They entered the cold city and moved through its crowded streets. Their destination was the Roser house. They took the main road and soon reached the city centre. It was quite busy. Security forces and citizens were moving about. Felmer's horse stood still, and Felmer looked around. He had forgotten the way. He had not been in this city for 10 years.
"The captain of the ship has forgotten the way…" Melfer commented as he looked at the confused prince.
"I am here after 10 years. So, of course, the city has changed a lot in that time."
A security guard looked at the confused foreigners and walked up to them. He stood still, saluted and asked.
"Lost, young man?" He asked in the local accent of Lingis.
"Ugh…Yes…" Felmer turned and replied.
"Where do you wanna go?"
"We are looking for the house of the Roser family."
"Hmm…Roser, the stone masons?" The guard asked.
"Yes…Them…"
"Hmm…" The guard began to think. "Go straight from here, take the right on Fifth Street and then you will find it there. Their shop is right beside their house. So it is prominent in that area."
Felmer nodded and thanked the guard. "Thanks for helping…"
"You from Cerfis? Nobility?" The guard asked.
"Ugh…Yes…How do you know?" Felmer was slightly confused.
"The little flag on the horse…" The guard pointed.
"Oh…Yeah…I am Felmer Gorbin." Felmer had forgotten.
The guard immediately understood from the word Gorbin. He understood that he was the prince of Cerfis. Though he didn't know that Felmer wasn't a prince anymore.
"Safe travels…" The guard said and walked away.
They followed the instructions, and after riding down Fifth Street, they arrived at the shop of a stone mason. It was closed. They tied their horses nearby and then stood in front of the house of the Rosers. Felmer extended his hand and knocked.
He heard footsteps, and then a woman opened the door. She was the sister of Emilia, Emily Roser. She instantly recognised him.
"Oh…Felmer!" She exclaimed and hugged him.
Felmer laughed and hugged back. Then she turned towards Flexin and Benny. Elna came forward, opened her arms and hugged Emily.
"I am Captain Irnik. Captain of the Cerfisian Military." The captain introduced himself.
Emily nodded and smiled.
"Come inside…C'mon, it is cold outside," Emily said.
They entered and went to the living room. They put off their coats and cloaks and stood.
"Asfal! Come here! Felmer and the others are here!" Emily announced.
"What? THEY!?!" He shouted from his room and came outside.
"Oh!! Felmer!" Asfal exclaimed and hurriedly hugged Felmer.
Felmer laughed again and hugged him tightly. Asfal was his elder cousin. 5 years older than Felmer. Asfal then greeted the rest. The two of them stood and looked at Melfer. They had heard about him in the letters, but they were meeting for the first time.
"This is Melfer. The adopted brother." Felmer introduced him.
"Oh…So, you are Melfer." Asfal said, and tightly jerked Melfer's hand.
Emily gestured for them to sit down, but then they suddenly heard someone come down the stairs. A girl, the same age as Felmer, with a cute face, right eye coloured emerald and the left eye coloured light blue, came down the stairs. She was wearing a long pink coat over her red clothes.
"Why are you all shouting so much? I am trying to read a book."
She was Lelis Mifi. She is an orphan. She lost her parents in a landslide at the age of 4. As the Roser family and the Mifi family were close, they let Lelis stay in their house
"Ah…You came yourself. We have guests." Emily said and pointed at the squad.
Lelis instantly recognised Elna, Flexin, and Benny. She smiled and ran towards them. Felmer stood in shock as he saw his fiancé forget him and run past him. Asfal and Melfer chuckled, and Emily stood stunned as well. The captain looked away to hide his smile.
"I missed you so much, sister Elna!" Lelis said happily.
"I missed you as well," Elna replied. "You have grown a lot."
Then Lelis met Flexin and Benny. The captain introduced himself and shook her hand. Lelis met him happily as well, and then she turned towards the two elder brothers. Felmer stood still, his right hand forward. Lelis confusingly and nervous, shook his hands.
'Soft hands…' Felmer thought and smiled from inside.
"Who…Are you?" Lelis asked.
The question hit Felmer like a spear piercing his body. He slightly coughed and then spoke.
"I am Felmer…Forgot me?" He was sad and shocked.
Lelis immediately remembered him, the day he confessed and the letter. She pulled back her hand and got nervous.
"Oh…Felmer…You have changed." She smiled nervously.
"Of course I am…I was 8 when we last met…I am 18 now," Felmer cried.
Lelis nodded and then looked at Melfer.
"I am Melfer. I am sure you have heard about me in the letters mother sent." Melfer introduced himself again.
"Yes…I heard about you…" She smiled back.
Then, she walked up to Emily and stood beside her. Then all of them sat down, and Emily placed water and hot tea on the table.
'Huh? Seriously?' Felmer was still shocked that Lelis forgot him.
"So what brought you here suddenly? And where are your parents?" Emily asked.
"Well…A lot of things happened…" Melfer said.
Felmer drank the water and then took a sip of the tea. He sat straight and looked at the hosts. He was going to explain everything. He told them everything, from the badge quest to the betrayal of Raftin. And each word left the hosts shocked and confused. Emily, especially, became worried about her sister.
"Well…Hence, the reason we suddenly arrived on your doorstep." Felmer completed his explanation.
Emily got up and went to the kitchen. Elna followed her to help with the chores.
"Then…What are you going to do now?" Lelis asked him.
"Stay here for some time. Get some rest… And then look for the remaining jewels." Felmer replied.
"The world is huge…" She followed.
"The jewels are known all around the world. Your father and our king were fast friends back then. Maybe you can take some help from him." Asfal gave an idea.
Lelis got up and went to the kitchen.
"I will try," Felmer said, sighing and stretching his arms. "Asfal…Where is uncle?"
Asfal stopped rocking back and forth and then looked here and there. Felmer leaned forward, folded his hands and placed his head on them. He stared at Asfal.
"He…Went with some workers to mine new rocks."
Felmer stared more intensely.
"And you are here…Sitting idly,"
"I have work here." Asfal shot back.
"Slacking off and sleeping…" Felmer followed fast.
Lelis came and handed a plate of rice to Felmer.
"I told him the same. He is a lazy ass…" Lelis commented.
"See? See? People agree with me." Felmer said, pointing at Lelis and himself. "Age is 23 and can't help in breaking rocks."
"What did you break?" Asfal asked.
"Bones of every enemy I met," Felmer said proudly.
Asfal sighed and leaned back. Felmer relaxed his body and ate the rice. The rest of them ate the rice, and then a soldier came. He knocked, and Melfer headed for the door, stopping Lelis. The king, Thordisk, was calling Felmer.
"Oh, C'mon! Can't I relax for a bit?" Felmer complained, picking up his coat and sword.
"Want me to come with you?" Melfer asked.
"No…Relax. I am not introducing to the whole kingdom."
"Fine…"
Felmer untied his horse and left for the palace with the soldier. Moving through the busy city, they arrived at the palace.
It was a huge building, surrounded by three walls and then another tall layer and then the palace. Behind it was a mountain. There were twelve towers and only one gatehouse. A perfect fortress.
Two royal guards welcomed him and led him to the king. Walking through the big corridors, they arrived at the Grand Hall. The guards took Felmer's sword and opened the gate. The hall was vast and beautiful. A red carpet began at the door and led to the throne. On the throne sat the king of the Kingdom of Russin-Solvo, Thordisk Rofo, and stood near him his one and only son, Thesin Rofo.
Felmer walked on the carpet and stopped halfway. He looked at the king and nodded. Thordisk got up from his throne and walked up to Felmer. He extended his hand to him. Felmer shook it and smiled.
"Welcome back, Felmer…10 long years." The king said happily.
"Yes, sir…" Felmer replied awkwardly.
"Drop the sir. You are a prince yourself. And a king whose throne was stolen. We know what happened in Cerfis last night." Thordisk said and went back to his throne and sat.
"How you…" Felmer was confused.
"The Cerfisian messengers were faster than you."
Felmer understood and looked at the king.
"Before you ask. We can't give you refuge. Your current king said that harbouring the prisoners of Cerfis is war against Cerfis." He stopped and exhaled. "We recently fought a war with Tarmil, and we both know how superior Cerfis is to us. Although we have guns, still. We have a mere number of 50 thousand, and your country has nearly a hundred thousand."
Felmer nodded and looked down. He couldn't argue. Felmer knew the facts.
"Though I can help you with one thing."
Felmer looked up and stared at the king.
"If my memory serves me right, a jewel is in Germaiyin."
Felmer's eyes opened widely. He was shocked and amazed.
"Our spies are good. Moreover, the historic deal they made with Falvaria is unforgettable. Falvaria bought peace by selling the jewel."
Felmer looked at Thordisk and smiled. The information was enough for him.
"Thank you…I will keep that in mind." Felmer replied.
"I am not telling you to leave right now. But you can't stay here for long. A week at maximum." Thordisk said.
"Thank you for the information. You have helped me enough." Felmer said, and then he left the hall.
Felmer took back his sword and then walked out of the palace. He rode his horse and headed back to the Roser house.