Chapter 131: Far From Home
Riley’s mouth went dry.
Interesting. He hadn’t expected that. He hadn’t expected them to go this far.
Rowan’s silver gaze did not waver. "Aide Hale, I owe you an apology on behalf of the elves for the treatment you have endured here. It should never have reached the point where you were subjected to such things. And yet, it did. That failure is ours to bear."
He studied the prince for a moment. A perfect face, steady voice, and no trace of hesitation.
If nothing else, Riley had to admire the performance. Rowan’s apology came without excuses, without the usual strings of justifications that often clung to hollow words.
It sounded sincere. Painfully so.
And yet he was guarded.
Although maybe if he hadn’t overheard fragments of what they were planning, he would have devoured that apology like a starving man at a banquet. After all, how many times in his life would someone like him ever receive an apology from a person of that standing?
But he knew better. He had heard enough. And so, surprisingly, when set against the elegant words he was being offered now, the golden lizard’s apology—two-bit, blunt, and occasionally cruel—still rang truer than one polished enough to win awards for diplomacy.
Riley adjusted his posture, deciding to play it professionally. Not exactly accepting, but understanding. "I understand, Your Highness. I suppose I can see where it may have come from."
Rowan inclined his head slightly. "Thank you for your understanding. I only hope I have not been too presumptuous in speaking to you directly like this." A gentle smile touched his lips as he added, "It was not just my observation. The servants spoke of it too. They felt they owed you some apology."
Utter bull, thought Riley instantly. Servants volunteering apologies? That was about as likely as Kael organizing an office karaoke night. Still, he maintained his smile with the same skill he used during late-night meetings with hostile leaders.
Thankfully, he kept it steady even when Rowan’s tone softened further, a low laugh escaping him. "Perhaps you think I am not very princely at the moment."
Riley’s brows lifted, his smile sharpened with just enough charm to mask his disbelief. "I can’t really say, Your Highness. I haven’t met many princes to compare. Or any, to be honest." Which was entirely true, and made him wonder why fate had thrown him into a situation where he now had two on his roster.
Rowan tilted his head. "Not even after traveling so much?"
"Not really, Your Highness. And while I’ve traveled, most trips have been short-term assignments. Not exactly the sort of thing where one could exchange more than pleasantries."
"Is that so?" Rowan asked, voice mild but probing.
"Yes," Riley said, leaning back just slightly. "So you can imagine my surprise when you mentioned that the shortest seclusion here lasts three years."
Rowan’s expression flickered, faint amusement cutting through his composed mask.
"You may not be able to imagine it," Riley continued, "but for us humans, that’s a long time." His tone carried a quiet curiosity, a deliberate prod. Would he maybe recommend attractions to pass the time, or tell him about interesting things to keep him curious?
But surprisingly, no.
Instead of turning the topic into something safe or political, Rowan asked, "By any chance, are you missing home?"
Riley blinked. Amazing. He went straight for the target. Of all the questions to ask, the prince had managed to pick the one guaranteed to hit him square in the chest.
"It would be really difficult not to miss home, Your Highness." Riley’s eyes flicked toward the garden fountain. The steady trickle of water reminded him faintly of something distant, something softer. He exhaled, then turned back with a warm smile that surprised even himself.
Rowan nodded slowly. "Ah, I understand. After all, I also prefer staying in my own territory. And even when I’m here but not at home, I feel the absence. So again, I must apologize. I never intended for you to be kept away from your own home for this long. I had hoped the investigations would move faster..."
Oh? Really? Riley thought, his disbelief sharp enough to cut marble. But outwardly, he said smoothly, "And yet it seems we keep on hitting walls."
Walls that, in his mind, had not been built by chance. They were likely set up by the very people who had looked so rattled while announcing the problem to the world.
Rowan’s voice lowered. "We were hoping Kael would be able to break those walls."
"Huh?" Riley tilted his head. "The Dragon Lord? You think he’d be able to do something like that?" His curiosity slipped past his professional mask. Strangely enough, his usually reliable bullshit detector wasn’t going off. Could the prince actually be telling the truth?
Rowan’s gaze held steady. "Yes. You probably know, since you’ve been interacting with dragons for some time now, but there are things that come easily to them. And one of those things is looking deeper into matters that others cannot touch."
Riley leaned forward slightly. "Your Highness, this might be presumptuous of me, but it sounds like you’re aware of a method the Dragon Lord could try?"
Rowan shook his head faintly. "Not aware, per se. But rumors usually exist for a reason. And if the rumors are true, then such a method could be of great help."
"Well, have you told him about it?" Riley pressed, making sure the earnestness in his expression was impossible to miss. "It sounds important."
Rowan laughed softly, almost sheepish. "That isn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world, is it? And besides, as you know, dragons are rather secretive. Who’s to say he would even confirm such a rumor for us? Still..."
Riley caught the hesitation and pounced.
"But Your Highness, do you think... do you think if it’s like this, would it be possible to accelerate the search?"
Rowan studied him for a long moment, silver eyes steady and searching. Silence stretched, heavy and strangely intimate, until finally the prince said quietly, "Yes. I think if it’s like this, home would not sound so far away."