To the west, in the Cloud Plains, in the middle of important trade routes, lies a country called the Central Trade Republic of Urbaval. In this country, instead of the king and the nobility, the council of the highest trading houses rules, engaged in their own enrichment through workshops and an advantageous location on trade routes. Thanks to this, Urbaval actively prospers, and its fame spreads throughout the world.

This is a very famous country all over the world, which is known for its sophistication, luxury and culture, but is clearly not famous for having a good army, mainly because it uses the services of mercenaries whose loyalty is limited only by the gold in their pocket.

I know the geography of the central part of the continent, and therefore I immediately doubted that Boris and his people were from there. They said that they were heading to the east, that is, to the lands of the brutal races, and their Republic was located in the west. Here we can make two assumptions: either they are lying to me or they are not telling me something.

Who exactly are the court magician's companions? How were they able to defeat a detachment of hundreds of robbers? Why do they look so strange? Do they really want to establish friendly relations between a certain Republic and the kingdom of Lakuus? One question after another appeared in my head, but there was not even close information about these strangers, as well as what motivates them.

I remember seeing among them a cursed woman, strangers from Hippolyta and, apparently, adventurers. I did not then interrogate the old wizard at dinner and instead agreed with him about help from these strangers, but still I did not trust them.

They're too suspicious. I can't trust them after they lied to me. We need to keep them under surveillance and find out who they really are and what they are really up to. It may even be that they are leading Granid by the nose, and the old wizard himself has no idea about it. If this is the case, then you need to always be on guard.

"Dougman."

"I'm here, Your Majesty."

"Please keep an eye on our guests."

"It will be done."

Moving between the wide palace corridors, I drove away unnecessary thoughts and focused on the most important thing, namely Princess Ilifreeta. I need to meet her and talk otherwise I will become a victim of her «hand». She's clearly still mad at me for what I wanted to do to her. And I myself was not delighted with myself either, and yet I still have something to discuss with her.

I was accompanied by two guards, their armor rattled loudly as we moved to Her Highness’s chambers, and words were actively spinning in my head, gradually forming into sentences. I was thinking about where to start our conversation with her, how to get closer to her, and when I got to her chambers, I creaked open the door and heard a male voice that belonged to none other than Furgur:

"Who is this?"

Standing in front of him, I looked around him and the room in which I found myself. The same princess room, but this time cleaned up. Since the return of the heir to the throne, the room has only become better than before her abduction. The maids were still tidying up the closets and sweeping away dust in the corners, but after my arrival they stood quietly, bowing their heads down, fearing me as if I was about to order their execution. There was nothing even close to that in my head, and yet their fear of me was as if palpable. I saw them tremble slightly.

That's right... they probably heard about the execution in the throne room. That's why they're so afraid of me.

The princess was lying on the bed with her golden hair loose on the pillow, and a muscular adventurer dressed in light armor made of plates, leather and a bow on his back prevented me from coming closer to her. I remembered a man with a stern and confident look for a long time even when he served in the palace as the head of the royal guard.

In those ancient times, King Leff was still standing, and the adventurer saw with his own eyes what was really going on within the walls of the palaces. Furgur did not heed my warning and spread, albeit true, rumors about what was happening in the palace. By his mere existence, he blackened the name of the royal family and its honor for the entire people. For this I expelled him from the palace and he could hardly forgive me for this.

"What do you need?"

Furgur asked with a frown on his face.

Such rude treatment of the king would have been unforgivable in any other scenario, but I am king only for a while and therefore was not offended by it. I made a gesture with my palm, letting the guards know that it was better not to attack the adventurer, and then I said:

"I need to talk to Ilifreeta... alone."

"No, not alone."

The adventurer shook his head, refusing to leave me and the princess alone.

He stood his ground, was as impregnable as a rock, and could even resist the orders of the king himself. At a moment when it seemed that the situation had not been resolved, Ilifreeta suddenly turned to him:

"Please leave us."

"But he can"

The mercenary wanted to interrupt the princess, but she, in turn, answered with a slight smile.

"It's okay. I'll be fine. I don't think Draun is here to hurt me."

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For some time he stood in place, clearly thinking about the advisability of leaving me and her alone. Meanwhile, I looked at my guards, ordering them to leave the chambers:

"Leave us alone."

"Yes, my king."

The guards bowed with a clang of armor and left the chambers along with Furgur and the maids.

When the door slammed behind us, we were finally alone. Returning my attention to the princess, I noticed only emptiness in her eyes. During dinner, she «hand» threw a plate at me, which says a lot about what she thinks about me.

She hates me.

I couldn’t note it in my heart without sadness.

I came closer, sitting on the edge of the bed and looked straight into her blue eyes. It’s hard to imagine how many tears flowed out of there. I feel so sorry for her and how could I wish her death? Had I lost my humanity so much that I thought about killing her? How could I do this? What kind of stupid questions are these? The answers lie on the surface:

Leff warned me that power would go to my head. Once you taste it, you won’t want to share such spoils even with the people you trust most in the world. Now I understand this perfectly. My power is only temporary, and I must try to ensure that it passes safely into the hands of the princess. I don't need to have any illusions that I can really become a real king. That's not what I'm here for.

