Far away in the capital's royal palace, June's clone also held a confident smile as amazement contorted Estrella's face. He could understand the sentiment. Having billions of dollars appear unexpectedly would have shocked him back then too. But now, that was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.
Estrella trained her shocked expression on him. "I… How?"
He lowered his arms as his smile shifted. It was no longer confident, but one of quiet reminiscence. "I'm a lot older than I look."
Estrella's brows creased. "I assumed that, considering you're in the Divine Realm."
"How old do you think I am?"
"You have to be at least 10,000 years old just to have reached the Divine Realm. So I'd say around 12,000 years old?"
He shook his head.
"No? 15,000?"
He continued to shake his head.
"20? 30? 40? Surely not 50?"
But he just continued to shake his head.
Estrella's face fell from shock to horror. "You can't possibly be older than the Twelve. That's impossible! Somebody would have heard of you by now!"
His smile became solemn. "Some mysteries are better left unearthed."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Perhaps one day I'll tell you. But that day is not today."
Estrella's frown returned, but he didn't much care to explain himself. He rose to his feet and stretched, letting out a groan. "Shall we go introduce me to our friends in the Council Chambers?"
His sudden question caught her off guard. A contemplative expression fell over her face before it swiftly changed to one of utter panic.
"Mother!"
She practically jumped to her feet and rushed to the door. "By the Divine Mother, I'm never going to hear the end of this!"
Ever the vigilant guard, Yander reached the door before she did and held it open for her as she dashed past him. June also passed through the doorway, and Yander gave him an odd look as if asking where he was going. However, Yander remained silent as June followed Estrella down the opulent halls.
She muttered continuously to herself as she walked at a brisk pace, chiding herself for losing track of time. The clank of Yander's metal armor followed them, and soon enough, they arrived at a pair of grand doors that glimmered in the sunlight.
Estrella stopped and took a second to steady herself before turning to look at him, her eyes bulging as if she had just seen a ghost. "What are you—"
However, he interrupted her sentence by pushing the doors open with a mischievous grin.
"Finally! Princess Estrella has deigned to grace us with her—"
The voice belonged to Ravengel, and it immediately died as their eyes met. June couldn't help chuckling lightly as Ravengel gazed at him, flabbergasted. It was as clear as day that Ravengel hadn't expected him to appear before them so soon, no less at a Council meeting.
It wasn't until Yander pushed past him, breaking their staring contest. "I present Her Highness, Princess Estrella Imiltar of Lysia!"
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Fillia Tiurel-Imiltar sat at a round table, listening to Lord Dumar drone on and on about some stranger who had appeared in Revelcroft, causing trouble. She struggled to understand why he bothered to bring such a minor issue before the Council and the royal family. If his son were competent, then he would have dealt with the problem already.
The thought reminded her of her own son as her gaze drifted over to the two empty seats on her right. They belonged to her husband and son, but now sat as hollow as those seated around her.
"And that is why we must act now, while we still have the opportunity to."
She rolled her eyes and released a heavy breath through her nose. Her late husband was a dolt to have trusted a man such as Lord Dumar. It was precisely because of his inability to see past the bastard's facade that they were now in a precarious situation.
If her husband wanted to die on that hill, then so be it. But why did he have to drag their son to his death as well? Was it not enough that he risked his own life that he also needed to risk Nathander's, her ray of sunshine, as well? For all his faults, that was the one thing she couldn't forgive.
"So where is the crown princess, Your Majesty?" Lord Dumar asked, his arrogant voice pulling her back to the Council Chambers.
She threw him her best smile to hide her revulsion of him. "Forgive my daughter's tardiness, Lord Dumar. She had to attend to an urgent matter and will join us shortly."
She had used her sweetest, most alluring tone to try to placate him. But she knew that wouldn't be enough as he predictably snorted in response.
"An urgent matter? Right. Are you sure she's not just shirking her responsibility to frolic with that lowborn guard of hers?"
She seethed inside, forced to hide behind the mask that was her smile. It grated on her ears having to listen to the bastard speak of her daughter in such a manner.
"It's unbecoming to insinuate such things, Lord Dumar."
"My, my. Where are my manners? Forgive me, Your Majesty. I meant no offense."
Of course you did, she thought, but held her tongue when the door to the Council Chambers swung open.
Her smile faltered as an odd man stood just beyond the threshold beside her daughter.
Who was he, and what was he doing with Estrella?
Lord Dumar was in the middle of making a snide comment when he abruptly stopped and just stared wide-eyed at the man.
Did he recognize the man?
Yander pushed past the stranger and announced Estrella, but she ignored him as her woman's intuition kicked in. Sunlight glinted off something metallic on Estrella's hand that had immediately drawn her attention.
Was that a marriage band? Whose offer did she accept without consulting her first?
Her eyes widened, and they landed on the strange man beside Estrella. Was he a suitor she was unaware of? It had to be. Why else would Estrella bring him along to a Council meeting?
She approved of her daughter's choice of this man. He had an exotic look that even she found immensely attractive, despite his relatively short stature. Still, she was a pragmatic woman and understood that a person's physical attractiveness wasn't everything. That mattered little in the world of Cultivation. Especially if he had power, wealth, or influence, and he must've since her daughter readily accepted his proposal.
It then dawned on her that the man matched Lord Dumar's description of the troublemaker up in Revelcroft. A sly grin crept across her face at that revelation. Perhaps her daughter was better informed than she was.
After Yander finished announcing Estrella, he wearily looked at the man who stepped forward, reaching up and patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Yander. I can introduce myself."
A shiver ran down her spine upon hearing his gentle and commanding voice. Memories of her younger years resurfaced of the time when she fooled around with her father's guard captain, who, if anything, was just like her husband.
