Chapter 21: Chapter 18: Royal Visit. (Marina’s POV)

Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 18: Royal Visit

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-----Marina's POV-----

After several minutes of travel, our carriage had finally reached our destination. 

A two-storied house in the middle of one of the busiest streets of Norvek… That should be the case normally, but due to my Aunt's orders, our guards have relocated the locals temporarily for the sake of avoiding any unpleasant events.

"Your highness, the area has been secured. The Skull Crusher has also communicated to us that you're more than welcome to enter the building whenever you want." One of the guards spoke near the carriage window.

"I see." I replied with a neutral tone befitting of a princess.

"Open the door. We'll be going into the building immediately. Only Marina and I will be going, all the knights must maintain this area secure." My aunt immediately gave her orders to our guard.

"Understood. It shall be done, my lady." The guard quickly bowed before doing what he was told.

Just a second after, the door of the carriage was opened, revealing a large group of onlookers being contained by our guards at the end of the street.

"Your highness." The guard who had opened the door offered me his hand so I could get out of the carriage safely.

I accepted his offer for help and stepped out of the carriage, bathing myself with warm sunlight and admiring the endless blue skies of the plains of the Empire.

"We'll have some nice weather today huh." My aunt started some small talk as she got out of the carriage. "The perfect weather for talking with an old acquaintance, don't you think?" She smiled at me while patting my shoulder.

An old acquaintance huh…

I only got to meet the legendary Skull Crusher a total of three times in my life. The first time I was apparently too young to remember. The second time was when I was 5 years old and my aunt had just become my teacher. And the third one was a year ago when my father ordered him to leave the capital to build a village in this remote region.

Even though I have only seen him a few times, I have a high opinion of him.

And although politeness and manners may not be his best qualities, he is the embodiment of what a knight should be.

Strong, honest, kind, and courageous. Those four things have given me a deep admiration for the Skull Crusher.

Who would have thought that such a brave man would come from such a turbulent family like the Laurents...

"Your highness, everyone inside is prepared to receive you." One of my maids whispered in my ear before bowing to me.

I simply nodded in understanding.

"You're much more silent than usual, Marina… Is something the matter?" My aunt asked me with a smile on her face.

"Everything is alright." I shook my head in denial.

Like I said before, I do admire the Skull Crusher, but I don't feel particularly excited or nervous about meeting him again. 

I am the Crown Princess of the Marcelian Empire, if I were to get nervous just by meeting someone, I would be bringing shame to my ancestor, the Hero Rokkshar.

Although, if I must say… Ever since we arrived I have been having this strange feeling that I can't quite explain…

It doesn't feel unpleasant or concerning, but I feel like the Gods are trying to tell me something…

"Well, if you say so. Let's get going then. Even if you are a princess, making someone wait too long could severely harm your reputation. Always have that in mind." My aunt patted my shoulder before walking towards the door of the two-storied house.

I just nodded in agreement and followed her closely.

Just before we opened the door, the maids quickly dusted our clothes just to make sure we were as clean as it was expected from us royalty.

When we were actually ready to enter, one of the maids pushed the door and entered before us.

"Announcing the presence of her highness, the Crown Princess Marina Arenela Marcel and the former princess, Lady Eliana Rilaes Marcel." The maid announced our presence to the people inside the house before stepping out of our way and bowing.

My aunt quickly walked inside with me following shortly after. The maid who had introduced us went outside and then closed the door after fulfilling her duties.

The insides of the house were quite crude and ugly… There was a wide variety of objects and crates stacked in piles all over the room...

The room was quite small and it felt way too cramped for my tastes…

The furniture was also not up to my tastes… The sofas and the chairs looked extremely uncomfortable to sit on…

All around, I don't like this house at all…

However, there is one saving grace for this cramped unrefined shack… There's a pleasant and sweet smell lingering around the room. I had never smelled anything like it.

"Your highness, it has been a while since the last time I saw you. You have certainly grown up a lot." The gigantic Skull Crusher immediately bowed to me as soon as I looked at him.

"Fred, there's no servants or nobles around, you can talk like you normally do, old friend." My aunt immediately slapped his shoulder in a friendly manner.

"Well, don't mind if I do! Hahahaha!" He laughed very loudly.

