In a few days' time, we would begin our journey to the capital, Megara, to meet the emperor for my appointment as governor of Damask. Though there was a slight problem.

Both Sekh and Zeph were completely lacking suitable dresses for the balls and parties that we would likely attend in the capital. While it was understandable that a commoner, especially one who had been briefly indentured, would not have such clothing, it seemed that the runaway noble didn’t bother packing a dress. Not that I would blame her. 

“Well we could just not attend,” Sekh suggested offhandedly. “After all, it makes more sense if only you and Minerva go to events like that, since I’m lowborn and Zeph doesn’t like that type of environment very much.”

“I can understand Zeph’s case,” I answered. “But I don’t want to leave you out just because of your social status. If you don’t want to go because you don’t like it then I won’t stop you. But I want you to at least choose whether you want to go or not based on actual enjoyment.”

“I’m not sure if I’m really suited for those events though,” Sekh mumbled, averting her gaze from me. 

Frowning, I walked over towards the uncharacteristically nervous leopard girl and gave her a few pats on the head, a hesitant smile appearing on her face. 

“You don’t have to worry so much about that. Minerva and I will do our best to help you during the actual events. And we can also help you with etiquette beforehand.”

“I…I appreciate it,” she replied back, looking a bit more invigorated than before. “Especially if you’re so insistent on the matter.”

“Well I want you to have the chance to experience something new,” I told her. “And besides, I want to show you off, just a bit.”

Hearing this, Sekh’s face glowed with delight as she practically skipped towards me to plant a kiss on my cheek.

“Then I’ll make sure to look my best.”

As for actually getting Sekh a dress, it would be best to wait until we arrive in the capital. Not only are the artisans there more talented, but they also work quite a bit faster. And if Zeph decides to change her mind, then she could order one there as well. 

For the next few days, Minerva and I spent much of our time organizing the necessary supplies and personnel for our journey. Apart from that, I made sure to buy gifts for Mikhael and the others, which amounted to 4 solidi in total. Though I ended up paying only half that number due to Sekh and Minerva insisting that they chip in for gifts. Of course I prepared an item for the emperor as well, a wonderfully decorated knife of Damask steel that was among the jewels of the city’s armory. Though I wonder how he’s going to deal with me in regards to the equipment I borrowed from him the last time we talked. 

The last bit of my and Minerva’s preparation was assigning work to our subordinates while we would be absent from the city. So once we were finished briefing the necessary individuals, the journey to Megara could finally commence. 

The morning sun had barely begun cresting the horizon when our party had left the northern gate of the city. While Sekh was resting in a carriage, still half asleep, the other three of us started the journey on horseback. Accompanying us were a dozen mounted soldiers and two carriages filled with servants. A necessary addition to keep face at court as well as a good deterrent for trouble on the road. Though it is an inconvenience for my more intimate distractions during the trip. 

Each time we passed a village on our way to Synon we would make sure to have a brief talk with the settlement’s representative as well conduct a survey of the area. It was a good way to use time that would otherwise be spent letting our horses rest, with the benefit of garnering useful information. And to our delight, the recent mass suppression of outlaws and beasts had notably improved the safety of the region, though the infrastructure still needs improvement.

Fortunately for me, Minerva took this opportunity to shine. While I talked to the various elders and council leaders of the villages, my ever reliable partner would come along to take notes and ask additional questions if needed. After which, she would spend her time mulling about, drawing up all sorts of possible solutions and the potential costs, risks, and benefits of such proposals. And the only compensation she asked for were a few kisses and a date. 

Upon arriving in the city of Synon, I made visiting the local Doux my first order of business. 

But our meeting was little more than a short talk with excess ceremony. Through the overly minty tea, I learned that Synon was making a slow but steady recovery. Previously ruined farmland is being recovered at a reasonable pace, the people slowly becoming more self-sufficient in regards to food. And the recent clearing of Damask’s roads allowed for more goods to flow in from the south so trade has been making some improvement. The only issue seems to be the difficulty in clearing beasts from the forests in the area, but the Doux assured me that the local government simply needed time to resolve the matter. Still, I made sure that he knew that I could be relied upon in case the situation proved more arduous than expected. 

Since we were staying the night in Synon, the Doux extended his hospitality to us, providing room and board, food, as well as other accommodations. It wasn’t something to be denied. For one, it’s common etiquette for those in a governing position to provide hospitality for important visitors. And secondly, the Doux of Synon wanted to repay me for increasing trade to his region due to my efforts in clearing Damask’s roads. The man seems to lack good taste, so a night’s stay was probably the best repayment I could get out of him. 

