Taste of Magic: Ambassador's Voice

Chapter 215 – Ice and Memories

Melina gasped as she saw the sheet flutter to the ground, revealing the ice statue underneath. It was a life-sized ice statue of Sienna in her wyvern form. It portrayed her in a mighty pose—wings stretched out high while icy flames came from her mouth, made from colored red ice.

"That's Sienna!" Melina exclaimed in awe. But bitterness quickly took over her as she was acutely aware that Sienna was not by her side.

"You don't like it?" Alistair fussed, and all of the drow and Milo looked worried.

"Did I get it wrong?" Milo asked nervously. "I asked Adrien for a drawing of Sienna, but I did have to take a few artistic liberties."

"No, no, it's not that. The sculpture is great," Melina said, trying to reassure them. "I just miss her…"

"Oh…" Alistair said, pulling her into a gentle hug.

"I don't think Sienna is this ferocious, though," Charlotte objected. "She bakes cakes and pastries, not spits fire like some other monsters."

"I believe the maw is a bit too scary, too," the Duchess added. "That wyvern always seemed more mild-mannered to me."

"Agreed," the Duke nodded.

"We'll rectify this mistake at once!" Milo bowed before the ducal couple profusely as did the drow.

Melina felt bad that her reaction had caused Milo more problems. But her worries were quickly alleviated as the drow resumed working on the icy sculpture. The jet of flame was quickly melted down while Milo took charge of coordinating the changes.

"I believe we should look around some more and return her in the afternoon," Melina said.

"Don't forget to give Sienna a large cake!" Charlotte instructed.

"Of course! I honestly feel a fool for nothing thinking of it myself," Milo bowed respectfully and then returned to the task at hand.

"I honestly feel bad. I should have requested that, but all I was thinking about was showing the best side of Sienna," Alistair said awkwardly.

"I'd say that Sienna baking pastries is the best part about her. A wyvern baking is certainly much better than a mindless beast spewing flames," the Duchess shook her head. "Boys will be boys, I suppose. For you, battles will always be more exciting."

The Duke cleared his throat awkwardly while Alistair looked to the side. Melina chuckled at the sight. It appeared that the Duke had thought much the same way as his son. But Melina wasn't mad. She was happy to see Sienna again, even if in ice form.

This did make her realize that she hadn't had much chance to visit the wyvern in the Monster Realm. Things have been very busy with the Festival approaching and the threat from the Church constantly looming on the horizon. Melina promised herself to visit Sienna at the first opportunity and bring her loads of pastries while she was at it.

But for the time being, Melina, Alistair, and the Sinclair family continued walking through the Ice Festival, enjoying the sights, the food, and the various performances. Sadly, Sunglow didn't have many large indoor spaces aside from Town Hall and the Adventurers Guild.

The Guild couldn't be turned into an attraction just because it was a celebration. In fact, the adventurers were harder at work than ever, patrolling the city wall and dealing with any larger problems arising on the streets.

The first floor of the Guild Hall had been turned into a resting spot of sorts. A few select vendors selling warm drinks and food were allowed to rent out a few of the conference halls to set up their shops. People could eat, rest, and most importantly, warm up from the cold weather outside.

When Melina and others arrived, it was packed to the brim with people. Obviously, as they were nobles, the Sinclair family was escorted up to the second floor. It was reserved specifically for nobility and other prominent guests, so they wouldn't have to be squeezed in with the rest.

Not many nobles had arrived. It wasn't surprising. The middle of winter wasn't exactly the best time for travel, even with teleportation portals set up in Fenrora and Sunglow. But among the few nobles that had arrived, Melina did note Lady Anne Yernou.

She was a beautiful woman, about ten years older than Melina, with tan skin and thick, curly, black hair. Even from afar, Melina could tell that she carried herself with more grace than most nobles. Philip had good taste, for certain. But whether he could live up to the standards of this impeccable noblewoman was a different question. Melina could only wish him good luck internally as she, along with the Sinclairs, passed by Lady Anne.

Melina was tempted to speak to the woman as she curtsied before the Duke and the Duchess. But in the end, she couldn't find the right words. Not to mention that she still felt out of place with all these nobles. She wasn't one, so it felt improper to address one without being addressed first.

It's none of my business anyway. This is something Philip has to handle on his own.

The festival was a massive success. Despite the cold, the novelty of the Ice Festival being available closer south than Fenrora had attracted many people to Sunglow.

