Blanc looked worried as he asked.
“Besides the obvious, would be Lendros,” Velakia sighed, “After all, his only roles were to protect , and keep any man far away from .”
“Oh…” he muttered, “Well, let’s hope he will see reason.”
“That’s it?” Velakia asked, surprised, “No regrets yet?”
“None,” Blanc shook his head, “Especially given the situation.”
“Brother,” Sera entered their conversation, “Would your wives agree to such a thing?”
“I think they would, yes,” Blanc replied casually, “I already told them about… what we’ve been doing. So I assu so.”
“The problem is that Daughter,” Velakia sighed, “She played it well.”
“I assu it’s because of what Lucien discussed with you, with having the Order being integrated in your Kingdom slowly,” Blanc shrugged, “Otherwise, she would not have changed her deanor so quickly in our favor.”
“Damn all political gas,” Velakia clicked her tongue, “I haven’t even begun thinking how much of a headache it would be to convince an entire kingdom to accept them.”
“There is so good in it as well,” Blanc shrugged, “The negotiations are in the right direction, with both of you one step closer to returning ho, and for better or worse, we… don’t need to hide anymore.”
“Oh?” Velakia grinned, “You look pleased with the engagent.”
Blanc turned his face away, embarrassed, “Baseless accusations.”
“Oh, are they?” Velakia grabbed his chin, “Say it to my face.”
“I could tell you more elsewhere,” Blanc chuckled, locking lips with her.
“Ahem,” Sera cleared her throat, uncomfortable seeing a side of her little brother she never thought possible, but also because she had questions left, “Vela… uh, Your Highness, can I ask you a few questions?”
“Call Velakia, Lady Sera,” Velakia giggled, “And feel free to ask anything.”
“It may sound stupid, but are you really a princess as you claim to be?” Sera began with the easiest question out of the way.
“That’s rude, sister,” Blanc sighed, his back deeper into the couch, allowing the won to face each other.
“A fair question, but yes, I am,” Velakia replied, “Tuns Velakia Iskahul, rimpa tesanp tuluiagea larunsi al Iskahulului.”
“Huh?” Sera muttered, “Is that your mother tongue? It explains the accent.”
“Accent?” Velakia asked, surprised, before turning to Blanc, “Do I have an accent?”
“You stop noticing it after a day or two,” Blanc chuckled, “Don’t worry about it.”
“Earlier, you ntioned sothing about it being obvious,” Sera continued with another question, “Could you tell what you ant?”
“You ask about my engagent with Blanc?” Velakia asked, “Well, before, we agreed that all this we had going on would end the mont I get on the boat, with both of us going our own way. But now that we said what we said, and because the Daughter offered her order to make the ceremony official, we have to do it even as a facade.”
“But we won’t be able to do it too soon either,” Blanc sighed, “Which ans that once we get ho, we have to start preparations to travel to Iskahul.”
“Why?” Sera frowned, “Forgive for saying this, but doing all that as a facade for a lie sounds dumb.”
“It is dumb,” Blanc nodded, “But it was the last thing we could do, and we did it anyway. That’s how important you are, my dear sister. For you, I’ll travel the world over, annoying as you may be sotis.”
Sera’s cheeks crimsoned, clenching her jaw sowhat annoyed, “You couldn’t just end on a complint? Did you really have to insult right at the end?”
“It’s in his nature, I fear,” Velakia sighed, slapping Blanc over the head, “Go, my dear, bring us so water while I talk with your sister in private.”
“Great idea,” Sera smiled, “Be a sweetie and do it for us, Blanc.”
He blinked at her for a mont, watching how that smile of hers did not quite reach her eyes.
“Yep,” Blanc sighed, getting up from the couch, “Sera’s back.”
And with that, he began walking outside the room, looking for where he could grab so water from, letting the two watch his back as he departed.
And Velakia took that mont to continue, “But as infuriating as he might be, I do not mind doing all that, even as a facade, if it helps him and those he cares for.”
“You love him?” Sera asked, turning towards the princess in front of her, “Wouldn’t that create issues for you?”
“Mhm,” Velakia sighed, “It sure will, but at this point, I don’t even know anymore what to make of it. I wanted to end it, then I regretted it, then I told myself we would do it until I left. Now here we are, with plans to get engaged back in my kingdom. No matter what I do or what I think, sohow, the end gets further and further away. At one point, does it beco a lifeti?”
“But do you love him?” Sera muttered, moving near her, in the spot where Blanc stood, “Do not play with my brother’s heart, for I will rip yours if you do.”
“I would sooner rip mine out myself, Sera,” Velakia replied, “I do love him, perhaps more than I should.”
“That’s good,” Sera smiled warmly, “He deserves happiness.”
“And so do you, sister,” Blanc said, entering the room with glasses of water in hand, “And we will make sure you have it.”
“H-how much did you hear?” Velakia asked, embarrassed.
“Drink,” Blanc smiled, offering the two the glasses of water he brought.
After both drank, Blanc grabbed Velakia, pulling her in his arms.
“Now, sister,” said Blanc, turning towards Sera, “If you’ll excuse us for an hour or two.”
“I hope the walls are thick enough,” Sera sent them off with a wave.
“We hope too,” Blanc and Velakia replied in unison, laughing as they left the room.
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