- I know that the map of your land hasn't been drawn in the last hundred years because of the constant changes of the rivers, but we made an attempt, - the prince looked confused, he was watching the king's reaction at the edge of his eye.
- Let me ask, - Strange couldn't take his eyes off the picture of his country - with all the towns, villages, rivers and lakes, everything was signed and looked as magical as if it were a magic map, - Who was the author?
- It took me a little over a year, - Charles smiled a little. - I hope not much has changed. But it's always possible to fix everything here, the top layer of paint is easy to remove.
The king of the river turned to the young Xavier and bowed to him, almost in his waistband, causing a general sigh in the hall - most of them have never seen the king bow so much. The prince flashed from this and from Strange's gaze.
Strangely enough, Strange returned to his entourage, which was immediately on one side of the throne, and Charles was approached by Ann Sabah Noor, king of the Eastern lands, who made the prince feel strange: the cold look of this man seemed to nail him to the floor, depriving him of the opportunity to move, as if he was not all from this world, and at the same time posed a danger. He was followed by one of the representatives of his faithful entourage, who carried a gift covered with cloth on a golden pillow.
- In our lands, the sun is always so bright that you can lose your mind if you stay out of the shadows for a long time, - the eastern king said calmly, looking into the eyes of the prince.
He turned to his assistant, taking off the cloth and whispering in a whisper, whispering and taking from his pillow a long cape scarf like Noor's. He was blue and sky blue, embroidered with silver and must have been shining by hand, sparkling as if the flow of a river was so lacking in the hot Eastern lands.
- But even the sun doesn't dazzle like you, - the king approached, carefully throwing his gift on the prince's head, wrapping a scarf in an oriental style. In their tradition, it was customary to wear such things at once, and Charles humbly froze, so as not to offend the guest by accident.
Noor stepped back, with the usual movement of grabbing his hands at abdominal level, he seemed pleased: the prince's eyes were no longer just blue, they also seemed to sparkle when such a rich fabric appeared next to him.
- Thank you for the gift, - Charles bowed his head, and a servant had already appeared next to him, holding the gift back on his pillow. It was a wide belt, embroidered with precious stones, shiny as a cape. - I know there aren't many jewellery that can withstand the climate in your land, and they shouldn't restrict your movement, so let me give it to you despite the abundance of stones, it's light.
The prince took a belt and came up to the king, observing the ritual of exchange. Noor put his hands apart, allowing the young man to fasten his waistband, watching Charles and his face closely. When Xavier left, the eastern king took a deep breath, as if checking how convenient the gift was, he ran his fingertips over the rocks, touched his forehead and bowed down before the prince.
- The sun is not as generous in its warmth as you, the prince, are, - Noor smiled, returning to his home, he seemed flattered.
The third prince of the mountainous lands appeared near the prince, he easily jumped up the stairs, overcoming them in a fraction of a second, almost all the ladies looked only at him again, so he was a good mountaineer. Now his red hair was slightly pulled on the back of the head, but the resemblance to the lion still remained, the blue eyes looked only at the young heir to the Central Lands, causing the prince to flare up. Unlike the two previous participants, he was alone.
- Your Highness, - Prince Jamie slipped his fingers through the bandage, continuing to look at the young man incessantly. - The glory of your many talents extends far beyond the Central Länder, and one of them, as far as I know, is the possession of the sword, but accept this gift as a token of my admiration.
The mountaineer untied the sword easily as if playing, throwing it, intercepting it with both hands and stretching it to Charles. It was beautiful: thin, graceful and deadly at the base of which sparkled sapphire, and around it on the metal one could see the engraving: "To Prince Charles, the beautiful heart". Xavier could hardly breathe in, he really loved fencing, and this sword was extremely beautiful, he took it carefully from the hands of the Prince of the Mountains, and Jamie held Charles' fingers for a second, making him blush.
To Be Continued...