To Set, prayer made him feel nothing.
On another day, when some birds flew away from Set at the windowsill, the head priest asked whether Set would like to fly with him.
Before winter arrived that particular year, everything came to light. Someone from the temple tipped off the palace, and the guards came to retrieve Set. The head priest beckoned for Set not to go, and on the rooftop he cursed the king who had taken everything from him, before plunging to his end.
Love, desire, attachment. Set believed all those things were ugly. And after the temple was abandoned, Set believed that people couldn't fly, that they were all just lumps of flesh, that everything was a lie, that thoughts and feelings vanished like sea foam.
Nenah began to tear up, hearing his perception of the world. He told her not to cry over what he deemed meaningless nonsense. But she shouted back that it wasn't meaningless. She felt that he should be saying how difficult life had been for him.
He didn't understand her, though, and said that those emotions were unnecessary. He hadn't been here in a long time, and he felt nothing. There was no smell. There was no bloodstain. That past was like a dream.
Nenah took this to mean that Set's heart was buried here. Feeling nothing was his salvation, and death would make him happy.
She thought this was all wrong.
She suddenly hugged him from behind, wondering what she could do for him. She wasn't smart, and she didn't know what to say, but maybe this hug felt warm. She told him this hug wasn't a lie, and that he didn't have to do this all alone. She wanted him to understand. She hoped he understood. She promised to teach him what happiness was and to treasure him for life.
Shrugging her off in surprise, the cold war god became a flustered prince.
Nenah pointed at the snow then, saying it was so pretty, something she'd never seen before, telling him, "See? This place is beautiful."
He thought that was impossible. But looking back at her, he could understand that this was the world as she saw it. He suddenly held her, thinking that the beauty was enough to paint over everything.
While touching his hand, Nenah wondered whether she would have to keep lying to him about being Alicia forever. She thought she would rather die than let him know.
When they returned, the attendants let the two of them know that a new king had taken the throne in Fortna, and that they would like an audience in the spring. The coronation had taken place a month and a half ago. Set was surprised, since this was the first he had heard of it. His spies should have reported it long ago.
The next shocking thing he heard was that his spies might have been forced to make false reports by the new king.
Hearing that Azure had been crowned the new king, and that Fortna's messengers were approaching the white wing soon, Nenah ran outside — and saw that Azure was one of them.
While she rushed down to find out who the messenger at the back was, everyone tried to stop her, because she had been married off to this nation. But she was desperate, and happy to see Azure again. She'd thought she would never see him again. She wanted to scream, and she didn't know why. She felt as though her heart was in her throat.
And now she was wondering why he wouldn't acknowledge her.
The messenger at the front explained that the king had suddenly decided to give his throne to Azure. So an informal coronation had been held, only for those within the nation. An official coronation with other nations was planned for this spring. That was the very message they had come to deliver.
Nenah tried to ask why they had come so suddenly, and Hikami warned her to be careful with her words. Nenah calmed herself, but still she just wanted to hear Azure's voice. She tried to call for the man at the back instead, and was met by the front messenger claiming that Azure was just a lowly mercenary who shouldn't speak to her.
The messengers took their leave then, to deliver a letter. Watching them go, Nenah hoped Azure would turn back to look at her. He never did.
She sat in her room, depressed, thinking about Azure's rejecting glance. She wondered whether he was angry that she had basically tricked him when she left Fortna. She had made the decision without him, to come here. She felt as though she had practically abandoned him.
Seeing her saddened mood, Set thought to ask Anne about it. He had never seen Nenah so quiet before, and thought something must be wrong. Anne suggested that Nenah might be homesick, having seen messengers from her homeland, and that giving her tasty and fun things should help brighten her mood.
So the prince called one of his servants to bring all of the tasty things they had, all at once.
Seeing all the desserts presented in front of her, Nenah wondered whether they were celebrating something. She wasn't hungry at all — and then she was surprised to hear from Anne that this was Set's attempt to cheer her up.
Hearing from him that in seven days Galatada would be celebrating the king of beasts festival, featuring tons of musicians and entertainers, and that it would be lively and fun, she really knew now that he was trying to cheer her up. Her frown returned to a smile once more, and she was able to eat her treats.
She was pulling herself together again. She didn't know what to do about Set's cocky laugh and attitude, but she still wanted to take care of him.
From the rooftops, Yor and Bedau were discussing the messengers from Fortna. They weren't going to take Fortna lightly here, given that the new king had blocked reports from all their spies. Tote speculated that the king might consider taking back the plan for the line of succession, since things had changed so suddenly. Yor's and Bedau's plans had originally been to win Nenah over, but they hadn't expected Set to become so attached, and they also weren't expecting to see her running outside in front of them.
Nenah hid in some bushes to avoid detection by the guards. She felt bad for causing her servants trouble, and especially felt bad for Set. But right now she felt she needed to see Azure and tell him how she felt before he left.
She got up brazenly and told the guards she was here to deliver sweets to the messengers from her homeland.
Despite the guards trying to stop her, she bumped into the messengers, and now she was stunned, seeing Azure's unhidden face. But before she could speak to him, Set picked her up and asked what she was doing. Azure was stone-faced, watching the two of them.
Set told Nenah that he knew she was homesick, but asked why she was so desperate to meet them. She struggled out of his arms, saying that wasn't it at all, and brought up that the man in the middle looked like someone who had helped her a long time ago.
Azure remained straight-faced and said that she was mistaken, because this was the first time they had met.
She felt pain from him not even looking her in the eyes. Then she asked them to take a message to her father, the queen, the former king, Muilam and Azure: that she would always protect them from this distant land of Galatada, now and forever.
Azure suddenly knelt in front of her, noticing a shard at her foot from the broken pot she had dropped. He told her not to hurt herself, and it brought warmth to her heart.
Set grabbed her then, telling Nenah not to worry, because the messengers would be staying until the upcoming festival. Most likely it was an excuse from the king to prevent them from leaving, since it had now been decided that they shouldn't underestimate the new king of Fortna.
He questioned then whether the messengers were truly just messengers, and raised a blade directly at Azure. Set warned him that the next time he touched Nenah, he'd be dead.
Seeing Azure's demeanor remain cool, Set brought up that the highlight of the festival was the combat tournament held in the coliseum. Since everyone was free to enter, he planned to tell the king that the messengers wished to participate. The front messenger began panicking, having no desire to enter, but Set left, telling them that the winner could have whatever he desired, while dragging Nenah away.
In the guest quarters where the messengers were staying, Azure warned his subordinates to watch what they said, since there were potentially spies who could hear them. Knowing Hikami was right outside their window, he wondered whose side she was truly on.