You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 41

At the very moment Irid was consumed by her own concerns, Elona was wrestling with the same anxiety.

“Royalty from Bahalen is coming? Whoever it is, they’ll surely remember the marriage proposal from seven years ago…”

Seven years ago, when Elona was twenty, she had been engaged to Bahalen’s king shortly after her coming-of-age ceremony. It had been a unilateral decision by the King of Parsion.

“But in the end, the engagement was broken because of my relationship with Kazan.”

Elona was terrified. How much would the visiting Bahalen delegates know? The fact that Parsion’s princess had fallen to the status of a slave to the King of Ashatra was surely no secret—it must have spread across the entire world. However, very few knew that the so-called “slave” had once been royalty herself.

“Surely no one in the delegation will recognize Kazan. But there’s no way they’ll view me favorably. Not after I broke off the engagement with their king…”

With a heavy heart, Elona wished for the delegation’s visit to be over as quickly as possible.

*

The Kingdom of Bahalen, surrounded on three sides by the sea, was a nation renowned for its maritime prowess. The Bahalen delegation had arrived by ship in southern Ashatra and then traveled by land to reach Perma.

Elona naturally found herself present to welcome the delegation. This was a diplomatic gesture designed to showcase Ashatra’s dominance over Parsion. She sat beside Kazan’s throne, dressed in modest yet elegant attire.

“The delegation from Bahalen has arrived!”

The Ashatran officials gathered in the royal audience hall widened their eyes as the delegation entered.

The delegation itself was only twenty members strong, but with the workers carrying wagons and chests brimming with gifts, their numbers seemed nearly double.

“It looks like they’re here to offer tribute or something.”

“Are they afraid we’ll invade them next? Looks like they’ve come well-prepared.”

“Bahalen folk have pale skin, just like the Parsions.”

As the officials whispered among themselves, one man stepped forward and looked up at King Sindar. Despite the long journey, his appearance was immaculate, dressed in white ceremonial robes. He was a man in his late twenties, with dark blond hair and cold gray eyes, exuding an aura of composure. In a polite, measured tone, he addressed the king.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I thank you for granting us this audience and allowing us to visit your great land on behalf of Bahalen. I am Adrian Eldis Bahalenon, the second prince of Bahalen.”

Adrian’s greeting was flawless as if it had been meticulously rehearsed. Kazan, equally skilled, received his greeting with ease.

“You’ve endured a long journey. Though the sea may be your domain, I imagine the desert was unfamiliar to you. It has been twenty years since Bahalen and Ashatra last convened. I hope this meeting will foster understanding and bring great benefits to both our nations.”

As many in the room watched the exchange with anticipation, Adrian shifted the focus to the gifts behind him.

“Thank you for your gracious words, Your Majesty. As our time here is limited, I would like to present what we have brought with us without delay.”

At Adrian’s signal, his attendants opened the chests. He introduced the gifts with a calm and deliberate tone.

“These are coral ornaments, crafted in various colors. They’ll undoubtedly find a fitting place in your palace. This is ambergris, harvested from the far seas—a rare ingredient for perfume, worth several times its weight in gold. And here, we have the finest black pearls produced last year…”

Each time a chest was opened, exclamations of awe filled the hall. Some items were so rare that even Elona and Kazan had never seen or heard of them before.

When all the gifts had been presented, Adrian stepped forward again.

“Lastly, we have prepared something else for you, Your Majesty.”

“And what might that be?”

“Your Majesty, we have brought back Ashatrans who were sold into slavery and taken as far as Bahalen.”

The officials erupted in murmurs of surprise. Since Parsion’s fall, many Ashatran citizens had fled other nations to return home. However, this was the first time a foreign royal house had taken responsibility for returning Ashatran slaves.

Kazan’s calm voice cut through the buzz of the audience hall.

“I don’t see them here. Where are they?”