I instantly covered my ears due to how obnoxiously loud he was… 

Besides the Skull Crusher and us, there's quite a lot of people in this room.

I could see several unknown rabbitfolk sitting around nervously as well as some familiar faces. Those familiar faces mainly being the wife and daughters of the Skull Crusher and the Grandmaster of the Guild in the Empire, Tiria of House Feru, also known as the Demonic Wind.

There was also an unknown black-haired boy sitting beside the wife of the Skull Crusher.

Black hair… Finding someone with that hair color is extremely rare in the Empire…

And those facial features are not exactly something you would see normally either… It doesn't seem like he was born in the Empire… He doesn't look like he is from Valciar, Arion, or Semdal either...

Is he from the western continent? Hmm...

While I was lost in thought, I suddenly noticed that the boy was looking at me quite intently with a blank expression… For some reason, I felt compelled to look at him back.

He didn't even flinch while I was looking at him like most common people would do, so that compelled me to look at him even more intensely than before.

"I hope you don't mind the unexpected visit, but as you may understand, my brother wants a report on how things are going on your end." My aunt Eliana smiled, trying to ease the tense atmosphere that our presence had created.

"And that's why he sent you? Does he want to give me a heart attack? Your brother will be the death of me one of these days…" The Skull Crusher complained in a joking manner.

"I can't deny that those might be his intentions… That way, I may finally become the strongest in the Empire!" My Aunt said to the Skull Crusher with a teasing tone.

"Aren't you forgetting about someone? Both Fred and I would have to die for that to happen." Tiria Feru decided to join the conversation.

She rose from her seat and quickly walked over to us and bowed to me. She was blocking my view of the black-haired boy…

What was that strange feeling?

"Your highness, I'm glad to see that you're in good health." Tiria smiled at me.

"Thank you very much for your kind words, it is nice to see the two of you again." I showed a polite smile to both the Skull Crusher and Tiria Feru.

"Marina, there's no need for pleasantries here. Leave those annoying things for when we have to return to the Capital." My aunt placed her hand on my shoulder and shook her head.

"I agree. Let's stop exchanging pleasantries and let's get this over with now." The Skull Crusher suggested while scratching the back of his head.

That simple gesture was extremely rude to do in front of royalty…

"Oh my, it seems like you really want to kick us out…" My aunt Eliana had a sad (fake) expression on her face.

"That's exactly what we want to do, Eliana. Now, write your report and get back to your fancy castle. Shoo Shoo!" Tiria started shooing my aunt away…

Now they are treating us like dogs…? That's punishable by execution…

"Sigh… My friends are so mean to me… I'm definitely going to tell my brother about this." My aunt spoke with amusement. "In any case, do you have anything to eat? We've been traveling all day and we are starving, so..." My aunt Eliana suddenly changed the topic and asked for food extremely casually.

I was extremely shocked that she was breaking protocol and doing things that were not befitting of royalty…

Also, I didn't want to eat in this cramped room with all these people watching me… I would rather eat outside or in the carriage like we have been doing lately...

While I was thinking that, the Skull Crusher and Tiria looked at each other for a second and then nodded...

"I suppose we still have some food left from lunch." The Skull Crusher agreed to give us some food.

They are giving us leftovers? Instead of a hot newly cooked meal? That's just the pinnacle of rudeness! I am a princess! I am not eating anyone's leftovers!

"Those will do! I'm really hungry!" My aunt rubbed her belly vigorously.

My aunt's actions were not befitting of a former princess at all… I couldn't help but look at her with befuddlement...

"Although you will have to eat with my nephew since your servants arrived just when he was about to take a seat." Tiria suddenly pointed at the black-haired boy behind her.

Oh...

"The more the merrier, isn't that right, Marina?" My aunt suddenly asked me with a gentle expression.

…

…

…

I guess I can put aside my rudeness of offering me leftovers just this once... That is only if the meal is up to my tastes.

"I don't mind it." I nodded to my aunt.

"You heard the princess. Let's have some tea after our meal, shall we?" She smiled at them before grabbing my hand and dragging me towards a nearby wooden table.

We didn't waste any time and immediately sat on the uncomfortable wooden chairs…

Cushioned chairs are not that expensive, you know…?

"Kid, can you make some more of your pancakes?" The Skull Crusher asked while looking at the black-haired boy.

