Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 391 Finally got married
At the Baki camp under curfew, only the faint sound of the wind could be heard on the streets.

The two people in the cabin faced each other in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"After witnessing the tragedy of Black Sand Territory and the changes in Beacon City, during the most depressed, decadent, frustrated, and bored days, and the constant conflicts with my father, I returned to my old fiefdom and locked myself away."

Kuaishou gazed wistfully at the flickering lights.

“I met Dana in a remote rural area.”

Upon hearing the unfamiliar name, Thales frowned involuntarily:
"Danna?"

Kuai Sheng still seemed dazed.

On the surface, she was just an ordinary shepherdess.

"That afternoon, when I impatiently said that I was a relative of the local order officer and that it was only an accident that I broke into the sheepfold she was guarding, and that it was even less likely that I would steal her sheep, her eyes immediately lit up and she demanded twenty silver coins from me for frightening one of her goats."

Lost in his memories, Kuai Sheng chuckled, "Why not lose a milk-producing ewe and then snatch a rich, fat sheep?"

"That's how we met—a domineering shepherdess and a self-destructive sheep thief."

Thales observed the other person's expression and found that Quick Rope's eyes were incredibly gentle.

"Is there anything special about her?" he couldn't help but ask.

Quick Rope raised his head and curled the corners of his mouth.

“Oh, Dana is the most special,” Quick Rope said with an amused expression and a smug tone, like an ordinary person showing off his virtuous wife to his neighbor, “especially after being raised by a grumpy old dwarf.”

"She was always smiling, lively and unrestrained, even after her adoptive father's unfortunate death. Even by Northlander standards, she was quite unreserved—her dwarf adoptive father taught her to herd sheep by the method of teaching how to swing a hammer, and good heavens, it really hurt to be hit by her shepherd's staff."

Even after changing his name, Moral was still smiling, and Thales could read the unique ease that belonged to Fast Rope in his complaints.

Clearly, he didn't hate Dana's cane as much as he claimed.

"Dana works two jobs, one as a shepherd and milker, and the other as a helper in a tavern, but she is a shrewd and difficult girl to bully."

Speaking of that girl, Kuai Sheng's eyebrows danced with excitement: "She once waved her cane and chased five or six sheep thieves away in a panic, beat the village chief who had lustful intentions so badly that he was trembling with fear, and she also used sweet words to coax the patrons who were looking for an opportunity to grope her until their purses were empty. She knew how to use clever tricks to trick the tavern owner who withheld her wages, and she also had the strength to fight back against the owner's daughter who bullied her."

As Thales listened to the other person's narration, he lowered his head and pictured this extraordinary shepherdess in his mind: feisty, cheerful, and waving her cane like a fierce yet adorable little wolf cub, protecting her food with her forelimbs and baring her teeth at those around her.

"She would often count the coins hidden under the bed with sparkling eyes, but unlike other girls in the village, she wasn't just saving up for a dowry so she could rely on a man who would marry her to make ends meet, or dressing up extravagantly in hopes of becoming the mistress of some important person."

"Because she always believed that her life would not be bound by anything."

Quick Rope's eyes dimmed: "The exact opposite of me."

He gazed at the lights with fascination: "She believed that one day she would save enough money, then board a carriage heading out of the village, reach the port of Elk City, buy a ship, and become a female navigator exploring the world, circumnavigating the globe, and shining brightly through stormy seas and mirages."

Female navigator.

Thales seemed to remember something and subconsciously looked at the rope.

“But she didn’t know that, apart from passengers, seafaring ships don’t accept women. They consider women at sea to be unlucky,” Quick Rope lowered his eyes, but the corners of his mouth still turned up. “An old sailor told me that seafaring girls are said to dislike the same sex.”

Thales did not speak.

"I don't know if it was love or just a budding crush, but at least when I lay next to Dana, smelling the scent of goat milk on her, seeing her cheerful and lively smile, and even tasting the softness of her lips, I could forget many unpleasant things."