Simply staying the night in Synon was all it took to turn an uneventful day into an eventful one. During our mealtime, a certain silver haired elf decided to not only plop down on my dinner table, but plant a small kiss on my cheek. 

Sekh immediately thrust a hand into the air with her thumb jutted towards the ceiling. 

“Nice one. It took a while, but my compliment remains nonetheless.”

I turned over to Sekh, a mischievous smile having cropped up on my face. 

“What do you mean by that? I don’t remember her doing anything. Maybe it would help if she could repeat it.”

While Sekh held her hand over her mouth to stifle the outpour of mirth, Minerva stood up, pouted, then gave me another quick peck. 

“This is embarrassing, you know?”

Glancing around the room, I could see that the other people present were sending curious gazes towards our table, though no signs of disapproval were present. 

“Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to make sure that the other people here got a good show. Afterall, that was your plan, right? To announce our relationship in a fairly chaste way so you could escalate things when you feel like it.”

The oh so precious elf went red to the ears upon hearing the last part, but bobbed her head in agreement nonetheless. And although the rest of the room seemed quite intrigued by the matter, none of them decided to pose a question, either due to reluctance or redundancy. 

But later that night as we were retiring for the night, Minerva only gave me a parting kiss before entering her own private room. Disappointing, but it was to be expected. For now, she seems to prefer a slower approach. 

We departed early the next day, only sparing time to eat breakfast and check on our belongings. At this point, the road to Megara is pretty much directly west, with a bit of a slant northwards. And while the roads would be fairly bumpy and poorly developed until we got closer to the Aeolian heartland, it was still far faster than going to Jericho to use the more developed roads.  

The area from Synon to the previous border between Stygia and the Iasor empire consists mostly of wooded hills. And scattered throughout the countryside were various agricultural estates. 

Four days after we left Synon, we neared one such estate. It was a fairly ordinary wood and brick manor built atop a hill, with a sizeable apple orchard surrounding it. Within a kilometer or so of the estate, our group was approached by a wealthy looking farmer and his retinue of indentured servants. 

It was a brief exchange of words between him and I. The man had recognized our group by the small standard that we kept flying over us. And so he decided to take the opportunity to try to sell us cider produced from his orchard. I took the offer of course, paying a total of three denarii so everyone in our party could have a drink, with a few extra jugs for the rest of our journey. 

Once the farmer came back with the requested beverage, our group quickly found a clearing to settle down and enjoy our drinks. The taste was a slightly sour, but notably sweet flavor, the brilliant apple scent permeating my mouth as the liquor washed down my throat. 

My companions seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. Minerva and Sekh were steadily gulping down their drinks while Zeph was taking meek but satisfied sips. 

“Now this is what I miss,” Sekh remarked after downing her jug, a bit of liquid still on her lips. “Traveling around with Azel to new places, trying out all sorts of food, and-”

“There’s some on your mouth,” I interrupted before unabashedly licking it off her lips. 

Sekh merely giggled in response and kissed me on the lips before drawing back with a wide smile on her face. 

“Just when I was going to mention the flirting. Well, there’s a reason I saved it for last.”

“I think there’s a certain pleasure of living as a traveler,” Zeph added while staring at the broad horizon, evidently trying to shift the discussion. “All sorts of new sights to take in, a myriad of unknown experiences, and very little to chain you down.”

With eyebrows furled, Minerva issued the important question before Sekh or I could voice it.

“So how come you’re settled down with us?”

Turning back to face us, Zeph spoke confidently, but with a noticeable blush on her face. 

“Well it’s because you guys are my dear friends. And I love doing jobs, fooling around, or just spending time in general with you all. So if I want to go on an adventure, I’d rather it be with you three than by my lonesome.”

I didn’t expect such a heartfelt answer from Zeph of all people. And neither did Minerva, based on the startled look that had sprouted on her face. But of course, Sekh seized the moment to launch herself onto Zeph, giggling while her victim could do little more than blush. 

Taking the opportunity, I pulled Minerva and grabbed the already tangled Sekh and Zeph to form a messy group hug. 

“I’m also glad that I met everyone here,” Minerva added. “Even in the fairly short time that we’ve known each other, you’ve all become irreplaceable people to me. And I hope that our time together only grows sweeter as the years pass on.”

“Geez, looks like I’m the last to confess,” I remarked while nuzzling my cheek against Minerva’s. “Uh I love all of you. Please marry me. Not you Zeph. We can work something out later.”