Pancakes? This is the first time I heard about this dish… I hope it is not made out of something disgusting like monster meat...

"Sure thing." He agreed and rose from his seat. 

The other people who were still in their seats still looked nervous and even uncomfortable due to our presence.

But I didn't pay them much attention since I wasn't interested.

The black-haired boy immediately went to the kitchen nearby and started using fire magic on the stove.

There were six frying pans on top of the stove… He poured some liquid substance into three of the frying pans and then covered them with the remaining three.

He's the one cooking? How old is he?

I couldn't help myself, but I ended up looking at him very intently while he started cooking.

"Tiria, what do you mean by nephew…? I don't remember your old man having another kid and that kid also having a kid of his own." My aunt smiled while pointing at the black-haired boy.

"What are you even talking about? I still don't have any siblings." Tiria shook her head as soon as she sat at the table with us. "He's Fred's kid." She pointed at the Skull Crusher who had also just sat at the table.

Huh...? He's the child of the Skull Crusher?

"Wait…? Seriously?" My aunt looked as perplexed as I was.

We met the Skull Crusher and his family a year ago. There's simply no way for him to have a child as old as the black-haired boy...

"Aye. I found him and we adopted him as our own. His name is Julius." The Skull Crusher gave a short explanation.

His name is Julius huh...

I kept looking at his back… He was paying no attention whatsoever to our conversation even though it was about him…

"Adoption? That does sound like something you and Lilia would do." My aunt nodded to herself.

Just as she said that the wife of the Skull Crusher and their daughters rose from their seats and got closer to the table.

"And here I was wondering if I did something to offend you. You don't need to look so uncomfortable around us… We're not going to execute you or anything. Hehe…" My aunt let out a dry and awkward laugh.

"The atmosphere royals have around themselves is not something pleasant for commoners like ourselves, you know?" Lilia quipped. "Girls." She suddenly looked at both of her daughters and nodded.

The woman and her twin daughters then bowed to me at the same time.

"It is our pleasure to have her highness visit us, although I would have liked the visit to be in my own home." She appeared to be a bit ashamed and apologetic.

"Lilia, stop worrying about protocol and just take a seat! We have a lot to talk about!" My aunt spoke before I could even acknowledge their greeting.

She nodded in agreement and urged her daughters to take a seat before sitting beside her husband.

My aunt then turned her head towards me and smiled.

"Why don't you play outside with some kids that are your age for a change of pace? I'll have the maids bring you something far more comfortable than that frilly princess dress. How does that sound?" She asked me.

The moment she told me that, I looked at the twin girls in front of me. Both of them seemed uncomfortable and they were awkwardly averting their gazes any time we made eye contact.

My gaze quickly went back towards Julius who was in turn, looking at the frying pans and waiting patiently.

"I'll consider it." Didn't deny or accept my aunt's proposal.

"Don't be like that, Marina! You don't get the chance to play with other kids that are not your little sisters very often, just don't worry about appearances and let loose for a while." My aunt tried to change my mind. Her gaze went back and forth between me and Julius' back…

She had realized that I was clearly interested in the new child of the Skull Crusher. She was clearly trying to tell me something... 

"I suppose just this once won't do any harm..." I relented.

"That's the spirit!" My aunt was pleased that I had agreed. "Now, where should I begin…? There's a lot to talk about, after all." My aunt's happy expression suddenly turned into a very serious one.

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The Skull Crusher, his wife, and Tiria all had serious expressions as well.

"First question. How long do you think it will take for the village to have enough population to start harvesting resources from the forest?" My aunt asked.

"It is too soon to tell. We have just interviewed our first settlers." Lilia shook her head.

"Any estimation would help me calm my brother down." My aunt looked at her with a pleading expression.

Lilia started rubbing her chin and then fell deep into thought.

"Ten, maybe fifteen years…" Lilia said after thinking for a while.

"All according to our expectations. That's good." My aunt nodded to herself. "Second question and third question. Have you tried to explore deeper into the forest? If so, have you found any valuable minerals?" My aunt immediately moved on to the next questions.

"No and no. There are plenty of monsters already in the shallow area, so I don't want to deal with the ones coming from the deeper parts just yet..." The Skull Crusher shook his head in denial.