Quick Rope said blankly, "In front of her, I am Moral, not the heir of the walking dead. I can speak out my truest desires and thoughts without having to say that my wish to travel the world is a mercenary dream in order to show that I am a tough Northern warrior."

The rope stopped, seemingly savoring the feeling of that moment.

The moonlight was shrouded in clouds, the cheap lamp oil slowly ran out, and the simple clay house grew darker and darker.

But nobody wants to turn the lights back on.

"And then?" Thales asked from the darkness.

Quick Rope took a breath and changed his posture.

As if just coming to his senses, he continued his story: "And so, I traveled back and forth between Dragoncity and my fiefdom, witnessing the darkness and distortion of power while experiencing Dana's joy and tenderness."

"For Dana's sake, and for her dream of traveling the world, I tried to go against my will to meet my father's demands, but I resisted his pressure to get married. I racked my brains again and again to persuade him that the future Grand Duke of Dragon City must have a wife who is in the best political interest, so we cannot rush it."

“My father was actually quite pleased. He thought I had finally come to my senses and understood how to weigh the pros and cons for Longxiao City. Although he didn’t know the reason for my sudden burst of energy, he didn’t care. He probably thought that disciplining me was the same as disciplining Sulier.”

Quick Rope chuckled, a faint sadness tinged with his laughter.

"But, of course, this can't last."

"My father still found me a good wife candidate and asked me to try it out under the pretext of revising the Treaty of the Fortress, even though she and her family were in an enemy country."

The Treaty of the Fortresses.

Enemy country.

At that moment, Thales abruptly looked up, his surprise barely concealed.

"So, your mission six years ago..."

Quick Rope nodded and sighed silently: "Yes, six years ago, according to the plan, after the Treaty was amended, Dragon City was to ask for the marriage of their heir to the only daughter of Duke Aarond, the imperial nobleman and the family's sworn enemy."

He shook his head in disgust: "Even though just over a decade ago, Exter had hanged old Duke Aarond at Coldhold Castle."

Thales frowned: "Miranda? How is that possible?"

Quick Rope sighed.

"Whether it's a marriage proposal or a peace treaty, these are just means to an end. Father doesn't want to let the Star Kingdom slowly recover after the war, nor does he want to let the Black Sand Territory use the fortress as an excuse to amass military power. He wants to test King Kessel and the Aarond family, and incidentally give the Black Sand Territory a warning. Their reactions will tell us what to do next."

“So this is the significance of your mission,” Thales said, stunned.

"Prepare for the next war or negotiation, whether in Starry Sky or Black Sand Territory."

Nova, and dragon blood.

He tensed his arms.

Quick Rope snorted, his tone laced with sarcasm: "Yes, whether it's winning over your Northern Territory, dividing Starry Sky, or revising the Treaty to gain benefits and suppress Black Sand Territory, while also accumulating prestige for my future election as king... Father, he always plans so meticulously, achieving multiple goals at once. He can make a simple matter into a variety of ways with profound significance."

When King Nuen was mentioned, Quick Rope's mood became quite low.

“Don’t play against him on the same chessboard, Thales, because you don’t know how deep his methods are or how many cards he has up his sleeve,” Quick Rope said indifferently. “And those who are manipulated by their father without even realizing it are truly pitiful.”

Don't play chess with him on the same board...

Those who are manipulated without realizing it...

Thales' breathing quickened.

He recalled his conversation with King Chaman in the carriage.

When King Nun was mentioned, both he and Chaman could sense a deep-seated awe and chill in each other's eyes.

Who would have thought that someone who had been dead for many years could make them so disheveled?
Quick Rope's tone was filled with complex sorrow: "I guess Charman and Conkley, after countless failures against the king, have finally learned this lesson: don't play games with King Nunn."

The two remained silent for a while.

"What happened next is probably the model for many chivalric novels and bard poems," Quick Rope said with a forced smile. "My father finally discovered that his son and heir were infatuated with a country shepherdess and were resisting his mission because of it."

