Chapter 39. A spark can start a fire

When the long awaited day of departure from the Imperial Palace came — Remesis was greatly relieved. She couldn't believe that it was finally over.

These past couple weeks had undoubtedly been truly eventful. The impressions from this trip, even if not very positive, would stay with her for a long time to come. At the end of the day, one should be able to be grateful for every experience in life. Fate doesn't present lessons for nothing. «At least I hope so,» the girl pondered to herself as she tried to convince herself that her time spent in the capital wasn't such a waste.

The next morning, after the banquet at the palace was over, Remesis and his escort set off on their return journey to the North.

It seemed that this time they traveled even faster.

After a week and a half of non-stop traveling, the girl saw snow-covered hills that she didn't seem to have seen in ages. Remesis was a little excited before her return. Hannes also noticed some changes in her usual demeanor and inquired:

— Your Highness, is something wrong?

— Ah, no…

While traveling, they stopped briefly to water the horses, and then the knight's gaze caught something strange.

— Your Highness, do you have a new handkerchief? I've never seen it before.

The girl has been carrying it around with her since they left. It was a very beautiful piece, and judging by the gold embroidery, very expensive. The commander hesitated: where could the princess have gotten it from? They had certainly not visited any store with such things.

— It was given to me by a friend.

— The same one you met last time? — The knight's eyes squinted.

Hannes guessed very quickly.

Remesis sighed and did not deny the obvious.

— Yes. In fact, he lent it to me, but I had no way to return it.

It was the truth. The delegation of the astrological order had left the Imperial Palace even before them. So when Remesis woke up, Liana Daehsin had already left. But even without that, returning her handkerchief to her in public would be difficult. So she just left it as it was.

The knight tensed up a bit.

— Your Highness, this is…

— It's nothing like that. We won't be seeing each other again anytime soon anyway. So I can just throw it away.

The knight sighed.

— Alright, whatever you say.

Fortunately, Hannes was also smart enough not to ask unnecessary questions. He turned away and continued checking his gear. The girl felt relieved.

«Good thing I didn't tell you that the friend I was dating was a girl…»

Actually, given Remesis' young age, it would have been foolish to think along those lines. However, since she was legally married, it already placed a certain kind of restriction on the girl. The Nadal Empire still adhered to the old traditions. Therefore, it was unseemly for a married girl to date an unmarried girl in the absence of her spouse. Hannes was merely concerned about her reputation.

However, to Remesis, all that was nothing. She didn't care what anyone thought of her. Since Asil hadn't bothered to stick to her reputation as a faithful spouse in her previous life, why should she? Although the girl's main priority was revenge, and she wasn't planning on having a relationship, if any rumors suddenly started, Remezis was ready to quietly turn a blind eye to them.

And Asil wouldn't care where she was or who she was with anyway.

On that basis, Remesis considered the knight's worries to be completely in vain. No need to pay attention to rumors, especially unfounded ones. «But is it true…?» Although the girl had told the knight to get rid of the shawl, in the end she didn't. «By the looks of it, it's worth at least ten sekels. It would be foolish to throw that kind of money away, right? I'd rather sell it.» That was how Remesis internally explained her motivation to keep the item donated by the young head of the order.

There could be no other reason. And when the girl thought about it, she raised herself to laughter, «And how could I have thought such a thing? It's nonsense. Definitely nonsense!»

All the rest of the way the girl tried not to return to these thoughts, which were becoming more and more frightening and uncontrollable for her.

After another ten days, Remesis finally made out the familiar iron towers in the snow blizzard.

They were traveling fast through a dense coniferous forest. The sky was slowly turning from purple to light pink. It was beginning to dawn. Along the way, they occasionally had to fight off monsters and other creatures, resulting in a few guardsmen receiving injuries of varying severity. But fortunately, there were no serious accidents.

When they reached the gate of the fortress, the heart in the girl's chest involuntarily beat faster. The guard standing on the watchtower recognized their group at a glance and rejoiced:

— Her Highness has returned!

This cry alerted the inhabitants of the northern castle to the long-awaited return of the princess.

After a while, the gatekeepers opened the gates, and then Remesis met a man she had not seen in a long time.

Asil stood in front of the gate and watched her. She ran out as soon as she got the news.

Remesis smiled and climbed out of the carriage.

— Hello, your highness.

«…»

Asil was silent and looked a little flustered.

Since she continued to stay where she was, Remesis decided to approach her wife herself. She took a few steps her way, and with each one, the surprise in her eyes grew. «I have not been gone for more than two months. What has happened to Asil in that time!» Remesis was truly amazed. The girl's appearance could not be described with any decent epithets. To be honest, she didn't look much better than when they first met at the Imperial Palace.

Her silver hair was a mess, as if ravens had made a nest in it. The princess herself was gaunt and gaunt. Only her amber eyes always sparkled like gems.

When they came face to face, Remesis couldn't help but ask:

— Your Highness, what's wrong? Have you not been eating well? Maybe you are sick again!

At Remesis' questions, Asil shook her head.

— Then what's the matter? — The girl continued to ask, but the princess only looked at her.

Asil's condition was truly discouraging. It was like leaving a flower for a month and not watering it. That's what would happen to it.

The princess blinked. Since she didn't say anything, Remesis was forced to question her for a long time. Finally Asil looked at her, bowed her head, and swept her hair away from her face with her hand, exposing her forehead.

