Kingdom’s Bloodline

Chapter 42: That look

Thank you, I will remember your kindness, and thank your daughter for your concern. I wish her a happy eleventh birthday, Lord Bourbon. "

Thales raised his glass politely at his seat, sent away a certain guest who came up to toast him, and returned his attention to the bustle and bustle of the banquet.

Facts have proved that after successfully overcoming the embarrassment at the beginning, the Holy Day Banquet was easier than Thales expected.

In the melodious music, not only are the guests enjoying the feast and chatting eagerly, but the servants in the Mindis Hall are also serving food back and forth non-stop, and the attendants of many guests even shuttle between different long tables, or Help serve wine, or pass on the message on behalf of the Lord, and complete service and social tasks time after time.

In the center of the banquet hall, there is an open space like Exeter, which is both a stage and a dance floor. Bards, clowns, acrobats, musicians, dancers, and different performers take turns to show off their abilities.

For example, at this time, a bard is pacing with his piano in his arms, and he has already started his performance:

"This song is a new work inspired by visiting the Western Wilderness in the past few years. It tells the story of King Kessel's army going deep into the desert eleven years ago and beheading the enemy chief in the altar battle..."

This is rather familiar to Thales. When he was a beggar, there were often such bards in the Sunset Bar, but their clothes were never so neat, and their singing and piano skills were uneven.

In the melodious and atmospheric singing room of the bard, the meals are still being updated, and they are served on the long table in order:

No less than five kinds of cheese soup, vegetables and fruits, roasted bird eggs of strange sizes, sturgeon soup, oatmeal, poorly presented pig's blood sausage, smoked beef, roast chicken with sauce, venison stew, all kinds of called Unnamed poultry and game, raw and cooked seashells, horribly large meatballs, more than a dozen different styles of bread, pancakes, pies, and all kinds of magical dishes that cannot even be seen from the raw materials...

Of course, including the essential assortment of drinks.

How should I put it, his father is really rich?

Thales sighed.

Well, the people of Xingchen really have a way of eating, at least compared with the people from the Northland who only know how to roast, stew and stew in Longxiao City...

Dragon Clouds City.

Thinking of this, Thales' mood sank.

"Why, are you not used to eating?"

Aunt Alice next to him noticed him.

"No, it's just that there are too many choices..." Thales looked at a plate of beans, absent-mindedly:

"No way to start."

Princess Alice elegantly divided the vegetables on the dinner plate, seeming to be emotional:

"You should go to the Dragon's Kiss Basin. Speaking of the exquisiteness and harshness of the dishes of the nobles of Anrenzuo...Of course, I am not used to their tastes...After getting used to a place, it will be very difficult. Difficult to adapt to the delicacy of other places..."

Thales smiled reluctantly, and finally followed his aunt's example, stretching out his claws to a certain plate of lettuce that looked very small and refreshing.

Someone poked him.

Thales turned his head and found that it was Doyle on the side table behind him, his cheeks were full.

"Your Highness, I can," Doyle swallowed a mouthful of food forcefully, ignoring Glover's disdainful eyes, pointed at Thales's table, and whispered:

"Can you pass me the seasoning salt, by the way, including the plate of beef on your left..."

Thales frowned:

"Isn't it on your desk?"

"Yes there is,

But, I always feel that it is served from your highness's table, and it tastes particularly good..."

Thales sighed.

He looked around and found that no one was paying attention, so he leaned forward quietly, pushed the plate of beef behind his armpit, and stuffed it to Doyle:

"You are really rude..."

Doyle tacitly and skillfully took the food brought to him by the prince, and smiled obsequiously:

"Because the lord is not here...cough cough, I mean, because you are the best and gentlest Highness in the world..."

Thales rolled his eyes and continued to deal with his lettuce.

D.D sent the beef in the direction of Glover, but the zombie just turned his head in disdain and continued to drink his beer.

Doyle shrugged indifferently, and ate by himself:

"Your loss."

As time passed, the music was played round after round, and the performers changed one after another. Instead, the interest of the guests increased, and the atmosphere in the banquet became more and more enthusiastic. many.

But fortunately, Thales' burden was not too heavy, because most of the people were shunted to the highest table—his father.

It is a rare royal banquet in more than a decade, and there are not a few guests who want to make a pilgrimage to the king on this informal occasion.

King Kessel’s expression was still calm, but his continuous meal time basically did not exceed one minute—every time there were guests from different backgrounds and different walks of life, either with friends and companions, or alone, respectful and looking forward to coming to the king on the ground. Cutting off his pitiful rest time, it also caused Adrian's guard captain and Quentin's steward, including Gilbert and Joker Mann and other royal officials, to come here frequently to toast and divert rescuers. drive.

Although the iron-fisted king is cold-tempered, on this occasion, with his face full of boredom, he also had to raise his glass frequently, nod his head in response, and post a few warm words from time to time. Shi is skilled and well-versed in this way.

In just half an hour, there were twenty or thirty groups of guests who came to pay homage to the king.

Thales was amazed to see it.

"Don't laugh," said Aunt Alice indifferently, ruining his mood with one sentence:

"It will be the same for you in the future."

Thales sighed.

With something on his mind, he couldn't enjoy his meal with peace of mind, so he abused his lettuce one by one, and at the same time called the crime of prison river to strengthen his senses and pay attention to his surroundings.

Compared with the northern aristocratic banquet where only male guests are present, except for eating and drinking, the occasion of Xingchen is much more open. Eager men get out of their seats to toast the gorgeously dressed girls.

There are even many young, beautiful, lively and active young women who will take the initiative to leave their seats, ignoring the white eyes and hostility of the men in their families, leaving their surveillance, talking and laughing happily with the person they like, exchanging cups and glasses, and even singing together when the dance music is played. On the dance floor, let's dance together.

It was a joyous experience for both the host and the guests.

But is it so?

Thales' heart moved, and the sounds of conversations from all directions entered his ears through the filtering and strengthening of hell's senses.

"Oh, really? 'Persuade my father to propose marriage'? Huh, you said that last time, and you think after you say that, I'll be like before, sneaking out at night and letting you fuck for nothing? By the way, I'm getting engaged, and what's in my stomach isn't yours!" This was clearly an awkward conversation between a resentful couple.

"A courtship in Yadi? Yes, the other party's family is noble, but I would only marry my daughter there if I was blind. Those old-fashioned mountain savages still believed in a pagan evil god called the Lord of the Mountains, I visited once the year before last, and I still can’t forget a certain small village in their mountains, the bonfire mating custom comparable to that of primitive people..." This is a local nobleman from the Central Territory.

Thales maintained a smile, and the feedback from the senses of hell was mostly all kinds of gossip and social conversations in the capital, but the content of the conversations of the guests was quite different in different directions and on different long tables.

"After the bloody year, everyone discovered that 20,000 farmers raised from the farmland with 1,000 gold coins are not as effective as 200 professional soldiers raised with 1,000 gold coins. Do you still remember the Duke of Star Lake—oh, the last Duke of Star Lake— Is it the scene where the 2,000 legions drove tens of thousands of rebels all over the mountains..."

This is the long table of the honorary servicemen, and their theme is sharp:

"I was thinking, since the prince is back, shouldn't we go north for revenge? If there is a war, with your qualifications, how can you be a lieutenant of the guard? You should know that 'Horse Chopper' Dila retired Afterwards, they climbed up the high branches, and became the dignified head of the security department..."

"My son is studying grammar and theology, as well as mathematics." This is a certain government bureaucrat at the next table, who is worrying about his nephew's future with his colleagues:

"He has a high spirit and wants to stay in Eternal Star City. Maybe he can get a job as a civil servant in the government affairs department, maybe he wants to earn a title. But I hope he can go back to his hometown to seek a job. After all, Nan'an is far away from war and has good governance, and Emerald City is more prosperous and comfortable. Even better than the capital of the king..."

"I'm so envious. My nephew is my heir. He is determined to practice martial arts and dream of becoming an orthodox knight. But you also know that unless you are born with a good surname, the current title of knight is just a joke. How can there be any orthodoxy at all? Look at the three handsome men, they are all knights in name, but there is a Yankee, a tomboy, and a disgusting male whore who lives on his face..."

Thales sighed and sympathized with the legendary wing who was said to be able to unify the Western Continent with his face.

"Yes, Exter has no hostages in his hands, but it has exacerbated the risk of war between the two countries. In addition, they are fighting endlessly. Believe me, the northern trade route has come to an end. And all potential future business is concentrated in the west and south , if you are interested, we might as well find a place to discuss in detail..."

This is a long table for leaders and businessmen, and the conversation is more practical and business:

"Twenty years have passed, a new round of franchise sales should be on the agenda, maybe we should find another scapegoat..."

"...He has to do this. His family's loan from the Royal Bank is almost due. If you don't gamble on this expedition, you can only transfer the fief to make up for the shortfall..."

