Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 84

Breakfast with the Red Prince

In a room scented heavily with incense, Illumca slept a troubled sleep.

Connie sat by her bedside, face gaunt from expending her Energy. Her body still was not in her peak condition after using the Art of Impermanence back in the dungeon and it showed.

Occasionally she placed a finger on Illumca’s wrist and wiped the dark elf’s body with a cloth, placing wet ones on various vital places on her body after dipping it into a bucket which Martell continuously refilled from the well outside.

“How is she?”

“She is stable now. But something is going on inside her. A struggle between her will and the remnants of the influence,” Connie said with a frown. “All we can do now is to keep her from drying out.”

The process then continued until Martell could not hold himself up and fell asleep to the side.

Then, a knock on the door made Connie turn her head around.

“Lady Cornelia. This is Hirun. Haynim Abbas wished for you to join him for breakfast,” a girl said from outside. “May I come in?”

“Yes,” Connie replied.

Once receiving the confirmation, Hirun opened the door and was immediately attacked by a wave of heat that was as hot as a summer day in Al-Khemiya. It made her eyes went wide. She quickly glanced at the fireplace and found that it was not used. This puzzled her, but quickly she regained her bearings, as befitting a maidservant of the Royal Family.

She came in with another maidservant of similar age. Both wearing slightly thick garment that flowed from their neck, fastened at the waist with thin bronze chains. Their thick woolen shoes made no sound as they walked in.

“Close the door,” she ordered. And they did as she said.”

“Is Lady Illumca still not well?” Hirun asked politely. She was in an awkward position with this strange young woman. She had heard about the event of last night from her brother, but also did not know how to handle someone in such a delicate situation.

“No. She still needs some time to heal.”

“Urgh,” Martell was awoken from the sudden addition to the room and blinked his eyes a few times before making a cat-like yawn and stretched his back on the floor.

The other servant nudged on Hirun’s waist, urging her.

“Y-yes, um. Haynim Abbas is waiting. You can tell me what to do. I am Maziri Sooyoung’s personal maid,” the maid said meaningfully. “You can trust me.”

“…very well,” the blonde-haired girl gave a nod of understanding. “I cannot let our host wait too long, can I?”

Connie leisurely placed her hand to the side and a dark purple snake slithered its way down her sleeve and piled up on the ground, returning to its default blob form. This made the maids yelp in surprise.

“Guard Illumca, Chen. Guard her well. There is good eating for you if you do well,” Connie ordered.

The blob turned into snake form once again and snaked its way across the floor and circled the maids once, giving them a threatening hiss. This made the younger maid jump in fear and almost wet herself.

“Pardon him, he is a bit…naughty,” Connie said as she watched the mischievous slime made its way up to the beam of the bed’s canopy and curled itself around it.

“Y-yes, um. I-if you can tell me what to do, Z-zeda here will guide you to the dining room after.”

Zeda was grateful for her superior’s kindness and almost leaped her way out of the room as soon as Connie was finished with telling Hirun what to do.

Connie and Martell arrived at the dining room but found that it had been replaced by a large, rug and mounds of ornate pillows placed in a circle. In the middle of this circle was a small low round table filled with foreign delicacies.

“G-good morning, Connie,” Kim Sooyoung greeted her with a nervous smile. Sitting directly opposite of the door was a handsome man wearing thick white clothes. He was playing with a very young boy with plump cheeks and pudgy toes, dressed in thick, ornate clothing. When he saw them coming, he handed the boy over to the beautiful woman to his right.

Seeing him sitting there with guards and maidservants around him, Connie could surmise who the man and woman were and did a polite bow.

“Good morning, Haynim Abbas. Maziri Azerah, and Maziri Kim Sooyoung,” Connie greeted them. “I thank you for your help last night.”

“A day full of blessing to you, Lady Steelheart,” the man said, pleasantly surprised by the other’s use of Al-Khemiyan titles. “How is Lady Illumca?”

“She needs time to recuperate. But she will be fine.”

She then gazed towards Kim, clasped her hands together and bowed fully. “You have done me a great favor, Lady Kim Sooyoung” she said to the now flustered young woman. “You have helped Illumca out of a great danger. And I am not someone who does not pay back a favor. From now on, I consider you as a bosom friend.”

“T-that is, um…!”

“Unless, if that is not agreeable to you.”

“N-no! Of course not! That would be very good!! Please! I want to be your friend also.”

“I am glad to hear that.”

“Good for you, my dear Hero,” Abbas gestured with his finger. “And he is...?”

“My companion, Martell,” she answered. Which made him rather surprised. She had never heard her said that before. Not really.

“You allow your slave to dine with you?” Abbas asked, seeing the collar on him.

Too lazy to explain, Connie told Martell to show them instead.

The Beastfolk boy took off the collar and gave a sweet smile before putting it back on again. “A Beastfolk without a collar might as well be painting target circle on his back. This made it easier for him to go around the city.”

“Especially one as beautiful as me!” Martell added, without a hint of embarrassment.

“Oho!” Abbas laughed. Clearly finding this amusing. “Well, such interesting people your newfound friends turned out to be, my dear Hero! Come, have a seat. This might not be usual for you, but I find Calendian dining etiquette rather…distant.”

“Thank you. I won’t hold back then,” Connie sat down next to Kim, who smiled cheerfully as she sat there, quite comfortable with the cross-legged position. Azerah squinted at this vulgar position but noticed that she was in a man’s clothing and reserved her opinion to herself. Martell was quite uncomfortable and groaned as he could not find a good position.

“You’ve already known us, but you mustn’t have known my pride and joy, Ajyad. My son.”

“Bwaa!” the boy crawled out of his mother’s arms and made its way to Martell. “Fluffy!” he giggled as he tugged on Martell’s ear.

