Chapter 72: The voice of the young man was firm and earnest, yet restrained...
Formal diplomacy between countries requires many ceremonial steps.
Even though the "etiquette" of the Moonlit Continent is far less developed than that of the Blue Star, there is no custom of burning incense and bathing except for weddings and sacrifices, and one must report in advance to the monarch.
Following the most formal procedure, Eleanor should have sent an entire scroll of parchment through official channels before departing, politely inquiring with lavish flattery, "Does Your Majesty have the time? We need to come here to discuss such and such matters."
Belair would certainly not refuse, and relevant officials or even the king himself would reply with a warm letter: "Nolana and our country are important trading partners and allies, we have such and such a history - in short, you are welcome to come and visit."
Eleanor then needed to prepare the letter of credence and rare gifts, and select intelligent and respectable companions, before the group set off for Florence in a grand procession.
Remember to leave very clear traces at every point along the way to show that we are a professional diplomatic team, not spies... although that is often the same thing.
Even after arriving in Felix, you can't just run down to the palace and knock on the door.
Unless there are particularly important matters, one must first contact the local high-ranking noble in charge of diplomacy, get along with them as friends for a period of time, and then have them relay the message.
The Queen will choose an auspicious day—primarily one when she is available—to summon you and your team. In keeping with Belle’s love of theater and feasts, it will likely be a rather busy evening.
The above is just the standard procedure, but Eleanor has never gone through the standard procedure with the King of Baelai in her three lifetimes.
For reasons unknown, she directly contacted the minister in charge of foreign affairs through the chamber of commerce—who was also the president of another chamber of commerce.
For reasons unknown, the other party delivered the letter to King Belai at top speed.
What a coincidence! Perhaps things just happen that way. Queen Belle is quite free today and happens to be hosting a banquet for her guests...
In short, when Eleanor and her entourage settled into the inn, before the sun had completely set, a letter from the royal family arrived.
The messenger and she exchanged glances, both looking embarrassed: This is too hasty, why is King Belle in such a rush? Usually, one has to be reserved for a few days first.
But this was exactly what Eleanor wanted; she was hoping all the major events would erupt within six days.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty. We will arrive on time."
Her Highness adopted a composed expression, extended both hands to receive King Belai's letter, and saw the messenger out the door.
"Your Highness, it's actually today?"
Andra overheard this, and while addressing her as Your Highness in public, she naturally moved her legs close to Eleanor's, examining the invitation sent by King Baelai with her.
The vellum paper contained simple text written in an elegant font.
King Balai warmly welcomed the Nolanar envoys—especially Princess Eleanor of Nolanar, the wise one—to her banquet that evening.
Please believe that it will be a wonderful experience you have never had before. May our cooperation be steadfast and everlasting.
This doesn't seem like an invitation from a king to a foreign princess; it's more like a private email between two business leaders.
...Perhaps the difference wasn't as big as she thought. King Balley was being deliberately affectionate to make their first meeting seem a little informal.
In any case, Eleanor was not going to refuse this very convenient invitation.
In this way, the audience with King Belai and the murder of Andra could be arranged within the same six days.
......
Different countries have different architectural styles.
From a distance, Hetuya's royal tents stand tall in the center of the earth, resembling inverted, colorful dressing boxes.
The palace in Norlana is white and gold in color, resembling a castle from a fairy tale, with exquisite gardens and corridors interspersed throughout each section.
As for Belair... it's like building blocks.
Narrowness and smallness became a distinctive style in Flü, and the architects considered stacking heights from the very beginning in order to make the most of the space.
Belle's skilled craftsmen painted different colors on the surfaces of the palaces, assembling them like Lego bricks to create a colorful set of buildings.
It sits atop the seashell of Emerald, like a dazzling pearl.
Eleanor and Andra are now standing inside a blue "block".
The Belial before them was bowing and smiling obsequiously, but Eleanor remained unmoved.
"No need, we brought our own clothes."
As soon as the princess finished speaking, Heidi and the others came over carrying several boxes.
Coral walked up to the box, lifted the top lid, and tilted it slightly.