Thales didn't understand these business stories very well, so he turned his attention to the tables of the central dignitaries:

"No, the riots on the border of the Western Wilderness in the past few months were only local incidents and would not affect the kingdom's policy. The local nobles' reaction was just their private behavior. The relationship between the royal family and the Western Wilderness is very good... what? No, no, this Of course it's not an official statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, it's just my personal opinion, although I do work in the Department of Foreign Affairs..." This was Gilbert.

"A lord ordered the termination of his service and asked the people to pay for it with money, otherwise the land must be sold... No, no, in fact, His Majesty didn't say anything..." This is the Minister of Finance, Joke Mann.

"Of course, the so-called 'abstinence and pureness is the will of the gods' is outdated. On the contrary, if your fief market is prosperous and the goods are abundant, you can attract more money and do more favorable policies. Presumably It is also in line with the will of the setting sun..." This was Archdeacon Styrianides.

"Yes, a certain baron of the Blades died in the plague, but he had only one illegitimate son... The illegitimate son promised a lot of money to let the duchess recognize his inheritance... and the baron's vassals We obviously have different opinions, so they found Eternal Star City and wanted to ask His Majesty to make a decision. At this point, the doorway is complicated, and no one dares to take this case..."

The Sin of Hell River growled, sending more and more table talk into his ears.

Thales listened absent-mindedly, while trying to figure out the focus of attention of the guests and the circle of the capital, while trying to figure out the recent situation of the kingdom from these words, he suddenly felt a strange feeling.

In Dragon Clouds City, no matter whether it is a banquet, whether it is a government hearing day, whether it is a grand duke or an earl, the private conversations of the nobles of Exeter are always rigid and sharp:

Fief, feud, power, marriage, way of the North...

It is often gloomy and heavy, and the chill is pressing, like dark clouds overwhelming the top.

But here, in the stars...

"What era is it, and some people really believe that a marriage contract and the combination of two surnames can form a family alliance? Come on, in the past, the combination of two families meant greater territory and power. Now? It will only bring huge The maintenance cost and sky-high land amount and title recognition fee, as well as the division struggle within the family..."

"Your Excellency the Baron, are you still thinking about exploiting farmers and collecting taxes to get rich? Sunset, you should really open your eyes and learn from your colleagues in the South Bank and East China Sea Territory, from trade associations to chambers of commerce, from business franchising to market monopoly, Make good use of our identities and powers, in this era, we have too many ways to gain and gain fame..."

"Don't talk to him... This guy was rough and stupid before, and he hasn't changed his mind when he became a lord. His ruling methods are all the most primitive and crude. Generations are about to fall..."

Thales listened silently and began to realize something.

In Eternal Star City, the social interactions and conversations of the nobles of the stars are so...

Restlessness.

disturbed.

fiery.

Constantly changing.

Thales took a deep breath, and immediately had a more intuitive understanding of the Star Kingdom.

Mindy Hall.

Looking at the royal manor, Thales sighed in his heart:

Mindis.

Look at the good things you do.

But before he finished feeling, Jorge's voice entered his ears:

"Fuck, let me tell you, at that time, there were dark clouds, lightning and thunder, and the dying king was holding your North Star and our little dragon chick at the same time, and put their hands together, dying Tuo Gu: 'Only the true love of the heart can summon the real dragon to come to the world and save this city!'”

Thales' expression darkened, and he looked around.

I saw that in the side table for foreign guests, Jorge from Elk City drank so much that he spit and spattered:

"The king passed away suddenly, and the little dragon was trembling with anger, and she was so angry that she looked up to the disaster and shouted to the sky: "Dragon Xiao will not die, Walton will avenge this!" Polaris stood arm in arm with her, and regarded death as home: "You If you are determined to fight, Can Xing will follow you forever!' The next moment, there was a bang, and guess what? Wow, they summoned a real dragon! It was too late to say it, but soon, the real dragon came from the sky A butt fell down, and the catastrophe died on the spot..."

Damn.

Thales listened for a while with a sullen face, only to feel his mood worsened, so he simply turned to listen in one direction.

But he quickly realized that in many conversations, he himself was the protagonist.

"I think it's better to choose a prince and concubine with a lower background, just like Queen Keya. It's better to have a little affinity with the common people. After all, it's not like before, and Prince Thales is not the same as Midil back then... ..."

"I heard from a businessman in the north that Prince Thales is the one who dares to challenge the Yankees. He dared to duel with five grand dukes at a young age..."

"So he experienced the disaster attack? He survived?"

"No, it's not a disaster. I have gossip. In fact, back then, it was a secret conspiracy by a secret cult group, trying to manipulate the political situation and subvert Exeter..."

