The morning passed quickly. As expected, Thoris never showed up for the meeting.
Inside the largest office in the Northern palace, Vikra stood behind a heavy wooden table covered with maps, ceremonial drawings, and ancient scrolls. Adrian and Elyria sat side by side across from him, notebooks in hand.
Standing right beside Vikra was one of the oldest members of the Madurai Tribe—an elderly woman whose back had bent with age, but whose eyes remained sharp and clear. Her silver hair had been braided tightly with beads made from carved bone and polished river stones. They were genuinely rare stones not even found in the Holy Empire.
Everyone simply addressed her as Elder Nasha. She was believed to be well over one hundred and ninety years old. Despite her great age, her voice carried through the quiet room with surprising strength.
"The Madurai marriage ceremony is not simply a grand celebration," Elder Nasha began, gently resting both hands on her carved wooden staff.
"It is a solemn promise made before the spirits of our ancestors. It is a joining of two families. And most importantly... it is a joining of two spirits into one."
Adrian listened in quiet silence while Elyria carefully wrote down notes in her book.
Elder Nasha continued, looking warmly at the two imperial siblings.
"When you marry into our tribe, you do not come here to remain guests. You become one of us. You will eat with us at our fires. You will fight beside us in battle. You will mourn with us in loss, and you will celebrate with us in victory."
Vikra nodded in agreement, folding his broad arms across his chest.
"Our people care very little for royal titles. Out on the open grasslands, no one bows to you simply because you carry royal blood. They bow only because you have earned their respect."
Adrian offered a faint, dry smile.
"I've noticed."
Vikra looked between Adrian and Elyria. "You have also probably noticed that respect is earned quite differently here than in your home country. It isn't gained through gold or noble names. It is gained solely through your actions and your strength of character."
Elyria raised her hand slightly, her voice gentle.
"There is one thing I am curious about, Elder."
The old woman smiled kindly.
"Speak, child."
"When the wedding day actually begins... what exactly happens first?"
The old woman chuckled warmly, the sound dry and light.
"The very first ceremony begins long before sunrise. Both the brides and grooms are completely separated. You spend those final quiet hours alone with your own thoughts. No servants to attend to you, no family to comfort you, and no distractions from the outside world. You are meant to reflect deeply on the old life you are leaving behind."
Her soft expression turned serious.
"Only after the sun rises are you allowed to step out and walk toward your new future."
Adrian quietly lowered his eyes, staring down at his hands resting on his lap.
'Leaving behind my old life...'
For some reason, those simple words lingered heavily in his heart, stirring up memories of his life back in the Empire.
Elder Nasha spent the next few hours thoroughly explaining every custom of the tribe: the blessing of the ancestors, the exchange of carved bone bracelets instead of gold rings, the traditional sharing of ceremonial wine, the group hunt following the wedding, and the night dances that would continue until dawn.
By the time everything had been explained in detail, several hours had already passed.
Vikra carefully rolled up the final map. "That concludes today's lesson." He gave both siblings an approving nod.
"You have both learned remarkably quickly."
Elyria smiled politely, bowing her head.
"We will do our absolute best not to embarrass the tribe."
Vikra let out a rare, low laugh.
"I don't think either of you has anything to worry about."
*****
After leaving the grand office, Adrian and Elyria naturally made their way toward the small, hidden garden they had stumbled upon weeks ago. It had quietly become their favorite sanctuary—a place far away from curious eyes, loud tribe warriors, and endless wedding preparations.
The secluded garden sat on a high ledge overlooking a small stream that sparkled under the warm afternoon sun. A young palace servant placed several trays of fresh fruit, warm pastries, roasted nuts, and hot herbal tea on a stone table before bowing low and quietly excusing himself.
For a long time, the two siblings simply enjoyed the peaceful silence together.
Elyria picked up the teapot and carefully poured warm tea into Adrian's cup.
"How are you feeling today?"
Adrian accepted the warm cup with a grateful smile.
"A little sore... but much better than yesterday."
Elyria looked noticeably relieved. "I'm glad to hear that." She hesitated for a moment, looking down at her own cup before asking softly,
"...Is Thoris treating you well?"
