Candles burned in a small, dimly lit office. Igras thoughtfully twirled a goblet in his hands, looking at the ambassador sitting opposite him.
"So, Mount Slick is indeed that rich, isn't it?" the king of Groutar broke the silence.
Grimuar took a slow sip from his mug. "Quite rich. But that's not the main point at all, Igras."
The king nodded understandingly. His erald eyes flashed in the twilight.
"Yes. A trade alliance in the future could easily grow into a military one. Zenhald... I take it he is the one who guarantees peace and quiet on the Mountain. And in the event of a major war, you intend to rely entirely on his monstrous power. As well as the power of those mages who are now flocking there from all over the world."
"Exactly," Grimuar answered in an even voice. "Peace always cos hard. And considering that a war is currently blazing in the south... Isn't this the perfect mont for us? The North is just beginning to blossom. Groutar and Lant will be able to build an incredibly strong alliance."
Igras tilted his head slightly to the side, carefully studying his interlocutor. "And how are things over there, with you in Lant?"
A faint, confident smile appeared on Grimuar's face—the smile of a player whose years-long ga was finally coming to a victorious finale.
"The king has given his consent. He will give
his eldest daughter in marriage. The current ruler trusts
completely, so... you can consider, Igras, that right now you are talking to the future king of Lant."
Igras's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his impenetrable look.
"Good," he said, accepting this new alignnt of forces.
"But there is one problem," Grimuar placed his mug on the table. "Zenhald. He is an incredibly flighty and unpredictable person. It is vital for us to force him to settle on Mount Slick for as long as possible. And the solution is already there. The Supre Archmage and Zenhald make a highly promising couple."
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The ambassador chuckled, looking at the flickering fla of the candle.
"Actually, the foundation is already laid, almost everything is ready. All we have left is to wait a bit and sotis... gently push them towards each other. When they have children, Zenhald will abandon his wanderings. He will settle there for a long ti and protect his ho—and therefore, our borders—at any cost."
Igras slowly raised his goblet.
"Good," the king of Groutar repeated. "Then let us drink to the future."
The wooden mug and the goblet clinked with a muffled thud over the table.
"To the future," Grimuar echoed.
The next day our ship set sail again, rocking on the dark waves.
The routine began. I lay in the cabin, staring at the plank ceiling. Then I would get up, go up to the deck, and stare into the black, restless water for a long ti. Then I'd go back down and lie down again. The sun still refused to appear in this north, leaving us alone with the endless, cold night.
I sat with my back against the deck wall, listening to the creaking. Strange thoughts crept into my head.
As long as I've been aware of myself, soone has always been looking after . I am always on the road with soone, sharing a path or a table with soone. We talk, swear loyalty, and then our paths inevitably diverge. Only mories remain of people. Tiny shards of other people's lives... which I end up forgetting anyway.
What am I living for right now? I didn't know the answer. I was just drifting with the current, like a woodchip in this ocean.
In essence, nothing truly bothers . I don't need to fight for survival. I can eat whenever and whatever I want. The laws of mortals hold no sway over . If I truly want sothing, I just have to wish for it, and I'll have it. No overcoming, no thrill. I'm just living. Just existing.
And Alastia is still paving her dark path to , and I can no longer resist.
Alastia approached soundlessly.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked quietly, standing next to .
"Nothing," I answered evenly, not taking my eyes off the horizon. "Just observing."
"Strange," a faint chuckle slipped into her voice. "I thought you loved to sleep."
"Yeah..." I tiredly closed my eyes. "Only for so reason, I can't sleep. That's very strange for ."
Alastia didn't answer. She simply stepped closer and softly rested her palm on my disheveled hair.
From her touch, a wave of inexplicable peace instantly spread through my body. Under her fingers, they lightened, becoming absolutely white, like pure snow.
Drifting into sleep, I managed to catch only one, the most honest thought in my head:
I surrender. Do whatever you want with my heart.
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