“Long live Prince Dragaš!”
“Long live!”
People stepped aside on both sides of the road, raising their arms and cheering continuously.
The ones they were welcoming were none other than the soldiers of Morea.
Praise showered upon those who had been away from home for nearly a year.
Though many had not returned, the victory was too valuable for their joy to be dampened.
It was only natural for the people to be excited.
And among them, the one who seemed most delighted by this fervent welcome were the knights, whose face was full of smiles.
“Look at this, our popularity is something else, isn’t it? It’s been a long time since so many young ladies greeted us like this.”
“Try to remember that illegitimate children are difficult to manage.”
“Harsh as ever, aren’t you?”
Francisco responded with a grin, brushing off the remark, while the prince merely looked at him with an expression of mild exasperation.
It was fortunate that the conversation between the two leading the march was not reaching the ears of the crowd.
Unbothered by the prince’s gaze, Francisco shrugged and continued.
“Still, there are those who find your cold demeanor appealing. Shouldn’t you also be concerned about the issue of illegitimate children? There’s a certain lady knight following you around like a lost puppy, after all.”
At those words, both the prince and Francisco turned their gazes backward. There, the mentioned lady knight rode with an air of dignified composure, her attitude having shifted abruptly.
She looked so imposing when she kept her mouth shut and maintained a serious expression.
Suppressing a sigh of regret, the prince turned back to Francisco, a strange feeling stirring within him.
“…I’ve been contemplating it.”
“Hmm? Seriously?”
Francisco’s eyes widened in surprise, clearly not expecting that response.
Considering the prince’s past behavior, who would have ever imagined such a thing? He was a man whom rumors never touched, someone known for keeping his distance from women even when close.
Francisco’s reaction was hardly unusual.
Thus, the prince nodded without hesitation.
“I have received a devotion that is more than I deserve.”
In truth, Ivania had been by his side even before he came of age, serving as a mercenary captain.
Despite the undeniable ulterior motives in her loyalty, and the limitations imposed by her being a woman, she had come to be recognized as one of the prince’s most trusted retainers.
It wasn’t strange that he found himself deep in thought about her years of unwavering dedication.
That was his reasoning when he spoke, yet Francisco, upon hearing the prince’s inner musings, only stroked his chin with a gleam in his eyes.
“So, you were testing her patience, but in the end, you learned about your own instead?”
“What are you talking about? What patience?”
“Don’t worry, someone else will explain it to you. No need to ask me.”
“…Hmm.”
The prince didn’t look particularly convinced, but he let the matter drop with a reluctant expression.
His mind had already turned to another concern, one of the many problems he had to resolve. As he fell into silent contemplation, Francisco merely shrugged.
Aside from the occasional moments of gentleness, the prince always wore that same stern expression. Francisco found it endlessly fascinating how a person could be so unyielding.
Of course, even Francisco—who found the prince to be a rather dull man—acknowledged his sharp intuition when the situation demanded it.
“You’re already brooding over it?”
“I was on my way to confront the problem, so it naturally came to mind.”
There was nothing ahead but the court of Morea. And there, only a handful of people would be awaiting him. But Bishop Nikephoros and Sophia were the only ones who mattered.
Since the prince wouldn’t likely have any serious conflicts with the bishop, that left only one person—Sophia.
When Francisco reached that conclusion, a mischievous smirk spread across his face.
“Well, you did just make a blatant declaration of infidelity, only to head straight to see your wife. I suppose even you must find that a little awkward.”
“……”
“Ah, alright, alright. Stop glaring at me like that. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think my head was in more danger from your stare than from fighting the Turks.”
Even the usually talkative Francisco hesitated for a moment under the prince’s sharp gaze. Only when that piercing stare was withdrawn did he let out a sigh of relief.
Yet, having grasped the true nature of the prince’s concerns, Francisco adopted a more serious tone.
“Still, you do feel the need to redefine your relationship, don’t you?”
There was no response. But sometimes, silence was more meaningful than words.
“Serbia’s situation isn’t easy.
They’re caught between the Turks and Hungary. And it’s not like you have the power to break that balance.
A marriage alliance is one thing, but no one would call your relationship solid.”
The rumors of the prince’s strained relationship with Sophia had been circulating for quite some time. It was no great surprise.