After remaining silent for some time, I finally decided to start our conversation with something, and I started with something more insignificant, everyday.

"This room hasn't changed at all since you were kidnapped."

I said, looking around her cozy chambers.

"To him."

That was all the princess could say, tilting her head to the side to show me that she did not want to have a conversation with me on this topic.

I understood her perfectly. She expected those very words from me, but for now I decided to leave them for last.

"This palace has become cleaner, it is not as dirty as it was before, and now it also shines thanks to you.”

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you are our princess, heir to the throne."

I said smiling.

My words did not inspire her at all, however, I did not count on it yet. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, I breathed more air into my chest and began to tell her everything that I had been hiding in my soul for so long. Everything I said was sincere and very important to me. I have lived a long life and even if I did not know joy in it, I know that I must try not for my own sake, but for the sake of everyone else.

"Many years ago, your father noticed a boy in the rain with books in his hands. He stopped a carriage in the mud and invited him to come to his place, to live in the palace. I was this boy and then I could not understand how lucky I was, having decided to accept your invitation Father. Only now I understand that he noticed something in me that I myself had not realized before. I did not yet know what he had in store for me when he appointed me as an assistant clerk, and then invited me to observe the council meetings. I only realized my purpose when he appointed me as his chief advisor and ordered me to take care of his family and his kingdom as they deserved."

The princess returned her attention to me. She suddenly became curious to hear my story. She hears it for the first time, however, I have never told this to very few people, because this is something that I will never be able to tell anyone else. For me this is all sacred.

"I was given a title, given a last name and given a purpose in life. I was raised to be the one who would help the new king on his difficult path, or maybe even the queen."

Ilifreeta is a smart girl and immediately understood what I was getting at.

"I am not worthy to be a queen, and you know it. I was not raised to be one, I was never taught anything. I am cursed and cannot move my arms or legs, especially since I am a woman. How can I be a queen?"

Her question was fair. In any other country, it would be difficult for a woman to take the throne because of her origins, but here in the kingdom of Lakuus, who you were born as is not the main reason why you will be elected monarch. There was another reason that lives in the soul of our future queen, and she knows about this reason very well.

"I used to think that I should have become king. Your father often complained to me about what scoundrels his sons were growing up to be. He never said that about you. I know that you loved him with all your heart. He visited you even if only when you were sleeping. He was the only one in whom you saw a person who cared about you, and I perfectly understand your pain from the loss of such a loved one. No one loved you, your desires were mercilessly trampled, but he brought warmth and care to your little one. corner."

The princess's eyes slammed shut, and droplets of tears began to appear at the edges. It was painful and sad for her to even think about it. She told herself that no one loved her, that she could not take care of herself, and yet her father was the person who often visited her and she knew about it, even if she forgot it for a long time.

"Even though your father, at the end of his life, began to go crazy, he still remained a man who loved you. Then he thirsted for life more than anything else and therefore forgot about you, forgot about love as such. The disease of madness decimated his health even more. stronger and yet somewhere inside him lived the one who loved you. The Kingdom was already in fact in my hands, and I could order to do whatever I wanted, but I could not throw away the thought that I was missing something. , the one who will come after me. Leff did not tell me to become king, he only told me to take care of his family and kingdom. Only now I finally understand that I took his words incorrectly."

I took her hands. Her palms were cold, dead, so small and fragile, as if they were about to fall off if you weren’t gentle with her. I looked into her blue eyes filled with tears and still told her the most intimate words that I had put off for so long:

"Forgive me, Ilifreeta... I did not recognize you as a true queen. Moreover, you inherited a «punishing hand». Do you remember how you threw your dinner at me? Now you know what it is. This is a gift from kings and queens Lakuus, the power transferred by the first magician to the heir of the first king. This is your power, which means you are already worthy of being called a queen. Forgive me again for what I wanted to do to you, for what I could not do. to truly protect you."

Ilifreeta's face turned red, and her eyes filled with bitter tears, streaming down her cheeks. I took a handkerchief and wiped the moisture from her face, and then let go of her hands. Still, an apology is not the main reason why I decided to visit her. She, immobilized and sobbing, still shook her head and asked:

"I don't understand... *sob*... why are you telling me this?"

"There's a reason for this."

I answered more seriously.

"Your brother, Monrid, has lured all the nobles of the kingdom to his side. They see him as the new king, but they are blind to his actions only following the paths of tradition and thirst for their own gain. I want you to help me with something."

"And what?”

"I want you to show them my «punishing hand». Show all the people who is truly worthy of the crown, and I will bend the knee before you, and you will ascend to the throne.”

Such words seriously shocked Ilifreeta, she was clearly not ready for this, but again taking her hands, I encouraged her:

"Don't worry. I'll be there to help you with whatever I can."