The princess gave him a reluctant look.

"Where have you been? Coronation is in a few months and you are wandering somewhere as if you didn't care!"

"Is that what you want to talk about today?

"Not really." She looked at the maid. "Tell someone to bring a letter, I left it in one of my chambers."

The red-haired girl who always followed her like a shadow gave her a silver tube.

"I took it with me, my lady."

Galaspiael quickly unsealed the message and went through the text. With each pa.s.sing second, he got angrier. He stopped reading halfway, feeling his blood boil.

"What a dumb old p.r.i.c.k!" He shouted and tore the letter in half.

"You just figured it out? If so, you're not as smart as you think you are. Since he treats his daughter like a messenger, it is obvious that he is not a man of volatile minds."

"' You can't make such a radical change right away, because the consequences would be too severe...' I wrote you, old a.s.s, I'm going to make that change it gradually!" Gradually! I'm guessing he didn't read anything at all!"

"Why are you so mad?" his fiancée threw back her blonde curls on her back and propped her head with her hands. "You got caught up on these slaves, why are they disturbing you so much? It pays off."

"In what way exactly? The tax paid by slave traders is silly compared to what we could get if slaves stayed in their countries and worked as free people."

"Slave traders in Velikania pay high taxes with."

"In Kagolania they are ridiculously low." He sat down in front of her. "I will raise the sum three times right after the coronation. Now prices at slave markets are a joke. Even a beggar can afford to buy a few slaves. You can get a healthy young girl for old shoes. I understand that the slavery ban cannot be implemented overnight, because it would do more harm than good. But if you gradually reduced the privileges of the owners and traders, it would be possible to tame people with the thought that one day we will eliminate slavery. Besides, soon we can have a replacement product."

"Like what?" She asked though she didn't care.

"I can't tell you until I'm sure I can get it. But it is so valuable that, thanks to it, it's possible to even create colonies overseas."

"Yes, yes," she nodded, "maybe focus on your country first, then think about colonies."

Galaspiael pursed his lips, trying to control the growing rage.

"You can tell your father that I will do what I like. If he doesn't want to help me, I will limit my field of activity only to Kagolania, but I will not give up what I decided... it would be even better because everyone would arrive here in search of freedom."

"And how do you plan to feed so many people? Will you send them to to your colonies?" She mocked.

"I plan a third circle in the capital, and if necessary, we can build a fourth. Besides, I will convince Sekia, Port, and Madegald to incorporate the Forbidden Zone into Kagolania. I am ready to make serious concessions, I think that even the Righteous Conspiracy will be satisfied. Such a large area, with access to the ocean, is worth every price."

Lin-Si muttered something incomprehensible and fell silent.

That's what every attempt to talk to her looked like. Galaspiael sighed with resignation. He knew that he could not count on her help.

"Don't go back to Velikania yet," he asked. "Give me time and I will work out a decree, a copy of which you will provide to your father. I think that when he reads it, he will understand that what I want to achieve is possible."

"You have two days. Without my maids, I will soon die of boredom!"

*

Kalena walked along the corridors of the palace in the company of Samin.

They got along very quickly. He reminded her of Galaspiael, only more mature. He was extremely friendly but much more serious than her master. He truly cared about Kagolania

Samin showed Kalena a ballroom, with huge columns decorated with gold, a memorial room in which various souvenirs of Galaspiael's ancestors were located, but also ordinary places, such as the kitchen or living quarters for servants.

They came across Lin-Si when she left the guest room. Kalena held her breath, admiring the beauty of the princess in silent admiration. Lin-Si's bright, exceptionally long hair was pinned up in an intricate waterfall-like hairstyle. The strands formed a fancy bun on their heads and fell freely, reaching almost to the waist. A simple blood-red dress emphasized her full, feminine shapes. Galaspiael's fiancée looked just perfect. For Kalena, she was like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Their eyes met for a moment, but the princess almost immediately looked away, as if she had not noticed Kalena at all.

"How beautiful she is!" Kalena whispered. "I didn't know..."

"Oh, yes, she is beautiful," Samin confirmed reluctantly and glanced at Galaspiael. "How are you, my friend?"

The prince slammed the door behind him and forced a smile.

"Have someone prepare a room for Kalena. We will stay a few days."

"A few days?" She repeated his words. "I can't leave Yagn-Sho for so long! I must learn."

"You can't leave the quarters without my knowledge, it's different if you leave with me. Think of coming here as a lesson. Getting to know the palace and manners could be useful for you in the future. You work really hard, so catching up should not be a problem for you. Not once have we had private lessons that I should do as a master. If all these hours were put together, it would just be a few days."

