Ashes and Kingdoms

Fernena frowned when she heard it and spoke to Taz.

"You must be worried. What town was your friend in?"

"Oh, come on, Comris."

Taz hastily sipped the honey cake and went on to explain it, being careful what he said. I was awkward, but the thought prevailed if I could get the slightest news.

"I was doing a powder shop. With my parents, my sister, and a few more... people that I'm one of them. I only saw him once last year at the end of the summer."

"Really? I haven't heard the news that something went wrong at Comris... maybe you moved somewhere. What's the name?

That's what Fernena asked, it was a liturgical thing. It's not like it gets into the lord's ear, such as the news of the powderers. It is almost impossible to find the right one among ordinary people with no family name or family name, where the first name is known.

Taz, too, couldn't imagine that much. Knowing that they asked me out of their brother-in-law and sympathy, I also answer without expecting it.

"Phineas, sir."

- Phineas?

Taz as well as Senato and Nera look surprised by the strange sound of the repeated Fernena voice. Fernena said, reluctantly unsure.

"North, Dragon Hou and... you have the same name"

"Dragon Marquis?

Now it was Taz's turn to ask back. Instead of a pompous taz, Senato asks.

"Mother, there shouldn't have been a dragon march in the north. No way, did you show up new?

"Yep. You should have told me earlier, your grandfather went to Quanos to make an agreement with the Emperor for no war. As his witness, he was informed that a young man named Tenryu Hou Phineas of the North would be present."

"North, Tenryu Hou...... no way, no way. He did?"

Taz snaps, twisting his neck. When I saw it on Comrith, it didn't look unusual when I took it away. Of course I didn't take a dragon, and no one talked about it like that.

Impossible. On the other hand, I'm somewhere convinced that he wouldn't be crazy.

"Um... Your wife hasn't met that Tenryu Hou, has she? Has anyone told you what it's like? I know Phineas, he's got dark hair, and now... uh, he was nineteen, that's about it. My eyes are blue."

The usual tone comes out accidentally, and Taz rushes back to saying "but". But Fernena didn't care.

"Unfortunately, there's nothing else besides the name. If you go to Quanos, you may see him."

Taz wasn't the only one who reacted to that word just wanting to go right away. Senato stepped out and said, "Let's go" in a strong tone.

Fernena turned her eyes round and stared at her son.

"What are you going to say? I just said I'm finally home."

"Oh, Mother, of course not right away. But we have to hurry as fast as we can to Quanos. Will an agreement with the emperor also have a problem with the right to inherit the throne?

"If that's the case, an agreement has already been reached. Yesterday, an ambassador notified me. You are…… again, that Emperor Varys will welcome you to his adopted son. Now your grandfather won't dare to shield you against His Majesty the Emperor. You don't have to worry about fighting."

"Then go, and show His Majesty the Emperor and your grandfather that I am safe. You two, you might be trying to make an empty promise, right? And if an agreement is made, the dragon marquis, who became a witness, may leave somewhere."

To Senato, who preaches enthusiastically, but Fernena looks complicated. Even if Senato himself doesn't go out, he'll have to use it, and Rufus and Senato Marquis will be back in Nakte soon.

When she kept her mouth shut, even Nella said.

Ma'am, let's go to Quanos.

"Nella?"

"No, Quanos, but anywhere is good. The air in this mansion is cloudy. At least for a while, but I was wondering if it would be better for you and your heart to go outside."

"It's..."

Fernena said, anxiously letting her gaze wander. The servants who were serving him hurriedly lay down their eyes and decided to leave me alone. Fernena sighed.

"Sure, you were right. The air in this hall was while darkening. As you've noticed, I also fired a few servants for strict covenant orders, and there was only one gatekeeper... so I guess I just happened to take it off."

Fernena puts up a face when she says she is giving shelter and food to a magician who doesn't know what to do. But I didn't say anything about it in front of the outsiders. Instead she looked up and smiled slightly forced.

"That said, I keep this hall. You can't leave here because the winter hall is gloomy. Besides, thanks to you and Senato back together, it's much brighter."

"Ma'am...... You're right, I apologized for being shallow. Forgive me."

When Nera apologized, Fernena shook her head at Eagle Deep.

"I'm glad you showed me through. Whatever it is, don't think about leaving now, be generous and eat more. Taz, you too."

They recommend a drink, Taz rushes, that's enough, and resigns. I wasn't lying, I was already so full that I couldn't stand up.

Then for a while, after a social decree and a bowl of sweets and fruits came and went, the meal finally opened and Taz was led to the guest room.

"Whew...... No more, I can't move..."

Roll into bed and be alone. The room was tidy, but as the inhabitants of the hall put it, it was shady. I feel like there's more darkness lurking in the corner of the room than the shadows of reality. Though he stood still for a while, Taz gradually got up depressed and went to the window.

