Reading Rhen's letters has become Dameon's pastime to unwind after the long days of being King of Thais. He has been reading letters from the Western Isle tonight. She has invited her adoptive parents to come and stay with them in Thais, but they refused and said they'd be content with visiting them for holidays from time to time.
The tailor and his wife preferred the quiet simplicity of living in the small town in the Highlands. However, Dameon also knew another reason. The tailor was uncomfortable when they came to Thais for the wedding.
"Please don't tell Rhen because I do not want her to worry," the tailor said when Dameon caught him alone shortly after the wedding. "Being in Thais gives me painful memories. I came to Clearwater to run away from the nightmares. I saw my family home crumble to the ground, with most of my family still inside. My nightmares pull me back into that time – being surrounded by the almost unidentifiable bodies of my parents and siblings. Not just them too, but countless others I knew and loved."
The tailor heaved a sigh that threatened a sob.
Dameon furrowed his brows and lowered his gaze. He was partly to blame for that. Nothing he could ever say or do would erase the guilt from his conscience. "I'm so sorry," was all he could muster. "I understand. I also understand if you don't want to stay for long. But do know that you're always welcome here."
The tailor gave him a tight-lipped smile.
Dameon can see in the other man's eyes that he's still dwelling in those painful memories. That look is all too familiar here in Thais. He allowed the tailor to slip away and join his wife. There was nothing more to say.
When Dameon came back to his senses from that recollection, he found himself gently stroking his daughter's head. 'May she never know that pain,' Dameon thought before placing a kiss on the child's forehead.
The rest of Rhen's letters detailed a short meeting with the Druid of Agriculture. As it turns out, Armaiti gave the militant squirrels his blessing because he found them very amusing and even went so far as to say "I just know they'd take care of my temple long after I'm gone."
"My love, I hope you agree that it was a very unsettling thing for an immortal druid to say," Rhen wrote. And Dameon could only chuckle to himself as he had always found the Green Druid a deceptively unsettling person. He portrays brightness in appearance and demeanor but has the bleakest thoughts that he never shies to say.
Rhen also wrote about the King of Sedona's plans to take the citizens of Dirkon into Sedona's walls. Apparently, the king has taken pity on the poor Dirkonians and would like to shelter them in his great city.
"Which we all know is a load of dung," Rhen wrote, the strokes of her pen denoting subtle aggression. "He and his court were uninterested when Dirkon had the plague. They were content to simply let all the dying villagers fend for themselves. Now that Dirkon has a goose that lays golden eggs, they're suddenly interested!"
Dameon drew his lips into a thin line, hoping that Rhen did not say this to the king's face and meddled in the politics of another kingdom. "Galahad did not let her, I hope," Dameon thought.
"So I no longer think I want their active help in addressing slavery in the Eastern Isle," Rhen continued. "I'll have to go and speak with the elves of the Oldwoods to find out how they helped abolish slavery in the Western Isle."
Rhen went on to give updates on the rest of Sedona – how the lady in the neighboring manor has since remarried to a younger nobleman and would shoot them dirty looks whenever they see her; how her childhood friend Danny has settled down and made a fortune selling cheese from around the Arishta isles; how they heard talks in the docks about a far-away continent that has a village of talking animals; how Lars wants to dispute the validity of the Elite Mages Guild; and how Galahad was disillusioned with the King of Sedona.
It was close to midnight by the time Dameon has finished reading Rhen's letters. After making sure his daughter was safe and soundly asleep, he turned towards the door.
"... not let the king know…" Dameon heard a man's voice from beyond the door. He carefully stepped closer to the door to listen in.
"...if it's true?" It was one of the courtiers, she sounded nervous and deeply concerned. "If it was you, would you not want to know?"
"Of course I would!" It was the Chancellor, also sounding nervous but stern. "But I'm not the King of Thais, am I? He already has too much on his plate."
"Poor King Dameon, the poor little princess…"
"I advised him against the Queen adventuring once more. She should have settled down once she wore the crown. The old general raised her to be such a flighty child!"
Dameon could not hold back at the mention of his father-in-law and flung the door open. Upon stepping out, he saw the older lady and the chancellor several feet down the hall.
"Who is a flighty child, Lord Chancellor?" Dameon asked as he approached them.
"Your Highness! It was, um…" the older man trailed off, visibly shaken.
The older lady pursed her lips and averted her gaze to the ground.
"Do explain why you're whispering in the hallways in the dead of night." Dameon's sudden flare of rage was subsiding. It was burning faintly, still. And his curiosity was piqued.
The noblewoman took a sharp breath. "There's a letter, Sire," she said in a low, calm tone, like a mother about to break a tragic news to her child.
"Lady Helga, there's no need –" the Chancellor started, but stopped when Dameon held up his hand.
"Addressed to you, Your Highness. We do not know where it came from, just that it's from the Eastern Isle. It came at dusk. The sender is unknown, so we opened it in case it compromised your security," Lady Helga went on to explain.
She and the chancellor exchanged a brief glance under furrowed brows.
"And?" Dameon asked, crossing his arms and shifting on his feet. The nervousness of the people before him has rubbed off on him, it seems.
The Chancellor sighed. "It does compromise the royal family," he said slowly. "It… it could mean a scandal."
Dameon recoiled. A scandal? What could it be? A million things rushed into his mind. Is this about him helping Ahriman? No, the Chancellor sounded like he was blaming Rhen. Aiding the militant squirrels then? Working with thieves in the Western Isle? Aiding witches? Pilfering chests inside other people's houses?
"I'm sure it's nothing," Lady Helga said, trying to sound reassuring. He knew from the conversation he overheard that she did not think it's nothing.
Then it hit Dameon. It's from the Eastern Isle. Oh. It's about Rhen meddling in the slave trade, isn't it?
"Yes, it's probably nothing," the chancellor said, nodding. Almost as if he too was trying to reassure himself.
"I'd like to see for myself. Give me the letter." Dameon held out his hand.
Lady Helga took a deep breath before reaching into her pocket and handing over an unsealed envelope.