"Any serious matter?" Samin looked at Galaspiael uncertainly. "Or have you decided to just keep your queen company?"

"I would have to die and be born again to stay here for that reason. Lin is right to be angry at how her father treats her. Everyone thinks that in the end, probably in a magical way, we will fall into each other's arms and start making love. I only learned that the king of Velikania completely ignores what I say to him. Nothing new, this old p.r.i.c.k is not used to thinking."

"He just said he wants to teach you good manners," the blonde man whispered, winking at the Kalena. "Looks like he needs a few lessons himself... Where do you wish to place her?" This question was directed to the prince.

"Next to my chamber is another bedroom, which can be accessed through the small door... Please, keep your comments to yourself!"

"I didn't say a word," he grunted, pretending to be offended. "Kalena, if you'd feel lonely when His Majesty would work to make the world a better place, you might tease Kirni a little. He could use the company, especially now during training."

"You have an apprentice, master? If so, why don't you live in quarters?"

"He gets sick very often. He cannot change the environment or exercise too heavily. I have to give him medicine every day... but he's getting better."

"The boy will be all healthy sooner than you expect. If you were able to pull someone out of the arms of death, such a small cold will not bother you." The smile that appeared on Galaspiael's face made Kalena sure he was talking about his suicide attempt.

"You overestimate me, Your Highness." Samin bowed too lowly for him to be taken seriously and left them alone a moment later.

The prince went in the opposite direction and headed outside. Kalena wanted to follow him but told her to stay.

He thought that loneliness would calm his mind, but it was completely different. As soon as silence occurred, his thoughts became unbearably loud. He sat in his favorite place in the courtyard.

In the position he a.s.sumed, he looked like an unfortunate child, but he did not care that someone might notice him.

The plan he devised carefully for many months and of which he was extremely proud, in the eyes of the Velikan king did not even deserve interest. As if all the work he put into it did not matter.

At one point he realized that someone's hand was gently touching his shoulder. Kalena followed him. In fact, he was glad she hadn't listened to him.

"When you become a king, will you live here?" She asked, breaking the unbearable silence.

"Yes. I will have to behave differently. More mature. It is not fitting for a king to live in a small house, without guard or service. Although Lin would like to stay in Velikania."

"So what? You will be here."

"I already discussed it with her." Galaspiael shrugged. "It won't matter to me whether she lives here or with me, or prefers to stay there. I left her a choice in this matter. Only from time to time, we will have to meet to silence the people."

"Maybe it would be better to tell them that you hate each other right away?"

"n.o.body would take us seriously. This is a sign of extreme immaturity and people would sooner laugh at us than try to understand. Arranging marriages is something natural, although it may seem strange to you. Only the poorest do not do this. If you were born a n.o.blewoman, your mother would already start taking you to meetings with potential brides. The best company would be chosen for you because parents would like to secure your bright future. In most cases, it works well. The family will not give you to someone who is evil or has a tarnished opinion, and sometimes even takes into account your preferences. I didn't have that luck and in my case, it was the good of the country that turned out to be more important. Lin-Si is a princess, she is beautiful, young, sophisticated. This is the perfect material for a wife for the future king."

"But you don't love her."

"I must submit to my father's will, even after his death."

"That's not fair," she said, "you're unhappy with it."

"Only sometimes," he lied. She would know he's lying it even if she didn't read his journal. "Don't worry about me, Kalena, it doesn't matter."

"It matters to me! I... if I could, I would take you away from here so you could live the way you want." She moved closer to him. "I would really do. You deserve to be happy like anyone else in the world."

She only got enough. She knew that she could not confess anything more, but she hoped that after that Galaspiael would begin to guess something. Her heart skipped a beat as he turned his head and their noses almost touched.

"How nice of you to say it."

They looked into each other's eyes and the girl felt the first drops of rain, which quickly turned into a downpour, forcing them to return to the palace.

When Kalena walked down the corridor next to Galaspiael, all the people they pa.s.sed by stopped to bow to him. Not only servants but also the ones who look quite wealthy. Some looked at her and sent cordial smiles, most likely thinking that she was a distant relative of the prince or the daughter of a senior citizen.

When the girl saw the bedroom, the size of four interconnected bedrooms from Yang-Sho, she was almost afraid to go inside, as if she were about to cross the threshold of the temple.

"It's beautiful here," she whispered. "I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep. I will stay up all night admiring this room."

"If you really don't want to sleep, come to me. Together, we can think about translating the dynamite recipe" Galaspiael walked to the door leading to his bedroom. "I have no idea who connected the two rooms and for what purpose. As if one room was not enough for me."