Chapter 64: Chapter 64: Return Journey

Braydon once again found himself sitting in his carriage, looking at Nela who watched Boshil recede into the distance. They had been in the capital for a week but it felt as if it was both shorter and longer than that, at the same time. If nothing else happened it would be a long while before he returned to the capital. Though nothing else happening was a very big if. He could just as easily see something cropping up, that would see him returning within a month or two.

“Missing the city already?” Braydon asked. When the city was no longer in sight, she had sighed as she turned her sight back into the carriage.

“Not really, it is a nice place to live but the business gets a bit much after a while.” Nela had not really experienced the business when she had lived in the city for several years, she had mostly been confined to the mansion that she stayed in. She had found that it was good for a few days but got tiring quickly.

“I’m sure someone might take issue with what you said.” Braydon replied, gesturing outside of the carriage. Gerald had been very vocal about it being tiring after the second time that they decided to go around the city, once had been enough for him.

*giggle*

“I’m sure he is going to take even more issue with the ban on alcohol that you gave him.” Nela’s response brought a smile to Braydon. ‘I’m not taking that one back, serves him right.’ The aggravated cough from outside only served to widen his smile.

“Let’s hope that Rhydian and Roan don’t need his help then. He’d not see alcohol until long after the ban ends.” Braydon said so in a light hearted way, but he was serious about it. Over the past week, many building projects were finishing up. It meant that many vagrants now had houses but there was an equal number who did not. 

From Rhydian’s report, he was told it had been causing tensions between the once fellow countrymen. It did not matter if his subjects did not like each other much, so long as they did not cause trouble. But there were stirrings of it. That was not helped by the fact that many bandits had been slipping into his lands as they grew to understand the patrols along the border better. He had enough troops to deal with it, but there were still some injuries.

“Rhydian said that it is manageable for now, so it should be fine. He does not often misjudge situations.” Nela also took on a more serious attitude when that was brought up. Due to being in the capital, she had not been able to do much research into the situation in Shuluk. Because of this they were not able to tell if anything big had gone down on the other side of the border. At the very least nothing out of the ordinary had happened close to his land, Roan would have reported such happenings.

“That is true. It is not like we are able to change anything from this carriage even if something was happening.” Braydon joked, it would be hard to command his troops or discuss the situation when they were more than a day away.

“Are you still planning to travel to the south?” Nela changed the direction of the conversation. Now that he had secured a deal with Lani and had gotten Duke Burn to agree to not interfere, the only matters left were discussing with the merchants or going all the way to Shuluk’s capital, Narabun, to discuss the Duchess Regent’s proposal. 

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“I will let Colin go and discuss with the merchants, I trust that Lani will not give him any troubles. If matters calm down with the unrest, I will consider going to Narabun; but as things stand now, it is not a good idea. Not to mention that such a thing, requires much deliberation anyway.

“Mnnh.” Nela made a short nod, agreeing. If he actually came to an agreement with someone who was technically an enemy of Fiveria, that would have major implications. It would be best if it could be kept under wraps for as long as possible.

“Are you sure that you did not want to go see your father, after all you are now free to do so.” Braydon had been surprised that Nela did not want to go to Calton, she had not met her father for a few years. And from what she had told him, she loved her father dearly.

“I explained why in the letter that I sent to him. He should understand my reasoning.” True to her word, she had sent a letter to inform him on the same day that Jett had been denounced. Braydon did not know what Nela had written nor why she had decided to not visit her father, and she would not tell him either.

“Anyway, now that you are free and not my ward, it would not be good if you stayed in Cliforge long term without reason. So I would like to formally ask that you be my advisor, until such a time as is deemed fit.” Braydon was making sure to cover all bases, Earl Blake would probably love to skin him about now. He did not want to give the man an opportunity to impugn that Nela was staying in Cliforge in a morally legitimate manner.

“I shall accept your offer.” Nela made as much of a motion to curtsy as she could when sitting down in a carriage. 

“Since it was only making formal what you had already been doing, I see no reason to give you anything more to do than you were already doing.” Braydon said, and with that Nela was now officially one of Braydon’s advisors.

“I wonder how Mireille is doing.” Braydon muttered as his mind started to wander, now that he had nothing to think about. Mireille had been pretty upset that she could not come to the capital with them, apparently she had liked it more than he had realised when he brought her the previous time. 

The trouble was that there was no way to bring her to the royal court with them and he would prefer if there was someone he trusted nearby to look after her. It just so happened that him and Nela going to the capital, this time, was short notice. Rhydian had already left the castle to perform his duties and Colin was busy looking after his finances. Though those explanations did not lessen the pout that Mireille made when she was told she could not come.

“...” Nela had a knowing smile when she heard Braydon’s mutter. She did not giggle because she too wanted to see the girl, after all she was just too endearing. Though that would not hold her back from teasing Braydon about this later.