The moment he stopped talking, my nostrils were attacked by a heavenly smell…

The glorious smell was coming from the stove in front of Julius…

I was not able to see what was actually doing, but I had noticed that he had flipped the frying pans and then removed the ones that were on top.

I could only see the steam emerging from the stove and wait with a lot of expectation…

This was definitely going to be a meal to remember.

"..." My aunt had stopped questioning the Skull Crusher. She was even drooling a bit… "Whoops! Sorry! I'm really hungry and I got a bit distracted! In any case, this is my final question… Have you guys decided on a name for your village?" She apologized awkwardly and tried to finish up the questioning as quickly as possible.

My aunt also seemed to be looking forward to our meal…

"We have been thinking about it, but…" The Skull Crusher started to awkwardly scratch the back of his head.

"Coming up with a name for a village is not something that you do every day, so I'm not confident that I could give it a suitable name." Lilia admitted with a dry smile.

"Is that so? Well, I do have some good news for you two! You don't need to worry about the name since my brother has graciously given a name to your new village!" My aunt Eliana smiled from ear to ear. "From now on, your village will be called: Marenna." She revealed the name my father had chosen for them.

Marenna… That is the name of my ancestor, the wife of Rokkshar. While I don't agree with giving the name of my ancestor to a village in the middle of nowhere, I think my father must have a good reason for that.

"Marenna… I like the sound of it." The Skull Crusher nodded to himself. He appeared to be satisfied with my father's choice.

"Indeed. It does have a nice feel to it." His wife agreed.

"Well, I'm glad that we were able to take one burden off your shoulders! With this, I'll be able to make a report that is good enough for my younger brother." My aunt also seemed satisfied with the name of the village.

Let's just hope that they don't do anything to tarnish the name of my ancestor… If they do, they'll be swiftly executed.

"Here you go, your highness." Julius, the black-haired boy, suddenly interrupted my thoughts when he placed a plate in front of me…

The plate had a small tower of what seemed to be flat yet thick and fluffy-looking cake…

The small tower of thick fluffiness was covered by what seemed to be butter and honey.

"Enjoy." He said to me before turning towards my aunt. "I'll serve you in a moment, ma'am." He said to her before going back to cooking.

I hadn't even noticed until a few moments after that he had also left a fork and a knife for me to use.

"Oh! That does look extremely appetizing!" My aunt was drooling just from looking at my plate.

Although I was not a fan of seeing my aunt and mentor act so unsightly, I could comprehend why she was reacting that way.

My hunger and the smell of the pancakes were already driving me towards insanity…

"Go on, Marina. Dig in before it gets cold. I'll wait for my plate." My aunt encouraged me to start eating without her.

I was already not paying any attention to her… My eyes could only focus on the delicacy in front of me.

I immediately prepared my fork and knife with expectation. I wanted to finally taste this dish, which produced such a wonderful smell.

Without wasting any time, I cut a small piece and brought it to my mouth.

"..." I looked at the dish wide-eyed due to its marvelous taste.

The honey was sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. The taste of butter was a bit intense but not unpleasant. The texture of the pancake was just as fluffy as it looked… I felt like the pancake was practically melting into my mouth...

It was a dish that could rival even the finest dishes made by the most talented chefs employed at our castle…

"So? How is it?" My aunt asked me with a curious expression.

The other people in the room also seemed to be curious about my opinion. All of them with the exception of the one who made the dish since he was still focused on cooking.

I ignored my aunt and simply cut another piece of the pancake and threw it into my mouth… This time, I was planning to take my time to enjoy the incredible flavor of my meal.

"Well, it seems I got my answer. Hehe!" My aunt giggled while looking at me. "I can't wait to get my own plate!" She then turned her head to watch Julius cook her meal.

After a few moments, my aunt's wish would come true.

"Sorry for the wait. Here's your food." Julius placed a plate with a small tower of pancakes in front of my aunt.

"Thank you very much! Now, let's dig in!" My aunt quickly grabbed her own cutlery and cut a small piece of the pancake tower just like I did.

A few seconds later, I was able to notice the ecstatic look my aunt had on her face.

Since I still had a bit more than half of my own tower of pancakes, I quickly lost interest in her reaction since I already knew that she was going to like the dish.

"This is pretty amazing!" My aunt spoke with delight after tasting the dish. "Can you teach me the recipe? I want the maids to learn how to make this." My aunt asked the young boy.