"Don't believe these gossips! I have an insider in Dragon Clouds City, and I know it quite well. Here I will first present the conclusion: it was a major earthquake. After the disaster, the upper echelons of the Yankees wanted to shift the focus and avoid public opinion. , and made up an excuse for disaster invasion."

"What did the dragon say?"

"It's also made up! Boost morale and win people's hearts. Think about it, the timing of the dragon's birth, the timing of King Exeter's death, the timing of Lumbard's becoming king, and their actions to detain the prince, eh, such a product, The truth is about to come out, right? What is the truth? Hey, I can’t go on, I can understand it if I read it carefully. In a word, we can’t look at the problem in isolation and one-sidedly. , Crazy nonsense, look at the big picture! In the crap of national strategy, everything is connected..."

"So that's the case, my lord, you are far-sighted and know how to force your way. You are indeed a professional..."

"Where is it... Thank you for the invitation. I was in Exeter before, and I just got off the carriage. No, I was asked by you when I came here..."

Thales could only hum softly in his heart.

"But why do I feel that the prince and Lunba seem to be in the same group? You see, they sow dissension among the northerners, first kill Grand Duke Fengzhao, and then join hands to kill King Nuen? I can assure you, ours The secret department definitely has a part..."

Thales' expression changed.

"Shh, don't talk about state affairs... Think about it and you will know what kind of existence our Star Kingdom is. We are too busy with so many things every day. Would we do this kind of thing? Two words: not worth it."

"I've heard that the prince has seduced the grand duchess of Dragon Clouds into all kinds of obsessions, and she will die and live because of him... Ha, think about it, that woman knows all the rough guys in the north. Those of us handsome, unrestrained, suave, knowledgeable and elegant star-studded men, hehehe, why don’t we immediately become celestial beings, unable to extricate ourselves, and marry him?”

Um.

Hearing this, Thales' cheeks twitched.

Maybe Star Kingdom and Exeter, what they have in common...

More than expected.

However, Selma...

Thales clenched his fists.

"You don't drink?"

Thales came back to his senses and found that it was Princess Alice next to him. He saw this beautiful aunt shaking the wine glass in her hand, tilting her head, and looking at him playfully.

drink wine.

He looked at the new wine glass in his hand, and thought of a certain Grand Duke who had invited him to drink, he felt a block in his heart.

The Duke of Xinghu was slightly distracted:

"Kids don't... I mean, I don't like drinking."

Alice's face was clear.

"Drink more or less, just take a few sips."

There were a few traces of blush on the princess's face, obviously enjoying the contents of the cup:

"According to the rules, members of the royal family, it's best not to let people see the rules of eating habits..."

"Yes, I heard."

Thales sighed with a headache, and looked around the lively banquet hall:

"Fortunately, we sat high and no one was looking at me."

Elise chuckled, staring at the wine in her glass.

"Yes, no one is watching," the princess shook the cup, her voice changed a bit, her eyes looked deep:

"But I bet tomorrow you'll feel like everyone's looking at you."

Thales saw his aunt's drunkenness, smiled and did not answer.

"Are you still used to it?"

Alice looked at him:

"Your first banquet after returning to the country, um, is probably also the first formally held by the royal family in more than ten years. Everyone should thank you."

Telston paused.

Looking at the increasingly lively banquet scene, he hooked the corners of his mouth.

"I feel very good."

"It's all right, it's peaceful."

Thales let out a breath of relief slowly.

"There are no dozens of nobles who identify you with one voice, you are an illegitimate bastard."

"And no damned king is forcing you to find the murderer of his son."

"Or a group of vicious northern big men are making noise, wanting to tear you apart."

Thales was a little dazed:

"If you omit the part about meeting and exchanging pleasantries..."

"I haven't encountered such a peaceful and festive gathering of nobles for a long time."

Thales was silent.

He suddenly felt his wrist warm up.

"It's okay, Thales," Thales came back to his senses, and found that Aunt Alice was holding his wrist under the table, and said softly:

"It's fine."

The princess stared at him quietly, the tenderness and pity in her eyes made Thales a little unbearable.

At this moment, Mallos appeared next to them.

"Your Highness," the watchman leaned down and whispered:

"You should go."

Alice let go of Thales' hand, frowned and said:

"My lord?"

Mallos lowered his voice:

"The queen needs to go back to the palace, now."

"She..." Alice turned to the direction of the queen, and then reacted:

"oh."

Thales narrowed his eyes: on the king's side, Queen Keya was pale and murmured, she was tightly grasped by Ji Ni's wrist, and the maids beside her were orderly and ready to go.

