Portrait of Queen Berta

I accidentally got pregnant with His Majesty's child

Chapter 19: The ancient city

The first days we endured the harsh hospitality of the Trent clan, but the rest of the journey went rather smoothly.

(Although the situation with the chamberlain was unexpected, the problems with the conservative faction's guards, were originally a major concern of the trip. Considering that, it's a blessing that it was only as much as our side could handle.)

More importantly, Berta had managed to get a few words of trust out of Harold early on in the trip, and his advice had saved her the stress of clashing with his entourage again.

(It was dangerous this time, but people like that can be used in our benefit too. I think I did a relatively good job handling it. But, of course, the near fall of the horse didn't pass unnoticed to my maidservants, who scolded me a lot. They were right, but... They kept telling me to stop acting reckless and don't forget my own limits... once and once again.)

Meseta, the largest city in the south, appeared miscellaneous and obscene to the eyes of the group, who were accustomed to seeing the beautiful and orderly streets of the north.

A solid high protective wall completely surrounds the residential area.

The huge old castle that should have been in the center of the city had never been rebuilt since it was burned down by an foreign invasion that came from across the sea, hundreds of years ago.

And unlike any other city, the site of the castle is open to the residents as a public space.

"In the morning, all the city's people gather in the Central Square. All the city's festivals and big events take place in this square."

The itinerary states that a ceremony will be held to welcome the King and Second Queen, but when the carriage in which they rode, and the pompous knights escorting it, arrived at the square, the city's ordinary citizens were already crowding the Central Square.

Despite Harold's gaze that demanded an explanation, Berta smilingly explained in her city that is how they welcome someone important.
But they couldn't listen to such tourist notes, even when some of them found it very interesting.

"Your Highness... Your Highness, how shall we proceed?"

The anxious Gosha asked Berta directly for help.
There are too many people in front of the carriage to continue the march.

"The people are used to start moving after a while. Then, the carriage can slowly come closer to the center of the square."

At the end of the Square, where the people are overflowing, there is a large open space that looks like a hole in the ground.
It's caused by people all dressed in the full traditional formal attire kneeling politely, but surrounded by the masses.
They are the clan of the Kasha, the city's Grand Rulers.

(If it weren't for the horsemen guarding the outside of the carriage, the hands of the cheering people reaching out to us would have reached us inside the carriage directly. That's how a warm welcome's celebration is held in my land)

The carriage moved with difficulty into the bustling square, where previously was an ancient arena.

(It's just as bustling as ever)
Even the voices of the people guarding the King were drowned out by the tremendous bustle.

The smiling faces of the city's people was welcoming with cheering voices, but Harold couldn't hear any of them clearly.

Harold is a monarch who has always had a certain amount of support from the people.
His popularity among the people in the Royal Capital is also higher than that of previous kings.
But never before had he saw so many people.

This is the very proof of the good relationship that the Kasha family has built up over generations with their people.

The state of the old city of Meseta welcomed King Harold that day, it was enough to shock him into its real meaning.
It was clear, for them, Harold is only the man that married the Princess of Kasha, Berta.

They arrived near the center of the square, when the voices of the citizens grew distant and quiet naturally.
The group of people kneeling in the center of the square, in formal attire, stood up and looked up in unison as they approached.

All of the former heads of the clan were in one place, and any of them had never met the royals before.
Berta softly whispered to Harold.

'The tall man in the center is my father, and the slender woman beside him is my mother, the first wife.'

Her straightforward explanation was appreciated, the shocked Harold did his best to paste a smile on his face as he looked at them.

The man who managed the trade in the whole Kingdom for years, the head of the Kasha clan, Berta's father.

Although he expected to meet a cunning looking man, he always thought he would see a much older and expensively dressed one, the actual head of the Kasha was a large and handsome man who looked like an actor, his age was nearly impossible to guess.

He spoke in a beautiful, clear voice with a theatrical panache that was befitting of his appearance.

"Welcome, Her Majesty. Welcome, His Majesty, the Sixth King Augustus, Harold, who has made history again for this country and this city by honoring us with his presence today."

Although he never shouted loudly, his voice had the power to make the air around him tremble and everybody listens.
This is the Kasha's chief, the ally that all the southerners look up to.

"On this bright and splendid day," he said, "I am sorry to be such a lowly vassal, but we wanted to welcome you with the ancient congratulations' song of our people."

"Yes, I forgive you, continue"

"Thank God for your mercy, I hope you enjoy it."

The chief of the Kasha clan hung his head reverently, then slowly raised one hand in the air.

The bells rang once, echoing throughout the square, and the assembled citizens began to sing in unison.

The music was simple and beautiful, like a folk song.
It didn't look like they had practiced the song for today, it was a spontaneous song that anyone from this region remembers and can sing.

"Let's go, my fellow friends, the time has come."

The sky seems to crack open as a chorus of citizens from all over the Square arise.
The power of their voices was so great that Harold was overwhelmed by just standing there.

~~We, the proud Petra people!

~~Oh, oh, freedom, we will defend it with our lives.

In the center of the square, Kasha's clan was singing with their people, as they're accustomed to doing.

Harold saw that even Berta looked shocked, her body froze probably unconscious.

It was an anti-war song, a song asking for the peace, sung since the days of the long and horrific war, of the foreign invasion that started suddenly hundreds of years ago.

Later, it became a celebration's song that would not go unheard at ceremonies, weddings and any other happy occasions.

Harold did not know any of that nor that the song was engraved in the southerners' very souls, he simply listened to the traditional music of the frontier with awe.

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