Dragons’ Melancholic Song (Part 12)
“Good morning, Consort Nier, Consort Lucia,” greeted Freya, with a smile as she watch the two enter the dining hall one after the other.
Lucia was surprised to see Freya. Usually, she had to take care of her girls, while Freya was tied up with work, so Freya usually left by the time she and Nier arrived at the dining hall, yet she saw Freya today. That was a rare occurrence.
Nier, who had no interest in anything, gave a nonchalant greeting: “Good morning, Freya.”
Nier then sat down in her chair to wait for breakfast. In the past, when Elizabeth was still present, Nier didn’t need to worry about Daisy. While Daisy wasn’t her child, Elizabeth was very attentive of her. The regret of not being able to raise her son was a regret that plagued Elizabeth for eternity, which was why she gave Daisy lots of attention to make up for her regret. Elizabeth didn’t have any experience raising a child, but she diligently learned. Therefore, Nier’s duty as a mother was rather relaxing. Elizabeth wasn’t there any longer, though. Nier saw Lucia take care of Daisy without maids. Owing to her honour as a Valkyrie and her disdain for Lucia, she chose to not rely on a maid, either. However, she quickly learnt what exhaustion meant after trying to take care of Daisy without a maid. She always swung a sword. She’d never taken care of children. Being fond of children didn’t imply that one is skilled at taking care of children.
The reason Nier wasn’t in a good mood wasn’t due to fatigue. While taking care of Daisy was no simple matter, Daisy was her most beloved child, so she wasn’t annoyed. What hurt her most was waking up in a bleary state in the middle of the night. She’d wake up and subconsciously try to reach her husband, who was supposed to be next to her, but she’d catch thin air. The loneliness and worry would instantly totally wake her. It was warm with the fire and blanket, but the empty spot next to her made her heart ache and induced an urge to cry. Her husband was still alive, yet he wasn’t by her side.
Nier wasn’t the type who could stand waiting, but the reluctance to part in her husband’s gaze from that time appeared in her dreams every night. That was what hurt Nier most. In the past, she was by his side every day and night. She’d go out with him and run around all over the place in Hilles City. Nevertheless, despite considering those days to be very blissful upon recalling them, she didn’t love him at the time.
Since Freya was present, Nier pondered, “Perhaps she was waiting for me. In other words, maybe she has received word from my husband, or has he come back?”
“Good morning, Freya. Aren’t you working today?”
Lucia was slightly surprised, but also anticipating news. Freya was obviously different to her usual self. Normally, Freya’s lifestyle would never change, yet she was so strange today, so something must’ve happened. As to what happened in the Imperial Palace, the answer should come straight to mind.
“Has my husband sent a letter back? Will he soon be back? The last time I received a letter, it was sent from the far Northwest. I know my husband will soon find it. Several days have passed since then. My husband must’ve successfully reached his destination by now. He should be on his way back now. Freya might be different to usual due to joy and excitement after receiving a letter,” reasoned Lucia;
Lucia was eager to hear about Troy. Although Lucia supported all of her husband’s decisions, that didn’t mean that she didn’t miss him. Lucia’s idea of a blissful family wasn’t an extravagant palace, sumptuous food and a glamorous lifestyle but the whole family being able to live in bliss. Lucia had loved her husband for over ten years. They went through many tribulations to get to where they were. Lucia was even more eager to be able to continue living with her husband. Unfortunately, the time they spent separated continued to increase and increase after they got married.
Lucia could continue waiting. Although she didn’t understand what her husband was fighting for every time, she trusted he deeply loved her. As her husband was absent for a long time, Lucia treasured and yearned for every moment they were together.
“This should be the last time that he goes out. He should be able to live with me henceforth, right? This human will die sooner than me anyway. As such, I’ll be the one who stays with my husband for his last moments!” said Lucia, in her mind.
Lucia sat down at the table, too, but she sat closer to Freya. She wanted to know what the situation with her husband was, and she wanted to be first to hear about him.