"It will be my pleasure, my lady." He agreed.

Thank you very much. You're most kind!" My aunt was overjoyed that he had given a positive answer.

I was pretty happy that I would be able to eat more of this amazing food on a regular basis.

He quickly moved back to the kitchen to make more of his fantastic dish.

"So? This is really all you came here for, Eliana? To ask a few questions and a recipe? You made quite the long trip for something that could have been resolved with a letter or a call through the [Communication Crystals]." Tiria inquired.

"Hahaha. I didn't come here just for that, you know? I did say that we had quite a lot to talk about." My aunt smiled. "For example… A scholarship to the Imperial Academy." Her gaze quickly moved from Tiria towards the daughters of the Skull Crusher.

Most people in the room were left speechless for a moment… Such is the power of mentioning one of the most prestigious institutions in our country.

"I'm not going to lie to you, we came here just because I wanted to catch up with you and see how you were doing in the forest. The report and the scholarship matter is something my brother told me before we left." My aunt added.

The first one to react was the Guild Grandmaster, Tiria.

"Why are you even offering us a scholarship all of a sudden?" Tiria looked at my aunt with a raised eyebrow. She was suspicious of us.

"It is not for you, of course. The scholarship is for the children of the legendary Skull Crusher and the prodigy who graduated from the Imperial Academy and became a student of the best mage the world had ever seen." My aunt looked at the Skull Crusher and his wife, Lilia with a smile. "Originally, the scholarship was just for your daughters, but…" My aunt's gaze moved from the husband and wife to their adoptive child, who seemed to have no interest in the conversation.

The Imperial Academy is the place where the future elites of the country are taught about the most important aspects of our society. Politics, religion, many disciplines of magic and martial arts, as well as music and dramatic arts.

The Academy only has a place for the best of the best, it is only natural that the children of the Skull Crusher and his wife would have a guaranteed spot in there.

“Normally, your adoptive child would not get the same treatment for scholarships as your actual children, but I’m willing to move some strings to get him a scholarship as well.” My aunt smiled warmly at the parents of the three children.

“I doubt that you’re willing to do that out of the goodness of your heart. So what are the strings that come attached to this proposal of yours?” Lilia was also suspicious of my aunt, probably even more than Tiria.

“I wouldn’t really call them strings, you know? But yes, I have some conditions for all of your children to receive these scholarships.” My aunt nodded.

“And what would those conditions be?” The Skull Crusher joined the conversation. He already didn’t seem to be happy that there were strings attached.

 “I’m glad that you asked!” She said with enthusiasm. “I’m sure that you’re aware that the Imperial Academy has a sister school that only admits noble children from the ages of 6 to 15. That is the current school that Marina and some of her sisters are currently attending.” My aunt Eliana explained.

“Get to the point, Eliana.” Tiria spoke with a somewhat hostile tone.

“I’m getting there... “ My aunt nodded in agreement. “Just like the Imperial Academy, the school holds several tournaments each year for their families to see how much they have progressed during their years studying there. So, my proposal is for Julius to participate in one of those tournaments three years from now.” My aunt smiled politely.

“So you want him to participate in a tournament in the same year that her highness will graduate from that school… I see…” Lilia seemed to have fallen lost in thought again.

Every time someone from the royal family graduates from my school, they offer special prizes to the winners of those tournaments. Things like special weapons, armor, and even rare magical tomes that few people have read. There’s also the possibility for a noble to raise their rank if they are in the lower levels of the hierarchy if they win one of those tournaments, although that has not happened in the last decade.

“Indeed!” My aunt nodded. Anyhow, according to the tradition of the school, the members of the Royal Family who are graduating cannot participate in any of the tournaments that year, but they can, however, choose another person to represent them. A champion, if you want to call it that way.” My aunt explained.

“So you want me to represent her highness when the time comes, is that correct?” Julius suddenly turned around and faced my aunt. 

“Precisely! You’re pretty clever for a… Umm… How old are you again?” My aunt asked the black-haired boy.

“I am seven years old.” He replied.

What? He’s five years younger than me? That’s a bit unexpected…

“Oh… I never thought you were that young...” My aunt was as bemused as I was. “Well, you will be within the age range to represent Marina when the time comes.” She quickly managed to compose herself.