A stream of moonlight flowed gently, and the thin silk and the snow-like shawl were intricately interwoven. The rubies and sapphires sparkled under the light, refracting the light into countless stars.
The gowns brought by the Norlana people are breathtaking and would never be out of place at any banquet.
Even so, the Belaine confidently grabbed the red cloth on the coat hanger and pulled it open—
The lights suddenly dimmed.
Once the pearlescent sheen on the iris faded, everyone could see that it was a rather elaborate ice-blue gown, styled in the voluminous fishtail style that Belle was currently trending.
Its waistline is cinched and its hips are open. The lower part of the legs uses layered fabric to create the undulating layers of petals and waves, while the feet are like the impromptu brushstrokes of a master painter, outlining an impressionistic fish-shaped train.
Even without considering the craftsman's unparalleled skill and the countless hours and effort spent sewing it.
Just by looking at the pure gemstone on the chest of the dress, the waistline, and the round, bright pearls at the hem, one can tell that this must be a custom-made gown by King Belle.
This is terrifying! Eleanor's people all turned pale: Do you think we can't see through your little scheme?!
If Queen Belai only needed a Norlana delegation to support her somewhat flawed coronation, she should have gone through the diplomatic process with utmost restraint, allowing the envoys to prepare their credentials and gifts, and to enter with dignity through the main gate.
Instead of expressing intimacy using the etiquette of entertaining friends.
The people present weren't fools; they immediately thought of the most likely reason.
King Bale wants to marry Eleanor!
According to normal procedures, it would be difficult for the new king of Baelai to marry a queen like Eleanor—she is not only Eva's most beloved little princess, but also the only legitimate princess of Norlana.
Of all the "princess" in Norlana, only Eleanor's future child will remain in the line of succession to the throne.
Ha! Andra almost laughed in anger as she looked at the luxurious dress in front of her: How dare little King Belle covet her lover?
Unfortunately, Belial was merely a pawn on her chessboard of conquest; in her eyes, King Belial was already a dead man.
She turned her face aside, suppressing her anger and leaving the situation to Eleanor.
The little princess seemed oblivious to King Belial's unspoken thoughts. She walked up to the mermaid gown, raised her fingertips, and rubbed them in the air, glancing over the dazzling pearls.
“So beautiful…” The little princess lowered her eyes and said regretfully, “Pearls and jewels are too heavy. Thank you for King Belial’s kindness, but please believe that our Nolana’s attire is just as beautiful.”
She stood next to the clothes rack with her shoulders slightly drooping, her tilted posture making her look somewhat frail.
Anyone looking at the little princess's figure would feel that it was cruel to impose heavy things on her frail body.
The courtier sent by King Belai was a shrewd businessman.
She gave a quick glance, and the servants hurriedly lifted the jeweled coat rack and swayed it behind the curtain.
“In that case, we will not disturb you. The performance and ball will begin upon your arrival.” The courtier placed his hand on his chest and bowed respectfully.
Caroline, playing the role of a reckless Nolana noblewoman, frowned and questioned, "You mean a performance? You don't mean you want us to participate in some kind of performance, do you?!"
"Of course not, we will prepare the best theatrical performances for Her Highness the Princess - and if the Princess wishes, she can dance with our great King at the subsequent ball at any time."
The words were thrown on the ground and no one caught them, causing an immediate awkward silence.
The courtier, dressed in magnificent attire, was not embarrassed. She skipped over the previous topic and said with a smile, "Your Highness, the ball I just mentioned is a masquerade ball after the play. If you are tired, you can watch from the high platform or leave early to go back and rest."
After she finished speaking, she paused deliberately, and seeing the little princess's ambiguous smile, she smiled regretfully in return.
"Please rest assured, you are our honored guest, please do not be shy."
Queen Belle's posture was very skillful. Through her confidants, she made it clear to the Nolana people that today was not a formal diplomatic occasion, but rather a "regular social event" where close friends could leave early.
In this way, they had no reason to refuse, and Eleanor nodded demurely.
"Very well, we will not keep your king waiting." After saying that, he raised his hand as if to change his clothes.
"Yes, I will await your arrival outside the door." The handsome courtier smiled slightly, then tiptoed away with an elegant, almost dance-like movement.
