Chapter 38

Achil told me about this event, but from a different perspective than what the concubine had previously told us. It felt as if it were two different events.

In Achil's eyes, it was a purely political event in which not only did the crown prince reaffirm his position, but even the arrangement of the princes was determined! The people of Hayan were the ones to win if you showed your power and brutality.

Aron has won this competition since he was seven years old, like an animal that brings back prey with many scratches. Achil describes him as having felt as if he killed them barehanded.

Other princes followed the crown prince's orders, so Achil did not enjoy this type of competition, nor did he ever win it.

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It was a sunny and pleasant morning. I met Laverna halfway through, as we had planned. The emperor commanded everyone from different kingdoms to wear their attire, although it was devoid of neither love nor respect. It was only displaying their varied spoils in a hunting competition. Nevertheless, there was a beautiful feeling in donning our clothes after such a long time!

It was also nice that the presence of the northern kingdoms made our attire not appear significantly different. Laverna resembled me as well, for all the northern kingdoms tended towards lightness, with soft and delicate fabric in a light brown color and a small piece of heavier fabric wrapped around the waist. However, each of us represented our own kingdom.

The kingdom of Raveena leaned towards making their clothes more beautiful and feminine as a symbol of love and indulgence for their women. Meanwhile, our kingdom's attire, Carmena, tended to shorten the left leg, which, of course, stemmed from the woman's skill in horseback riding. It was devoid of any adornment, except for hair ornaments.

All the attire of the other kingdoms was similar, differing only in the details. This highlighted a stark contrast among the women of the empire, where a single glance suggested that their clothes were woven for someone who had never run in their life, let alone participated in exciting activities.