Thales raised an eyebrow: "I guess the born king isn't too happy."

"Not happy?"

Quick Rope sneered, his tone tinged with resentment: "Your wording is too polite, Thales."

"And then?" Thales asked.

The rope paused for a moment.

From that moment on, his silhouette in the darkness became desolate and forlorn.

“My father secretly sent men to my fiefdom, Thales.”

Quick Rope said dejectedly, "He found Dana."

"He found her."

long silence.

After a long pause, Thales finally managed to ask with difficulty:
"what happens?"

Quick Rope didn't seem to have much motivation or desire to continue, but he did speak again, this time with a hoarse voice.

"Danna is dead."

The speaker was like a walking corpse, motionless and lifeless: "On the very day I heard the news and rushed back to my fiefdom."

Thales held his breath.

The fast-paced, dry rhyme was as if it were someone else's story: "I frantically pushed aside the White Blade Guards, only to find her long-cold body in the sheepfold, her face still bearing a smile."

"She was poisoned."

Kuaisheng's voice trembled, carrying a faint sob filled with fear and regret.

“They told me she committed suicide by poisoning herself, but… Thales…”

Poisoned.

In that instant, Thales remembered that night in Valhalla.

I was reminded of King Nunn's exquisite ring.

Triumphant return.

I thought of that girl from before, Alex.

Thielston felt a chill run down his spine.

Prince Xingchen refrained from speaking.

Only the sound of Kuaishou's painful panting filled the room.

Eventually, Quick Rope calmed down.

"chain."

Thales snapped out of his daze: "What?"

“Those chains of power, Thales,” Quick Rope’s voice suddenly took on a faint but resolute tone:
"That night, I stared blankly at Dana's body, just as I had stared at Sulier's body."

"I suddenly realized that I had never broken free from it."

Thales listened quietly, but what came to mind was the underground crypt of the Palace of Reconstruction, with its many large and small stone jars and urns.

The Lehman Pass within the Black Sand Territory.

The Demon Prince Tower in Baki Camp.

thump.

Quick rope leaned back, his head slamming heavily against the wall.

“From the moment I was born, I was under such chains, whether they made me restrain myself, be content with the status quo and be an obedient and harmless viscount, or urge me to turn back and become an ambitious and awe-inspiring king, I have never escaped them.”

He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm deceiving myself in its constant pulling and tugging."

"finally, I understand."

Quick Rope came to the edge of the bed, put his legs down on the ground, rested his elbows on his knees, leaned forward, and stared straight at Thales.

“I either submit to it, let it lock me in tighter and tighter,” Quick Rope’s tone made Thales’ heart tighten, “or I abandon it completely.”

"Be your true self."

Thales remained silent.

“Moral is already dead, Thales. Not when he was assassinated by the Starmen, or when he fled Valhalla,” Quick Rope said coldly, “but when he began his life as the son of Nun, as a member of the Walton bloodline.”

"And it wasn't until the night I struggled up the Black Path and crawled out of Dragonstreet that a man named Moral came to life for the first time."

"I will no longer live for others, and I will no longer live for the person others perceive me to be."

"On that day, I saw that I was truly using my own hands to save myself, reverse my fate, and shatter all illusions and wishful thinking," Kaito's eyes gleamed in the darkness:

“Completely reject this chain that is called power but is actually imprisonment, and say a resounding ‘no’ to it and everything it represents—including the coercive constraints euphemistically called ‘responsibility,’ the hypocrisy lauded as ‘virtue,’ and the self-deception called ‘righteousness.’”

Kuai Sheng's voice faded away, leaving only his resolute determination and unwavering resolve.

After a long while, Thales, filled with emotion, finally managed to speak.

So you chose to leave.

Thales sighed, “Whatever kind of reputation you might have: coward, coward, or escapist.”