“Then? What are the other conditions for him to get the scholarship?” Julius’ mother asked.

“I wouldn’t really call it a condition, you know? It is more like a job offer.” My aunt smiled awkwardly. “In short, I would like all of your children to become the attendants of Marina.” She casually revealed the other condition she had in mind.

The room immediately fell silent as soon as my aunt said that. 

I was also quite surprised that she had actually asked for them to become my servants… The fact that she said in the carriage that I might find someone useful here must mean that she was planning to do this from the start.

Well, I don’t disagree with her choice. Even if they turn out to be half as skilled as their parents, I will have some extremely reliable subordinates.

It is decided, I want all three of them to serve me.

“I don’t mean to offend either of you, my lady, but I will have to decline your offer.” Julius looked at the two of us with a serious expression. “Despite that, I’m grateful that you have considered me for this proposal.” He bowed politely.

Huh…? Did he just reject an offer to go to the most prestigious Academy in our country and become my loyal retainer? An offer that many would kill to have...?

I was in deep shock… I couldn’t fathom that someone would reject an offer of the best education in our country and reject working for me, the Crown Princess…

“Hahahaha! Don’t spout jokes like that all of a sudden! I almost actually fell for it!” My aunt didn’t take him seriously.

Right… He must have thought that it would be a good time to make such a tasteless joke… Who in their sane mind would reject an offer like this?

“I’m not joking.” He kept that serious expression from before. “Your offer has too many strings attached to even be considered worthwhile for me. While it is regrettable that I will not be getting the scholarship to the academy, I don’t feel like it will have a great impact on my life.”

…

He’s actually rejecting the offer… Is he insane? There’s no other explanation for someone to reject working for the future Empress...

“While I do acknowledge that you have a good head on your shoulders, this decision belongs to your parents, child.” My aunt was still not taking him seriously. “Fred, Lilia, what do you think about my offer? Your children will have a great future if you accept.” She ignored Julius’ opinion on the matter and then asked his parents.

Both the Skull Crusher and his wife looked at each other for a moment and then nodded. My aunt smiled, believing that they would accept.

Fred and Lilia then stood up from the table. Lilia was patting the shoulder of her adoptive son while Fred was patting the heads of his daughters.

“Girls, what do you think about Eliana’s offer?” The Skull Crusher suddenly asked for his twin daughters' opinions.

“I-I-I don’t want to go …” One of them immediately shook her head.

“Me neither…” The other twin quickly expressed their opinion.

I can’t believe this… They are actually rejecting our offer… This is madness…

“Eliana, you have now heard the opinions of our three children.” Lilia looked at my aunt with a blank expression.

“Aye. None of our children will become slaves of the crown.” The Skull Crusher agreed.

“Fred, Lilia… Think about it carefully… You’re making a huge mistake! It is the Imperial Academy and a job under a future empress we are talking about!” My aunt was flabbergasted. She tried to convince them to agree.

“My children have made their choice. For the sake of our friendship, don’t try to force us to change their minds.” Lilia was firm and supported the choice of her children.

This is actually madness… How can the Skull Crusher or his wife help their children to make a huge mistake…?

“I know firsthand what happens when you accept a deal with the Royal Family. I won’t subject my kids to that, Eliana.” The Skull Crusher shook his head and looked at my aunt with an intimidating expression.

“What if I were to try to take them by force?” My aunt had a cold expression on her face. She was already holding her rapier.

“Then you would become an enemy of the Goddess.” Julius suddenly spoke to us with a cold tone. 

He then showed us the back of his hand, which had a familiar emblem, shining with a strong bluish glow…

“That crest...” My aunt instantly let go of her weapon as soon as she saw the emblem... She was dumbfounded

Two horizontal crescent moons that were trapped inside a circle that was covered on several unknown runes… That was the symbol of the Goddess of Knowledge and Emotions, Lady Lia.

Why does he have the Holy Symbol of the second most important Deity of our pantheon? A goddess that stopped interacting with mortals when our country was founded… Why does he have something like that...?

“Let’s renegotiate your proposal, my lady.” He showed us a faint smile while the emblem on his hand started emitting an almost blinding light.

My aunt and I would then suddenly find ourselves on the losing grounds of this negotiation…

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 Chapter 18: Royal Visit

END

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