Silence filled the air, broken only by the sound of flowing water and the rustling of leaves from the tall trees.
Sarotto stood leaning against a rock, his arms crossed, a sly smile playing on his lips as he held his eyes. "So... congratulations, Kyle and Ryan," he said, his voice a mixture of jest and authority. "It seems you've not only recovered your families' treasures... but you've also acquired two wives. You've killed two birds with one stone."
He chuckled softly, followed by Lucien, who nearly choked with laughter as he patted Kyle's shoulder, saying between giggles, "Instead of treasures, they got two women!"
Kyle's face flushed crimson. He lowered his head, turning away to hide his embarrassment, while Felisa glanced sideways at him. Ryan frowned, trying to appear serious, but he couldn't hide the blush that crept across his face. Arena looked at him with a mixture of confusion and surprise, then brushed her hair off her shoulder, attempting to feign indifference. Saruto broke the silence again, smiling with a hint of malice. "Don't deny it. It's written all over your faces."
Felice approached with cool but defiant steps, looking at him with a hint of mockery. "Well, Mr. Genius," she said, "now that you've finished your sarcasm... tell us, how do you intend to convince our people of this alliance?"
Then she glanced sideways at Kyle, as if to say, "You should have been the one to plan it, not that arrogant fool."
Saruto smiled faintly, his expression shifting from playful banter to the solemn seriousness everyone was accustomed to seeing when he spoke as the "Heir of the Shadows." "I know exactly what's going through your mind, Felisa," he said calmly. "But listen to the end before you judge."
Silence fell, all eyes on him. "First," he said confidently, "you two will disappear from the palace for two whole days. This will create panic in the kingdom, raise suspicions, and make people wonder."
"Disappear?" Arena interrupted, her voice filled with concern. "Is that what you call a peace plan?! We're trying to strengthen relations, not create chaos!"
Saruto raised his hand lightly, gesturing for her to stop. Then, his voice deeper, he continued, "I'm not finished yet. After you've disappeared, Lucien and I will disguise ourselves and spread the rumor throughout the palace that the princesses were kidnapped by the mysterious guests who arrived a few days ago... Kyle and Ryan."
The two princesses gasped in surprise, while Ryan exclaimed, bewildered, "You want to make us criminals?!"
Saruto chuckled softly. "Don't rush me. I haven't finished explaining the plan."
Then, his voice brimming with the confidence of a seasoned commander, he continued, "As the news spreads, a massive search will erupt, and the Storm and Dragon Kingdom will be immediately accused. Everyone will say you were kidnapped in revenge because the Jungle Kingdom holds your families' treasures. Once the situation escalates, Kyle and Rhyne will return with the two princesses... and tell everyone a different story: that the bandits who attacked Felisa's entourage kidnapped you, and that Kyle and Rhyne rescued you."
Felisa looked at him in surprise, her mocking expression slowly fading into a faint expression of admiration. Arena rested her hand on her chin, thinking, then said slowly, "That way... people will see them as heroes who saved the princesses."
Saruto smiled and continued, "Exactly. Then Arena will tell her people that the two heroes belong to the Dragon and Storm Kingdoms to resolve the conflict between the kingdoms. Some will doubt Kyle and Rhyne's intentions, and others won't. Then Arena will hold a celebration to honor the two heroes, inviting all nine kings to the party to resolve the disputes and unite."
He turned to Kyle and Rhyne, a sly grin on his face, and said, "And then, you will propose to the princesses in front of everyone."
Shock erupted across everyone's faces. Kyle's face burned bright red, and Felisa cried out in obvious embarrassment, "What?! A proposal?! Are you serious?!"
Arena put her hand to her mouth, staring at Ryan in utter astonishment, while Lucien laughed so hard he nearly fell to the ground. "Didn't you both say you wanted to spend the rest of your lives with the princesses?" Saroto said with a slight smile, a mixture of seriousness and sarcasm. "Isn't an engagement the first step towards that goal?"
A moment of silence followed, followed by awkward, embarrassed glances exchanged between them, until Felisa broke the silence, her voice tinged with regret. "I'm sorry, Saroto... I doubted you, but your plan... I was jealous of you."
Kyle smiled faintly. "Didn't I tell you before, while we were playing chess, that there was someone I considered my rival? This is the man I was talking about."
Rain turned to the Jungle Princess and said with a serene smile, "And remember when you asked me in the garden who made me stronger?... It was him, Saruto."
They all exchanged glances in a long silence broken only by the whispers of the wind. The whole scene resembled a painting that blended loyalty and love, until Saruto raised his gaze to the moon and said in a deep calm, "Then... let's begin executing the plan at the first light of dawn. The time has come... to write a new chapter in history."