TRIM Ch 3

“Every priest on the continent has been to Trison, haven’t they?”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a pilgrimage site.”

“A pilgrimage site?”

Lorelia’s eyes widened as she looked at her tutor. The thick history book they were studying had long been forgotten. Well, her mind had already wandered to the south since the lesson began, Holtman thought with a soft smile.

Since things had turned out this way, it wouldn’t hurt to change the subject from history to theology.

“Trison is a land favored by the gods. It is said that when the main god, Heya, gave the Seven Commandments, they were inscribed on an ash tree in Isen. That tree still remains, and priests on the continent are supposed to make a pilgrimage there right after they are ordained. It’s a long-standing tradition to have dinner at the lord’s mansion after completing the pilgrimage.”

“Pervrante? You mean they hold a dinner at that family’s mansion?”

“That’s right.”

“Then you’ve been to Trison Mansion as well?”

“Indeed.”

A very long time ago. Holtman added, smiling faintly.

“When I was newly ordained, which is to say, over sixty years ago now, I met the lord there. Or rather, the king. Trison was a kingdom back then.”

Well over eighty, Holtman had lived in Mendel Castle for decades, sponsored by the Hayes family. In return for Duke Hayes’s generosity, he taught his descendants, presided over the temple services, and prayed for the continued prosperity of the territory and the family. Once Duke Hayes’s youngest daughter married and left the castle, he too would be free of his duties and could peacefully prepare for death. Holtman knew that day was not far off.

“Lorelia, do you remember what you learned about the Last War?”

“Yes.”

The Duke’s daughter continued in a clear voice.

“The current king, Delmas IV’s grandfather, Martin III, unified the continent with that war. The South was originally an independent nation, but swore allegiance to the Roang royal family after the war.”

Listening to her accurate answer, Priest Holtman reminisced. Though the memories were so vivid, time had flowed relentlessly, and that arduous war had already become a matter of fifty years ago.

“Trison resisted, but they couldn’t withstand the combined assault of Martin III and the great noble families. In the end, the King of Trison surrendered and accepted the status of a Grand Duke, thus ending the Last War.”

Lorelia, having answered dutifully, asked a question.

“Priest, then was the Lord of Trison, who died thirteen years ago, originally the crown prince?”

“That’s right. Duke Joseph became the heir as soon as he was born, and his father was the last king of the South.”

Holtman recalled the Trison Royal Palace he had visited after completing the ash tree pilgrimage. At the time, the King of the South only had a young princess. Prince Joseph was born five years later, during the war. Stripped of his right to the throne at the age of four, he grew up to become the Lord of Trison, but died suddenly at forty-four.

He was on his way to attend a banquet held in the archipelago.

Joseph Pervrante’s ship was a massive sailing vessel that carried five hundred people. The ship, carrying the lord, his wife, and their heir, sank off the coast of the archipelago. There were two hundred guards protecting the lord, but the knights could do nothing on the sinking ship.

Hundreds of people sank beneath the surface. No one on board survived.

And now, thirteen years later, the world had almost forgotten those lost to the sea.

“Priest.”

The old man, lost in thought, lifted his lowered gaze. Gem-like green eyes were looking at him.

Of the Duke’s three children, Lorelia possessed the purest soul. She had always been a girl full of curiosity and compassion. However, the clearer the water, the more easily it’s tainted by a small amount of dirt, and the calmer the surface, the more a single leaf can cause a ripple. Holtman could understand the Duke’s desire to keep his youngest daughter within the castle walls.

“Speak, my lady.”

“If the gods favor Trison, why did they inflict such a tragedy on the people of that land?”

After the man, born a crown prince but never a king, suddenly died, Trison, plunged into grief, had to welcome a new lord. A twelve-year-old boy who lost his parents and brother all at once. A child who shut the castle gates tight and hid deep within the mansion. The world gave the new lord of the South a pitiful nickname.

The Reclusive Light. The Unfortunate Boy Lord.

“The gods sometimes do things we cannot understand,” Holtman replied with a benevolent face.

“They often do things that are beyond human comprehension.”

It was the best answer and the best comfort a priest could offer.

Mendel Castle, befitting a Duke’s residence, was built as a sturdy fortress. Unnecessary furnishings or ornate decorations were not the Hayes family’s style.

