Is this why the Emberlain King never allowed Princess Clairette to dance in the earlier Festivals of Light? Probably, he thought she'd embarrass the royal family, Zerath pondered, the possible reason now dawning upon him.
The Festival of First Light was the one and only celebratory event where the humans and demons gathered together to celebrate the end of war, embrace peace and pray for all the departed souls lost to war, famine and drought. Zerath thought back to all those times he had met Clairette at the festivals. It was customary for a royal prince and princess to dance, which meant Zerath and Clairette, but that request was always politely but firmly declined. If he had known her dancing skills were in such stark contrast with Vivia's, he wouldn't have broached the subject of Nethermoor's dance at all.
Meanwhile, Elvin's question did falter Vivia too, but only for a moment. She remembered as clear as day how terribly her body had ached after her Nethermoor dance, but she wasn't aware that Clairette was that bad of a dancer who would fail even the simplest of lessons. With Clairette being a noble - a royal princess at that - Vivia had assumed that at the very least, she knew how to dance like the other noblewomen.
Nevertheless, a polite smile curved her lips. "I've been practicing a lot."
"Your dance master doesn't say so."
"In secret."
"Why the secrecy?"
"It's less humiliating that way. I don't mind failing when there's nobody to watch me."
"And you honed your skills to the point that Crown Prince Zerath is inclined to believe you're the Harbinger of Seasons?" Elvin's piercing gaze refused to withdraw.
"That belief is subjective. I can't control what Crown Prince Zerath thinks."
"Huh…"
Xaviston intervened. "We're happy to know Nethermoor is safe now, however we don't exactly see this as Princess's help, as she isn't blessed. You might want to investigate this further. But does this mean that there's nothing the Crown Prince might want from us in return for sheltering the Princess?"
Asmodea fluttered her fan, letting a gentle breeze whisk across her face, an imperceptible smile beneath it.
"We're grateful that Princess Clairette's presence coincided with the end of Nethermoor's crisis, but I see that Crown Prince Elvin doesn't share our sentiments. In that case…we do have something that we'd like you to ponder upon."
Elvin raised a brow. "And that is?"
She leaned forward just a little, lifting the tense atmosphere another notch.
"I've heard some rumors that humans have been looking for something in the Realm of Harmony."
Silence.
Xaviston blinked, his countenance not budging by even a fraction. "I don't understand. What rumors might you be referring to, Lady Asmodea?"
"Rumors that you're searching for fresh water sources near the World Tree, Aetherios. Word is you're trying to locate a fresh water source that could help with Emberlain's dependency on us for water supply. But that poses a problem for us."
"We don't admit to these rumors, but what problems could possibly arise even if we do find a source as you suggest?"
"We're afraid that this might put a strain on our relationship."
The smile that curled Elvin's lips hinted at a mix of intrigue and provocation. "Strain in what sense? I don't admit to such baseless rumors, but don't you think independence is a wonderful thing?"
"Independence is wonderful as long as it doesn't strain our mutually beneficial relationship that has been going on for a long time. I wouldn't like to start the blame game about something that happened in the distant past, but this is the reality we live in - our land is infertile for crops and your water sources are poisoned. It's only thanks to the treaty between us that we can peacefully share our resources with the help of the Trade and Magic Ministries."
"True."
"Hence, His Majesty would prefer nobody puts a dent in it. Emberlain finding an independent water source puts Rudaheim's interests and safety at risk. After all, we rely on you for crops yield. If you back off because you became self-sufficient, then who'd answer our citizens?"
Xaviston held a poised smile. "You're thinking too far ahead, Lady Asmodea. Nobody is threatening your realm's interests."
"Is it now?" She innocently blinked. "I sincerely hope that's the case, but the rumors…worries His Majesty."
"And what is it that you propose?"
Amusement flicked her eyes for a moment.
"A treaty signed by both kingdoms declaring the Realm of Harmony as a neutral territory. Unofficially, it has always been that way, but we'd like a formal agreement in place. Neither Emberlain nor Rudaheim would interfere with its resources. This is to only protect each other's interests."
Feeling like a third-party observer after a steep silence descended made Vivia interpret this clash of words as nothing less than an actual battle - the only difference being words were exchanged instead of blades. On one side roared a ferocious tiger with its fangs out while a bear stood ready with its claws to tear the other apart.
I won't complain about the stress and pressure of a dance competition next time. Diplomatic talks are much more suffocating…
Elvin's eventual response stirred the air. "I'm afraid that's not possible, Lady Asmodea. I don't need to consult this with Xaviston, Aeren or Father. We cannot accept such an agreement."
Asmodea released a troubled sigh. "Then pray tell, how are we supposed to trust your word? Our history is complicated, and I believe you would've demanded the same had you stood in our position. It's only fair, after all."
"First of all, the rumors are baseless. The Realm of Harmony is an uncharted territory with too many dangerous unknowns and a harsh, unpredictable environment. Father or I'll never send our men to explore such a land and put their lives at risk. There's no possibility of finding any water resource, which means an agreement is unnecessary."
The air thickened with tension.
"This puts us in a difficult position…"
"There's no difficult position here," Xaviston stressed. "The rumors might've been spread by some hostile forces to provoke us against each other."
Seeing Asmodea still unconvinced, he calmly probed. "Since we cannot agree to this request, we'll be more than happy to help you with any other matter at hand."
Asmodea cast a helpless gaze towards Zerath, as if relaying that she tried her best. He, who had been watching and listening to the entire conversation unfold with a composed silence, moved slightly, bringing another stir in the air.
Zerath said, his voice quiet but firm, "I understand your concerns, and I hope you understand ours as well."
"We do, Crown Prince Zerath, but we find very little backbone to this request of yours."
"I see. Then…May I put forth another request if you've trouble accepting the formal treaty?"
"Please go ahead."
Zerath rose and stepped to the center, puzzling everyone present. A small, faint but nevertheless present conniving smile laced his lips as he looked straight at Elvin.
"I, Zerath Rudaheim, formally ask Princess Clairette's hand in marriage. I wish for her to become my bride."