[268] The Kingdom of Kazura (5)
Orcamp raised his hand to welcome them.
"You must have had a long journey. Shirone, you know why you came here, don't you?"
"Yes, I do."
"Good. We'll set aside time for the details. It must have been tiring — give them rooms and see that they're fed."
The chamberlain in charge of palace affairs bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shirone looked up at Orcamp again.
It was a reunion between father and son after eighteen years. Yet there was no trace of personal words from him.
Is this what it means to be a king? Once you hold the title, you can't show even your private feelings?
Perhaps he truly felt nothing for the son he'd abandoned.
If he'd truly loved his child, he wouldn't have cast him off, no matter what trials came.
But he had abandoned him, and many years had passed.
Whatever reason he had to call Shirone here, it might not have required Shirone to seek him out at all.
Shirone and the others left the Grand Hall with hollow hearts, following the chamberlain.
The Great Chamber for guests had two people per room.
Vincent and his wife took one room; Amy and Reina another.
But the chamberlain did not assign Shirone a room.
"Shirone will stay in the private quarters with His Majesty's family."
Amy stepped forward, startled.
"We weren't told that."
Leaving Shirone apart in the palace — where plots could be lurking — felt dangerous.
The chamberlain gave Amy a puzzled look instead.
"Of course. Shirone is to become royalty."
"Nothing's been decided for certain yet."
The chamberlain frowned.
That wasn't something a mere chamberlain could know. Rumor said verification of the first prince was just a formality; why were they acting like this?
And Shirone was said to be a commoner. If such a blessing had fallen on him, he'd have knelt to the gods in thanks.
Yet on their faces there was no gratitude — only an uncomfortable stiffness.
"Is there a problem?"
Ordos, the administrative officer, approached.
The chamberlain hurriedly bowed and relayed Shirone's party's complaint.
Ordos was displeased too, but he didn't think it unusual. If they had any sense, they'd have come understanding Kazra's political landscape.
He looked at Shirone and said, "There are protocols in the palace. Even changing a royal's room can cause a commotion. But if it truly inconveniences you, I'll put in a recommendation."
Not wanting to cause trouble right after arriving, Shirone shook his head.
He was cautious of danger, but he still wanted to believe his biological parents wouldn't harm him.
And if not that... even if they shared blood, why would they want him here?
"All right. I'll go to the private quarters. Will I at least see them at mealtimes?"
Ordos shook his head.
"Meals are held separately. A commoner can't sit in with the royal family's dining."
Shirone scowled.
Vincent and Olina had been his benefactors and only parents for eighteen years.
Even if he were of royal blood, he had no desire to deny that.
Come to think of it, no one from Kazra had ever thanked Vincent and Olina.
Perhaps they believed the couple had not abandoned a child but had merely taken him in temporarily.
As vassals obey a king's command, Vincent and Olina's kindness had been accepted as a given.
Shirone could not tolerate that.
If his parents were to be treated with contempt like this, he'd rather return home now.
"That can't happen. Let them eat with us."
"Shi—Shirone... we're fine."
Vincent said, his face gone pale.
Having been tormented by nobles rather than raised as one, he knew how dangerous Shirone's words were.
But Shirone didn't back down.
If a clash was inevitable, now was the most advantageous time to press his case.
"No. Then I won't attend either. My parents must sit with me at the meal."
Ordos pressed his lips together and fell into thought.
A brazen kid. Does he already think he owns everything just because he's been named first prince?
Of course he'll become a prince, but that doesn't change the balance of power.
There was still the current first prince, Teraje's son, in the palace.
The thought made Ordos wary. Even though they'd publicly announced they'd bring in Eliza's legitimate child, Teraje's side had shown no sign of moving.
Maybe they were confident, or maybe it was a silent order to the factions they'd planted in Kazra to act.
The Empress's power was formidable. Until now there'd been no effective way to oppose her, so factions hadn't formed; now it was time to pick sides carefully.
Ordos remained skeptical.
Even if Shirone had stood out at the Magic Academy, that alone wasn't enough to face Teraje's children.
"I understand what you're saying, Shirone, but it's not my decision to make. It could violate protocol and escalate into a national incident. I'm sorry, but why don't you report it to His Majesty yourself?"
Shirone nodded as if he had nothing to fear.
"Fine. I'll tell him myself."
"Then come. I'll show you to the private quarters."
As Shirone followed Ordos, he turned back and said, "I'll be back. See you later."
Reina watched him go.
Was he really going to bring Vincent and Olina to the royal table?
Royal etiquette stood above the laws of the land. In a monarchy, if the king's authority was insulted, the state could be shaken.
This decision would surely bring danger in some form.