It is the middle of winter, so the curtains are brought down perfectly during the day, and nothing else in the light is allowed to pass as far as possible. Taz removed the clasp and opened the curtain, leaving it to the cold outside air to blow in. I grew up in the north, and I have some experience over winter on rough seas. Try him, it's like Haruhi, such as winter in my country - at least to the point where I can tell you so and be lean and tolerable.

and quietly opened the door of the room behind me.

"What are you doing, you're cold?"

The frightened voice is Senato. Taz looked back and narrowed his eyes to a frigid odor.

You have a very different attitude in front of your wife.

"Isn't that obvious? My mother doesn't know me from Cestas. Me and Nella once fished leftovers from the tavern, and if you hear anything, you're gonna fall. Taz, you're going to Quanos than that, aren't you?

Senato gazed up at Taz up close as he talked. Gray, golden scattered eyes capture Taz's eyes properly. Taz was unintentionally frightened and turned a blind eye in haste.

"Oh. I'm going to leave first thing tomorrow morning because even if I can't leave today, the sun will fall without going as much"

After answering that, he hacked and looked back and restrained.

"Take him with you! I'm glad your wife is finally here."

"Right."

Senato nodded lightly enough to clap out. Senato continued without a grin as Taz gazed at his momentum.

"Can you ride a horse?

Taz shakes his head with a weird face, not with the intent of asking the question. "Right," Senato snapped sadly.

"Well, then, you can't have a plan to replace the hurry. If I could ride a horse, I'd like you to run all the way to Quanos and come right back."

"... back? Why?"

"You weren't going to come back?

Asked the other way around, Taz got stuck in a reply. I feel like I've been called a thin lover, and I turn a blind eye.

"Well... there's no reason for me to be here."

"Yeah. You don't even care about Nella?

"You, don't bring up Mr. Nella right away. I can't help it, I'm just a sailor, and it's not helping to stay here. If you get home safely, there's no reason to stick around. It's not on the ocean, it's not the Great Forest, and you're not alone with Nella. There are plenty of people here who can help you. Right?"

"But not many can believe it"

Senato whispered in a dark voice. Taz stares seriously at the boy in front of him in surprise. Not only because I changed my clothes, but my expression and atmosphere make me completely aristocratic. Again, I felt reminded that it was no longer 'Cestas' who was there.

Noticing Taz's gaze, Senato smiled deliberately and bitterly.

"I'm a little happy, 'cause now I've told you I believe in Taz all the way around"

"What you say is proof that you're up to something. Will you be happy?"

Taz also made a vertigo in tune, sighing at him for goodness sake.

"- So, what are you trying to make me do, boy?"

"I want you to wait to go to Quanos," Senato replied briefly, hurrying on. "Of course, I'll ask the hurry about the Dragon Horse. I'll let His Majesty the Emperor and his grandfather know that I'm back, and I'll see if Dragon Marquis is a friend of Taz's if he's still in Quanos. Well, you'd want to see him in person, but while Taz walks away, Dragon Hou might leave Quanos, and he might be someone else in the first place, right? That's why I want Taz to stay here and help us."

Help, I was surprised to be honest with you, and Taz looked obscure. When you told me not to follow you, I was fine with following you forcefully, but it's weird.

"... if there's anything I can do, then I can help you..."

Says Munyamunya as he scratches his head with a puffiness. And a chilly breeze blew in through the window, and they all sneezed big. Face to face and laugh a little, closing the curtain for both of us. When I snagged the bottom edge of the curtain on the clasp under the pier, I just felt a little warmer.

Senato rubbed his nose, then looked around the room and sat in the chair.

"I was in a hurry to talk to Nella earlier. While we were away, something went wrong in this hall. It's not good to leave your mother here alone, so I gave up going to Quanos, too. Either way, we're going to the Imperial Capital sooner or later... so I want to find out what caused this dark shadow and do something about it. I don't even have a grandfather now."

"Dark shadow, hey. Sure, it's shady, but what if spring doesn't come?

"There's that too," Senato grinned bitterly, clapping his shoulders. "But if it's Nella's intuition, it's not just because it's winter, or because people are down. There's something here."

I say, unconsciously, I do my gaze in the corner of the room. Taz was also tagged and saw the same place, trembling only for a moment in the darkness that precipitated him.

"But I have no idea what to do."

"Right. That's where you start."

Senato let his legs hang out, gaining momentum and getting up a bit.

"Tomorrow I'll show my benefactor, Brother Taz, the mansion. Then, explore and play with every corner you don't usually go to. In the meantime, Nella tells me she's away from home."

Make your eyes squirm like a prank, and Senato looks up at Taz. Senato giggled with a full grin as Taz clasped his face and was out of line.

"Let's get along, Taz"

"... you..."

I was often stunned, then Taz sighed loudly. What a guy, shaking his head in awe.

"Okay, surrender. I'm going out with you."

"Thank you, kind brother"

Senato answers in white and clear. Taz couldn't bear to spill a bitter smile and sneezed Senato's head off for a long time.