Eve of Celebration

Snow-capped mountains make way for a grey stone wall. Beyond that black metal gate, Yve awaits.
Our driver stops, and in expected fashion, a face appears at the window. It's a young-looking guy, nervous and out of his element. Feana smiles and waves politely, to which the guard bows and runs off.
With the soon-to-be-Queen inside, we crossed the border as if it were a mundanity.

"I'm surprised there was no one waiting for us."
"They're at the next checkpoint. It'd be rude to bother someone while they're trying to cross the border, would it not?"
"Huh... I guess so."

The princess raises her voice to Sera's dad. "Was there only one individual staffed here?"
"Huh!?" he calls back, taking a second to respond. "Yeah, looked like it!"
Feana gazes off to the gate we just passed. Whatever thoughts she has, she keeps them to herself.

There is, however, a couple of other people nearby. They wear clothes similar to Ms. Tsa's. Sera's dad speaks to them briefly, looks back to where Ms. Tsa should be (I can't see her from inside) and then steps to the side.
This must be where we switch drivers. Ah, there's another carriage over there. It actually looks better condition than ours!

"I hope he gets back to the village safely."
"He shall. Of that, I'm certain."
"Those animals from before won't attack him?"
"He's a skilled driver supported by a well-built carriage. Besides, the animals will soon flee."

I wonder what she means? Why would-

BANG!
Fireworks fill the sky.

Hustle and bustle come into view. As soon as it does, music begins to sound through the area, and voices begin to cheer. A celebration of Feana's return...
Does this really make it harder for assassins to get to her?
I think back to every assassination I've ever heard about. Yup, all of them were at a time like this. Maybe I only know about them because they were so public, though... and that could be the point. Feana's prepared to die, knowing the assassins would be captured and identified in an instant.
I grip the database of death in my hand. Though a celebration plays beyond the window, I'm far too tense to take any of it in.

And yet, no such assassination ever comes. Not as we pass through the first checkpoint. Not as we pass through the next, nor the one after that, nor when we arrive into Yve proper.
The stress of being on guard for the entire 2-hour drive—made slow as to accommodate the crowds—is absolutely draining. After this, I have a sudden appreciation for what Ms. Tsa and Sera's mom do for a living, that's for sure.

◇ ◇ ◇

After eventually making it to the city, my time in all this comes to a brief pause. Even if Feana asserts that I'm a diplomat of Yve, it won't hold much weight to the people currently pulling the country's strings, so rather than try to push it in order to get me in highly confidential talks, we chose to avoid being so needlessly suspicious. I probably won't understand most of what they discuss, and Ms. Tsa will be there.

To give me a bit less worry, I decided to give the database of death to Ms. Tsa. I considered keeping it because, really, the princess could run off with it and backstab me. I don't think she would, but it's a possibility I can't blindly ignore...
For some reason, my heart felt less heavy when I thought about giving it to Ms. Tsa instead of Feana, so that's what I did. I could try and pinpoint a reason for why I feel that way, but... I don't know if I can...

At a guess, I'd say it's the difference between a leader and a citizen; no matter how friendly my interactions with Feana may get, she always has to wear the image of a royal.
Ms. Tsa, on the other hand, is a simple guard at the end of the day. She's been put into an important position, but a guard is what she lives as. Even so, she often drops her guard when we're together, so despite a slight language barrier, I can feel the warmth in her during those moments.

All of that is to say, I gave up quite an important thing in order to keep those two safe. That may end up being a mistake, but I'd rather believe in the kindness of the people I like than the darkness of an unknown future.
One certainty is that I'm far less defended, but... I'm a nobody, so I'd never be a target of assassins. Even if I were, I wouldn't be able to react fast enough to defend myself, even if I had the cube. I saw how fast they moved when we were in Lann. I'd be a goner either way.

Before we parted, Ms. Tsa gave me a few coins and a ring that shone red. "Proof of life", she called it. The red gem reminds me of the crystal upon Feana's tiara, so I take it to mean it's a proof of lifestyle, or of status. Something to show if I ever need to prove my status. That sort of thing.

So while the rest of the city gossips excitedly about the princess's return, I retreat to somewhere quiet, eager to take a nap. I'm done being a guard for a woman whose mere existence can change the world. That lifestyle's too difficult for me!
The fate of a country depending on a single person is just unreasonable, if you ask me. I guess it's cool that an individual can have the potential to cause such change, human agency and all that, but...
A normal life is so much nicer.

In a walled-off public garden, I rest my head (and the rest of me) by occupying one of the many vacant benches. It's a tranquil place, city noise aside. There's a small stream to focus my ears on. The sky above is a gentle light blue.
The surrounding buildings are partly visible, especially the tall ones. They're largely built using the same stone as the checkpoints we passed through: dark and grey. Even the pointed roofs are tiled with the same tone, though probably a different material that's styled to match.
If the skies were stormy, it might look like the kind of city Dracula would lurk around in, but in calm daylight, it's a soothing place to be. It reminds me of some places in Europe I visited in the past...

I remember when my little sister, who was very young at the time, paused before a large church. I was a kid, so those buildings were always a bit imposing, but she was tiny, so it must've looked even taller to her.
With a vacant expression, she stared up at it. Did she feel wonder? Was it dread?
My dad turned around upon catching that she had stopped walking. He warned her that if she didn't eat her ice cream fast, it'd melt. I don't think she was listening.
Instead, she asked him...

"Why is that building so big?"

I don't remember what answer he gave... It was probably a silly one. What I do remember, though, is thinking... man, kids will ask anything. It's not like the answers matter to us, but we're still curious enough to question everything.

Maybe that memory is why, looking at this unfamiliar city from a sectioned-off area of nature, I find myself wondering...

"Why are these buildings so big?"

It's not like the answer matters to me, but...
...
I want to go back...
No no no, that's not where that thought was going! Damnit, now I'm getting all nostalgic!

A normal life is so much nicer, but in this world, I can't afford to have such a thing.
Being busy keeps me distracted.
Doing important things may lead me home.
This city, like those I saw in Europe, is just another place that I'm visiting.

...okay, but seriously... Why is that building so big? I know it's not the palace; Feana described that to me and I know it's further north. Is it a church? Do they have religion in this world? I mean, I know about a handful of gods, but do people actually practice faith here, or are those just old stories that people enjoy repeating?
It might not even be a church. It could be... a school, maybe. A museum? That'd be cool.

"Well now I have to know..."

My tired body slouches up from the bench and I give up on drifting into a nap.
We may as well explore the city a bit while we're here. I'm a tourist, after all. It'd be rude to not see the sights!

Without much awareness, I begin, once again, to distract myself from the slow march of time.