This story is part of the Wanderer series.
At the end of the hall, Blue turned back to her escort. “This should be fine enough, Kaito. You are dismissed for tonight.”
The man put his fist across his heart and dipped his head. “Very well. Good night, princess.”
Blue smiled, opening the door. “Good night.”
Inside, the room was already dimly lit. A single electric bulb in the center of the space was too weak to evenly illuminate everything. With a candle tray on the table by the door, clearly the electric bulb was meant as a supplement.
Blue glanced around. There were two small beds that looked out of place in the room. Judging from the floor matting, this was a room where its guests were meant to sleep on the floor. On the other side of the room was another door, slid open, exposing the cool night atmosphere.
Walking up to it, she found Green, leaning over the wooden railings overlooking the festive streets, decorated with glowing lanterns, even though there was no holiday to celebrate. She was still dressed in her ambassador’s robes, which swayed with the wind. Noticing Blue’s shadow, Green turned her head. She didn’t say anything as Blue approached, leaning on the balcony herself.
“How are you holding out?” Blue asked.
“Tired,” Green replied with a sigh.
She nodded. “I can understand that.” Feeling the wind against her face, Blue glanced around the vista, eyeing nearby balconies and windows, as well as any other hidden enclave.
“What about you?” Green asked, a while after Blue went silent.
“Well… I’m all right.”
“… Mm?” Green raised her head a little, staring at her friend. “You don’t sound all right.”
“Well… It’s just… you know… Yellow’s sister frustrates me a lot.”
“Ah… I mean…” Green turned her head away, back towards the horizon. “It can’t be helped. She represents their nation.”
“I do not think she has any intent in negotiating.”
“She needs to put on a strong face.”
“I think Uncle is being too soft on her,” Blue lamented. “She is shaming him in front of the other nations, even though this was a war they started.”
“…”
With the wind picking up, howling as it blew past the numerous rows of balconies, their conversation now had a thin veil to cover them.
“Are you concerned your uncle will make too many concessions?” Green spoke again.
“Maybe…” Blue began, keeping her eyes gazed outwards. “I will find some time tomorrow to talk to him about it.”
“Ah…”
Hearing her friend’s voice slowly becoming lost, Blue dipped her chin, musing for a moment, then raised her head.
“Green, you should hear this… Just between you and me.”
Straightening, Green returned her attention to Blue, eyes glimmering with concern, knowing this was a serious matter.
“There is a populace calling for him to abdicate the throne to my brother…” Blue unwittingly dropped her gaze to the wooden railing as she spoke. “And so… I believe he is losing his grip on his rule.”
“Oh…” Green thought for a while before continuing. “Is he not ready for the throne?”
“No, I think he will do fine on the throne. But he does not have any children to campaign for him.”
“Neither did your… father, though… when he rose to the throne.” She hesitated to bring up her friend’s parents.
“I know…” Blue professed. “And that was not good for him.”
Green appeared confused for a moment. “Did the empire not stop expanding its boundaries long ago?”
“Well, yes… But I speak not of conquest, but order.”
“Oh…”
“You are certain to remember the Celestial Empire is divided into regions, each controlled by a faction, yes? My brother keeps them in order, traveling throughout the empire to make sure they remain loyal to Uncle.”
“Can’t you take the place of your brother?”
She shook her head. “I acted in the shadows of my brother as he kept the other factions in line. This is not a path people will easily atone me for, as our journey proved.”
“Right…”
“And… as hard as I may try… It will not sit well with these leaders to take orders from a woman. That is just the reality.”
“… Ah…”
From the distance, a high-pitched voice shouted, catching both of their attention. Blue turned around to find, perhaps four or five balconies away from them, the source of the voice. Nozomi was leaning over the edge of her balcony and waving at them with one hand.
“Hey! Green! Blue! I can see you from here—!”
Her voice got cut off as Rin pounced on her from behind, wrapping a hand around her mouth and muffling her.
“Hey, hey! Don’t shout like that!” they heard her scold.
Nozomi struggled to get her face out of her friend’s grip. “Hey! You don’t need to grab me like that!”
“Then stop yelling!”
“You’re yelling too!”
Green smiled as she watched them bicker. “How does she always seem to have so much energy?” she said to herself.
“The world is just a playground to her,” Blue chuckled, then sighed. “She cannot take anything seriously.”
“I would differ,” Green refuted, turning back to Blue, who glanced back in surprise. “She has changed a lot since you last saw her.”
Looking back in the direction of their friends, Blue flashed a glance of doubt, then shrugged. “You are not the first to say so.”