A little visit to Kin

“You’re serious about this?” Katine asked.
Surely, Katine was a different queen then Regina. Where Regina could be kind and forgiving, and bend the rules in ways that was to the benefit of all, Katine was stricter and stuck to the laws of her country, that much was clear for Ruki. And she’d only met Katine the night before, when they had arrived in Kise, the capital city of Kin, the stone city.

“Yes.” Yuuro answered, bowing before his mother who sat on the golden throne, wearing her cape and crown. Ruki could not remember ever seeing Regina wear hers.
“And what does Regina think about this?” Katine asked, still not convinced of her son’s plea. Yuuro was so different from him… even from her other son, Stanno, heir to the throne. Yuuro and Stanno were much alike… kind, friendly hard working and smart. It could not be said that Katine was not hard working, but she was so… strict.

“I have a letter from my grandmother.” Ruki said, bowing before the queen.
She handed her the letter. As Katine opened it and read its contents, Ruki wondered if she should have bowed before Katine. She hadn’t seen her mother or Hikary do it… but they were in her country, in her castle after all. Why had they not taught her practical things like this, instead filling her days with history?

“I see. So Regina is okay with this.” Katine glanced at Ruki, and Ruki had to hold back the urge to take a step backwards.
“Y…yes. My grandmother gave her full consent. Yuuro has been a wonderful addition to our family and for the work my family is faced with.”
“And you, Yuuro… Do you really want to live in the Friendship Lands?”

For the first time since she met Katine, Ruki noticed a trace of emotion in the queens’ voice. It was easy to forget by the way Katine acted, but Yuuro was still her child. Of course she would miss him if he lived so far away. Ruki felt both Yuuro and Katine’s eyes on her for a moment.
“Yes, I do. I… fell in love with the country, and I feel welcomed in the royal family. I think I can assist them with my work and settle down there.”

Katine sighed deeply as she got off her throne.
“I see. I guess it can’t be helped then.” She walked towards her son and stroked his mane. “If that is truly what you want, Yuuro… I will not stop you.”
“Thank you, mother.” Yuuro said, bowing slightly.
“Make sure you keep in touch though. I would not like to lose you.” Katine said smiling slightly.
“I promise, I will keep in touch. I’ll send letters frequently and I can visit whenever I want… the journey is not that long.”

Ruki and Yuuro walked through the corridors of the castle of Kin. Ruki looked through the windows and was surprised to notice it was still only morning. It had felt as if they had been in the throne room for ages… but that couldn’t be, if it was still this early.
“What are we going to do the rest of the day?” Ruki asked. She knew her aunt and mother would discuss politics and the like with Katine, but they weren’t invited.

“Why don’t I show you around the city? It’s a lovely day, it would be a shame to waste it inside.” Yuuro offered.
“I… I’ve been here before, Yuuro. I know the city.” Ruki admitted.
“I know you have been. But did you ever really see the city? I can show you all its secrets and wonders you probably have missed.” Yuuro grinned.
Remembering her last visit to Kise, Ruki had to admit she had not seen much apart from the library and the shop she had worked in to pay for her rent.

“Well, okay then. Let me get my cloak.” Ruki dashed off towards the room she shared with her mother and grabbed her dark red cloak she had received from her grandmother before they had left. It didn’t even take her five minutes to be back downstairs together with Yuuro.
“Is it okay for us to go wandering in the city alone?” Ruki asked, recalling how they had not been allowed to do that in ZoroAster, where they were always accompanied by a guard.

“I’m sure we will be fine here.” Yuuro smiled.
“Okay. If you say so.”
 Yuuro opened the door of the castle and Ruki stepped outside in the fresh morning air. She smelled the scent of the city; freshly baked bread, wooden houses plagued by weeks and weeks of frost, countless ponies living close to each other…
“Let’s go have fun.” Yuuro smiled, and Ruki was determined to do just that.

“When do you think they will notice themselves?” Katine asked as Hikary stared out of the window over the court yard, looking at her niece and Yuuro, smiling and laughing.
“I wonder. I thought they would’ve figured it out by now. But I guess… maybe they unconsciously want to enjoy innocence for a bit longer. I suspect Ruki saw little of that.” Hikary said.

“Probably. Well, they are both young still… even though I was married at Ruki’s age. But let them enjoy their youth a little bit more. They will find out soon enough.” Katine winked.
Hikary found that she liked the queen better now that she had gotten to know her a bit more. Sure, the queen of Kin was strict and followed the law closely, but she truly loved her children and her country, and she would sacrifice everything for them if she had to.

“What about you then?” Katine asked as they watched Yuuro and Ruki leave the castle yard and enter the busy city road. “Me?” Hikary asked, bewildered.
“Yes, you. Do you have someone you fancy?”
“Ah. Well… no, to be honest. I’m simply too busy with everything… helping my mother and sister, taking care of the stones… where would I find time for a husband, or children?” Hikary replied.

Katine did not answer. She probably understood Hikary’s point well enough; life as a ruler of a country was not easy and required so much time…
“So you’re really going to do it then?” Katine asked. Once again, Hikary was lost on what the queen meant.
“Go to the far north. Climb down into the breach.” Katine added once she realized Hikary was not following her trail of thoughts.