— Huh? What is it?

«…»

When Remesis tilted her head perplexedly, not understanding what the princess meant, the latter frowned as if she was upset and tilted her head forward as well. She pressed her forehead right against her lips.

— Huh?» the girl wondered.

Remesis stared at the princess. There was a sudden coldness on her lips. Asil glanced at her as well, her face flushed and even darkened a little. The princess silently opened her mouth in embarrassment. Then she stepped back and ran away.

Remesis blinked a few times looking after her, but soon realized what had happened and laughed.

«She really is like a puppy. If she wanted me to kiss her forehead, she could have just said so,» the girl thought with a smirk.

On the way to the castle, the princess continued to giggle at this. Sometimes the little beast did do some cute things. Remesis quickly forgot about her earlier worry. And was even a little glad to be back here.

***

Duke Carter's office was unusually cold. Even colder than usual. The overcast weather outside the window was accompanied by raindrops drumming on the glass. The room was silent.

Until it was broken by a faint knock.

— Father, you wanted to see me?

The door creaked slightly. The ducal successor stepped inside.

Standing with his back to him was the imposing figure of the grand duke. He stood at the window and stared at something. Soon the man cleared his throat and spoke curtly:

— Do you know why I called you here?

Michel faded his eyes.

— Father, I…

— It seems that after living under my care for so long, you have forgotten your place.

The young man shuddered. His brown eyes trembled.

— Father… — the boy said in a slurred voice: «If you mean that incident, that girl attacked me first…!

Michel tried to justify himself, but the Duke's gaze, with which he looked at him, silenced the boy.

— Fool!» losing his former restraint, Michael Carter roared: — I don't care what you do. You can do it as much as you want in our territory. But how dare you dishonor me in the palace!

The boy turned dramatically pale. He was completely different from his usual self.

— You're the heir to the family, yet you managed to make such a mess right under the Chancellor's nose. What do you think he, and Halias Daehsin, think of me now? — The duke's cold voice cut sharper than any knife, «Now everyone knows that you have no restraint or manners. You've made a fool of our family.

Michel Carter looked like a helpless puppet. His lips quivered. He fell to his knees to beg his father's forgiveness.

— Oh, father, it was my fault! Forgive me!

He repeated it, banging his head on the floor. Michael Carter watched in silence.

Soon he walked over and squatted down so that he was level with his son. The man commanded:

— Raise your head.

«…»

Michel slowly did so. He was afraid to look his father in the eyes, but under the latter's pressure he gave in. Cold sapphire eyes, in which there was not a single drop of warmth, gazed at him. They seemed more frightening than the storm outside the window.

The Duke grabbed his son by the chin and twirled him around like a marionette.

— You know I never keep useless trash, don't you?

Michel, after hesitating, nodded.

— Even if you are my son, this is no exception,' the man muttered, 'I've already invested so much in you. All you have to do is fulfill your role perfectly. But even with that, you're failing.

— I… I'll do my best! — The heir replied in a thin voice.

Duke Carter looked at his eldest son for a long time. A variety of emotions mingled in that gaze. Soon he dismissed his face callously.

— You… Our first child with Katherine,» the man's voice trembled slightly, «That's the only reason I let you take this place.

«…»

— You know that well, don't you? — Michael asked quietly.

— Y-yes…» he swallowed convulsively.

The twelve-year-old was trembling like an aspen leaf.

— Otherwise…» the Grand Duke grinned icily, «Would a damned scum like you be able to climb so high?

Michel looked at him fearfully. His throat was dry and he couldn't make a sound. The Duke understood everything. And so did he.

At that moment, thunder rumbled outside the window. The wind and rain fell heavily on the branches of the trees. It only added to the already gloomy atmosphere.

— Do your best,» the Duke touched the boy's shoulder and moved closer to his ear, «don't make me regret leaving the damned bastard in my house.

It was said very quietly, almost in a whisper, but the man who happened to be outside the door heard it. He nearly staggered on his own feet.

«What… What… What did father say?!»

Livius' pupils dilated. The boy with dark hair and blue eyes, who looked very much like a duke, had accidentally heard something he shouldn't have. It stunned him.

There was silence in the study and the boy couldn't hear anything else. Startled, he heard footsteps outside the door and quickly fled. After a few moments, Michel came out and headed for his room. Although he tried to stay upright, his legs were trembling slightly.

Livius Carter followed his brother's gaze all the way down the hall. Until he disappeared down the hallway. He was utterly confused.

«What was that… What was that even?» — The nine year old boy muttered in despair.

While Livius was lost in speculation as to what exactly he had managed to overhear, a terrible truth slowly unfolded before him. Perhaps… Brother Michel might not be who he thought he was. This realization made Livius rethink everything he had lived before.

«If it's true, and father knew about it, then why… Why did he do it?» In the Empire, hiding, much less falsifying a natal chart, was considered a terrible crime. The entire family could be prosecuted for such a thing.

If it became known to the public that Michel had become the family's heir illegally…

Ah!

In an instant, hope was born in the soul of the youngest son of the Carter family.

«Then I still have a chance…!»

From this tiny hope, a very strong fire erupted in the previously very calm boy.

«If I manage to become the successor, then… Then… Then I can take my sister away from that horrible place!»

Livius' heart raced at the mere thought of it.

— Remesis, please wait for me… Brother will surely bring you home.