Fei Lin smelled the scent of Elf Bark Tea. Pure and rich sprite bark flavor with no ginger or mint to mask the original flavor. So, he opened his eyes a slit.

"It's too hot!" roared the servant.

"It cooled quickly on a spoon. Borges insisted, and then fed the king a sip of tea. He drank, but Filin didn't see him swallow.

Borges had just learned this skill from his many years of experience working in the stables, and he gently pulled the king's jaw, then stroked his throat, and poured another sip of tea into his flabby mouth, but it didn't seem to work.

Floya walked over and crouched down beside Film, lifted Film's head to her lap, and brought her a cup of hot tea. Film began to suck, regardless of whether it was too hot or not, and just sucked so loudly that the air was sucked in.

Filin swallowed it, choking against its bitterness. The darkness faded, and then the teacup returned, and he continued to drink the tea, the smell so strong that it almost paralyzed Film's tongue.

Filin looked up at Floya, found her eyes, and managed to nod slightly.

"Is he alive?" she asked softly.

"Yes. That's all Filmin can say.

"He's alive!" she said loudly and cheerfully to the others.

"Father!" roared His Majesty, and staggered in the doorway, blushing from the drink and anger. Filin saw the guards behind him, while little Rosemary hid in the corner and peeked wide-eyed.

She managed to sneak past the group to Floya and grab her skirt.

In an instant, the dramatic scene of the people came to a standstill.

Then His Majesty entered the room like a gust of wind and roared, ordered, and questioned, but did not give anyone a chance to speak.

Floya crouched beside him like a guard, otherwise she swore that His Majesty's guards would arrest her again.

The king sat down in the chair above Filin, his face turning bloody, and Borges fed him another sip of tea, which was a great relief to see him sip the tea in the spoon.

But Your Majesty not. "What are you going to give him a drink? Stop! I don't want my father to be poisoned by the guys from the stables!"

"The King is sick again, Your Highness the Prince. Suddenly the servant spoke.

His voice cut through the chaos of the room, like a hole piercing it, and everything fell silent. Elven bark tea was a general stimulant, and he was sure even Valles had heard of it. ”

The prince was drunk, so he could not be sure whether he was being taunted or appeased. He glared at the servant, who smiled kindly at him.

"Oh. He reluctantly said, not expecting to be appeased. "That's right. So, what's wrong with him?" he angrily pointed at Filin.

"He's drunk. Floya stood up and let Film's head slam to the ground.

Flashes of light interfered with Filin's vision, and there was only disgust in her tone.

"Master of the stables, get him out, you should have stopped him before he got into this way. The next time he loses his judgment, remember to use yours. ”

"Everybody knows that people's stables stewards love to drink two glasses, my queen. Fei Lin suspects that the two of them will have a drink together!" Your Majesty sneered.

"The news of Hermes' death devastated him greatly. Borges said briefly. He is telling the truth, offering explanations but never making excuses.

He grabbed him by the placket and pulled him up from the ground, and I didn't have the strength to do anything, so I could only stand crookedly until he grabbed him more steadily.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the servant feed the king another sip of elven bark tea, and prayed in his heart that no one would interrupt him.

When Borges rudely took Firin out of the room, he heard Queen Floya rebuke Her Majesty that he should accompany her guests downstairs and assured him that she and the servants would settle the king to bed.

When the people went upstairs, he heard the sound of His Majesty and his guards coming downstairs, and he still muttered, and then he roared and complained that he was not stupid at all, and that he could see through the conspiracy at once.

Filin was worried, but he wasn't sure he knew what was going on.

When he reached his door, awake enough to latch the door, Borges followed Filin into the room.

"If Filin had a dog that was sick as often as you did, he would have ended his life. He said kindly. "Do you still need elven bark?"

"It's okay to drink more, but it's lighter. Do you have any ginger, mint or rose?"

He glanced at Film. As he sat in his chair, he stirred the faint embers of the fireplace until the fire shone again.

He lit a fire, filled the kettle with water, and heated it on the fire.

He found a pot and put pieces of elven bark in it, and picked up a teacup to wipe the dust off it.

When he was ready, he looked around, then looked disapproving. "How do you live like this?" he asked.