Olina gripped Reina's sleeve and pleaded, "We're really fine. You should try to stop Shirone. Even if I wanted to speak, I don't know enough..."
It wasn't only Olina's lack of knowledge.
Reina, too, couldn't fathom why Shirone would act like this.
"That's strange. He's not the stubborn type."
"Shirone's already started the fight."
Reina turned to Amy and asked, "A fight?"
Amy recalled her conversation with Shirone and said, "He accepted the palace invitation because he wants to meet his biological parents. But Shirone isn't interested in being an heir or a prince. He plans to return to the Magic Academy and live with family. That family means these two. He can't give ground, because if he concedes now, he'll be pushed around forever. He chose the royal table as the strategic point to gain the upper hand."
"My boy..."
Olina's eyes brimmed with tears.
What shameful parents they were. Instead of shielding their son, they were the ones who would be cared for by him.
In truth, she wanted to fight too. Whether it's the king or anyone else, she wanted to stand up and say to their faces, "I raised him; he's my son."
But she couldn't — not for lack of courage.
They were royalty. And Shirone was trying to become a prince of the realm.
Vincent put an arm around Olina's shoulder. "Watch. He's our son. He's thoughtful. We just need to follow what he says."
Olina wiped her tears and nodded.
Teraje's Lineage (1)
Shirone entered the royal family's private quarters.
Like a castle within a castle, the sight was utterly different from before.
Portraits of the royal family hung on walls papered in bright gold, and luxurious carpets covered the floor.
Shirone made for Orcamp's room. It was at the far end of the palace and easy to find.
When he entered the study, Orcamp sat at his desk, lost in thought. Only after a long moment did he notice Shirone and rise, saying, "You've come?"
His tone carried more feeling than in the Grand Hall, but the initial awkwardness remained.
"Come this way. Your mother is waiting."
His mother was Queen Eliza Orcamp of Kazra. Orcamp said nothing else on the way; Shirone was so tense he barely registered it. This was the moment he'd meet the woman who had given him life.
Eliza's room could be called the most lavish in the Kazra Kingdom. A pure-white bed large enough for ten lay in the enormous room, and a woman paler than the bedding sat upon it.
A queen need not always be beautiful, but she was beautiful — sorrow deep in her large eyes.
"Ah..."
Overcome, Eliza couldn't speak.
She rose from the bed and, unable to utter the words she'd prepared, pulled Shirone into her arms.
Shirone merely stood. He felt he should embrace her back, yet for some reason not even his fingertips would move.
A pleasant fragrance came from her — an aristocratic scent Shirone had never smelled before.
But it wasn't Olina's scent.
"Our son, you've finally come. I'm sorry...! Please forgive me!"
At Eliza's choking voice, Shirone felt his throat tighten.
As a child he'd once resented the parents who'd abandoned him. But Vincent and Olina had filled that bloodless void with a love that could never be matched.
He felt guilty. His inability to offer Eliza kind words felt strange even to himself.
"There are people outside... who raised me."
Eliza drew back and studied Shirone's face.
He was a truly beautiful boy — the noble blood of her and Orcamp.
"Yes, but not anymore. I'm your mother now. You'll become the first prince and inherit the kingdom. Don't worry. From now on, Mother will protect you."
Shirone's chest tightened.
He still couldn't name the feeling fueling his anger, but for the first time he regretted coming.
"I want to dine with them. I know it's against royal protocol, but I think they deserve that treatment."
Eliza looked puzzled and glanced at her husband.
Orcamp, too, felt disappointed by Shirone's words. To the man who would one day rule a country, what importance did a peasant wet-nurse hold?
Orcamp briefly questioned whether Shirone had the makings of an heir, then shook his head.
He couldn't lack if he bore Orcamp's blood.
It was only that, raised in a different environment, he hadn't yet awakened a conqueror's temperament.
Shirone had to become the first prince. That was the only way to stand against Teraje's power.
Orcamp's displeasure showed as he spoke, "Is it necessary? Meals are for family. I don't like uninvited guests. I'll give orders so they're treated respectfully and not slighted."
Shirone shook his head resolutely, then fixed Eliza with a hard look.
So this was it. Mealtime etiquette mattered more than the effort of raising a son? Is that why they cast him aside like refuse when a crisis came?
Reading the disappointment and frustration in Shirone's eyes, Eliza hurriedly changed her stance. When they'd agreed to abandon him, she had consented for Orcamp's sake.
What mother would willingly abandon her child? Burdened by guilt all her life, she could grant Shirone whatever he asked.
"If that's what you want, then so be it. They've cared for you; that much I can do. After all, our son is asking."
Moved by her own words, Eliza hugged Shirone again, choking up.