20 If I can't have him, I would rather no one have him

Apart from a few scratches, bruises and a terrible ache on my lower back afterwards, I was not injured. Nonetheless, my days on horseback came to an end just like that, and I decided to wait until I got back home to ask Father for a horse. I am sure that he would not say no to my request.

In less than a week, it would be Coronia's Marisol festival. An annual festival that would honour the return of the King of the Sea, a water god who is half dragon and half fish race. It is said that the King usually lives in his palace deep under the sea, but once a year he would soar up into the heavens for the dragon race's annual meeting. When he leaves, the sea becomes wild and impassable to protect the sea king's city from intruders in his absence.

Although this region has no winter to speak of, the festival marks the change of the ocean current and the beginning of a new season. Once the violent currents died down completely, trading through the waterways could commence once again. From today onwards, the first few ships that are fearless or have experienced navigators have already started to anchor at the harbour. By arriving first at the capital Coral, their gains would outweigh the risk of embarking during adverse conditions by tenfold. Those who came here year after year knew the harsh waves like the back of their hand. Seafarers like them sleep on the seabed and have no home back on land. They get hired by wealthy merchants to bring them through the fastest way possible. The sooner a crew can arrive the more money they earn.

Fresher goods would always ensure better prices. Most of these ships held tons of fresh and novel products in their cargo—the more unknown, the better.

There were even ships from the far northern region, the Empire Valencia. Their boats were black and humongous in comparison to Coronia's smaller and more manoeuvrable one's. Ramsis told me they were made from the century tree, a tree that grows only in the cold tundra of the northern region; a tree that thrives despite the lack of warmth and light. It is the most durable wood of the continent and ships made from these could even break the ferocious waves of the southern ocean. That's why Valencia's traders were always one of the firsts who arrived at Coronia's port town, although their navigators weren't as knowledgeable as Coronia's navigators. 'Might makes right' was indeed one of Valencia's common phrases.

Unlike the electrifying relationship with Florencia, Valencia had a rather neutral relationship with Coronia. It was just too far away for invasion, and their marine wasn't big enough to start a war over the waterways. Doing commerce with Coronia turned out to be the most beneficial for both parties.

Coronia, as an influential producer of jewellery and artistry, needed many raw materials, but they lacked those. They imported gold, jewels and minerals from Valencia and sold livestock and groceries in return. Valencia's cold and unrelenting soil is the reason it is always at war with Florencia, trying to expand its fertile lands down to the central continent that has better living conditions.

The border between Valencia and Florencia has shifted during the years, but Father managed to secure the border from Highmount to Blackwater about 16 years ago.

Nadia, Leila and I have been walking at the port market where the first foreign merchants have already set up stalls. As a foreigner myself I was more interested in Coronia's goods but changed my mind when I heard that there were merchants from Valencia among the new arrivals at the harbour. Because of our antagonistic relationship in the past, Florencia doesn't have many items from Valencia, to begin with.

Ramsis and Eric went to the arriving boats to inspect the trading sigils. Without a sigil, a merchant can't trade in Coronia, much less enter Coronian waters. It's to avoid enemies dressing up as merchants and invade the country. Also, getting a sigil requires a price, it was a smart way to take in additional taxes from merchants and fill up the republics gold chamber and to have an eye on the in- and outgoing of goods.

"The pelts from the north are so beautiful!" Nadia held up the fluffy white pelt of a snow fox. She liked the elegant fox fur but didn't know whether or not she should buy one since it was just too warm for her to wear. When would she ever have the use of a pelt in Coronia, a country that never saw snow?

Leila, who was feeling up and down the snow hare's fur, said: "They're so soft, but just touching them makes my hand sweaty. It would be such a waste to use this one as a decoration."

"Are they only here for decoration?" I asked. It would have been too cruel if those only ended up as dust collectors. Also, that wouldn't explain the massive amount of imported pelts. Among the bigger ones were even those of bears and lynxes.

"No, no, Daria. Normally the desert tribes buy them. As the desert can be freezing at night, they like to add warmth with these pelts."

"Yeah. Since we are not used to the coldness of the desert, it's not bad to have a rabbit coat just in case."

"Do you go into the desert that often?"

"Not really. But we do accompany Her Majesty, the Queen when she goes there for peace talks."

"I honestly don't understand why Mother has to do those boring chores. She's the Queen, why does she need to bow her head to those barbaric tribes? They should feel honoured that we want to include them. She even invited them to our palace's Marisol Festival this year."

"Nadia, don't let Ramsis hear you talk like that!"

"Hmpf! You are boring! I'm going over there to see what gemstones they have brought this year, come with me, Daria!"

Nadia, who was fed up being told what to say and not to say all day, tried to get away from her big sister and grabbed my hand to run away.

The young princess was still a little bit afraid of Eric after the incident in the forest, but her naughtiness got over her fear. She was as curious and lively as ever.

As someone who seldom showed emotions, neither as my former self nor as Dahlia, I envied Nadia for her openness and wild character. People recognised the young princess wherever she went, and she was able to talk to them freely as if they were friends.

Nadia was a tomboy and heavenly gifted - her physical skills were as good as any of her male peers. Whether it was horse riding or sword-wielding, Nadia was good at all of it.