"How do you live?"

"Such an empty room, and don't tidy up?The winter troop tents that Fei Lin has seen are more comfortable than here.

Look at this room, as if you're only going to spend a night or two here. ”

Filmin shrugged. "Filmin never thought about it so much. ”

A moment of silence followed. "You should think about it," he said reluctantly, "and think about yourself so often when you get hurt or sick. ”

"What happened tonight is inevitable. ”

"You know how it affects you, but you're still desperate. He noted.

"Filmin has to be like that. Filin watched as he poured boiling water onto the elven bark in the jug.

"Yes? Filin thought the servant's objection was convincing, but you were desperate. You and Creek are the same. ”

"So what?"

"I know a little about arcane spells. Borges said calmly. "I am the Silverglow of my prince's people. It doesn't happen often, but it doesn't make Filmin as miserable as you are, except once or twice.

However, he felt the excitement it brings, and it was ......" He pondered what words to use to describe it, and sighed.

"It's done, and it's one with the world. Yinhui once told Fei Lin this, and said that it would be addictive, so he always found excuses to whisper in secret, and finally fell completely into it. ”

After a while, he added, "In some ways, it's like the emotional rush of war, the courage to move forward without time hindering, a force that transcends life." ”

"I can't speak in secret on my own, so I guess it's not a danger to Film. ”

"But you often give yourself to those who can speak in secret by yourself. He was blunt.

"You often voluntarily fall into the same exhilarating danger, just as you are always in a rage when you are fighting. So, is that the same when you whisper in code?"

Filmin never thought of the two together. A feeling of fear was gnawing away at the film, and he pushed it aside.

"It's Filin's responsibility to be my prince's people, and besides, you're not proposing to act tonight?"

"Yes, but Filin should have let the servant's words dissuade people from taking action.

You've made up your mind, and you don't care what will happen to you. Maybe you should care more about yourself. ”

"I know what I'm doing. Filmin didn't want to answer so sharply, but Borges didn't respond, just poured his tea and served it to Filmin without saying a word, with a "know what I mean" expression on his face.

Filmin took the teacup and stared at the fire, and he sat on Film's closet.

"Hermes is alive. Filmin said calmly.

"I heard the queen say this. I never believed he was dead. He accepted this fact very calmly, and then said equally calmly: "But people have no proof. ”

"Isn't it enough that Filin spoke to him, and the king spoke to him?"

"More than enough for me, but for most others, it's ......"

"When the king recovers, he will confirm what he says. Hermes is alive. ”

Filming doubted that would prevent His Majesty from proclaiming himself crown prince, and the succession ceremony was scheduled for next week.

If not all the dukes had to be present to witness, he really thought he would have held a ceremony tonight. ”

I don't know if it was the elven bark struggling with the prostration, or if it was just the events that followed, so that Fei Lin suddenly felt that the room was tilting around Fei Lin.

Filmin felt himself jump in front of a carriage to block it, but the carriage ran over Film.

The servant was right, his actions tonight didn't really do much except to reassure Floya a little. A sudden surge of despair filled Film's heart. Filmin put down Film's empty cup.

As the five principalities fall apart, the return of Filin's crown prince, Hermes, will be faced with a sarcastic situation: a divided country, a ruined coastline, and looted castles.

Perhaps, if he believed in the existence of the Spirits, he would have managed to convince himself that everything would get better, but Filin could only see his own failures now.

Borges looked at Filin with strange eyes. "Go to sleep!" he suggested.

"A sense of depression sometimes comes with indulging in elven bark, at least that's what I've heard. Filin nodded, but wondered if this was the reason Hermes was often gloomy.

"Rest well, things may get better when you wake up tomorrow morning. He let out a laugh, then smiled like a wolf.

"But maybe not. Still, rest at least prepares you to face them. He paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "Ariana came to the film room earlier. ”

"Is she okay?" I wanted to know.

"Bring some candles that you know I don't need," Borges continued to himself, seemingly not hearing me, "as if trying to find an excuse to talk to me......"

"What did she say?" said Filin, rising from his chair.

"Not much. She was always respectful to Film, and I was very direct with her, just telling her that you miss her. ”