Hikary sighed. “Yes. There is no other way. We need that stone.”
“So you believe Ruki then? Are you absolutely sure?” Katine asked, concerned.
“Yes. I saw Ruki when the stones spoke to her… I heard them talking to me too, once long ago. Once you hear their voices… I’m sure there is no way you would doubt them any longer. And I trust Ruki. Young she may be… but she’s been through way much more than she dares to tell us. She would not lie about such a thing.”

“I can not protect you there, you know.” Katine sighed.
This was a surprise to Hikary; she had asked Katine for help on their mission the evening before, and Katine had replied she would think on what way she could help them.
“Where you are going,” Katine continued, “lies beyond my borders. I have no power there. I can help you by giving you food and equipment, but beyond that there is nothing I can do.

The collapsed bridge Ruki spoke of is already beyond my border, but as of old my family has protected that area as well. But if you need to go more north than that… It’s the land where the aurora reigns and ponies have no business. It’s cold, barren, deserted. Nothing grows there and nothing lives there that will be friendly to you. I will give you clothes against the cold, for your coat alone will not be enough.” Katine sighed. Her solemn face scared Hikary; surely the northern queen knew what she was talking about. Would it truly be that bad?

They were interrupted by the door opening. Her aunt Regala entered together with Taira and Togli, who was pushing a stroller. A little girl of the age of Stelline’s twins was following her. Surely, Ingvilda resembled Katine. She had the same dark pink coat and her hair was only a shade lighter than Katine’s. The main difference was that Ingvilda had her mother’s round, blue eyes.

Little Aina, who was currently sleeping in the stroller, looked more like her parents. Dark purple hair and a dark purple coat, she was truly a mix of her father and mother. Aina was now almost a year old and loved to play with her older sister. Yesterday during dinner, Ingvilda kept throwing a ball softly, and Aina kept chasing it, giggling like only little girls can. They were truly adorable, these princesses of Kin.

“Good morning, aunt Regala.” Hikary bowed.
This was the second time she had met her aunt, but she looked so different from her own mother that it was hard to tell they were related at all. Regala, though the younger, looked older and thinner than Regina, as if she was plagued by the memories of a past best forgotten. Yet there was happiness also; Regala truly loved her daughter and granddaughters, and Katine had told her she would not spend a day without seeing them.

“Good morning, Hikary, Katine.”
“Good morning.” Ingvilda echoed her grandmother.
“Well good morning, Ingvilda. Did you have a good night’s sleep?” She asked, noticing the girl was cuddling a small plush pony.
“Yes. I was a bit tired… so mommy let us sleep longer.” Hikary recalled the children had gone to bed late the night before.
“That’s very nice of her.” Hikary winked at Togli, who giggled. “I hope you had a proper night’s rest as well.” She said.

“Yes, I certainly did. It is lovely to sleep in a proper bed for once.” Hikary replied. A maid entered the room then, who Hikary recognized as the children’s nanny.
“Shall I take them from here, my lady?” the girl asked, and Togli nodded.
“Please make sure Aina gets her lunch. She hardly ate at breakfast this morning, she was so tired.” Togli told her, and the maid nodded and took the two children. Hikary heard Ingvilda ask her nanny if she would read from “the prince and the white flower”, but she could not hear the reply from the nanny.

 Only a moment later, crown prince Stanno entered the room. Stanno surely looked more mature and grown up than his younger brother; he was more muscled and his face was sterner. Well, he was a father and the crown prince. Hikary was sure Katine forced him to grow up and accept his place, too. But Stanno did not look unhappy; on the contrary, the heir to the throne of Kin looked content and happy.

“Shall we begin our meeting then?” Katine proposed as she sat down at the head of the table. Everyone agreed and sat down, too.
“So, the subjects are the enhanced trade between our two countries and the help we are willing to offer to the mission of the princesses of the Friendship Lands to the north, am I correct?” Katine said.
“Yes, my lady. With regard to the trade, we would like to discuss our new treaty with country of Asterian in the west with you. I am sure this might benefit your country as well.” Taira added.

“Very well. Let us start first with this topic then; when we are done, we will address your mission.” Katine said. The rest of the day was spend discussing trade and politics, and at the end of the day, it was finally decided Katine would provide them with clothes, food, material to make a fire even in the coldest of nights and with blankets that would keep them properly warm.

They would depart five days from then; it would give Katine enough time to gather the materials she had offered them and it would give them some time to rest. Hikary decided she would spend that time looking up things about the far north; the more she knew the better she would be prepared for what lay ahead of them. Ruki had experience with that kind of weather from her time with the Asana Bond, or so she claimed, but neither Taira nor she had any idea what to expect.

How far north would they have to go? The stone… was it at the far end of the breach, just like the water stone that had been at the spring of the Fiume river? It was not unlikely… but it would make their journey so much harder. Who knew what would await them at the end of the world? Even the northern queen did not know… or did not want to know. But in five days, they would go and face it, for it was the only option they had if they wanted to save this world. Thinking of little Ingvilda and Aina playing with the ball, though, Hikary knew that they had to.