“This boy is Miss Vallière's familiar. However, it is very unusual for a person to be a familiar. Tristain is really an unusual country.”
Wales laughed while saying so.
“It is unusual in Tristain as well.” Said Saito tiredly.
“Feeling down?”
Anxiously, Wales looked into Saito's face. He still felt pain in his arm and seeing people preparing for their death was depressing as well. Saito stood up and asked Wales. “Sorry for the impoliteness... But aren't you scared?”
“Scared?” Wales looked blankly at Saito.
“Aren't you scared to die?”
Wales laughed after hearing Saito's words.
“You are worried about us! Us! What a nice boy you are!”
“No, it's just that it is scary for me. I could not laugh the way you do if I were to know that I would die tomorrow.”
“I am scared. There is no person who would not be scared to die. It doesn't matter if you are a noble or commoner.”
“Then why?”
“It is because I have something to defend. Something that makes me forget the coldness of the grave.”
“What do you defend? Honor? Fame? Those are foolish things to die for.” Saito said with louder voice.
Wales answered with distant eyes.
“The aristocrat faction 'Reconquista' is our enemy that tries to unite Halkeginia. It hangs to the 'Holy Land' ideal. It's good that people have such ideals, but it shouldn't be brought about with force and blood. All countries would be ruined.”
“However, is there no chance of victory any more? What's the point of dying here? Maybe you can find other means to defeat them later...”
“No, we should at least show off a glimpse of courage and honor to other nobles even if is not possible to win. We can show that Halkeginia's royal families are not a weak enemy, even though the other side does not seem like they will throw away the ambitions of 'Union' and 'Recovery of the Holy Land' anytime soon.”
“Why?” Saito asked.
Saito who grew up in modern Japan could not understand why one would show one's courage in such way.
Wales declared decisively.
“Why? Simply, it is our obligation. The obligation of those born in the royal family. The obligation imposed on the royal family to defend the kingdom to the very end.”
Saito did not understand. Wales has a person whom he loves, and who loves Wales as well; isn't surviving for that person also an obligation? He thought in such a way.
“The princess of Tristain loves you. Did you forgot her letter?”
After Saito said that, Wales smiled as he remembered it.
“Because of love, sometimes it is necessary to pretend not to know. Because of love, sometimes it is necessary to let go. It would only give others an excuse to invade Tristain.”
“But, but...”
Saito hesitated. Wales's decision won't be changed. Wales gripped Saito's shoulder and looked straight into his eyes.
“Since it is cleared, don't tell this to Henrietta. No need to worry her pretty face with unnecessary worries. She is like a pretty flower. Don't you think so too?”
Saito nodded. She indeed is a beautiful princess. I don't want to see her face sad or worried either.
But, Wales wouldn't change his decision because of that. That's what Wales' eyes said.
“Just tell her that Wales fought bravely and died bravely. That will be enough.”
Wales returned to the center of the hall after saying that.
Saito left the feast, but since he felt lost, he asked the waiter where his room was.
After he was told, someone tapped his shoulder from behind. Saito saw Wardes when he turned around.
“I have to tell you something.”
Wardes said in a stony voice.
“And that would be?”
“Louise and I will hold a wedding here tomorrow.”
Saito's body froze. He wasn't able to understand the meaning of the words.
“A-at such time? Why?”
“Because we want to ask the brave Crown Prince Wales to act as go-between of our marriage. The Crown Prince pleasantly agreed. We will hold a ceremony before the decisive battle.”
Saito became silent, and nodded.
“Will you come?” Wardes asked.
Saito shook his head.
“Then you can leave with the ship tomorrow. Louise and I will return with a griffon.”
“But isn't it too long of a distance?”
Saito, because he was confused, asked rather a trivial question.
“Only if you fly fast without resting.” Wardes answered. “Well then, I need to go now.”
“A-alright.”
Saito's shoulders dropped.
Though he knew that this would come eventually, he still felt very lonely.
Saito was walking through a pitch-dark passage with a candlestick. The moon was shining through an open window on the way of the passage.
There was a girl who walked alone in the moonlight. She had long blond-pink hair... Tears that looked like pearls were falling down her white cheek. Saito looked quietly admiring her for a while, such a beautiful but sad face.
Louise turned around and noticed Saito, who was standing there with a candle. Her eyes were wet even though she had wiped them.
Her face became sad once again. When Saito walked up to her, she leaned into his body, as if losing all her strength.
“You are crying, why...”
Louise didn't answer, but pressed her face into Saito's chest.
He embraced her firmly.
Saito, at first, was puzzled by Louise clinging to him. He wasn't used to these kinds of things. However, she sobbed like a girl, and it felt like Louise clung to him very dearly. She was hurt and he felt sorry for her. However, what does this mean?
Louise probably clung to me because I was here by chance- like a girl clinging to a stuffed animal. It is not me but Wardes that is really important to her.
Still, Saito said nothing and patted Louise's head in an awkward way with his hand. Her head seemed so small that it fit in his palm.
Louise spoke while crying.
“No... Those people... Why, why did they chose to die? Even though there is the princess... Even if Wales loves her... Why does Crown Prince Wales choose death?”
“He said that it was to defend something important.”
“What is more important in this world than the person you love?”
“I don't understand the prince's way of thinking either.”
“I will persuade him! I will persuade him again!”
“Don't.”
“Why?”
“Because you are here to deliver princess-sama's letter. That is your only mission.”
Louise muttered while tears kept on streaming down her cheeks. “...I want to return soon. I want to return back to Tristain. I dislike this country. These foolish people and this unreasonable prince that leaves everything.”
Though Louise sometimes acted tough, she was still a girl. Louise could not understand Wales' world. But Saito understood her as he thought the same way as well.
Louise, as if suddenly remembering, took something out of her pocket.
“Put out your left arm.” Louise said.
“What?”
“Just do it.”
Saito presented his left arm as he was told. It was a can that Louise took out. She scooped inside with her finger and took some sticky medicine that had a funny smell to it.
“I got it from someone in the castle a little while ago. This magical water medicine is very effective against burns. I could get only this medicine but it should be alright.”
Louise muttered while she was lubricating Saito's arm with it.
I never thought she could be so gentle. But I should not become dependent on this gentleness too much, as it will be gone soon.