Within the city of Redsham, the capital city of the Kingdom of Olaria, the giant Library of Alexander was one of its greatest building.
Not only was it incredibly large, containing knowledge ranging from history to geography to science, but it was also beautiful and accessible to all.
As Solomon stepped inside, finding himself surrounded by floors of endless bookshelves, he scratched his chin.
This was created by King Alexander, the current King Harry's, and therefore Princess Lucy's, grandfather... I must say, it's a beautiful structure.
Swiftly, he made his way up the winding staircase, taking him to the fourth floor. It was one of the busier floors, as it was where one could find religious texts, a popular topic in the kingdom.
For now, though, Solomon White's goal was not to read any of the texts. There would be plenty of time to learn about other religions in the future, but for now, he needed to spread his own.
Sitting at one of the desks located in the corner of the room, and gathering a pen and ten pieces of paper, Solomon wrote down a simple note.
It read:
Prayer to the Clown, God of Information
O Clown, keeper of knowledge and jest,
you hide truth in laughter and light.
Guide us to learn and to share,
and bless the company of women,
where your wisdom finds its voice.
---
After this, he rose from his seat and folded the pieces of paper, making his way around the bookshelves and neatly tucking them into different religious texts.
With a smirk on his face, he then swiftly made his way back down to the second floor and collected a book on the fundamentals of magic.
Finally, he headed out of the Library of Alexander and made his way back to his mystical tent.
"Now, we wait for prayers."
---
Before entering his tent, Solomon stood outside, wondering what exactly others would see when he entered, considering it was a structure that only he was able to see.
He realized then that to others, it would look like a trick of timing.
Solomon might walk behind someone or pass through a curtain of shadows and simply not come out the other side. No one would notice at first; it would seem he had just slipped from view for a moment.
Once inside the tent of pink clouds, Solomon took a seat on his chair and allowed the pink fog to envelop his body, turning him into the Clown.
Then he opened his book and read about the fundamentals of magic for the rest of the day, filling himself with knowledge.
...
From outside, he could see that the sun had now set, and he was becoming tired. However, there was no time for sleep yet.
The bell of the city had rung, which meant that people would be returning to their homes to sleep, and before sleep, they might just pray.
Solomon waited and waited until eventually, he noticed a figure appear in the stands. Like before, it was shrouded in pink clouds and was seated in the same spot as last time.
So, she actually remembered to pray to me. I'll take that as a good sign.
Gesturing toward the chair, Solomon spoke.
"Princess Lucy, would you like to take a seat?"
On cue, she rose from her seat and made her way over to the opposite chair. Seconds later, the clouds faded away, and Solomon was left facing the beautiful woman once again.
She was dressed differently this time. Her orange hair was tied in a bun, and she wore a white sleeping gown that fell over her figure.
Her larger breasts made the gown rise slightly at the front, and from the two nipples that peaked through the fabric, Solomon could tell she wore no bra.
The bottom half of her legs to her feet were also on display, smooth and milk-colored.
The princess struggled to meet Solomon's dark gaze, which told him she was clearly embarrassed to be dressed in such a way around him.
Seriously, princess, there is no need to be nervous. I've already seen you in nothing but your bra and panties, and I still hope to see more.
"H-hello, Sir Clown," she stuttered adorably as she twiddled her fingers. "Thank you for answering my prayer."
Solomon simply tipped his head in acknowledgment and showed a faint smile.
"Your prayers are appreciated," he replied honestly. "What can I do for you?"
Realistically, Lucy's prayer did not imply that she needed anything from the Clown. She could have simply been praying to him in order to gain his favor.
But now that she had been asked, she decided to express something that had troubled her that day.
"If it's not a bother to you, Sir Clown, I would like to ask for your advice on... royal matters."
Oh, free information on the royal family of the Kingdom of Olaria? I will hardly complain.
"Go on."
"My oldest sister, Princess Maria, is soon to be married to Prince Boris of the neighboring Kingdom of Westwood. This has, of course, been arranged by Father Harry, who has said that she must make sure to produce children as fast as possible."
I see... This wasn't quite the information I was looking for.
Princess Lucy continued, her freckled cheeks turning red.
"Maria says that the same will someday happen to me, but I don't want it to. I don't want to get married to a man I don't love, and I most definitely don't ever want to... have children with one."
Solomon's eyebrows rose as he found the topic of the conversation heading somewhere more interesting.
He didn't answer for a split second, swiftly coming up with a plan in his head. Afterward, he spoke.
"Do you find no man attractive enough to give your body to?" he said calmly.
Princess Lucy's cheeks went even redder. Now it was impossible for her to meet the Clown's handsome face.
"I-it's not that," she said, looking off to the side. "Of course I want to experience romance, but it takes more than just attraction. I have to be able to respect and admire them... I need them to be a man that others will look up to."
Bingo.
Solomon crossed one cloudy leg over the other and couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Why is he laughing? Princess Lucy thought to herself. Did I say some sort of joke?
Then Solomon patted his lap gently, sending smaller clouds scattering about the tent.
"If that's the case, then why don't you have a seat over here and experience true romance?" he said as coolly as ever.
Princess Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"..."
"W-what!" she almost screamed. "What on Altearth are you suggesting?"
Solomon shrugged a shoulder. "What? Didn't you say you wanted a man others looked up to? A man worthy of respect?"
Silence hung in the air as Lucy waited for the Clown to continue.
"Well, name a man more worthy of respect than a god himself."
...
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