Thales immediately heard the voice from the hell sense: "Where are my children? Luther is still young, he needs to change his diaper...".

His heart darkened.

Some of the guests noticed the queen, but most looked away.

Mallos nodded:

"The Queen needs your help."

Princess Alice sighed slowly, she showed Thales a helpless smile, and then got up.

Mallos put the cloak on her thoughtfully.

Thales could only say goodbye to her.

But just as he turned to leave, the princess spoke suddenly.

"Tormund."

Hearing his own name, Mallos froze for a moment.

Alice looked at the queen, tightened the cloak on her body, but said quietly:

"Have you ever regretted it?"

Thales frowned when he heard this, and his hand that was pulling the lettuce froze.

Mallos frowned, he paused, and repeated:

"The Queen needs you, Your Highness."

"I know."

Alice smiled, glanced at the watchman, her eyes were hazy and desolate:

"I regret it."

Mallos was taken aback.

In the next second, Alice drifted away and joined the queen's team.

one second.

two seconds.

In the extremely embarrassing silence, Thales cleared his throat, looked at the back of the guard captain who was standing extremely stiffly, and said tentatively: "Well, you and aunt..."

"Do not ask."

Without looking back, Mallos sat down gently beside the prince:

"You are still my favorite Duke."

His tone was respectful and expressionless.

But Thales felt a chill in his heart for no reason.

Fortunately, someone showed up just in time.

"What bad luck."

Behind him, Doyle, who came back from the toilet, patted Glover on the shoulder, and sat down carelessly:

"As the prince's personal guards, we have to pad our stomachs in advance, we can't go to the banquet, we can't dance with the girls, we can't...God, it's so boring, I really miss the past."

Doyle yawned.

"You can," the watchman turned his head from his seat, and glanced at D.D lightly:

"You can be exactly the same as before."

"Go down and join your father's table, join the party, dance and laugh with the girls."

Doyle shook violently!

Under the sympathetic eyes of both Glover and Thales, he realized stiffly that the person sitting in Princess Alice's seat was—his boss.

"Lord... lord?"

Realizing the impending doom, Doyle forced an ugly smile.

Mallos snorted coldly:

"You know, I can get Fu Lateng to come up and take your place, so that you can enjoy, enjoy, feast, party."

Doyle said tremblingly:

"Substitute?"

"Yeah, don't you know?" Mallos looked at him blankly: "In the Mindis Hall, no matter when and where, I can always find someone to take your shift."

"Either today."

"It's still the rest of your life."

Mallos said darkly:

"Always."

"Do you still want to go to the party?"

Doyle looked at Glover and Thales in horror, but they all shook their heads at him in pity:

It's not your fault, kid.

D.D swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and then reacted, he shook his head and showed a serious expression:

"No, no, sir, you are wrong."

Mallos raised his eyebrows:

"What?"

I saw Doyle raised his head and folded his arms, awe-inspiring and generous:

"This body may be buried in the resting place of the imperial seat, or buried halfway through the emperor's life, there is no end to it."

Doyle said with a straight face:

"Banquet or something... As the royal guard, we should be dedicated to our duties, how can we be selfish?"

Glover looked at him disdainfully.

Thales chuckled:

"Really? But tonight, there are many famous ladies and noble ladies, many good unmarried girls..."

"Hey, don't say that again," Doyle waved his hand, his expression resolute and unmoved: "Since His Royal Highness Thales is by my side..."

"...what girl do I want?"

Thales just gracefully pulled out a piece of lettuce from the dinner plate, and shook involuntarily.

Mallos hooked the corner of his mouth, he was about to say something, but trembled slightly.

In the next second, Mallos turned his head sharply and looked towards the hall!

At that moment, Thales shuddered.

He suddenly had an illusion: the watchman in front of him turned into a sharp knife.

I saw Mallos staring at the entire banquet hall, and said coldly:

"Doyle, you go to the banquet right away, blend in with the guests, and pay more attention, especially those with stiff expressions and stiff movements..."

Doyle still had a straight face:

"No! I want to protect His Highness here..."

But Mallos turned his head and looked solemn:

"I was serious!"

His appearance shocked all three of them:

"Glorver, you go and inform Captain Adrian, let him quietly escort His Majesty away, and then gather your men."

"Sir," Glover looked at the other party suspiciously:

"What's wrong?"

Amid the melodious and light music, Mallos looked again at the bustling banquet below, with vigilant eyes:

"Just now, someone looked up from the bottom."

Take a look?

Thales frowned: