Meg Sterling brought back a message for Kezia in one simple word - "Wait." ”

That once again ignited the anger that Kazia had just subsided a little bit. The mirror made a crunch with the knock of the candlestick, and countless faces distorted with anger were printed in the cracks. Meg quietly and nimbly dodged the flying shards of glass, knowing that it was best to remain silent at such a time.

The silence of Kazia is always harder to cope with than the roar. As she strode out of the room in a thin dress without a sound, and dismissed the guards, Meg had to grab a cloak and follow out.

Stepping down the high steps outside the Temple of Anduhe, Kazia's footsteps slowed involuntarily. It was another starless night, the sky was covered by thick clouds, and the night was as dark as the black robe of the legendary Grim Reaper, covering the earth so heavy that it was impossible to breathe.

Meg took the opportunity to drape her cloak over Kezia's shoulders and spoke cautiously, "Please wait here for a moment, and I'll go and call the carriage." ”

She had barely taken a step before Kazia grabbed her arm.

"Stay here!" ordered the queen, almost rudely. She didn't want to be left alone - even with the towering temple behind her, there was such endless darkness in front of her. She suddenly felt horribly alone, and Meg ...... The woman she almost grew up with was probably her only friend.

"Stay here......" she repeated in a low voice, her tone unconsciously much softer.

Meg was silent for a moment, boldly taking Kezia's arm. Pulling her around again, she slowly climbed the steps step by step.

"I dare say Lord Croefler is waiting for you right now...... Why don't you just keep him waiting?" she whispered in Kazia's ear, with a little intimacy that had been rare for more than a decade.

Kezia was silent. Eli Croeffler knows her temper well. It is indeed quite possible that he waited all his time for her to come to the door, and then let him take what he wanted, after he was furious.

After all...... As a necromancer, he was clearly reluctant to go near a place like a temple.

Knowing that Eli had most likely become one of the legendary mages who had made deals with demons, Kazia couldn't deny the fear that lurked in her heart. She tried to appear unconcerned, but instinctively reduced the number of times she saw Eli.

But she still needed him - she needed to believe that he still loved her.

She never realized that she had so many things...... And so little.

Kazia stopped. Maybe she should go see Eli anyway.

"If you have something to tell Master Crooffler, why don't you write a letter. I can send it for you. Meg, sensing her hesitation, thoughtfully suggested.

"Letter?" Kazia frowned. "You know I've never liked to write letters. ”

"Of course I know, and so does Master Crooffler, so a letter is enough for him to understand how important this is. Meg said with a smile.

"But what to write, let him roll into hell with his 'waiting'?" Kazia began to rage again.

"Oh, you can write whatever you want. You're a queen, aren't you? But sometimes you just need to let him know how much you miss him, and he'll do anything for you. ”

"Will he?" asked Kazia with a sneer, but not as tough as she thought she would be.

In the darkness of the night, a pair of eyes watched the figures of the two women disappear through the doors of the temple, which never closes, but there is a faint hint of sympathy.

The silver furnace swayed with the priest's footsteps, and wisps of pale blue smoke drifted out of the openwork patterns and gradually filled the hall. The rich fragrance masked the smell of decay, but because there were too many people. The air in the hall was still suffocatingly cloudy, and no one could tell how much of the pale faces and sad expressions were really due to sadness.

Borena stood far away, watching the priests slowly circle around Joaquin's body. The hands behind his back unconsciously clenched into fists.

It was his father - and he could only look at him from the hundreds of people who wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible.

Kazia and Sercio stood side by side in front of the stone platform, each standing straight without glancing at each other. The two little princesses stood behind them, accompanied by Meg Sterling, the younger one seemingly unable to figure out what was going on, and only yawning listlessly.

Sercio once invited Borena to join him on his father's last ride...... But look at the pair that should have supported and comforted each other. Now a stranger mother and son, Borena was convinced that he had chosen to stand in the corner - he didn't want to have any confrontation with Kezia at the final funeral.

Even so. He couldn't escape those stares either.

Curiosity, contempt, sympathy, fear, respect...... Either one was unbearable for Borena and yet had to endure.

He searched the crowd for Ethan's face. Knowing that he's not alone here might make him feel better...... But Ethan, who was supposed to represent his father and the Crofeller family, was standing in the hall, but there was no one to be seen.

Borena was faintly worried. Fish's feud with Joaquin is a well-known fact, and Ethan Crooffler, who is clearly his friend, is now absent from such occasions, and people will not turn a blind eye to it...... This is not a good thing for the Croifflers.

It was impossible for Ethan to think of that he couldn't have thought of - he could only console himself with this.

Borena's eyes widened in surprise as another familiar figure flashed over the edge of his gaze.

Across the hall, Eli Crooffler sneered at him in the corner on the other side, raised his stiff left hand mockingly, and waved it lightly.

Borena smiled bitterly and looked away. When they were young, they frolicked and practiced martial arts together, and the memories of fighting side by side suddenly flooded into their minds. He still preferred to remember those rather than Eli's resentful eyes as he left. That look had pierced his heart like a dagger for many years, until time gradually took away the pain and regret.

It's a pity. Time is not omnipotent - it clearly does not take away hatred.

He tried not to look at Eli as much as he could, instead watching as the four knights in new armor lifted Joaquin's body and slowly walked out the door. He should have been buried in the cemetery behind the temple. But the godless king had already designated his resting place, which he had discovered during a hunt, and which overlooked the whole of Llewellyn, and the surrounding plains and rivers with its cliffs. Kezia insisted that since the soul was already on the sacred mountain of Anduhe, it could at least be placed according to the king's wishes, and the high priest of Anduch did not raise any objection.

And that meant that everyone would have to follow the king's coffin for two more days.

Borena walked down the stairs a little dazed, and Gunna and Falbo were already waiting outside the temple with his horses. As Ethan commanded. They joined the ranks of the Croiffler family, and it didn't take long. Ethan followed with a knight in full armor.

The knight holds aloft the banner of House Crofeller, with the crystal spires of the Brandi Library and crossed spears on a dark blue background. But the eyes that looked at him from behind the visor surprised Borena secretly.

He almost blurted out how Ethan knew this guy, but the words became, "I saw him." ”

Ethan glanced at him lightly, "I know." ”

"That's a good thing, isn't it?"

After a while. Borena couldn't help but speak again: "He can enter the temple of Andukh, so no matter what, at least he won't be a necromancer......"

"Necromancers are nothing but humans. If he doesn't try to cast spells, he can go in and out of all temples at will. ”

The knight beside him calmly shattered his faint hope with a word, causing Borena to glare at him. His grievances seemed to be bounced back by the light armor, which had no effect on the people in the armor.

Ethan was silent, but Borena couldn't stay silent, and it wasn't long before he asked again, "Your father...... Does Master Croefler know?"

He was always in awe of Fish Croeffler. Respect, even gratitude, despite the fact that the lord of Barach had said very little to him.

"Yes. Ethan replied with a few words.

"Then he ......," Borena asked relentlessly. was forced to swallow all the questions by Ethan's irritable and sharp eyes.

Maybe he shouldn't have provoked Ethan again. He's under more pressure than he is. Borena now wants nothing more than to get out of the way and go back to Clitzyns to live his little life, but Ethan has to save his life, find out the truth, save the family, and even better yet, save the brother who has been missing for many years......

Borena was amusefully silent for the rest of the trip.

When night falls. People set up tents along the Black River, and the light of the fire flickered in the slowly flowing water after the thaw. It's also a rare beauty. Although it was a funeral procession, there was a faint laughter in the camp from time to time - neither the shadow of death itself nor the dignity of the dead could prevent the living from enjoying their lives. The poor, who were at the end of the line, might have prayed for the king because of the funeral feast they received.

Borena was strictly forbidden to leave the Crofleur's camp. In fact, he was in no mood to wander outside, and Gunner and Falbo were probably ordered to follow him every step of the way, and could only accompany him in a bored daze in the tent. Falbo, who had nothing to do, pulled out the dagger in his boot and sharpened it to pass the time.

The monotonous voice was a bit harsh, but Falbo did it often, and Borena was used to it—Gunner should have been more accustomed to it than he was, but suddenly he snatched the whetstone impatiently and yelled, "Dead to death!"

Falbo glared at him, and without saying a word, he took back the whetstone and continued to sharpen it, Gunna took it back with a black face, and by the time Borena reacted, the two brothers were already inexplicably wrestling on the ground.

Borena snatched the dangling dagger first, and tore the two men apart with a laugh.

"What's going on? You don't usually do that. He asked casually, but he was slightly stunned by this sentence, and something flashed through his mind.

Falbo slapped the dirt off his body and snorted and slipped out of the tent.

"Falbo!"

Instinctively, Borena wanted to call the boy back, but as soon as he got out of the tent, he was unceremoniously pressed back by a hand.

"Stay inside!" the tone of the knight guarding outside was not negotiable, and Borena could only watch as the tall, long-legged boy kicked the ground in anger in the night, and walked alone to the river.

(To be continued)