Quick Rope chuckled dismissively, "Think what you want, but I..." But Thales' next sentence made Quick Rope pause slightly in surprise:
"Perhaps sometimes, it takes more courage than to conform to the world's expectations and walk the path that others have envisioned."

Thales' tone carried a hint of wistfulness.

"Maybe." Kaisen's gaze slowly changed, no longer the vague teasing, but serious and earnest.

The moonlight re-emerged from the clouds, casting a silvery glow.

The two princes gazed at each other silently.

Thales sensed the determination and resolve in the other person's eyes, as well as the faint hint of hesitation and confusion.

“But how did you do that, Mo—the quick rope?” Thales couldn’t help but ask, “Without ever looking back?”

"Those...can you really let go of them so easily?"

"During the days you were gone, did you never regret it?"

This time, the fast rope came to a standstill.

he mused.

For a moment, Thales found a trace of struggle between his brows.

But in the end, the rope relaxed and the frown disappeared.

"Six years ago, when I survived the sea and heard the news of the Extell upheaval and my father's death... I was shocked, desperate, and regretful."

“But like I said,” Quickrope let out a deep sigh:
"My father's fate was sealed, whether I was there or not."

"As for Dragon City and Exter... I'm there, they might get better or worse, but I don't think they'll get better or worse just because of me."

In that instant, the fast rope was like an old sailor who had weathered many storms, returning from his final voyage at dusk, sitting around the fireplace telling everyone stories:

"I don't want to be too greedy and try to control things beyond my reach. If history has two outcomes, should I weep bitterly because Dragon City is desolate without me, or should I cheer for Dragon City surviving without me?"

Thales was stunned.

"All I can do is save myself."

"That's all."

He said quietly, "That's enough."

"And here I am, in the desert, at sea, doing my utmost to keep a small fleet running, a small shop afloat, a small team surviving, helping these tiny people who can be counted on one hand..."

Looking out the window at the equally mottled walls and desolate alley, Kuai Sheng said, “In fact, I don’t think what I do here, or the value I can find here, is any less significant or more insignificant than what I do in the secret chamber of Longxiao City, moving chips like an unmoving elder, chatting and laughing with the lords, and always talking about historical missions and national welfare.”

"I simply... chose a life that is uniquely mine."

Thales listened quietly, his eyes filled with undisguised surprise.

Finally, Prince Star looked away and let out a long sigh.

He looked as if he had just fought a major battle, and was quite tired.

“I’m sorry, quick rope,” Thales leaned against the wall, relaxing completely, and smiled slightly. “Just now, I said some inappropriate and presumptuous things, criticizing you—you know, when you suddenly run into the culprit who caused you to be held hostage in a foreign country for six years…”

Thales shrugged.

Quicksun raised his eyes, a smile in them: "I understand."

"So you've calmed down? The interrogation is over?"

The two exchanged a smile, and the initial hostility between them slowly dissipated.

"Yes."

“I understand, that was your choice,” Thales said softly, putting aside his resentment. “And I have no right to interfere.”

"I respect your choice."

Quick Rope took a deep breath.

He spoke softly, uttering just two short words, but with an undercurrent of emotion: "Thank you."

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t entirely agree with your views,” Thales twisted his waist to ease the poor blood flow in his back, “especially regarding the workings of history, or your opinions on responsibility.”

Quick Rope blinked: "But you said you respect my choice."

"This is far more valuable than mere approval."

Quick Rope silently watched Thales' silhouette in the darkness.

He smiled.

"Thank you."

Thales raised an eyebrow.

“Fine, I accept.” He hummed softly.

But Quick Rope shook his head.

"Do not."

"This thank you is for Alex."

At that moment, Thales froze completely.

Quick Rope looked intently at Thales: "In your Dragon City story, you told so many secrets—duel, disaster, rumba, coronation—as if you had witnessed them firsthand, but you never mentioned yourself."

"Either you're just bragging, like a street vendor spouting hearsay."