Around that point, the four of us tumbled over into the grass, our empty jugs of cider rolling about with us.

As for the rest of the people accompanying us, they were also busy drinking and guffawing with each other. The ones that had noticed us gave warm smiles, evidently accustomed to the dynamic of our little group by this point in the journey. 

For the next five days, we journeyed across the border with the Iasor empire, steadily making our way through the idyllic Aeolian countryside.

In contrast to the almost ragged war torn landscape of Stygia and the borderlands, the fields and hills of  mid to inner Aeolia were brimming with life. Herders leading their animals, fields bearing plentiful crops, and towns bustling with business. Evidently the Stygian army had been hemmed in early during the conflict, only able to leave minor scars on the outskirts of Aeolia. 

Once we were through the more undeveloped regions, the roads transformed from simple dirt paths to stone paved routes. And once we got a bit closer to Megara, the roads there would be well maintained highways, the remnants of the great Arkadian empire to the west.

With the roads better suited for carriage travel, both Sekh, Minerva, and many others decided to take a break from riding horseback and sit in the carriage instead. As for Zeph and I, the two of us were among the few that remained on our horses, perhaps a habit from years of constant travel. 

We rode at the front of the column, still within sight but not quite within earshot. There wasn’t any reason of secrecy, just the fact that Zeph and I happened to ride faster than everyone else. 

“Hey, do you not like going to the capital?” she suddenly asked while I was gazing at a flock of chickens. 

“Why would you think that?” I said in response, my brows furrowing a bit. 

“Well you seemed a bit uncomfortable recently,” she told me. “But I can’t say for sure so I’m asking to be certain.”

“I wouldn’t say that I dislike the capital necessarily,” I answered a bit uneasily. “It would probably be better to say that I only enjoy the capital around certain people. Which shouldn’t be a problem, since you three are around.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why don’t you like Megara?” Zeph continued. “I’ve never been there, nor have I even heard anything really bad about the city.”

I shrugged a bit before answering.

“It’s not so much an issue with Megara as much as it’s a problem with most large cities. Too many overly opportunistic people. The worst part is how you can tell that they don’t see others as people, just a potential benefit.”

“That’s…not so unusual,” Zeph almost murmured, her eyes tinged with a bit of gloom. “A bit like home for me. Back home… I think it was pure luck that my parents didn’t find any marriage prospects suitable. At least before I left.”

“Were they really that picky?” I asked, prompting Zeph to nod.

“A beautiful daughter blessed with remarkable magical skill,” she answered in an outright mocking tone. “That’s what my father said. So he was insistent that I marry royalty or similar as a first wife.”

“Think it worked out somewhat for you though,” I suggested. 

Zeph chuckled a bit in response, brightening up ever so slightly. 

“Guess I could say his greed really cost him. Well, I don’t feel bad about leaving, not at all. Especially since my mother was of the same mindset as my father.”

Because the two of us were on horseback, I could only offer a conciliatory smile, the typical accompanying pat on the back quite difficult. 

“I understand that feeling. It might not be much, but we’re here for you at least.”

“That’s more than enough,” she replied warmly. “You know, it’s not as though I want much. I don’t need a dozen pretty-boys on my beck and call. I just want to have someone sweet and reliable stay by my side. Hey wait, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Didn’t take you for a romantic,” I answered with a teasing smile. “Frankly, I didn’t even believe that you were interested in men.”

Zeph just gave me a long flat stare, not breaking even when I began to laugh. 

“Maybe I should steal Sekh away from you.”

“Go ahead, it’d be amusing to watch at least,” I told her. “Though try to be persistent. Rejection will probably hit you faster than expected.”

It took a few minutes for Zeph to calm down and for the pout on her face to disappear. More importantly, Zeph doesn’t seem to hold a grudge. At least not on such a minor scale. So after waiting some more for safety, I struck up a conversation with her once more, the two of us continuing to make small talk for quite a while. 

A few more days passed as we rode further into the Aeolian heartland. Unlike the rural countryside that was almost solely populated by farms and small towns, there were multiple cities that we passed by once we neared Megara, although a majority of the cities in Aeolia are located in the western portion. Nonetheless, stone walls, bustling streets, and sizable militia patrols were not a rare sight at this point in the journey.

More importantly, we made a stop by one of these cities not only to rest, but also to send a messenger ahead to notify the imperial court that we were soon arriving. 

The result was faster than I had expected. About a two day ride from the city of Megara, we were met by a sizable group of soldiers and servants, the welcoming party. 

Right in the front of the group were very distinct riders. Three old friends and a…mutual acquaintance?