While Alistair didn't enjoy thinking in terms of profit and money, as the man in charge of Sunglow, he couldn't help but be happy about all the profit made that day. Not only would it fuel the local economy, helping the locals with their livelihoods during the harsh winter months, but it would also add funds to the Town Hall coffers. He couldn't help but think about things that could make use of that money first.

Melina had also been happy. While she seemed incredibly tense around his family at first, she eventually relaxed. It would likely be a long while for her to get used to nobility, but at the very least, their company seemed to keep her mind occupied and away from the Church.

At this stage, he could almost always tell when she was thinking about the Church. The gentle furrow of her brows and clenched jaw were telltale signs of her uneasy mind. While she wasn't comfortable with nobles, at least she was worrying about smaller problems.

Not to mention that Charlotte was great at diffusing any tension and pulling Melina into conversations. Mother was also eager to learn more about Melina, and often asked her questions, as well as tested her a little on noble manners. She likely wanted to check whether Melina had forgotten her lessons.

But no. As Alistair had expected, Melina didn't fall into any of Mother's tiny traps, instead replying with grace.

"Oh, I have an idea!" Charlotte said once their dinnertime at Town Hall was nearing its end. "Why don't Mom, Melina, and I go shopping in the evening? I heard that the drow in this town have made some very peculiar dresses."

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"Peculiar dresses?" Melina cocked her head in confusion.

"Etrian told me that he would be selling special, limited-time garbs in his shop during the festival. Something to compete with magic dresses, apparently," Alistair said, remembering how the drow had come to the Town Hall to acquire permission to participate. "I believe it would be interesting to see."

"It is a most wonderful idea," Mother nodded solemnly. "The women shall go shopping while you men can rest for the evening."

Alistair blinked. "Wait… I wish to go too."

The idea of Melina trying on various dresses was so tantalizing. She looked good in everything she wore, but he enjoyed seeing Melina in more expensive clothing. It was what she deserved after all.

"Son, let the women handle fashion. We men, would only get in the way." Father shook his head.

Melina also appeared a bit nervous at the prospect of being left alone with the Duchess and Charlotte, perhaps, if he pushed a little.

"No way, Brother! I want Melina to get something nice and then show it to you later. As a surprise!" Charlotte objected too.

With that, Alistair's fate was sealed. He had no choice but to concede and watch Melina leave together with Mother and Charlotte.

"Don't look so forlorn. You'll get her back in a few hours," Father chastised.

"I… My apologies. I feel nervous letting her out of my sight. Especially after what happened with the mage from Su Xien."

The Duke's expression hardened. "To think that somebody like that would be able to sneak into Alemahria unimpeded. I've already informed His Majesty of the matter, but the mage has already safely reached the confines of Main Monastery. The rat will be safe there."

"Is there nothing the King can do to get him? He's not a member of the Church. Surely he could employ the Royal Guard to…" Alistair clenched his fists in anger.

Father didn't look any happier than Alistair felt. "I'm afraid not. The Church holds too much power. If His Majesty were to push the matter, it might end up in civil war. Although…"

"It's already heading that way, isn't it?" Alistair guessed.

The Duke nodded. "Thanks to the efforts of everyone in Sunglow, doubt has been sown in the people's minds. But it is nothing more than suspicion for most. It's not enough to take the Church down."

"Have you been thinking about what I said about Su Xien?" Alistair asked.

"I have. But even if they are indeed amicable with the elves and the drow, the fact that they are on the other side of the ocean makes things difficult. People in Alemahria can't experience what's going on there. Ultimately, it's going to depend on what happens here."

"We can't avoid the battle, can we?" Alistair asked, thinking about Melina and how frightened she looked at the thought of battle breaking out in Sunglow.

"No. But we can do everything in our power to minimize it. I'm working together with His Majesty on a plan. Trust me when I tell you that he's more than eager to put Church in its place. The monarchy has been forced to abide by their nonsense for generations. If there's a way to put an end to it, then we'll be sure to find it."

Alistair nodded. This was good news. The King himself appeared to be eager to join their side, unlike last time when the Church and royalty worked together. But Alistair wasn't so naive as to depend on the King fully. He was a shrewd man and would always do what would strengthen his position the most.

While it certainly would be a great relief to him to have Church out of the picture, if the fighting against it would bring him too much backlash, the King wouldn't hesitate to join their side. They couldn't rely on his support. In fact, they would likely need to fight hard for the King to remain amicable to them.

"How are things with Richard and the Princess?" Alistair asked.

