Oh My, I Messed Up the Story

Blaise was on the verge of losing his mind because of Hugo's and the other Warriors' antics. He had forgotten how immature some of them could be during their time apart.

When the message came back granting the Kanta delegation an audience with the king's cabinet, he made his way back to the port immediately. Everyone was excited about completing the first step of their plan but especially Marcy, who seemed to thrive on politics far more than Katie or Alamar did.

It was a pity she hadn't been born a noble. Commoners had only recently started gaining any political traction in Annalaias and from what he heard; it was largely due to Katie. While living as the third princess she had the current king's ear.

Marcy and Edmund would already be married if she was a noble. As it was, his parents weren't aware of their relationship because they would have disowned him and he would have no way to support himself.

They only saw each other in the spring and fall when court was in session and sent letters the rest of the year. It was a pitiable fate. Anyone with eyes could see how infatuated they were with each other.

Everyone may have gone a bit overboard with the wine while celebrating their first victory. Marcy went to sleep it off, Jae and Kirienne were singing in the corner, and Edmund was baring his heart and soul to anyone who would listen. Which unfortunately ended up being Blaise.

"It's so hard, y'know?" he hiccuped. "We've been together for nearly two years and I can't give her a ring yet. We have to wait until my brother inherits the title because he's slightly more reasonable than our parents and won't disown me.

"Who knows when that will happen? He's not that great of a father but d'you really think I wanna wait around for him to die to marry the woman I love? I know she's disappointed in me for not eloping but what can I do? I don't wanna lose my family forever."

Edmund's slurring grew worse until he was completely incoherent. Blaise sighed. He felt for the man, he really did, but did he have to hang all over him when he was drunk?

The class divisions weren't quite as bad here as they were in Annalaias. Any commoner could become a Warrior and gain instant status necessary to go anywhere or do anything. Including marry whoever they wished.

No matter what Blaise did it was impossible to avoid thoughts of love and marriage with this crowd. Jae and Kirienne were already deep in their wedding plans for next month.

He had already promised to attend though he was going to take on that merchant caravan job first. There should be enough time to make it back. Now that his role in this plan was done for the time being, he was able to do his duty as a Warrior properly.

Since no ships would leave from the harbor until spring there wouldn't be the chance to visit anywhere overseas but Shibatsu was not the only country on this continent. He might have time to visit a few of the other kingdoms in the area before heading back to Annalaias.

===

The following morning a very groggy group made their way to the capital for their audience with the king. They would have a day and a half to sober up and prepare their speech.

"Thank you for everything you have done until now," Jae thanked Blaise fervently before he left. "We wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"It was nothing," he said seriously. "I am honored to help the Kanta clan in any way I can. If you need to get a hold of me before spring, please send a message to Emil at the Warrior camp near Tilda."

Marcy eyed him curiously. "You're going back to work so soon?"

"What else would I do?"

She didn't have an answer for that so she let it go, adding her thanks to Jae's. "You opened the door for us. I won't let you down."

He saluted all of his travel companions before heading back to the stables to fetch his horse. It was time to get back to the life he was meant to lead. There were so many things to see and he didn't want to miss a single one before it was time to head back to the mountains.

Work was an excellent distraction. He enjoyed his first trip as a proper Warrior protecting a merchant caravan. There was so much of the countryside he had never seen during his training.

But he couldn't stop himself from thinking "Abby would like this" or "I should show Abby that" as he went. Maybe it wasn't as great of a distraction as he had hoped after all.