BASIN POV

For the second time today, I was standing in the great chamber. "All of the guards have been informed and are on the lookout for them. But I fear they might already have slipped out of the city." It be foolish to stay here and if there is one thing I am sure of, it's that my kids are no fools. "Then we need to expand the search to the villages," King Alfonso declared. "I am doubtful it is where they will be found. They had coins from Vouri in their belongings. I am expecting they will flee there." King Alfonso comes with a loud sigh. "Putting our search in Vouri won't be possible." I raise an eyebrow. "I do not understand how that can be a problem, we have always had a good relationship with the Vouri kingdom."

"We indeed had, but that has changed. King Khavazh is furious at me. After all his son is second in line to what is left of Ledasgele. He had the expectation that Teival would hand it over to him. Teival however chose to bestow it to me for marriage with my oldest daughter. " I knew about the land and why the marriage is to happen. However, I was unaware that this was at the risk of angering our closest ally. The king is risking war, just to own a cursed kingdom. To me, that sounds like an unwise decision.

"We indeed had, but that has changed. King Khavazh is furious at me. After all his son is second in line to what is left of Ledasgele. He had the expectation that Teival would hand it over to him. Teival however chose to bestow it to me for marriage with my oldest daughter. " I knew about the land and why the marriage is to happen. However, I was unaware that this was at the risk of angering our closest ally. The king is risking war, just to own a cursed kingdom. To me, that sounds like an unwise decision.

"I wonder if it even matters if she is found. She can't remove the curse." The king slouches back in his chair. In all my years I have never seen him with anything but perfect posture, it's odd seeing the king act this way. "If I may ask Your Highness, I do have very little knowledge regarding magic. But as the daughter of the curse caster, wouldn't Alva be able to break it?" This question had weighed on my mind for some time. "That was the whole reason we kept her, yet we never tried. As some of the spell casters who tried to lift the curse, made us aware it is a spell there have no known way of breaking it."

"I fear for the future." King Alfonso's worry is justified. "I am sure Valor is going to be a great king like you and your father." The king makes a grunt. Did I step out of line trying to reassure him? "Did you even know my father Basin?" King Alfonso asks, he looks sternly at me awaiting an answer. "No sir, I had only taken my oath a few weeks before he passed." The king stands up and moves to the window. His back is turned to me. "My father may have been a good king: however I doubt it being reality, with his drinking, his waste of tax money, and that he had relations with half the female servants. I do wonder how many siblings I have out there." I had heard those rumours about the former king, but I never thought them to be true. The king is supposed to be good and to think of his people. To question our king is as obscene as questioning our god.

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"Never the less. He was a lousy father. When my mom died, it didn't take him long to send my brother and me away. We were kids, and we were taken away from everything we knew. But at least we had each other. Until my father for some reason decided to move me to Daingneach alone, for two years, I was stuck in that place. After that, I didn't see my brother again. Not before some guards showed up with him. But I barely got to talk with him before I had to leave with them. They left him there. While bringing me here because my father had picked a wife for me. We didn't see each other again before our father's death. Only for him to leave as soon as he could."

"I wish Hellvian was here," King Alfonso whispered. The sting of feeling intruding suddenly hit me. He is sharing deep personal feelings. The kind he would share with someone close, someone like Hellvian. But he is dead, and I am standing here in his place. The king takes a deep breath before continuing. "He was a great friend of mine and one of the few people I truly trusted." His voice was sad, I too could feel a few tears prick my eyes. But before I could say anything his tone changed. "Please regard that comment, it doesn't do dwelling on the death, especially not at the moment, as we have more urgent problems."

The sound of knocking at the door makes us both look towards it. As the king gestures for me to open it, I step over and pull the handle. Outside, the young princess Zora is standing. "I need to speak with you!" She says walking past me, her long sky-blue dress trailing behind her. "This better be important, because I am in no mood for your attitude Zora." King Alfonso says. "I remembered something, I heard the man say at the tavern." Zora blurs out "What man?" King Alfonso asks, taken aback by her fast speaking. "The eastern who was with the girl, he said something about going to a place called men's blissful menders." The king looks at me, and asks "Basin do you know such a place?" That is the name of a brothel if I am not mistaken. But I can't tell the king that. "I do, it's... it's in the bad side of the city." Why would they go there of all places? Has Narin fallen so far, that he is paying for pleasure? "Well go there immediately, and search for them," King Alfonso Orded. "I will get going right away, your Majesty."