Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 641 The North Has No Winter
Miranda remained silent for a long time, her gaze never leaving the Duke of Star Lake before her, as if she was still getting used to Thales in this state.

"You say you have no shortage of experts under your command, and that some are even better than me?"

A few seconds later, Miranda said dismissively:

"But as far as I know, that two-on-one duel..."

"Those were just the two weakest members of the Star Lake Guard."

Thales firmly interrupted her to prevent her from revealing his family's secrets, and at the same time apologized for Neshi and Bastia:

"Putting everything else aside, my captain of the personal guard, Lord Tormund Marius, known as the 'Dreadnought Blade,' could subdue both of them with just one hand."

(“Achoo—there’s more and more cat hair. Only an idiot would come up with the idea of ​​keeping cats to control mice…” Marius said unhappily while inspecting supplies.)
In the study, Thales sneezed slightly and rubbed his nose.

“Fear, terror, blade?” Miranda murmured the word, a look of confusion on her face.

Thales looked serious and solemn:
"That's Lord Marius's nickname. The Northmen, no, the Starmen, well, I mean, all the enemies who have suffered at his hands, whether they're Exter or Starmen, call him that behind his back."

Miranda frowned.

Thales sneered:
"A word of advice: Don't mention it to his face. Marius doesn't like that nickname and would rather die than admit it."

Miranda pondered something, her expression gradually becoming serious:

"I know that the Marius family was once one of the Seven Stars, also known as 'The Razor.' But, the Terrifying Blade? So, Lord Marius is skilled with swords? Or short-range daggers?"

Thales had to increase the frequency of his cough:
"Well, you might as well ask him to spar another day. But I'm warning you beforehand, as my most trusted captain of the personal guard, Lord Marius's martial arts skills are hidden and unfathomable. Even if the strongest and most terrifying master in the world were to face him, the outcome would be only fifty-fifty."

"I feel like you're exaggerating a bit?"

“No, I was just emphasizing that your martial arts skills, which you are so proud of, are not rare here.”

Upon hearing this, Miranda remained silent for a moment, but she quickly continued:

"It's not just about martial arts."

"Considering your past grievances and disagreements with Duke Jann, Your Highness, whatever your purpose in going to Emerald City, you will inevitably face obstacles at every turn, unlike your journey in the capital and Dragon City."

Thales remained silent.

Actually, things didn't go very smoothly in the capital and Dragon Sky City either.

But she was right; his destination in Emerald City, aside from being dangerous, was bound to be troublesome.

He needs more capable people.

“We worked together in Dragon Sky City, and you know my skills beyond swordsmanship.”

Miranda's eyes sharpened:

“Some difficult problems are more reliable and effective when they are handled by me than by Wyman and the mute, or by the Doyle kid or that zombie-faced big guy.”

Wyatt and Rolf.

DD and Glov.

Thales frowned as he recalled his encounter at the Leia Club on Red Street that day.

“By accepting me, you will also gain my identity and surname.”

Seeing Thales's expression shift slightly, Miranda continued to increase her bet:

“Your Highness Thales, although you are the heir to the highest throne, since the royal banquet and the accident of the prince breaking into the palace, you have touched the interests of many people, are in the vortex, and are easily blamed, and are getting further and further away from the Palace of Restoration.”

"Therefore, to this day, no powerful lord has dared to stand up and express his support for you, to endorse your rightful rights."

Thales shifted his gaze:

"You may not know, but the sword I am currently carrying is the family heirloom of the Duke of the Western Wilderness; my cousin, Earl Deler Croma of Wing Fort, escorted me all the way back to the capital; and Paul Bozdorf of the Black Lion family, the legal heir of the Earl of Heroes' Fort, is currently outside, guarding me."

Duke of Star Lake shrugged nonchalantly:
"And they also gave me an extra-large nine-pointed star flag. It was beautifully made and made of high-quality materials. It shimmered silver when it fluttered, and it looked very impressive. I liked it very much."

Miranda thought for a moment and quickly found the corresponding memory:

"Paul Bozdorf? You mean that guy who got his head smashed into a pig's head with a broom on his first day in the capital?"

"It's not as serious as a pig's head, it's just a scraped skin—wait, how do you know?"

Miranda sneered:

"But unfortunately, Paul's father, the Earl of Lewis, was in his prime. He was neither imprisoned nor had he lost all his authority, so he could not leave behind a huge power vacuum to make his heir the most sought-after future earl who was closest to ruling."

“That’s easy, just kill his father later.” Thales said calmly, his heart not pounding so hard.

Miranda ignored his terrible sense of humor and remained serious: "As for a sword and an escort—only a fool would think that's an unbreakable alliance of true friendship."

Thales curled his lip.

Miranda's eyes sharpened:
“But unlike other families, the situation in Aarond is special. The Duke of the North is imprisoned and has no hope of returning. With the throne vacant, my importance as his only daughter and first heir is particularly crucial.”

She took a step forward:
"With me in your camp, you have the future of the entire North, and the Arend family, the head of the six great families. This is an unprecedentedly clear signal, and it is also an important bargaining chip for you to regain popularity and power after being suspected and exiled by the king, in order to make a comeback."

Make a comeback?

It's as if I've ever "gotten up" before.

Thales fell into deep thought.

"For this alone, I am more valuable to you than everyone else in this castle—and I haven't even mentioned the reputation and experience I've accumulated at Dragonbreaker Fortress over the years."

Thales remained silent for a moment.

"I admit, you have a point."

Duke Xinghu smiled and shook his head:
"But there are significant flaws, such as the fact that you may not be able to inherit your father's legacy."

Miranda's expression tightened.

Thales smiled.

“Long ago, there was a little girl—and the old witch was the same: we agreed that she would help me ascend the throne, and I would help her reclaim her power.”

Thales spoke with a nostalgic look on his face.

"But the partnership broke down—she betrayed me."

Miranda's eyes flickered.

"For years I resented her for breaking her promise, but it wasn't until I discussed it with Lao Wu—my teacher—that I realized that the collaboration was destined to fail."

Miranda sensed the coldness in Thales' words and couldn't help but shudder.

Thales sneered and braced himself on the desk with both hands:

“You see, I have to ascend the throne first before I have the power to help her regain power, while she has to regain power first before she has the spare power to help me ascend the throne.”

The prince's gaze turned cold:
"Isn't this just two empty checks that guarantee each other's actions?"

"It all depends on which side loses its composure first; their credibility will be the first to go bankrupt."

Miranda tensed up.

In that instant, the prince's gaze sharpened, igniting the symphony of celestial horses within her.

"Martial arts skills, intellect, or your vague so-called status and position, I have none of them."

Thales exhaled and squinted:
"If you want to convince me to accept you, you'll have to offer something much more substantial."

Miranda remained silent.

The back-and-forth negotiations made her frown.

"And if there were no..."

Then let's give up.

give up.

Thales stared intently at her, his hands clenched into fists as he braced himself on the table.

Miranda.

Please!

“Starlake Castle doesn’t keep idle people—or would you be willing to offer yourself up to warm my bed?” Thales’ tone was flippant and flamboyant, full of sarcasm and disdain.

Miranda remained silent, but clenched her fists.

Please, stay away from me.

Thales watched her silently, his face still bearing a cold smile.

Stay away from Starlake Castle.

Stay away from this quagmire, this whirlpool, this trap.

At least, we can avoid the eye of the storm in the future and protect ourselves.

To avoid becoming a victim of the "covenant".

Please.

Dark clouds covered the sky, making the study dimly lit.

Under Thales's urging and questioning gaze, the female swordsman's eyes flickered slightly, as if she was thinking about something.

A moment later, she raised her head, a look of determination in her eyes.

"The North".

Miranda said firmly:
“If you help me rightfully return to Coldhold and ascend to the dukedom, brat, I promise you I will bring you to the North.”

The North?

Before he could even question the way the other person addressed him, Thales was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter:

"What are you talking about? The North is the territory of the kingdom."

But Miranda shook her head firmly.

"You do not understand."

The female eagle of the Aarond family has sharp eyes.

“I promise you I will bring you back a different North—not geographically, not traditionally, not now, and not like before.”

"But it is the future, the kingdom's northern border, which your father has been plotting and dreaming of for many years."

Thales' eyes flickered, and he instinctively withdrew his arm and straightened up.

what?
Miranda stepped forward, her expression resolute:

"I promise that it will no longer be a northern extremist outside the kingdom system. From inheritance to law, from land to population, from culture to institutions, from finance to administration, from agriculture and animal husbandry to defense, from conscription to customs, from personnel to logistics, from the Great Needle Forest to the Desolate Lands, from the Desolate Sanctuary to the Winter Palace, from the Birch Forest to the Dragon's Lair, the Restoration Palace will rule the North as easily as it controls its own arm, just as it rules the Central Territory."

As easily as using one's arm...

A promise is a promise...

Thales's eyes changed completely.

The prince looked at Miranda in disbelief:
"Madam, what are you saying?"

Miranda snorted coldly, without hesitation:

“That’s right. No outdated traditions, no annoying customs, no conservative families, no troublesome lords, no embarrassing compromises. The North—the kingdom’s best source of soldiers and bridgehead—will be completely and thoroughly integrated into the Star Kingdom’s system and rule, just as your father hoped.”

Miranda gritted her teeth:
"Under the power of the monarchy, there is no echo left."

Completely...

Completely integrated...

Thales could no longer sit still. He jumped off his desk, no longer caring about maintaining his previous pragmatic and cold demeanor.

"Let me clarify something. You said that after you become a duke, you would not only have to give up the Northern Territory, but also the power you hold..."

Thales swallowed hard and pressed on:
"Even if that means the North will no longer be the territory it once was, the lords will no longer have their former rule, and the dukes will no longer have their former status?"

How could this be...?

Miranda watched him silently.

A few seconds later, she curled the corners of her mouth into a confident yet cold smile, tilting her head back as if in provocation:

Yes, little brat.

What's wrong?
Thales's expression remained one of astonishment: "I...I don't understand, why, why did you..."

"As you said yourself, an empty check is worse than no check at all."

Miranda exhaled and chuckled softly.

“As long as I am not the Duke of the North, or more precisely, the Duchess, the power that title represents, whether great or small, near or far, is meaningless to me.”

Miranda's smile turned cold:
"In that case, I have no choice but to offer something even more substantial."

"For example, the future tax revenue promised by a 'wise ruler' when borrowing money, or that popular term from Commas recently: options."

The female swordswoman from the Arend family raised her head, her imposing aura striking:
"How so, Your Highness, whether it's Falkenhausen, Kloma, or Bozdorf, are they willing to give you such a bargaining chip—the future?"

Thales blinked frantically. "If what you're saying is true, if you really are going to…"

Thales couldn't believe it:
"That will be unprecedented for you, no, for the Aarond family in terms of their vassals, historical legitimacy, the dignity of the North, and even their own existence—"

"betray?"

Miranda picked at her ear, completely unconcerned:
"What, is it as serious as my father's treason?"

Telston was speechless for a moment.

But in that instant, he remembered what he had said to the king.

If people were to discover that I am the king's spy, I would be seen as a traitor to the noble faction by hundreds of vassals, condemned by all and despised by everyone.

Thales stared blankly at Miranda at that moment.

It's as if I'm seeing another version of myself.

but……

Why, why is she so carefree and unrestrained, so indifferent?

This is clearly...

But then he realized something, and his expression darkened.

“No, this is still an empty promise, something you can only do when you become a duke,” he forced himself to shake his head in refusal, “relying on your hollow promises—”

"But no one else dared to give it, not even verbally."

Miranda interrupted him decisively:
“This is not something I can only achieve after I become a duke; in fact, your father has already begun to do it.”

Thales stared intently at her, finding himself unable to comprehend the thoughts of the person before him.

So, do you dare to accept?

Miranda's eyes were like two long swords, pinning him down and making him unable to move.
"Or rather, Thales Star, are you qualified to take this role?"

Thales' breathing quickened, and he had to summon the Sin of the River of Hell to help him calm down.

As the power of termination surged, Hell's Senses allowed him to perceive the power within his opponent more clearly: the Pegasus Symphony flowed endlessly, boundless and without any flaws.

"but why?"

“I don’t understand,” Thales said instinctively. “After I returned home, from Falkenhausen to Bozdorf, many people came to my banner to curry favor with me.”

“But I know they came because they didn’t want to give up their old way of life, didn’t want to relinquish the power they were used to, and didn’t want to bow down to my father’s iron fist. But you, you, you…”

"I am not them."

Miranda answered his question in a soft voice.

"The 'Eagle Soaring' sword, passed down through the Arund dynasty, was once a priceless ancient imperial sword, but it has been broken many times and reforged several times, and is no longer what it used to be, and has even lost its original name."

She glanced at her sword:

"Just as history moves forward and times develop, people will always grow old."

Thales stared at the longsword that had shared the dragon's blood with him seven years ago.

The female swordsman stood before him, as aloof as ever, yet incomparably passionate:
"But there are always young people."

"Just like the reforged eagle, its form is newer and its blade is sharper."

There was a moment of silence between them.

Thales exhaled, trying to gather his thoughts.

"But I still can't believe, Ms. Aaron, that you are really so noble and virtuous?"

"Paying such a high price, you really want nothing more than that empty title? For that title of Lord in name only, without any real power, no different from a wealthy old man—the Duke of the Northern Guardian?"

“It’s the Duchess,” Miranda corrected.

Thales sighed and nodded in agreement:

"The Duchess."

He asked:

"But if you succeed, but become a duchess in name only, someone who has to defer to me even when cultivating and collecting taxes on her own land, what's the point?"

She's from the Aarond family, isn't she?

They are descendants of 'The Wrathful Eagle' Nolan Nur, the oldest and most conservative family in the Star Kingdom.

A voice inside Thales was also asking: So, how is that possible?

How could she possibly give up those rights that have been passed down since the imperial era, passed down from generation to generation, and that she was born with?
How could she possibly transcend the greatest limitations and weaknesses of all the feudal lords and vassals of this era?
unless.

unless……

Miranda remained silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed.

She walked slowly to the window and gazed at the vast Star Lake under the shadow of dark clouds.

"Tell me, Your Highness, has there ever been a moment when you felt that everything in your life seemed to have come to a standstill?"

Thales trembled slightly.

The female swordsman said softly:

"What you see and feel is already predetermined, and what you do is all predestined. No matter what you do or how hard you try, you cannot break through the current limitations, bring anything new, or see a new way out."

Miranda gazed absently out the window at the dark, cloud-covered sky and the bottomless, black Star Lake.

"As for the seemingly good life, you can actually see the end at a glance. All that's left is the same monotonous self-repetition day after day, waiting for the final end."

It brings nothing new, and it doesn't offer any new solutions...

Thales did not speak.

In that instant, he seemed to return to Dragonfall City, with Alex, who had been poisoned, and the head of King Nunn before him.

But then he seemed to return to the royal banquet, watching DD's ashen face, preparing to sacrifice himself, or to the Kingdom's Secret Service, watching people come and go in the interrogation room, watching the light in Anker Bailar's eyes gradually disappear.

As for sitting on that uncomfortable throne, scheming day and night, trying to understand people's hearts, forcing oneself to become the coldest and most pathetic tool? That's not power, Thales, it's chains called power.

The words that Quick Rope had once spoken made Thales unconsciously clench his nails.

"Seven years ago, when my father was imprisoned as a traitor, I was utterly despondent and could only numb myself and escape the outside world by endless military affairs and work, including the impending war."

"In the end, the war didn't break out, so I risked my life to go to Longxiao City, which led to everything that happened afterward."

Miranda gave a soft snort.

“But from that time on, my kind-faced cousins ​​started making trouble: gossip, rumors, sarcastic remarks, and even using blood ties and surnames to directly interfere in the affairs of Coldhold, their words aimed directly at the Duke's position and my right of succession—it's ridiculous, considering that Aarond is known for its unity, that they didn't dare to do this when my father was alive, and that if I were a son, they might not dare to be so presumptuous.”

Thales frowned and couldn't help but say:

"As far as I know, since the conquest of the North, the Star Kingdom has had a queen as a precedent, and the succession law no longer restricts by gender. They cannot..."

“Yes, compared to the barbaric Exter who you went to great lengths to support the Grand Duchess, the Star Kingdom is civilized enough, advanced enough, and considerate enough of people like me, isn’t it?” Miranda interrupted him sarcastically.

Thales remained silent, while the female swordsman snorted and shook her head.

"But gender always comes before age. Even for the eldest sister and the youngest brother, the throne is passed down to the son before the daughter. Therefore, only the only daughter has the right to inherit the father's position, and she also faces competition from her cousins ​​and even her future husband. Of course, you don't need to care about these things because you have a son, so it's none of your business."

Miranda said indignantly:
"All you need to know is that StarCraft is very civilized and advanced when it comes to inheritance. If anyone questions this, you can confidently say, 'Then why don't you go to Exeter?'"

Thales wanted to say something, but ultimately kept his mouth shut.

Miranda snorted and shook her head:
"Therefore, you naturally wouldn't care that in the Northern Territory, which is completely different from the mainstream inheritance law of the Stars, there hasn't even been a Duchess of Arend in the past seven hundred years."

Thales' expression changed:
"Really?"

Miranda stared blankly out the window and nodded.
“The closest one was over a hundred years ago—the ‘arithmetician’ Rosanna Arend, who, as the Duke’s eldest and only daughter, almost became the first Duchess of the North.”

The female swordsman said softly:

"Until her stepmother gave birth to her youngest son, knocking Rosanna out of the line of succession."

Thales frowned.

Rosanna Aarond.

He searched his memory for the name; it seemed to have been mentioned in Gilbert's class, but...

“I am my father’s second child. I originally had an older brother, but he died before he could walk.”

“And my mother, when she died in the bloody year,” Miranda said, her eyes glazed over, “was already pregnant.”

Thales was startled by what he heard.

A bloody year.

“After that calamity, even my father looked at me differently. He seemed to always be asking why. Why did my mother play hide-and-seek with you back then? Why was it you who escaped from the carriage? Why not your mother and your unborn brother? Why didn’t you disappear with them into the vast snow and among the countless refugees?”

Thales clenched his fists, but couldn't utter a single word.

Miranda shook her head in a daze:
“Sometimes I think, if my mother hadn’t had that accident, if the baby in her womb had been born safely, if it had been a boy, my brother, then today…”

Miranda paused, then looked up, her gaze resolute.

"No, otherwise I wouldn't be where I am today."

"Probably not."

She glanced at the letter beside Thales and pursed her lips:
"Even if there were, they would probably be sitting happily in the cold castle, pressing your letter of greeting and portrait to their chest, lost in reverie, thinking about what kind of dress to wear for the painter's portrait, and then replying to you with trembling hands."

Thales listened quietly to her words, glanced at the ridiculous "No breeding" letter, and found that he couldn't laugh at all.

"When I realized this, when I realized that I was able to stand here only because so many people died in the bloody year, and it was purely my own good luck... it felt like a cage had fallen from the sky, covering me from all sides, blocking my limits, isolating me from the outside world, and wherever I went, all I could see were the cage walls and the world outside the walls that I could never touch."

Miranda unconsciously clenched her teeth.

The reason I'm standing here is entirely due to the sheer number of deaths during that bloody year; it's purely a matter of luck...

Thales listened quietly to these words, but his thoughts seemed to travel through time, seeing the Starry Chamber in the Palace of Restoration, with its stone jars and urns.

The room fell silent.

“Or like a net,” Thales continued after a long silence, his voice also filled with deep disappointment, “and no matter how hard you try, you’re trapped in it, unable to escape?”

Miranda turned and glanced at him, seemingly surprised.

But she nodded slowly:

"Teacher Shatil from the Tower of the End said that this is probably what it feels like for 'Sword Heart' to hit a bottleneck and stagnate."

"It's not that the world has stagnated, or that life has gotten worse. In fact, the world is as it is, and so is life. It's just that your experiences have changed, your perspective has broadened, your horizons have expanded, and you've seen more, wider, higher, and more complex things."

Miranda stared blankly into space:
"It's just that some people encounter it early, some encounter it late, and some people, both lucky and unlucky, never encounter it, or choose to turn a deaf ear and ignore it after encountering it."

Thales sighed:
"The Heart of the Sword—I've heard Cohen say something similar, the theory of the Tower of Endings?"

When asked about their mutual friends, Miranda chuckled and shook her head.

"So I wanted to see, I insisted on trying, I wanted to take a step forward and see if the world was really as she said."

Thales was puzzled:
"Who?"

Miranda smiled but did not reply.

But she turned away, her back to the shadows outside the window.

“I am not Cohen. He can only hug the torch tightly in the wind and snow, shivering and sniffling, repeating things in a daze that he doesn’t even know if they have any meaning.”

“I am not Raphael. He deliberately ignored his inner doubts, convinced and brainwashed himself, believed the nonsense of ‘Heaven will entrust you with great responsibilities first,’ and regarded hardship and suffering as the way out.”

Thales frowned upon hearing this.

"Faced with the extreme cold, I was not foolish enough to try to fight the wind and snow head-on, but I was also unwilling to become a slave to the frost."

Miranda narrowed her eyes, her previous sorrow fading, replaced by a resolute expression.

"I will find my own way out."

“This is me, this is the real me, this is the real Miranda Aarond.”

The female swordswoman looked firmly at Duke Starlake, who responded with a serious expression.

"That's the significance of this matter."

“I am my own master, the ‘Neverwinter Sword’ of Dragonslayer Fortress.”

The next second, Miranda reached out and grabbed the sword leaning against the windowsill, then hung it back on her belt.

"Eagle Soaring Fortress"

Miranda's voice was cold, and her eyes were bright:

"There is no winter in the North."

I know what you're thinking. Don't ask, the answer is that it's time to pay back your "Huabei" (a Chinese online payment platform).

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(End of this chapter)