“Aren’t those too fragile for everyday use?” she asked, looking at another one of the pots. “I know the cheapest ones are made of glass or clay, and they are definitely not as pretty, but I would be worried about breaking it...”

“They are mostly meant for decorative purposes,” nodded Bastat, “although our craftsmen have been working on making new ones for more pragmatic uses.”

“Th-there are materials here I have never seen b-before,” declared Cessilia, “and I am s-sure th-there are some we have in th-the Empire th-that are not c-common here. Our craftsmen c-could work t-together to bring even b-better and p-prettier results.”

“It is my belief, as well,” Bastat said with her toneless voice. “I am glad Princess Cessilia thinks like us. Despite your presence, I was worried you would be reluctant to trade with our Kingdom. ...I am sorry you weren’t properly welcomed here. Last night’s banquet was truly unsightly.”

Naptunie pouted her lips, putting down the pot she had in her hands.

“That’s for sure! I can’t believe those girls’ attitudes! Isn’t the Yekara Clan overdoing it? Those girls just kept attacking Lady Cessilia any chance they got!”

“They are afraid,” said Bastat.

“Afraid?” repeated Cessilia, surprised.

The young woman nodded. Today, again, she was wearing a very unusual dress, made of several layers and a motley mix of patterns and colors. Her hairstyle was also just as unique as it was during the banquet, meaning it was probably her personal preference rather than a once-in-a-while kind of appearance. In fact, she was somewhat even more eye-catching today, with layers of colored necklaces around her neck and large rings on her fingers.

“Although their candidates are trying to act otherwise, the Yekara Clan isn’t fond of the White King,” Bastat slowly nodded. “Actually, they were probably happier in times of war, when they could be paid to work as mercenaries or raid cities to take what they wanted. They would pretend to get rid of the criminals, but they also robbed the thieves and demanded compensation for it.”

“That’s why they are not very popular,” added Nana. “All that was just a few years ago, so many of them still behave as if they can do what they want and go unpunished. They got very rich from the years of civil war, but now they are afraid they will go back to just being one of many tribes.”

“Their candidates are probably set on becoming Queen no matter what. This way, they will be free to do as they want again, under the pretense of working for the White King. However, no other clan will support that. Since the White King got rid of the Kunu Tribe they were allied with, they have to be careful.”

The women moved on to the next shop, one that displayed a lot of jewelry this time. Naptunie immediately jumped on the stall, excited. She had no issues chatting and finding questions to ask the older lady that sold them, happy to chatter and fawn over the little wooden pieces that came in many colors. Cessilia and Bastat stayed a bit behind, neither of them really interested in that stall, only eyeing Nana’s movement from a few steps away. The seriousness of their conversation wasn’t one they could pursue inside such a little space, so they stood side by side in the little alley.

“...D-do you th-think th-they are b-behind Vena’s murder?” asked Cessilia.

“I can’t say for sure. However, the Pangoja Clan is most likely their biggest threat and main rival. Or so they would both want to believe. In fact, those two probably never consider the other tribes as a real threat. Our Kingdom was so fractured that each tribe kept to its own specialty and focused on its own survival for a long time. We all had to become the best in what we did and become essential to the other tribes to survive.”

“The K-Kunu were k-killed for opposing the K-King?”

“Indeed. Just like the Yekara, they weren’t fond of times of peace. They were amongst those who waged war against the Dragon Empire too. Their leader publicly defamed the King several times for backing off from the war; they somehow believed it could have been won if we attacked the Empire again. Foolish.”

“R-really?” muttered Cessilia, shocked.

“We might be separated by a border, but we knew of the previous Emperor’s death. The Kunu Tribe believed an empress with no dragon would have been easier to defeat.”

Cessilia chuckled. The Kunu Tribe couldn’t have been more wrong. She could easily imagine her aunt jumping headfirst into the battle despite her advisor’s pleas. She would have loved proving the Eastern Kingdom completely wrong about their defenses. Although it wasn’t technically her dragon but her late father’s, Empress Shareen was the new master of the Golden Dragon, which was still very much alive. The Eastern Kingdom obviously didn’t know dragons could outlive their owners.

“What of the other c-clan that d-defied the K-King? I b-believe it was the Cheshi C-Clan?”

Bastat let out a long sigh, slowly crossing her arms.

“It is hard to tell where their loyalty lies. Unlike the Kunu, the Cheshi were entirely against the war. However, they were also against the former King, and now, they are against the White King too. Many believe our Eastern Kingdom won’t be able to really recover or avoid more civil wars until we get a monarch the Cheshi Clan approves of.”

“Th-that’s... surprising.”