He narrowed his eyes: "Or, you were in it at the time, Thales Star."

"So, thank you for helping her, now the Grand Duchess of Dragonsky City, on that night that sounded so terrible."

Thales let out a heavy sigh.

“You just said,” Thales frowned, “that you did poorly in politics?”

Quicksword shrugged, a smile returning to his face: "Of course, it can't compare to someone who dominated the national conference..."

“No.” Thales shook his head, answering his own question before Thales could speak.

"I'm thinking, Kaisen, you might be very smart."

"He is smarter than most nobles who seem shrewd and wise."

Thales exclaimed:

"It's just that your teacher didn't notice."

Quick rope's smile faltered slightly.

He chuckled and continued the previous topic.

"I know what kind of personality that girl has."

Quick Rope said calmly, "Although Alex is very annoying—besides her mother's appearance, she also inherited her father's pride and arrogance—she is not a bad girl. It's just that her undisciplined childhood made her a bit spoiled."

Thales felt as if his heart had been gripped tightly.

Alex.

As he listened to Kuaisheng talk about the girl from his memory, he felt empty inside.

What appeared in my mind's eye was her painful spasms before her death.

No.

Thales seemed to be out of his body, thinking blankly.

No, Morar.

He doesn't know yet.

he does not know……

"I am very relieved to have you taking care of her."

Quick Rope chuckled, "So, thank you, Thales."

"Thank you for doing so much for her, both what I know and what I don't know."

but.

But she… but in his memory, the girl he was talking about was already…

Thales gritted his teeth.

“Watch out, Thales,” Quick Rope squinted at him, then changed the subject: “Although I just said that whether someone cares or is cared for…”

"But your love story may be more tumultuous than that of Dana and me."

In that instant, Thales froze on the spot.

love?

“Quick Rope, you’ve misunderstood…” Thales sighed.

But the rope broke him.

“Don’t think this is far removed from you, Thales. In this era, bloodline and lineage are a curse.”

Quick Rope, supporting himself on his knees, pointed at Thales, his expression serious: "Given your status, one day, someone—family, friends, someone of prestige, someone you trust—will come before you and tell you with righteous indignation: for a higher good, for more people, for a greater goal..."

"You must surrender yourself, including your love, your life, your freedom, submit to them, become their prisoner, and join their game."

Thales was stunned.

"And your choices will determine what kind of person you are."

Quick Rope stared intently at Thales, making the latter quite uneasy.

“But whatever you choose, whatever you sacrifice or leave behind,” Quickstrip said, his expression unchanged, “you have to make sure it’s your own choice, Thales.”

Don't let others decide for you.

The former prince of Exeter's eyes narrowed: "Absolutely not."

Thales stared at him blankly.

He was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. His mind was simultaneously filled with pity for Alex, guilt for deceiving Moral, worry for the little rascal's future, reflections on the chains of power, and a mixture of amusement and exasperation at the misunderstanding.

Incredibly complex.

Speechless.

“As for me, don’t worry,” Quick Rope raised his eyebrows, his smile sincere and simple: “After dealing with Dean, I will go far away and neither return to Dragon City nor show myself.”

"I won't cause trouble for my niece, and of course, I won't cause trouble for you either."

"This is my promise, the promise of the North."

The light was too dim, and he didn't notice Thales's odd expression. He said earnestly, "If you really love her, Thales, you and Alex..."

"Then you will have my blessing—though it cannot be publicized—the blessing of Moral Walton."

"The separation is only temporary."

May you meet again soon and become a couple.

Wish me... me and Alex...

See you again soon?

Where will we meet again?
The boy's face twitched slightly, unsure whether to expose him or refuse.

In the end, he sighed and said nothing.

Facing the hopeful-looking Quick Rope, Prince Star forced out an awkward and embarrassed smile.

"Th...thank you."

Okay, we've finally made it through this straight stretch of road smoothly.

Get ready ahead.

We're about to overtake on a curve.

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(End of this chapter)