However, unlike her husband, he had the strength and fortitude to back his claims. He was a man who proudly carried himself with dignity and poise, whereas her husband could only hope to match him. His honor and word carried the burden of those he led, whilst her husband's word rang hollow, full of false optimism and empty promises. He was a man worthy of being king, yet fate had deemed him unworthy through birthright.
Now, this man strolled in here, reminding her of that long-dead guard captain. Perhaps he too was worthy of being king. Only time would tell.
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June bowed, drawing upon the European customs he had learned while serving with them. "It's an honor to meet you, Lords and Ladies of the Council. My name is June-Tae Mikkelson, and I'm a traveling merchant."
He straightened and held a hand out to Estrella. She hesitated for but a second before playing her part and placed her hand in his. He gave her a radiant smile before leading her around the massive round table that seated roughly 25 people.
"I have traveled far to settle here, and upon arriving, I heard that Princess Estrella was looking for a suitor so she may inherit the crown."
They had arrived at where the Queen sat, and he held his free hand out to her. She daintily placed her hand in his, and he brought it up, planting a kiss upon the back of her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty."
She threw him a sultry smile. "The pleasure is all mine."
He released her hand and led Estrella to the seat beside her mother, pulling out the chair for her to sit. Moving over to the chair beside her, he sat in it and cast his gaze about the group, who stared at him like he was a cockroach that had just entered their home.
"So I thought I'd throw my name into the mix."
He wore a cocky grin, one he knew would piss off everyone of these pretentious nobles. And it worked like a charm as a noblewoman slammed her palms onto the table and rose to her feet.
"By the Divine Lord, who in the hells are you? Have you no sense to see that you're not welcome at this High Table of nobles, peasant!"
He frowned and looked at himself before turning to Estrella. "Do my clothes scream peasant?"
Estrella stammered, unprepared for his sudden question.
Her mother, on the other hand, burst out in raucous laughter. "No, June-Tae. It does not."
He leaned onto the table to peek past Estrella at her mother. "Just June is fine."
"As you wish, June," she said with a dip of her head.
"Enough!" the same noblewoman screamed. "Guards! Remove this man and take him to the dungeons!"
The guards standing just beyond the doors came inside and moved towards June, but the queen raised a hand, and they stopped where they were. "That won't be necessary."
"Yes, Your Majesty," they said in unison before leaving.
The noblewoman gasped, aghast at the Queen's decision. "Your Majesty! Do not fall for this charlatan's charms!"
"Charlatan?" the queen asked with a guffaw before waving a dismissive wave of her hand. "Please, Lady Hemilthorne, refrain from addressing my son-to-be as such."
"Son-to-be?" Lady Hemilthorne asked before her eyes flew to Estrella's hand and widened in horror. "Your Highness! You accepted this… this… this—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Ravengel shot to his feet, his face a blazing fury. "You what?"
"Calm yourself, Lord Dumar," the Queen said with a wave of her hand. "I know you wanted your son to be my daughter's betrothed, but alas, it would seem that she has decided on June."
"How can you accept this, Your Majesty? He isn't even of noble birth, let alone a citizen of Lysia!"
"If the Crown Princess has chosen him as her betrothed, then I, as Queen Regent, accept her decision with all of my blessings."
Ravengel ground his teeth in apparent frustration as he stared at the Queen. "Is that your Royal Decree on the matter, Your Majesty?"
"It is."
Ravengel then took a moment and recompensed himself by straightening his suit jacket. A smile that didn't reach his eyes creased across his face. "Very well. But know this, the noble houses will not look favorably upon this."
When the queen didn't offer him a response, he bowed. "If that is all, then I believe that concludes this Council meeting."
June raised an eyebrow at that, astonished he'd leave it at that. But he knew better than to trust that Ravengel would just leave the issue alone. He said so himself.
Ravengel threw him a sneer before he and his cronies filed out of the room.
And there they go, off to scheming.
What more do you expect after you so rudely barged in, throwing their plans all askew? Sarah asked, her incorporeal voice echoing in his mind.
True, but that was all part of the plan.
The Queen's voice then drew his attention. "Estrella, dear, is it true?"
"Is what true, Mother?"
The Queen pointedly looked at the ring on Estrella's hand. "Your marriage."
"Oh, that—"
However, before she could continue, he jumped in and responded for her. "Forgive me, Your Highness, but I think it'd be easier if I explained it to Your Majesty."
Estrella looked at him with apprehension before nodding. "Right, that would be best."
He then explained to her mother the details of their plan.
However, he left out key details, like how he was in the Divine Realm and the plan for their targeted economic warfare against Ravengel and the Imperium. He could grant Layhanna and Estrella some modicum of trust, and that included their closest confidants. But that didn't mean he could afford to trust just anyone willy-nilly. Not when a war was brewing on the horizon.
Besides, sometimes one's worst enemies turn out to be those closest to them. With this, if it turned out that she was a traitor, then she'd only be feeding Ravengel half-truths and nothing of consequence.
Still, he had a hunch that he could trust her. But just like the old saying went, trust but verify.
"I see," the queen said before a contemplative silence fell over them.
After a few seconds, her gaze returned to him, a flame of curiosity burning bright. "Are you still a bachelor?"
Her sudden question had momentarily stunned him, even more so since her voice hid a hint of flirtation behind it. "I'm a widower."
Her gaze became heated, one he'd seen more and more of from Keyvarah and Reyah over the past day, before it disappeared. "I see. Well then, June, may I have a moment in private with my daughter?"
"Of course, Your Majesty," he said, rising and bowing before taking his leave with Yander following close behind him.