“They might be against the King, but they are still waiting to see who he will pick as his Queen.”

Just as she had said that, Bastat’s eyes went to Cessilia, with a very serious expression on. She seemed more mature than her age, even though Cessilia now knew Bastat was the oldest of the candidates, and a year older than the King himself. In fact, she realized Bastat could have made a fine queen herself if she had come from the right background. She was very insightful, knowledgeable, and tactful. However, she wasn’t the right match, and they both knew it.

The way she looked at Cessilia meant she was well aware that the Princess was a better candidate than she was.

“My father allowed me to be the judge of the Princess’ character, so I will say this now. I believe our Kingdom needs someone powerful, someone who will genuinely care for each tribe, and someone who will try to heal our nation from the inside without ignoring any wound. Counselor Yassim isn’t called the Wise for nothing. The fact that he brought you, the daughter of a legendary healer and a godly warrior, means a lot to many people, Princess Cessilia.”

“...I und-derstand.” Cessilia simply nodded, her throat a bit tight.

Although she hadn’t expected so much hostility when coming here, she also hadn’t expected to see people sincerely rooting for her to become Queen.

“I have only gotten a small glimpse of you, so it might be too soon to entirely put my support behind you,” said Bastat, “but please know you will have nothing to fear from my clan. We will simply be watching.”

Cessilia understood Bastat’s words easily. She was still a foreigner and had merely been here for a few days. Even if she was aware of all the eyes on her, it was too soon for the tribes to really support her. Perhaps she had made an impression at the first banquet, but she would have to prove herself even more in the upcoming days. However, it was understandable that the smaller tribes with lower chances of seeing their candidate become Queen would naturally turn to someone who had the power but no tribe supporting her, rather than the candidates from hostile opponents. Cessilia had thought she would have nine rivals, but perhaps it didn’t need to be so. Aside from the girls of the Yekara and Pangoja Clans, no other candidates had been openly hostile to her. Perhaps the remaining candidates were also considering this competition very differently as well. Perhaps there were even more eyes watching her than she had realized...

“You m-mentioned the K-King wasn’t letting the Yekara C-Clan free the occupied c-cities anymore,” she said, frowning. “Th-then, is he d-doing it alone?”

“He is,” nodded Bastat. “That is also why many respect him, or fear him like one would a real god. The King didn’t only establish himself because he took the throne by force, but because he managed to remain there without any clan’s help, and restored peace at an unprecedented pace all on his own.”

“What ab-bout the Royal G-Guards?”

“He had defeated the ones his father had previously, so when the White King rose, there was almost none to support him. The Yekara Clan helped him defeat the previous Royal Guards, but there wasn’t many left to switch to his side. It took a couple of years before we even got enough new recruits to protect at least the Inner Capital.”

Cessilia was rendered speechless.

She meant Ashen had reconquered his Kingdom almost... on his own? It seemed unthinkable, and yet, it would have explained why all his people worshiped him like a god. He was their War God, the one who had single-handedly saved the decaying Eastern Kingdom. If she put together everything the Counselors, Nana, and Bastat had told her, their country was an absolute wreck for the past two decades. The one King who had first tried to restore some peace had turned out to be a tyrant himself, and the most barbaric tribes had fueled the years of civil wars in between.

What she had seen so far reflected very little of that. Although she had witnessed the dangers in the Outer Capital and the ravaged landscape, the Capital still seemed to be thriving. The Inner Capital was completely secure, and the economy was given a new breath, enough for the locals to try and grow more activities, trades, and businesses. All this in the span of just five years... Cessilia had always felt something was off about the way people treated Ashen, but now, she knew why. His legend wasn’t just a tale he had simply fabricated. It had been forged by his actions, and the miracles he had conceived.

Miracles she didn’t believe in.

“...Lady B-Bastat,” she suddenly asked, turning to Bastat with a resolute look, “d-do you kn-know which cities were freed r-recently?”

“I do not,” Bastat shook her head.

“I know!” Nana suddenly raised her hand, popping up before them. “Sab and some of his friends were chatting about it last week. But why?”

“I want t-to g-go.”

“Are you sure?” Nana frowned. “It’s a bit far, and probably not very nice to visit...”

Cessilia smiled at her and turned to Bastat.

“Th-thank you very m-much for the visit t-today. I will c-come to the market a-again, another t-time.”

“You will be welcome anytime, Princess Cessilia,” Bastat nodded politely. “I will have some art pieces delivered to you later if that is alright with you.”

“Th-thank you. Nana, let’s g-go.”

“Alright... Bye, Lady Bastat, thank you for the invite!”