Freelands

IV. PHEREPHONO

▪♧▪

1. The Message

Ignorant of what his mother is going through at the Thieves' Sea. Harper woke up and walked downstairs to the palace. Lance was awake since the early morning, preparing his speech.

"Good Morning brother!" Lance says to Harper wearing a royal white robe with gold markings and a golden thick belt with saphire stones on the stamp.

"Good morning..." Harper says with a moody, sleepy voice.

Harper yawns and says to his brother
"You look... bright today, I have to say" Joking on the shine of the gold decorations of his brother's clothes.

"It is too much, isn't it?" Lance says laughing and looks at Gere who was walking in the hall...
"Gere! Please make this tired man something to drink and wake up! He has a long day ahead!" Lance says in a loud happy voice. He is excited for today's speech and his mood is really positive.

"Yes, my lord." Gere says. He bows and goes where he keeps all the herbs.

"Wasn't yesterday long enough?" Harper says to Lance while rubbing his eyes and sitting on the first step of the stairs.

"Every day now will be a long one, brother." Lance says

"When will our great future king speak?" Harper asks ironically

"Hahaha. On the midday. I will speak and later we two will take a rich dinner and after that I need to speak to some people, including you, for our future plans... We've left this city unattended for too long I believe." Harper says

Gere returns from his room and gives Harper a small silver cup with sage, as Lance ordered him and got in the conversation.

"... don't forget, lord Lance, you have a wife proposal from a kingdom... 6 days before your corronation already! Imagine how many are to follow."

"Do we know from which kingdom?" Lance asks in interest.

"Sadly, I don't know yet... All I know is that one ambassador of some kingdom will visit you after your speech..." Gere answers

"Isn't it too early for Lance to choose a wife? Usually proposals are offered after the king wears the crown..." Harper says

"Indeed, lord Harper. I don't know why is that... I guess we have to meet the ambassador to know better." Gere answers to Harper's question

"What I do know is that, by coming this early, he has to propose something really serious and important..." Gere says to Lance and looks at him on a quite worried face.

"Oh come on Gere, the only kingdom of the Freelands who have something "serious" going on are the Coshaqs! They will propose to marry Wildwind's ugly daughter and help him fighting the Volcas. I can't believe Father really allied with those idiots..." Lance answers to Gere's concerns.

"I don't know my lord... I just have a bad feeling about the ambassador's deniance to reveal where he comes from..." Gere answers

"Well then, as you said, we will know when we meet him..." Lance says noding with his shoulders.

"But for now you two should wear your best clothes and get ready for a big day which future king Lance Hail the third, protector of Hierydor,grand priest of Father Ice, religious leader of the Freelands and King of the Iceborn, talks to his people for the first time." He continued.

"You almost gave me goose pumps..." Harper says, sipping his sage and bursting out laughing.

"Dress up, idiot... They will think you are a dead man walking with your skinny body on display!" Lance says to Harper while laughing.