Throughout her way to the Sublime Inn, what King Tobias said lingered in Iria's mind.
He trusted her and... he cared for her.
Amid all these, was it right of her to listen to the Emperor?
The Emperor might be her blood-related uncle but... she was closer to the King. She had an undeniably close bond with him and... he was the one who looked after her all those years.
With many things crossing the Commander's mind, she finds herself before the inn in no time. Looking up, she felt reluctant to enter. However, that familiar young man was about to enter the inn and he spotted her. Then he walked towards her and bowed.
"Commander, are you here to see His Majesty?"
"Is he inside?"
"He is."
Iria Alewine finally glanced around before she turned to the young man. "Will you please stand guard here? I want to make sure that no one follows me."
The young man slightly lowered his head. "I understand."
The Commander shifted her gaze back to the inn and let a few seconds passed before she gets off her horse and walked inside the inn. As he requested, the young man stayed behind to observe the surroundings.
The reaction on Emperor Kalos's face. It was clear that he didn't expect Iria at all. His amazement was more than evident but... his happiness still overshadowed it.
"Iria, you come to see me?" he asked his niece with disbelief. However, he still doubted she would be here on her own will. But still, he was glad to see her. He thought that he won't get another chance, considering how their conversation ended last night.
"I'm here on the King's order," Iria Alewine said to the Emperor. "You must leave Jerivia right now."
"Seems like King Tobias finds out that I'm here," Emperor Kalos simply stated. He didn't even seem to be affected by it.
"His Majesty gives you three days," Iria informed the Emperor. "After three days, you should be out of Jerivia. If not, you will be in danger."
"I will be fine," was the Emperor's short yet quick response.
"Your Majesty... " Iria uttered, sounding somewhat... desperate. "Please leave. To be out of Jerivia in three days, that's only possible if you leave now. I'm already in a tight situation and if things go wrong with you, it will be more worse for me."
Emperor Kalos observed Iria for a while and a subtle smile appeared on his lips. "Are you worried about me?"
"You're someone precious to my late mother. I don't want you to be in danger because of me. So please... don't make things harder for me."
At the mention of his late sister, there was a small yet sad smile on the Emperor's face. Ever since she died due to illness twenty years ago, guilt never leave him.
She was his only sibling yet he cannot do anything when their father was on the opposing side. When he helped her escaped to Jerivia, he never thought that it would be his last time seeing her.
"Alright. I will leave," he finally said, surprising Iria in the slightest bit. Forcing an unconvincing smile, he looked at his niece. "Can I hug you just once, Iria?"
Iria Alewine cannot say anything. Though she was taken aback by his request, she stood still and maintained her composure. However, she shut her eyes and her body tensed when she felt her uncle's touch for the first time.
Tightly hugging his niece, there was a genuine smile on Emperor Kalos's face. "When I first met you three years ago, I was surprised by how much you resembled your mother," he confessed. "There is no doubt that you take over your father's bravery and loyalty but... your features are just like your mother."
For someone like her who didn't even know how her mother look like, the Emperor's words only caused her pain. She opened her eyes at his words but she still didn't make any movement.
Finally, Emperor Kalos Francia pulled back. "Take care, Iria. As I said last night, you will always be welcomed in my empire. Don't hesitate to ask for me if you ever need me."
"Will you return to Cedore right away?" she asked. With just one soldier with him, she was afraid for his safety but... it's not like she can order her soldiers to escort the Emperor of Cedore back to his empire.
"No," Emperor Kalos replied. "I still have something to do, but don't worry. It's not in Jerivia."
When Iria didn't say anything, Emperor Kalos spoke up again.
"Also remember everything I told you last night," he reminded her and added, "You should leave now. I don't want to cause you more trouble."
The Commander still maintained her silence and turned her back at the Emperor. She walked towards the door but... she halted when the door was just a step away. Then she turned around, facing the Emperor once again. "Please take care and inform me if anything happens on your way back."
She noticed the bewilderment on the Emperor's face but before he could say anything, she stormed out of the room. At that moment, Iria Alewine realized that one saying was absolutely true.
'Blood is thicker than water.'
* * *
Just as he promised to his niece, Emperor Kalos left Jerivia right away with the young soldier. Rather than heading to the south where his empire was located, they made their way to the west.
In three days, they already left Jerivia and in five days, they finds themselves in front of the gate of the Qalagon royal palace.
Qalagon was the ally of his Cedore empire since his Francia family became the ruling family and he hasn't paid a visit to the young King ever since he took over the throne. So, he wanted to congratulate the young King before he return to his empire.
The Prime Minister of Qalagon escorted him from the gate and when they reached the door to the main palace, he saw the young King making his way to him.
"Welcome, Emperor Kalos. It's been a while," Arin Helev greeted the Emperor of Cedore with a little smile on his face.....
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