Lancelot, in particular, had such old-fashioned tastes that he would frown if even the carpets or curtains had the slightest bit of extra embellishment. His wife, Marilyn, was not the type to pursue trends against her husband’s wishes.

The Honorable Hayes. The lordly family of Mendel was always called that.

“Are the gifts for Trison ready?”

The old woman reclining in a large armchair blinked. Her thin lips were smiling, but her cloudy eyes did not move. Lorelia, sitting on a chair in front of her, gently massaged the wrinkled hands and replied.

“Yes, Grandmother. I’ve chosen only the finest products from our territory. Wine, ermine furs, silverware, things like that.”

“What about the bows? Our craftsmen’s bow-making skills are the best on the continent.”

“Of course, I packed them. Father will give them directly to the Duke. I heard Duke Pervrante enjoys archery very much.”

As Lorelia answered, the old woman nodded with satisfaction. Catherine Hayes, the Duke’s mother, had lost her sight to old age about three years ago.

“The Duke shoots arrows very far. My godfather told me that Trison Mansion is so large that there’s an archery range even in the garden? The archery range in the training grounds wasn’t long enough for Duke Pervrante, so they built a separate one just for him in the mansion.”

“Is that so?”

“The Duke is also a very good rider, Grandmother. And there’s a very large kennel at the mansion, because the lord loves dogs and takes care of them himself. He must be a very kind person to love animals so much.”

“Is that so? But Laurel…”

“Yes, Grandmother?”

“What happened to Sir Lippert? I’ve been waiting for you since morning, wondering about that.”

Lorelia giggled as she massaged her grandmother’s hand. Sir Lippert was the protagonist of the storybook she was currently reading aloud. Every day, Lorelia read to her blind grandmother.

Although Catherine’s maids could also read, Lorelia never missed a day. Catherine Hayes’s beloved granddaughter had always been like this. Lorelia always wanted to make people happy.

“Well, what do you think happened?”

“Child, don’t tease me and read it to me quickly. Isn’t it about time Sir Lippert met Princess Arona?”

Lorelia chuckled and exchanged glances with the maid beside her grandmother. The elderly maid nodded and handed her the book with a pleased expression. Lorelia carefully placed the dried flower marking her place on the table, cleared her throat, and began to read.

“And so, Sir Lippert finally reached the witch’s castle. The grey castle, shrouded in mist, was gloomy, covered in moss and cobwebs. However, the sword of a valiant knight truly shines in the darkness.”

Lorelia read the book in a comforting voice. When the knight spoke, she deepened her voice like a man, and when the princess spoke, she recited as if singing. She imitated the page’s boisterous tone, making her grandmother and the maid laugh.

Even after finishing a chapter, Lorelia didn’t stop. She persistently read the next chapter, and the one after that. She finally read to the part where the knight, having rescued the princess trapped in the witch’s castle, returned safely to the kingdom and held a grand wedding ceremony.

If she left the castle tomorrow morning, she wouldn’t be able to read to her grandmother for a while. So Lorelia read until the characters in the story found happiness. Praying that her grandmother would also be happy while she was gone.

“I’ll read the epilogue when I get back.”

“I’m glad it’s a happy ending.”

“I like this kind of ending too. They lived happily ever after, that kind of ending.”

Catherine, listening to her granddaughter’s clear voice, smiled softly. Her hair, as white as cotton.

“Happiness is like youth. When you have it, it feels eternal, but once it’s gone, you realize it was all just a fleeting moment.”

Her unseen blue eyes searched the air.

“So, child, enjoy it to the fullest. Both happiness and youth. They will disappear much faster than you think.”

The old woman spoke affectionately and raised the hand resting on her lap. Lorelia clasped those bony, warm hands with both of hers. The old woman caressed her granddaughter’s small, soft face, then slowly kissed her cheek. The sweet scent of youth.

“Lorelia. My lovely child. Have a safe journey.”

Lorelia kissed her grandmother’s cheek in return, then placed the dried flower in the bookmarked page of the happy ending.

“I’ll be back, Grandmother.”

After speaking, she rose gracefully from her chair. She gave a respectful curtsy to her blind grandmother and turned around. Catherine Hayes listened to her granddaughter’s footsteps until they faded away completely. The golden scent of marigolds, overflowing from a vase, filled the air.