“It’s fine.” Martell smiled as he endured the pain and scooped the boy up and playfully tickled his stomach. Azerah smiled at this. “You are good with children.”

“Oh, children like to play with my ears,” he replied off-handedly, a faint smile on his lips.

“You taught him Calendian?” Connie said in surprise.

“Just the common phrases. I believe that education for Princes must start at a young age. I have a tutor for him already,” he said. “Though my wife is not exactly a supporter of the idea,” he continued as he received a glare from Azerah.

“Husband. You’ve been speaking too long. We can continue as we eat.”

“Indeed! Where is my manner? I’ve been making my guests bored with my words. Bazuyad Luh’hadi, Udurr Korfihrli!”

“Udurr Korfihrli,” his wife replied.

“I hope you are alright with spices,” Kim said. “The food in Calendia are severely lacking in them. So, you may find this a bit too rich. Oh, and you eat them with your bare hands.”

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me twice. Good food is good food.”

Connie did not wait long before digging in. The smell was incredible. Various spices and herbs, mixed together into a saliva-inducing experience. Connie and Martell, who had been fatigued from last night’s ordeal was in no mood to eat, but the rich fragrance caused them to salivate nonetheless.

“You are familiar with Al-Khemiyan culture?” Azerah asked, seeing how she did not hesitate in sharing the food with them.

“Oh, just a bit. I’d met with Haynim Abbas before. Back when I was very young.”

“Hmm? I would have remembered if I have ever met someone as interesting as you,” he said, ripping a flatbread and dipping them in olive oil.

“I was not interesting then,” she said with a masculine shrug. “I was tied with too many rules. Too many chains. You know about the rumors, don’t you? It’s only just recently did I start thinking to just…screw them all. I live by my own rules now.”

The man looked at his wife then burst into laughter. “If only my family and their supporters think like you.”

“How so?”

“My father was a very traditional man. He believed in the holiness of our blood. The blood of the descendants of Udurr,” he said as the Prince offered the boy, still not wanting to move from Martell’s arms, with a piece of bread and a shred of mutton thick with gravy.

“Ah,” Connie sipped the tea provided with the meal. It was fragrant and tasted thickly of spices.

“He would be enraged if he knew I ate like commoners do,” Abbas said. “And that is why I eat like commoners do.”

“Meals in the Palace is cold and unfeeling. But this? This is a meal for family and friends.”

“F-friends…” Kim blushed and stuttered.

“Indeed,” Azerah replied, by now giving up on coaxing her son and just fed him with pieces of bread and meat. “To speak with each other frankly while enjoying good food and good tea, regardless of positions and responsibilities,” she gazed at her son. “That is the future I and my husband dreamed for our son.”

Connie raised a thumb at this, a wide grin on her lips. “Good. Very good. Yes-men are boring. It is only through a combination of opinions could something great be created.”

“You mean like…” Martell wandered in. “Flour alone could not make bread?”

“Flour alone could not make bread…” Abbas smiled at this and eyed his wife. “What do you think, Te Yugnam? Kim?”

“Simple, but meaningful,” Kim said.

“Yes. Something relatable to men of all positions,” his wife added. “Talent begets talent, I see. If everyone is Calendia had at least as much sense as you, it will have a good future.”

“Thank you for the compliments.”

After the breakfast concluded, tea was served. This time with mint leaves and sugar cubes on the side. After some idle chatter and a polite puff from a pipe filled with herbs and tobacco – which Connie took very deep puffs from – Martell and Connie excused themselves.

Prince Abbas with a great smile came with them as he also had the need to leave the compound.

“You are welcome to stay here as long as you wished,” the Red Prince said as they walked out of the room. “As I see it, my son had also grown fond of your companion.”

“Won’t it be bad, diplomatically?” Martell asked.

“Not if I said that you are working on a quest for me,” he winked. “Hunters are great that way. I’ll tell Kasheem to make a request for you by name in the Guild. Now, I have to take my leave, I have to go to a meeting with your King and the King of Vorzenny regarding…” the man said with a scrunched-up smile. “That cannon.”

“Not a nice way to spend your day,” Connie said.

“No. It isn’t. No,” The man said, now quite used to the young girl’s frankness. “But with prerogatives come responsibilities. And a Prince’s responsibilities often come with unpleasantness.”

As Connie and Illumca were returning to Illumca’s room, Kim called out to Connie from behind a pillar. There was nervousness in her eyes as she looked left and right.

“Lady Sooyoung?”

“C-call me Kim. Please,” the girl said, not daring to look at her. “I need…to speak to you.”

“If you want,” the girl said patiently. Unlike a certain Saint, at least this one did not slur her words. “Go ahead.”

“Can we…speak privately? In my room.”

Seeing the seriousness in her plea, Connie gave her assent. “…alright. Can you return to Illumca’s room before me, Martell? Replace the incense with this,” Connie handed him a small piece of paper folded tightly. “It should relax her.”

As soon as Martell left, Kim held her by the sleeves and half-dragged her into her room.

Like the person herself, the room was sloppy and a mess. Books littered everywhere.

Kim closed the door behind her and locked it well.

“Do you need to lock the door?” Connie raised an eyebrow as she gave a book lying on the bed a glance. It had a very glossy and realistic picture of a heart. She could not help but be attracted to it. There was also the picture of a human skeleton. The most realistic picture she had ever seen.

As she was about to take it, Kim made her way to her. Her gaze straight.

“Connie. I need to ask you something,” the woman paused. She took a deep breath and clenched her fingers that were holding onto the hem of her skirt. “Please. I need you to answer me honestly.”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Connie…” she took a deep breath. “Are you…an Otherworlder?”