Sol Saliente â the sun-blessed capital of the kingdom of Sunkland. From a distance, the city looked like one huge castle. Solecsudo Castle, the real castle, was at the top of the hill. Built for war, the highly fortified building was in the middle of the city and looked out over the capital. The city was made of solid stone and had a solemn beauty. It was protected by a thick wall that stood taller than any would-be invaders.
Wow⊠If Tearmoon and Sunkland ever went to war, this would be one tough base to take down. Iâm not sure how weâd storm this place, even with Remnoâs aid.
Even Mia, who didnât know much about the military, could see that Sol Saliente wouldnât be easy to beat.
This makes saving Sion even more important. I want him to stay living as long as possible so that our countries can stay friendsâŠ
She was thinking about the effects of international fallout when she noticed that Tiona was acting strangely. She kept moving her head from side to side, like a tourist. She let her be and walked next to her on a beautiful stone-paved road. Soon, she started to feel very strange.
Who knew that one day Iâd be walking with Tiona through the city of Sunkland? And we are doing it to save Sionâs life.
If it had been said to Mia while she was tied to the guillotine, it would have seemed like the craziest pipe dream. When she looked back, she saw Anne and Liora talking to each other like crazy. One of them was her most loyal friend. The other one was a Lulu who wanted her blood. As her chest filled with emotions, Mia thought about how amazing it was that she was living her life right now.
I never would have thought that such a scene could happen. When I walk with them like this, I feel like Iâve really come a long wayâŠ
âThat was quite the journey, wasnât it?â she said with a smile that was distant and almost wry. She then turned to Tiona and said, âI sure didnât expect bandits to attack us.â
âYes, that was a tough timeâŠâ
âIâm sorry I keep putting you in this kind of trouble.â
âWh-What? No! That has nothing to do with you!â Tiona gave a nod. âEven if you knew there might be trouble, all that means is that you thought it was important to bring me along anyway. If thatâs the case, Iâm glad to be here.â
Miaâs conscience was hit like a hammer by the way she looked at her. She almost let out a grunt. âI-I get it. I mean, I guess youâre right. Now that weâre friends, it should be okay for me to ask for your help. If thatâs the case, then consider this my late request. Oho ho!â
They laughed together, which gave Mia time to gather her thoughts. After all, she had set out to do just that in the first place.
Okay, then. Letâs think, since thatâs why Iâm here. The thing is, the more I think about it, the harder it seems to stop Esmeralda and Prince Echard from getting marriedâŠ
At best, the relationship between Tearmoon and Sunkland was just okay. Mia and Sion got along well, which was helpful, but that wasnât nearly enough to build a foreign policy on. A marriage between one of Tearmoonâs Four Houses and Prince Echard was the kind of thing that could really cement diplomatic ties. Like Ludwig said, it was a matter of great importance to the whole nation. It would be hard to turn it around.
Huh. When you mention Tearmoon and Sunkland, it makes me think of⊠If Sion and Tiona had gotten married in the old time, Tearmoon would have been safe⊠They seemed to get along pretty well, and it was good for politics for them to work together, so I donât see how anything could go wrongâŠ
Then she thought of something.
âExcept for how the two people in question really feel. Huh.â
It was a very important thought that got to the heart of the whole problem.
Knowing Esmeralda and how much she likes cute boys, I can see why she would like Prince EchardâŠ
Currently, Esmeralda was 18 and Prince Echard was 10. There were eight years between them, which was a lot but not unusual for marriages between nobles.
Yes, she would like him for sure. She only cares about how she looks, and Sion is so good-looking that it makes her mad, so sheâd probably be fine with his little brother based on his future chances alone.
Because of this, Mia didnât want to stop the marriage just for political reasons. That left only one thing to think about: Sionâs assassination. If she could find a way to keep Sion safe, she wasnât really against Esmeralda getting a husband.
The problem is that all of this plotting against Sion smells like the Serpent, and even if theyâre not behind it, Iâm not sure Iâd be okay with Esmeralda marrying someone who tried to kill Sion.
Her walk was giving her a lot to think about; she was getting to the heart of the problem.
âHuh? Basically, if the people on the other side of this marriage are good people and not snakes, I donât mind if they go aheadââ
âGosh, Mia, is that you?â
Mia turned around when she heard her name and saw someone she didnât expect.
âUh, Rafina-sama? What are you doing here? Is thatâŠ?â
Mia was even more shocked by the person next to Rafina.
âAbel! What in the moons are you two doing in Sunkland?â