Her only weakness was her unwillingness to sit down and learn. Leila said Nadia didn't like the long monologues the teacher held during lessons so the girl would sneak out when the time came for her to attend lessons. She would instead went out and play with the horses or meet the children on the town plaza.

"See this? This is a helix ring. The shop in the western district makes it. We went there just yesterday. And this one, see this bracelet with the onyx inlaid? That's by the goldsmith in east town."

"Beautiful." I nodded in acknowledgement.

"I think with your hair and light complexion, an aquamarine or a blue sapphire would suit you best... oops," Nadia stopped midway and looked at me sorry-faced, "I didn't mean it."

"Haha, what are you talking. This and that - it has nothing to do with each other." I laughed.

The reason Nadia stopped midway was that now both sisters knew about my present matters with the engagement. And although I was still engaged, being at odds with your fiancé was a bad omen already.

Eric told them not to mention the engagement in front of me so that I could enjoy my vacation. Of course, he did that behind my back. He was incessantly worried about Nadia's loose mouth, so the girl got to hear the most from him.

And just now she remembered that the blue sapphire was synonymous to Florencia's Royal Family. Without intention, the words had slipped out like that.

"Enkir has been making such a fuss about it. He told me repeatedly to mind what I'm saying in front of you. Frustrating!" Nadia made a mien that was meant to resemble Eric's stern face, but when she did so, it would only make me laugh harder. "You won't tell him that I messed up already, would you?"

"Of course not!" I giggled. I felt relaxed in Nadia's presence. She seemed crude at first, but it's because she never held back her thoughts and was a forthright person. She was someone who loved her country and the people around her. She was young and biased, but it wasn't because she had wicked thoughts. Her naïveté towards the world comes from the spoiling she received from her family.

Once she recognised you as a friend, she would stand by you unconditionally.

That's the person Nadia was.

"I don't get the fuss about it." She shrugged.

"Me neither," I reassured.

"Say, do you like him? Your fiancé? Don't you mind that he fell for someone else? Weren't you guys betrothed when you were still children? Did you fall in love with him?" While assessing the accessories, Nadia asked me about Leon. As I have promised not to tell Eric, she let entirely lose her curiosity.

"Right, it was our parents who decided for us a long time ago. And I did like him a lot, but not now anymore. It is over between us. He never liked me anyway."

"Did you love him, though?" She eyed me questioningly. Her gaze said that she found it hard to believe.

"I did!"

"I don't believe it! If you really liked him, would you just stand by and watch him being taken by someone else?" She became a little agitated, "If it were me, I would not sit idly by and watch him getting snatched by another woman! I could never watch him getting along with someone else! If I can't have him, I would rather no one have him!"

Her words left me speechless. With blinking eyes, I watched as she let out a barrage of words that strangely suited her more than I thought possible. Nadia was indeed the kind of girl who would love wholeheartedly and straightforwardly. She was much more suited for that kind of love than Dahlia was. At least she wasn't afraid of saying her thoughts out loud. And she hit the nail right where it hurts. Previously, Dahlia was possessively trying to retain Leon's affection and getting Ellie out of the picture. Just as Nadia had said, perhaps being in love would make you this egoistic. The person I am right now could never love Leon; thus, I didn't care who he loves.

"You are right. Normally, I would not have stood idly by." After some thought, I agreed with her. "Maybe my love for him has subsided. Isn't that good, though? That way, I can spare myself the heartbreak."

She thought about my words for a long time but didn't seem to find herself an answer to that. As if something about my words didn't sit well with her. "Haven't you just given up without a fight then?" She murmured.

To stop Nadia from overthinking, I tried to change the subject.

"But... doesn't this seem like you're in love yourself, Nadia? Who is the lucky gentleman?"

Since she took the issue so seriously, it was easy to assume that she was in love herself and spoke out of her own experience.

"How... how come we are talking about me now?!"

As expected, the girl's ears went red once the conversation turned around. But she never disagreed to my words.

Fiddling with the cords of her skirt, she stammered: "Rashan is the best! Of course, he is the best, b... because I like him, he could only be the best! He's great at horse riding, almost as good as me. His sword dancing is also not bad, hmpf, if he gets serious, he can even dream about beating me! He is a true warrior."

Once she opened her mouth, the words slipped past without a pause. "Rashan is currently on a mission right now, but soon his ship should be back. He's a swordsman, but he's always on a ship nowadays, you know. I think he must have a little skill as a seaman as well because his ship is always one of the very first to come back... although the goes on dangerous journeys, he would never forget to send me daily letters, though, he would always ask me how I am and what I am doing."

Although the tone she used sounded like complaints, her choice of words betrayed her real meaning. And by what I heard, I concluded that the other party reciprocated her feelings.

"Must be great to be loved." I laughed.

Just as we were walking and talking, from high above, a shadow flew past. Shortly afterwards, a big bird cried out in a shrill voice and caught our attention. Nadia's face lit up in delight as the circling bird came into our sight. She fumbled with her pockets and took out a whistle.

"Talk about the Devil. That's Rashan's falcon, Bell!"