“We left them in a southern port city of Ashatra, Your Majesty. Many of them were too frail to endure a journey across the desert.”

“I see. I will send my own messengers to ensure they are properly received.”

Everything was proceeding smoothly. Harnuk, sensing the officials’ uplifted mood, was inwardly delighted. If this event went well, he might finally regain the king’s trust. With a hopeful expression, he said,

“Now then, let us escort the delegation to the Blue Sand Palace. We’ve prepared a reception in its garden, and we shall meet again there.”

At Harnuk’s words, Adrian nodded in agreement. After bowing to King Sindar and preparing to turn away, he subtly glanced at Elona.

His gaze was oddly cold, and Elona felt her ominous premonition had been correct.

“The prince of Bahalen… doesn’t approve of me, after all.”

Avoiding his gaze, she prepared to return to the Mano Palace. But just then, Kazan’s voice rang out.

“Where do you think you’re going, Elona?”

“Huh? I was going to return to the Mano Palace…”

“No, you’ll accompany me to the meeting. There’s nothing special you need to prepare, so you can come with me directly to the Blue Sand Palace.”

His words caused a stir among the Ashatran officials. Even Irid and Harnuk couldn’t hide their shock. Bringing the slave princess to such an important meeting between two nations’ representatives was unprecedented.

But the most shocked of all was Elona herself.

“Your Majesty, why me…?”

“Because you’re needed.”

Kazan’s decisive tone left Elona at a loss for words.

The Bahalen delegation, however, seemed to grow more skeptical of the king’s decision. Adrian’s expression, in particular, turned noticeably rigid. Sensing the tension, Harnuk hurriedly voiced his opposition.

“But, Your Majesty! Bringing a Parsion slave to such an important first meeting could….”

“It will not be an issue, Harnuk.”

Kazan interrupted the prime minister, his voice resolute.

“She is necessary for this meeting because she is the only Parsion present in this hall.”

Kazan’s gaze moved past Harnuk and settled on Prince Adrian.

“If Ashatra hadn’t taken control of Parsion, the prince of Bahalen wouldn’t be here today. The discussions we’ll have at the Blue Sand Palace will inevitably revolve around Parsion, will they not?”

Adrian, his expression sour, replied reluctantly.

“…It seems there is a slight misunderstanding, Your Majesty. Bahalen’s purpose in coming here is to reaffirm friendly relations with Ashatra….”

“Then does that mean you have no interest in Parsion at all?”

“That’s….”

Adrian faltered, unable to respond. Kazan smirked faintly.

“Having someone well-acquainted with Parsion will only make today’s discussions more productive. So, I trust the prince will treat her with the respect she deserves.”

Kazan’s words were clear and firm, leaving Adrian and Harnuk with no room to argue. The king turned and walked away, and Harnuk, unable to refute such sound reasoning, had no choice but to remain silent.

Elona, however, couldn’t shake her unease.

“The prince isn’t friendly toward me. Will my presence really help?”

She glanced nervously at Adrian.

The foreign prince still wore a cold expression, staring at her intently, as though trying to see straight through her.

*

As Elona walked alongside Kazan toward the Blue Sand Palace, she frantically dredged up every memory she had of Bahalen.

“It’s an official diplomatic meeting. I can’t afford to make any slip-ups. I’ve never been in a setting like this before, but I can’t let myself be too nervous.”

She was somewhat relieved to know the meeting would only involve six participants. On Ashatra’s side, there would be the king, the prime minister, and herself, while Bahalen’s side would consist of the prince and two other delegates.

“But there will be refreshments, and the maids will be moving around. News of the meeting’s tone will spread quickly.”

What if she made a mistake and embarrassed herself? It would ruin her carefully laid plans to establish herself as the king’s consort.

“Maybe it’s better if I don’t get the chance to speak at all…”

As she tried to calm herself by taking slow, steady breaths, Kazan suddenly broke the silence.

“Are you acquainted with Adrian?”