While the prince had successfully presented himself as a ruler, he had also firmly established the perception that he was incapable of romantic sentiments.
In the eyes of the world, marital discord was always the fault of one party, and in this case, most of the blame had fallen on Sophia.
Foreign princesses were judged based on their husbands, and the general public thought that the fault lay with her.
This, however, had been the prince’s intention.
It was a measure of control and retribution for Sophia’s unsettling actions during the Athens campaign. Though he had never explicitly stated it, Francisco had just called him out on it.
“You need to strengthen your ties with Serbia.”
“…You’re right.”
Of course, the Prince wouldn’t overlook such an issue.
Alliances needed to be strengthened for the inevitable confrontation, and Serbia’s role was crucial in the Crusade against the Ottomans that he envisioned.
However, there was no easy way to go about it. Moreover, there were problems he had chosen to ignore in order to keep a path open.
“But since we declared ourselves vassals of the Ottomans, most of our movements are restricted. Not only is our dual-vassal status unusual, but helping Serbia directly, where Hungary holds greater influence, would only give Murad an excuse to attack Morea. Furthermore, since we formally sided with the Ottomans, there’s bound to be lingering resentment. At present, we lack the means to win Serbia over…”
“What’s there to agonize over? You’re married, aren’t you? Just get her pregnant!”
The Prince tilted his head, wondering if he had misheard.
But Francisco seemed intent on making his point clear.
“Get her pregnant!”
For once, the Prince, who prided himself on his composure, lost his cool and slowly rested his hand on his sword hilt.
At that moment, his icy rationality reminded him of who Francisco was, saving him from actually drawing his blade. Instead, he only furrowed his brow at the absurdity of the remark.
Francisco, feeling frustrated at being treated so strangely, raised his voice.
“I understand why you divide friend and foe so strictly. You need to find those with unwavering resolve to face such a formidable enemy. Given the dangerous situations you’ve endured, it makes sense that you wouldn’t accept half-measures.”
“If you understand, then I’d appreciate it if you stopped talking nonsense.”
“But now you know that’s not enough, don’t you?”
Francisco was a knight who honed his prowess in the Reconquista. He had also studied Iberia’s past to better understand the cause of reclaiming lost lands.
Through this, he had seen countless instances where nations put aside their differences to unite against a powerful enemy.
Once adversaries, they eventually allied.
That kind of flexibility was exactly what the Prince needed now.
“You burned down cities to drive out the Turks. And yet, after coming this far, you refuse to lay with a woman just because you don’t like her? Is that all your resolve amounts to?”
“………”
“There are people who believed in the hope you offered and died for it. If you carry their deaths on your shoulders, you shouldn’t hesitate now.”
“Ivania is fine.”
“…Alright. And what’s your next point?”
“But Sophia—she is a dangerous woman. I had planned to avoid contact with her as much as possible, intending to cast her aside eventually.”
“That’s all?”
“And she already holds another man in her heart.”
With that, both men fell silent.
The streets remained filled with cheers and the thunderous voices of soldiers responding in kind.
At least their conversation wouldn’t be overheard.
They rode forward for a short while before, all of a sudden, Francisco burst into laughter.
Given the awkward timing, it was only natural for the Prince to feel slightly irritated.
“Are you mocking me?”
“No, I was just curious about who concluded that my cousin lacks romance.”
“…I know you’re right, so could you stop laughing?”
“Don’t take it the wrong way. I mean it sincerely.”
“….”
The Prince slowly closed his eyes, clearly voicing his protest without words.
Yet Francisco didn’t stop laughing.
Unable to bear it any longer, the Prince opened his eyes again.
“I told you to stop laughing.”
“I can’t help it… I’m just impressed that you’re human after all. You said I was right, but in this case, I was actually wrong. As a ruler, my reasoning might be correct—”
Even under the Prince’s sharp gaze, Francisco no longer shrank back.
At some point, the crusader knight had lowered his helmet.
“But as a man, you are the one who’s right.”
“As a man?”
“Now then! Let’s reward the knights who have achieved great merit, and Your Highness should head straight to the devoted wife awaiting you!”
“….Haah.”
Francisco cried out energetically, while the Prince simply let out a sigh.
People glanced at them with curiosity, but their questions would go unanswered.
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