Chapter 52 - A knight’s conception
Leon stood close to the edge of one of the terrace platforms in Rosalind's Garden, steadily keeping watch over the masses of people that were spread out around the garden. Over one of the largest gatherings of power on the whole continent. Many important deals and connections were forged here every year.
The Solar Knights were technically allowed to take part in the festivities— and he had let many of the others do so so that they could enjoy the ball with their close ones—but he himself had refrained from partaking for the moment. With Captain Crowder and a third of the knights currently absent, he was the one in command. And he felt it important to maintain some sense of decorum in his current position.
He might take some time later to go and greet Trista and her new husband if he spotted them, but he had never enjoyed these events that much to begin with. He had already neglected his mother and father when they had approached him along with his elder brother, citing his duties as an excuse.
He had a hunch that he knew what it was that they wanted to talk about, though. It had been a little amusing seeing the looks on their faces earlier. That now they were probably going to be the ones wanting to rescind the choice they'd forced upon him.
Passing his eyes over the crowds, Leon found his attention once again being drawn towards one of the higher terraces near one of the entrances. Where Scarlett had been standing by herself for most of the evening. Doing essentially nothing at all, shockingly enough.
He had considered confronting her several times now. He still had a hard time understanding her thought process today. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why she had done that. Whether it was part of some new scheme of hers, or if it was just pure arrogance.
It surprised him to see that Her Highness and Leandra were now speaking with Scarlett. The princess even looked to be the one to have begun the conversation.
He furrowed his forehead. After the disrespect Scarlett showed to the other nobles during the Proclamation ceremony she was still approached by a member of the imperial family? What could the princess have to talk about with Scarlett?
He observed them for a while before turning back to the crowds. While he didn't like the thought of Scarlett having the chance to spread her falsities around her, it wasn't his place to decide what the princess did. He doubted Scarlett could, or would, cause any sort of harm to the princess anyway.
His attention was caught by a group of nobles that stood on a platform adjacent to the one he was on, slightly beneath it. They were just barely within earshot of him. He recognized a couple of them, and the conversation they were having appeared to be about the Solar Knights.
"Captain Crowder wasn't the only one absent today, either," an older man with a long mustache said. "I presume I wasn't the only one that noted there were noticeably fewer of the knights present this year than the previous."
"Hmm. Yes, I did see that," another man said. "It's uncommon for all of the Captain's duties to be left to the Vice-Captain for an event such as this."