"It was a bumpy start. The princess remained rather unapproachable for a long time, claiming that she wouldn't be marrying anyone at all after the rudeness she experienced from the Sinclair family," Father said. "But Richard remained stubborn."

"Remained stubborn?" Alistair asked.

"You know how he is once he decides something is the best course of action. In his mind, he had decided that marrying the Princess would be the most favorable outcome for him. So he went all out," Father said.

"How exactly?"

"He showered Her Highness with gifts, took her out on dates, and frankly acted in a way that I was afraid that some imposter had taken over my son's body. In other words, he swept Her Highness off her feet, and their marriage is now all but assured."

Alistair gaped at Father. "S-swept her off her feet? Richard?"

Father nodded grimly. "I wouldn't have believed it either had I not seen it with my own eyes. But it seems like there's something in the Princess that he likes besides her social standing."

"Richard? Actually liking a woman? Not to be rude, but for the longest time, I was sure that Richard was simply incapable of loving anyone."

"I wouldn't go as far as to call it love. It's not that. But the Princess is surprisingly mellow in his presence, and he seems to like that. Well, as long as she doesn't cause problems in the family, I don't really mind," the Duke said.

"You're alright with her being the future Duchess?" Alistair asked in a whisper.

"There are obviously better candidates out there, but she is well educated and smart. If Richard can rein in her fiery temper, I believe a bit of royal blood in the Sinclair family wouldn't do any harm."

Alistair thought it over for a moment. It certainly was an odd turn of events. But who knew? If Richard was truly able to keep Her Highness in check, then maybe it wasn't the worst outcome. But on the other hand, having the Princess as his sister-in-law certainly made Alistair a bit nervous.

With their conversation concluded, Alistair decided to return home for the day and wait for Melina's return. He was eager to see what exactly the women ended up choosing for her to wear. However, on his way out of the Town Hall, Alistair was approached by a noblewoman with tan skin and black hair. Lady Anne Yernou.

"Good day, Lord Sinclair. My name is Anne Yernou, I am the daughter of Viscount Yernou," she introduced herself with a perfect curtsy.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. May I help you somehow?" Alistair asked. He recognized this as the noblewoman whom Melina had invited on behalf of her student, Philip.

"I was wondering if I could perhaps talk to your fiancée. Lady Melina. She was the one to invite me here to her Baking Hall, but I'm afraid I don't know where it is located," Lady Yernou said.

Did she really not know? Alistair couldn't tell. Her face didn't betray a single emotion. He found it odd. It was not too far from Town Hall, not to mention that anyone could point her in the right direction. Perhaps, she simply wasn't allowed to go there without a good reason.

"Why don't I escort you there? My fiancée is currently preoccupied with my mother, the Duchess. But I'll be glad to take you there," Alistair offered.

Her eyes brightened ever so slightly. It appeared he had read her intention correctly.

"Thank you so much. I shall inform my father. Would you be so kind as to wait for me?" She asked.

"Of course."

Lady Yernou went into one of the many guest rooms and returned shortly. As they descended the staircase, Alistair noticed the Viscount looking after them with a calculating glint in his eyes.

Alistair hadn't met the man often, but he'd heard plenty from Mother and Father. Viscount Yernou was a calculating man, always looking for ways to strengthen his house, even by using less than savory means. He had three sons and a single daughter, and was no doubt looking to find a favorable match for her.

Yet despite being near her thirties, she remained unmarried. That was unprecedented. Young noblewomen always married early. The fact that Lady Yernou had managed to stand her ground against her father so long spoke volumes of her character.

Perhaps the Viscount was thinking that his daughter would try to woo Alistair. To break his engagement with Melina. But that would never happen. As they walked towards the Baking Hall, it was clear that Lady Yernou wasn't interested in him at all.

She only spoke as much as was necessary to remain polite and no more. Not to mention that she walked rather quickly, as if she was eager to get to the destination faster. It didn't show on her face.

But once they arrived at the Baking Hall, her mask finally shattered. When her eyes met Philip's, a wide, warm smile bloomed on her face. After bidding Alistair a quick thanks, she strode up to the counter Philip had set up.

The man seemed to radiate with joy at her approach. One didn't have to know them to see that both of them loved each other. Alistair recognized the feeling all too well.

You've done it again, Melina.

He couldn't help but swell with pride. His fiancée had arranged for these two to meet, when it would have been for her to remain uninvolved in this matter.

Alistair couldn't wait to see her again. In fact, he turned on his heel and headed home. What dress would she wear? Whatever it would be, Alistair was sure that she would look beautiful.