V2C19

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"Fruit Bowl w/ Flowers" -- Half Century -- Jan Davidsz de Heem

She was about to say something then

she remembered.

Why did not she understand? No, she

supposed it couldn’t be understood.

He had a long fringe covering his face

and was pretty expressionless and did not talk much,

‘Oh, did you remember?’ he smiled

happily.

Somehow, she felt a bit weak so

Matilda carried on eating,

‘Would you like to eat the last loaf

of bread?’ she asked, noting the single loaf in the basket

‘Yes, please.’ He replied as he

reached for it.

‘Was it such a strange question?’

Leandro tore the soft bread and ate a

piece,

‘I suppose it is strange since I am

being asked whether it is a natural occurrence rather than a strange one…’

She cast her mind back to those days,

remembering the feelings.

He laughed, but his laugher was cold.

‘As you know, Barenshiaga was at war

with the neighbouring countries south east and south west. The war was long and

the Elder Emperor, my father was participating.’

‘The Elder Emperor is a person who

likes warring, so he hires lots of mercenary companies. So he warred with the

Eastern Mountain regions and the Western River regions up until a year ago,’

She had heard that Leandroth had

reached the age of twenty-seven and was still single because of the prolonged

war being waged against the two nations. It had been rumoured that he’d said,

while domestic affairs were not calm he had no intention of getting married.

‘While, growing up, I have been going

back and forth between war campaigns and the Palace. In the palace, the Empress

raised us strictly; she did not want us to have sloppy manners from spending

too much time with mercenaries and soldiers and disgracing our royal lineage.

There was nothing patriotic about it.’

Leandroth paused as he took the last

sip of his soup and cut a piece of his pork with his knife and fork a little

too forcefully,

‘I wondered why I was born to this

guy, and why did I have to work so hard.’

Now the elder Emperor has become “this

guy”, but it seemed reasonable reason somehow.

‘And then I met you… “Do I need a

reason to love it?’ …for some reason, it shook my heart...’

...

Before the summer sun began to melt

the snow on the mountains of Icecoreta

She had come to see to the well being

of the mercenaries and soldiers.

‘Why is a girl like you coming to a

war zone?’

‘I come on behalf of our King.’

‘I am the one most protected by

everyone, if I am afraid, the soldiers will be even more afraid.’

He looked at the ten Royal Knights

that stood just behind the Princess, and then looked back down at her,

‘Your hands are trembling,’

‘…I am just shivering from the cold.’

A ghost of a smile appeared on his

face.

The red haired young man called Ross, ‘Do you love this country?’

‘I love it.’ She answered without

hesitation, a face full of smiles

‘Do I need a reason to love it?’ she

replied, tilting her head

The young man stared at her, silent.

...

She had been eighteen when they had

that conversation. Both of her brothers were already born…

She thought that her brothers were

cute, but she felt that she could not be honest so as not to be misunderstood

by her step-mother (Zuben: what is wrong with thinking your siblings are cute.)

There were many emotions swirling

within her heart, but the feelings she had for her father and Icecoreta did not

change.

She felt like she was going to burst from

her feelings for her father, but she reminded herself that she felt sunny and

happy when she did her best for her father (Zuben: daddy complex MAX!)

‘Many things had been troublesome, but

when I heard your words, they were blown away. And I decided to take the

throne.’

‘I told you that I wanted you for a

long time, but I didn’t want to say anything while I was still a mercenary.’

‘Why?’ she asked tilting her head.

‘Just to get a glimpse of you, almost

every year I joined the mercenaries on the mountain border campaign that broke

out from winter to early summer.’

He seemed to be a cowardly man who is

pursuing a woman, yet does not do anything about it.

Leandroth rested his temple on his

hand and his gaze became distant,

‘During that time; what about your

country?’

‘Oh, I let my father and brother deal

with it.’

‘Leann is the crown prince, right?’

‘And now you’re the Emperor, aren’t

you?’

Her head hurt. She wondered if it was

okay to have a Crown Prince like this. Then again, it seemed like it was alright,

the Barenshiaga Empire was still in existence, despite everything.

‘Because of you, I agreed to take the

throne. Because of you, I am trying very hard to maintain the peace.’ He said

solemnly.

He washed his hands in a bowl of

water, and reached for the fruit bowl.

‘Is that true?’ She asked, opening her

eyes (Zuben: why were they closed?) Should she say she was happy? Should she

tell him she loved him.

She did not understand what was going

on inside her heart; feelings are so messy. (Zuben: Truff!)

‘So what if I want jewels and enough

dresses to fill a warship, and I want to go to balls every night and do

whatever? Are you crazy enough about me to make it all come true?’ She asked

without thinking, she looked dismayed as she stuck her own forehead.

‘If I have the budget, and if that is

what Mattie wants, I can do that. But I would prefer to use the funds for war

orphans, social reforms, war preparations, government projects and so on.’

‘Oh of course, those are priority

surely?’ she replied nodding. Their eyes met. She felt somewhat strange as she

wondered whether she was being manipulated by this person.

‘Don’t you think?’ She began to feel

happy as she gave a proud smile, but she could feel her face heat up,

‘I don’t think so.’ He said

‘I want to live for myself. That is

what I truly want in my heart.’

‘You seem to be misunderstanding. I’ll

tell you, I am not kind to anyone other than you.’

‘I did not fire the Grand Chamberlain

earlier because he was useful in other areas; of course I began to regret it

later.’

She could see it in his eyes, the

future of that Grand Chamberlain was going to be dark.

‘Do you really want lots of

jewellery?’ Leann asked with one of his cold smiles as he peeled an orange.

‘Women like them a lot, don’t they?’

‘No, I don’t need it.’ She said

honestly, ‘A fresh orange, a ripe peach, a red apple, a chestnut that is rolling

in the forest. A walnut, an acorn, a fresh green sparkling leaf, a flower that

seems to be a fruit ... those things are more beautiful and last longer than a

cold stones.’

‘Is that so? Well if you want it, I

will prepare them.’ He said smiling faintly, but the smile was lacking. It did

not look like it was from the heart

Matilda gazed at his hand.

‘After all, can I eat one?’

Ignoring his stupid expression, she

bit into the orange in his hand.

‘Ah!!’ He said in surprise, and that

awful smile was wiped from his face. She ate the orange happily.

‘Once upon a time, I asked a jeweller

to make jewellery that looked like cut open orange, because I thought it was

beautiful. But the craftsman refused, the beauty of nature’s blessing in fruits

and the beauty of nature in jewels are different things. I was told that it

would be useless to try and replicate one in the other.’ (Zuben: A talented

craftsman with time can do it, but whatevers.)

She washed her hands and picked an

orange and peeled the skin off. She put it into his hand.

Leandroth remained stiff.

‘Leann, was the last orange that good?

I am sorry.’

She looked up at him, and Leandroth

ate the orange and pressed his lips against hers.

Zuben: 🌅 People complain about the weather too much. It is what it is...

Let me know if there any typos. I'm sure there will be.