Freya laughed in a soft voice. The two Consorts had their thoughts written all over their faces; but nonetheless, the disappointing news was that she hadn’t received any news from her brother. That was why she took the initiative to approach the two Consorts. Their husband was her brother at the end of the day. There had been no news from him. Freya really wanted to search for him, but she needed his two wives search for him in their name; else, the two wouldn’t be happy even if she was the one who brought him back.
Freya was cognizant of her standing. She wasn’t her brother’s wife, so Freya knew full well what she could and couldn’t do. If she took their matters into her own hands, the two Consorts might not have been happy. Hence, Freya specifically came to ask for their input.
After some deliberation, Freya couldn’t think of any reason to hide it from them. Thus, she looked at the two with a solemn look and said, “Work is almost settled. I am now somewhat worried about Onii-sama. The last time he sent a letter was ten days ago. In other words, we have not heard from him in over a week. Based on what he initially said, he should have news for us by now, yet why has he not returned? In fact, we have not heard from him; therefore, I am slightly concerned.”
Nier began to hesitate. Perhaps she didn’t think Freya would take the initiative to bring it up. That said, she soon responded with a nod. Voice slightly nervous, she opined, “That’s right. That’s right. I feel the same way. I feel the same way. Something definitely happened for him to not be back after so long.”
Freya nodded: “I do not think we can continue waiting anymore. I have notified Empress Elizabeth and Queen Vyvyan. The two are concerned about His Majesty’s absence. They should be on their way here now. When they arrive, let us search for His Majesty.”
Freya and Nier had aligned themselves with each other. Lucia, on the other hand, stated, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea. His Highness has been out for longer periods in the past, but he came back in the end, nonetheless. I think His Highness is working out there. In my opinion, it’s better if we don’t disturb him… His Highness has never let us down; plus, Queen Sylvanas is protecting him this time, so I don’t think that he’s in any danger.”
“You can’t think that way!” sternly interjected Nier. “The crux of the issue right now is that there’s been no news from him. In the past, he continued to send us letters from the desert. This time, on the other hand, he hasn’t sent anything. Also, can Sylvanas be trusted? She’s a dragon. They’re off to find dragons this time. What do we do if the dragons try something funny? What is His Majesty going to do? His Majesty has known Sylvanas for less than a month. Can we trust the dragon? Think. Have you elves not always distrusted the dragons?!”
“Indeed, I don’t trust dragons, but… I trust His Highness. His Highness is powerful now, so I don’t think you need to worry. Do you remember what you got when you went looking for him last time? You ended up missing him.”
“This case is different. Lucia, are you not worried about His Majesty?”
Lucia shook her head. She replied, “I’m worried about him, but I still remember what His Highness said. I trust that he can definitely return. Moreover, who will look after the girls if we go? Who will take care of things in the Imperial Palace? Before you go out, think about what’ll happen at home. You want His Highness to return home feeling tired and see his house in a mess?”
“The biggest issue right now is that there’s been no news from His Majesty ever since he went to the dragons’ den. Additionally, the only person who can protect him is the dragon, who shouldn’t be trusted when she’s with other dragons. That’s why this case is different to past scenarios. In the past, he had Luna or Tanya, who can be trusted. This time, it’s different. This time, we won’t have a clue if something befell His Majesty, so we need to find him now. His Majesty might be deep in the enemy’s territory right this moment. It’s too dangerous.”
Nier’s usual strong urge to act combined with her concern for her husband caused her to lose her appetite for breakfast. She got to her feet and, in a cold tone, she continued, “If you want to stay behind, I won’t force you to come. As you, yourself, said, there needs to be someone who takes care of the Imperial Palace. Let’s stick with our roles as last time. You stay in the Imperial Palace to take care of the girls. I shall go search for His Majesty with Her Majesty!”
Freya nodded: “I shall stay, as well. I will not be of much use even if I go.”
Lucia then suddenly slammed her hand on the table. She angrily glared at Nier and clenched her teeth. She exclaimed, “I’m going! Don’t look down on me!! I wanted to go and search for His Highness, as well! Last time, I had to bear with the loneliness as I waited alone in the Imperial Palace. I won’t wait this time! I’m going, too! I’m going with you!”
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