Adrian took a slow sip of his tea, leaning back in his chair.
"He is..." He paused, searching for the right words to describe the wild barbarian prince.
"...—he is strange."
Elyria blinked, surprised.
"Strange?"
"He isn't as rough as he used to be," Adrian explained, staring into his tea.
"He actually worries whenever I skip my meals. He nags me endlessly if he thinks I haven't slept enough. He even remembered which specific foods I dislike during my pregnancy." Adrian let out a long sigh, pinching his brow.
"...And then he completely ruins all of that kindness by being unbearably shameless and crude."
Elyria couldn't help bursting into a genuine laugh.
"That sounds exactly like Thoris."
"It really does," Adrian admitted, a small smile appearing on his face. They laughed together, the heavy tension between them finally melting away for the first time in days. But as the laughter slowly faded, Elyria looked down at the table, her smile disappearing.
"...I'm actually a little jealous of you Adrian," she said softly.
Adrian looked up at her, confused.
"Jealous? Of me?"
She nodded slowly.
"Ever since your pregnancy was announced... the people of the tribe treat you so differently. They are always coming up to ask how you are feeling. They make sure your favorite meals are prepared. They are constantly worried about your comfort."
A bitter, sad smile touched her lips as she stared at her hands.
"But me... I feel completely invisible here. The women of the tribe hardly speak to me anymore. The elders spend almost all of their time checking up on you. Even during today's meeting..." She laughed quietly to herself, her voice trembling slightly.
"I felt like I wasn't really there at all."
Adrian's expression softened into a frown. "Elyria..."
She quickly shook her head, trying to smile. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy for you. I truly am. But... sometimes I wonder if I am already failing as a bride."
Adrian reached across the small table and gently took her cold hand into his.
"You are not failing, Elyria."
She looked up, meeting his eyes.
"You have always carried far too much weight on your shoulders," Adrian said gently. He offered her a warm, reassuring smile.
"Back home in the Empire... I was so busy trying to gain Father's approval that I barely noticed how lonely you siblings were. And Cassian..." A small laugh escaped him. "Cassian was always too busy pretending he didn't care about anyone in the world and acting like a thorough jerk."
Elyria smiled faintly.
"He really did fool almost everyone, didn't he?"
"Tell me about it, after all who would believe that Cassian was able to even replace me the Crown Prince with his cunning?...he was definitely biding his time while acting like the empire's fool."
They shared another quiet laugh before Adrian gently squeezed her hand.
"But anyway listen to me, Elyria. The tribe hasn't cast you aside or rejected you. They simply do not know you yet. You are kind, patient, and wise. You listen carefully before you speak. Those are qualities the people here respect deeply once they see them. It will take a little time, but they will see it."
Elyria stayed quiet, listening to his words.
"So don't compare your journey to mine," Adrian added, a sad smile touching his lips.
"I am only getting all of this extra attention because I happen to be carrying the tribe's next heir. If that wasn't the case... I am certain we would both be struggling equally right now."
Elyria let out a long, heavy sigh, her shoulders relaxing.
"I suppose you're right."
"You know I'm right," Adrian teased gently and she rolled her eyes at him, though her smile had returned.
"You've become surprisingly wise lately."
Adrian smirked, leaning back in his chair. "I've had plenty of time to sit and think while lying in bed unable to move."
That earned him another light laugh from his sister. The two siblings sat together quietly beneath the shade of the flowering trees, sipping their warm tea. For the first time since arriving on the Eastern Continent, neither of them felt like lonely, abandoned royals sent away for political marriage. They simply felt like brother and sister again, finding comfort in each other's presence.
But neither of them noticed a pair of sharp golden eyes watching them from a high palace balcony in the distance.
Vikra stood silently near the railing, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he observed the two siblings resting in the garden below. His face remained calm and unreadable.
"Kaenen,"
Vikra called out softly.
In an instant, a tall, shadowy guard materialized right beside Vikra, bowing his head in complete silence.
"Find out where my brother is," Vikra ordered, his voice low and firm.
"And bring him to me immediately."
*****