Heart's tale

Chapter 9 part 1

Milo, still holding the leaf in her hand and wrapped in her long coat, stood up and looked at the ruler.

"I've heard of these plants, but I've rarely seen them myself, only when I've been in the middle tier," she said embarrassed.

The Usurper took the leaf from her hand and turned it in his fingers.

"It's like the sun sails on ships, they spread them out to absorb the light," he smiled.

"How do you know all this?" the girl asked sheepishly.

"That's what the Supreme taught me. He gave me a very broad representation of the world. Multifaceted," Tamen lowered his head.

"So broad that you can only carry it around in a dragon now?" Milo asked with a very serious face, so that Yomera didn't immediately understand whether she was joking or not.

"Can one still buy a sense of humor somewhere on the lower tier?" he laughed back, overcoming his confusion.

"If only to steal," Milo smiled back.

"I should finally pull myself together and visit it, maybe I'll get lucky and get some for myself."

"With armor and a dragon, I'm afraid they'll recognize you quickly, and the chances of a successful event are slim to none," the girl raised an eyebrow doubtfully, "And without them, it's just too dangerous. Your beautiful curls would be worth more than your life."

"I wish I could change that," Tamen frowned, "Your words are sharper than a blade."

"I didn't mean to, my lord, I'm sorry," Milo turned away embarrassed at the panorama of the City, "I'm a simple girl, I can't keep my mouth shut at all."

"That's what I like most about you," Yomera smiled, coming up and hugging her from behind, resting his chin on her thin shoulder.

"What is this construction?" the girl asked as her gaze accidentally touched the ruined wall of the Palace.

"Oh... That one..." the ruler said sadly. "During my father's first reign, there was an admiral Kval in the air fleet. There used to be an armored train running along the Palace wall, and during the coup, 'the Night of Great Treachery,' there was a fierce fight over it. Father's supporters could not gain the upper hand for long, and the admiral on his flagship arrived to help. As the surviving sailors later reported, Kval had too much oblivion-water," Yomera grinned, "And made such a dashing turn that the ship couldn't take it. They just rammed through the wall and fell down to the middle tier, in front of the supporters who had already seized the armored train."

He turned Milo to face him and, looking into her eyes, continued:

"And now he's a hero, glorified in the saga, remember? Taram-param, param-taram, our valiant Makitu."

The girl nodded and shrugged.

"I was lucky," she grinned, "My father... My foster father rarely let me go to church, only my sister went there all the time because of the Cult's threats. She was the only registered child. There was a lot of work, and we worked day and night to survive."

"I understand," Tamen lowered his eyes again guiltily.

"Tell me," Milo was embarrassed by her impertinence, "Is it true that your father seized the throne?"

Yomera looked at her from under the brows, then rubbed his eyes tiredly and, putting his hands in the pockets of his silk pants, turned and walked into the room.

"I'm cold," he said half-turned, "Let's go to the fireplace."

Milo followed him through the big hall, furnished with wealth and even excess. Dressed very lightly, in the opinion of the terribly cold girl, he stepped slowly across the soft carpets toward the large, two-person tall fireplace. Its flames seemed insignificant and almost invisible. Above it hung a portrait of Tamen's father wearing the famous armor his son now wore. Sammarius folded his hands on the hilt of a sword topped with a rune. A man knelt before him, his figure frozen in subservient expectation. Tamen sat down in one of the deep chairs opposite the flames and asked: