Armad, Inara, Spoon, and Ilias were silent on their way back from the library. They had mixed reactions. Ilias felt relieved. With this, the war looming war could be avoided. But he still felt sorry for Armad who looked exhausted and dispirited all of a sudden.

But there was nothing they could do about it. The princess had decided.

Back in the palace, Ilias decided to go into town to look for any information on the equatora. "Spoon, stay with Armad."

Armad quickly waved the swordsman off. "There is no need. You two should go together and look for information about the equatora. We may need to visit the isolated region and look for Nusi."

Ilias didn't argue and left Armad with Inara. Nusi was still missing and finding her was his top priority.

After they left, Armad lied on the bed and closed his eyes. There was nothing to worry about. It's the princess marrying another prince. Wouldn't that be beneficial for everyone? Of course, it would be. So why did it hurt?

Armad thought about everything over. When the light of dawn shone through the window, he got up and went to the pool behind the room. After he cleaned up, he decided to visit someone.

Despite it being very early, the security in the palace was still tight. The magical bulbs shone brightly throughout the place. To avoid the patrol, he activated photon jump and disappeared.

Soon after, he appeared near the princess quarters. From there he could see the princess house and all he'd to do was jump over the wall surrounding the three houses of the siblings to go there.

Another jump took him to the first house. He was familiar with the princess' pol so he could easily identify her position. He pushed open the door to the third house and went inside.

Even the door was built from shining stones. The flooring, despite the night, shone brightly and looked like rubies and corals. Armad found himself thinking about how inferior his accommodation was compared to what he was currently witnessing.

He looked around and found the room with a lamp on and went inside.

The figure of the princess greeted him as soon as he stepped into the room. She was sitting on a bed and looking at the door as if expecting him.

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"You should know that my father is aware of your presence here," She said. Her words didn't stop the tears from pouring out of her eyes. The front of her dress was wet as if telling him she had been crying for some time now.

Armed pretended not to care about her warning and sat on the bed, looking around the spacious room. For a long time, none of them said anything before Armad finally sighed and said, "Bihanzin is not your biological father, is he?"

Nostalgia raised her head and looked at him, nodding her head slowly. Armad could see why people didn't know her as Nostalgia 'Nára' and everyone was just calling her Nostalgia Sisiyu like the other princes. And, of course, she was reckless if she was willing to give him her name on their first encounter. He could still remember the talisman she gave him that was signed by Nostalgia Nara.

With apparent difficulty, Nostalgia opened her mouth and said, "But Bihanzin is and will always be my father, in this life and the next. There is nothing a father can do for a child which he didn't do for me. He even favored me over his children."

There was some silence before Armad nodded his understanding. He said in a low voice, "Nara and Wilberforce share the same grandparents and I think that's why you helped me when we first met. Especially since there aren't many of us left."

Nostalgia looked away in silence. When she saved him from the city of giants it was only so he could translate the magical board for them. But the following time when she saved him from falling into the rift, it was... not because he was a Wilberforce. She lost her mother at a young age and she wanted to help him save his. There was also some part of her that didn't believe in 'doing bad for the greater good'. And maybe... she did like fearless boys.

Armad stood up and walked around the bed to face her, his eyes full of determination but his heart was pounding.

"I, Armad, want to take you as my wife. My ancestors - King Aldaima and King Eyrion - lived in their way. And they made their decisions. No one knows exactly why. And even if I know, that wouldn't stop me. The dead carried little weight when it came to making decisions for the living. And the birth of a child with black or brown eyes is something that's neither good nor bad on its own, and it certainly doesn't prevent us from fighting the slave trade. I also don't believe black eyes are synonymous with the slave trade.

"I am Armad Wilberforce, son of Taidara Wilberforce, and I promise to bring you the head of your father's greatest enemy as a dowry, even if that enemy is a jinzidal King. I will stand and protect you from any harm that may come to you until the day I take my last breath. I will wait for your answer in a week. I was told prince Bizaya will visit you around the same time. Just... follow your heart. No matter what decision you make, I will still take full responsibility for what happened at the slave auction that year."

Armad turned and left the room. Nostalgia watched him with mouth wide open in surprise. She never expected him to be that fearless and even make such a vow. People had always been afraid of her. Even princes didn't dare propose to her face-to-face. But Armad just did. Who did he think he was, again?

She was the publicly acknowledged most beautiful woman in the lower worlds.