Belle's servants pushed the jewel-encrusted coat racks to a corner and quietly slipped away through the door, leaving the cloud-like gowns to rest in place.
As soon as the Belai left, the Nolana people started blowing their hair and staring wide-eyed.
Coral sneered and pointed at the gowns, saying, "Your Highness, their masquerade ball today has a mythological theme!"
The selected delegation of twenty people who accompanied the little princess into the city were all nobles from Norlana, except for Andra.
If they don't want to be impolite, the Belai should send dozens of dresses that fit the mythological theme.
Eleanor and Andra are of high status, and the most polite thing to do is to provide them with at least four outfits related to the main deity or incarnation for them to choose from.
When they saw these dresses, they exclaimed, "Oh my god, what are you Belair people thinking?"
Of the thirty-odd dresses they sent, only two were related to mythological themes.
One of them is a mermaid dress that the courtiers just enthusiastically recommended to Eleanor, which should refer to Lilia, the goddess of love who descended to earth as a mermaid in the Baelian mythology.
There's also a dress that's related to the God of War.
However, the clothes were not elaborate enough, and it seemed that the person was not the God of War himself, but an ancient king who was guided by the God of War, or to put it bluntly, a servant of the God of War.
Princess Nolana plays the role of the goddess of love, while Princess Hetuya is the attendant of the god of war?
Moreover, the two are rumored to be lovers, and the god of love and the god of war are often "enemies" in mythology.
Lilia often teases Honoria or stops him from "persecuting" some of his lovers. Honoria, in turn, has killed Lilia's lovers in the mortal realm.
It just feels really strange to have a couple dancing in these clothes.
Of course, all actions can be excused by saying "You're overthinking it, I didn't think that much about it," but what King Belle did was still too conspicuous.
Everyone verbally condemned the rude King Belial while changing into the dresses the princess had brought from Norlana.
Just as Eleanor turned her back and opened her arms to let Coral drape a shawl over her shoulders, a hand gently pressed down on her shoulder.
Andra whispered against her cheek, "I promise—she won't be able to jump for long."
The young man's voice was firm and earnest, suppressing a violent flame.
Eleanor was stunned for a moment, and before Andra's handsome figure appeared, she heard a soft sob in her ear.
The cries of past lives crashed against the shore like waves, accusing the king and his army of bloody slaughter.
"We really don't dare to do it again..."
"Please, please spare me."
"My mother is dead! Why! Why won't you spare my child?!"
Andra would always stand in front of her in the face of any danger, but when the war ended, the king was unable to cover the queen's eyes.
For the sake of the merciful Angie, Anya spared the foolish commoners who had been coerced and exploited by the old king, and directly released the conscripts and slaves who had nowhere to go, allowing them to find their own food in the streets.
Eleanor and her followers were responsible for managing the small country that fell at the beginning, but she was too tired and her body and mind were slowly decaying.
As for what happened later... those countries eventually achieved a precious period of peace a few years later.
Those who survived "forgot" the suffering they had endured, because before peace arrived, they had experienced a darkness deeper than the night.
The king embraced his weary queen, smiling as he said, "My dear, don't carry those burdens on your shoulders; they are killing themselves."
Rustle, rustle.
As her consciousness gradually returned, Eleanor found Andra leading her through the corridor.
Andra's attire should be... the Yang from the Hetuya legend?
The young woman's long, golden-red hair was bathed in the lamplight. She turned around and laughed heartily, as if to say, "Leave it to me."
The main entrance to the hall opened to the two of them, and servants and guards on either side greeted them with smiles.
Her lover's strong arms were right in front of her, but Eleanor could only hear his unruly words echoing in her ears.
"Eleanor, I will become the Queen of Kings!"
——
"Hmm? I know, we really don't have enough ministers, hahaha."
——
"Then—once we defeat them, we'll go home."
"Princess Eleanor and Princess Andra have arrived—"
-----------------------
Author's note: The closer the day of killing Andra gets, the more Eleanor's mental state deteriorates.
Because Andra was a very, very good lover in his youth, the more they loved each other, the more painful it became.
Alright, the plot is about to speed up—(rubs hands vigorously)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
