Eizan/Eiro PoV
I waited outside the old castle, staring at the garden. Mother... were she and Father buried here? Or had their bones been thrown to the dogs. Maybe Leonardo knew what had become of their remains.
My hand gripped the lion necklace I had inherited from her. She or one of her soldiers had a messenger bird deliver this to me back in Kintaro. If it had fallen into the hands of another noble or Leonardo, history would likely have been different. At least for the start of my reign. It wasn't easy filling her shoes.
I could vividly recall sitting on the golden throne back in Raiyama's lush oasis palace as a child. The throne was an imposing sight, the gold reflecting the light, each surface intricately carved with the stories of our ancestors. I had swung my legs over the edge, letting them dangle as I gazed out at the sprawling gardens. The same gardens where I had unknowingly farewell to Mother before her last battle.
