The setting sun gradually sank into the horizon, dyeing the sky a warm orange-red.
Freya was enthusiastically showing Alicia her newly brewed mead, recounting the subtle flavors produced by adding acacia pollen.
They had been chatting for a long time—from twenty-seven ways to pickle mangoes, to how to extract the finest silk threads from coral shellfish, to which grapes picked under moonlight were best for making sweet wine.
Alicia took a sip of the mead, listening to Freya's gentle voice, almost intoxicated by the peaceful atmosphere. Until she accidentally glanced at Euron standing quietly under the tree—that silent figure was like a reality check, jolting her awake from this pleasant chat.
She gently put down the clay cup and held Freya's hand, which was still miming weaving techniques. "My dear friend, actually, there is one more important thing we want to discuss with you during this visit."
Freya blinked her large amber eyes and nodded slightly, her face still wearing an innocent smile.
Alicia pointed to Euron standing by the waves, her voice carrying a reassuring certainty. "He is the legendary Lord Reaper, capable of commanding ancient beasts of the deep. Just as the gentle Halsyan obeys his call—only, the entities slumbering in the open ocean are far more majestic and terrifying than Halsyan."
She turned to Freya, her gaze earnest. "As long as his flag is raised on your coast, those vulture-like pirates and slavers will never dare approach the land of Naath again."
Freya's amber eyes widened slightly, as if hearing a fairy tale too good to be true. "Really? That... that would be wonderful." But after the joy, her slender brows knitted gently, murmuring, "But, if a kind friend gives protection, what can we give in return? Naath has only sweet fruits, scarce silk, and the mead we brew ourselves."
Euron's voice drifted over with the wind, calm but undeniable. "You don't need to pay anything. Raising my flag means you are people under my protection. That is enough."
Freya shook her head firmly, the flower crown in her hair trembling slightly. "We cannot let a friend give alone. We must use the produce of our own hands to express Naath's gratitude."
A barely perceptible smile grazed the corner of Euron's mouth. "In that case... let half your silk production be the reward. Naathi silk is worth a fortune anywhere."
"Since we retreated into the forests," Freya explained softly, unconsciously twisting a rough stitch on her dress hem, "the silk we can weave has become less and less... but we are willing to give everything we can."
Euron looked toward the beautiful, now empty coast dyed golden-red by the sunset, and made a heavy promise:
"When the sea returns to peace, I guarantee you will be free to return to every inch of beach here, to live and play in any corner of the entire island—this is a promise I make personally."
Alicia was slightly stunned, involuntarily looking at Euron beside her. She clearly remembered when they discussed this on the dragon's back, his words were full of calm planning and calculation. But this promise now carried a sincerity beyond expectation.
Before she could withdraw her probing gaze, Euron turned his head. The twilight plated his profile in dark gold. In those mismatched pupils, rarely was there mockery, only a quiet, almost gentle glimmer.
The corner of Euron's lips lifted slightly, his voice low enough only for her to hear. "No need to suspect."
In the distance, Freya was weaving freshly picked flowers into the gaps of the dragon's scales, children's bell-like laughter scattering with the sea breeze. "Just want to protect something..." Euron paused, his gaze sweeping over the innocent figures dancing on the beach, sighing, "Something I am destined never to possess in this life."
Alicia followed his gaze, watching the cloudless smiles of the Naathi, and suddenly understood—what this pure land carried was the most distant and precious reflection of this man amidst his journey of blood and fire.
Freya spun lightly on the grass, her plain white dress blooming like a queen of the night in the twilight. She carefully filled the gaps in Halsyan's scales with flowers until the behemoth became a breathing garden, then ran back to Euron with crisp laughter.
She knelt on the green stone beside him, petals in her hair swaying gently with her movements. "You're going to the Basilisk Isles, aren't you?" She blinked her amber eyes and asked suddenly.
After receiving Euron's affirmative response, the starlight in her eyes dimmed slightly. "There... are many captured sons and daughters of Naath. If you meet them, can you bring them home?" Her voice carried a caution, daring not to hope too much.
Euron gazed at her profile soaked in the afterglow, answering without hesitation, "If I meet them, I will surely let them return on my ships."
"Thank you," Freya's eyes instantly lit up with tears, like amber filled with starlight. "You are a good person."
Freya suddenly threw herself into his arms like a bird returning to its nest, her soft, warm lips planting a light, flower-scented kiss on his cheek. The sudden kiss left Euron rarely stunned in place, leaving only Halsyan making a purring sound, shaking off a body full of fragrance.
Mead brewed by Naathi rippled in clay cups, the golden liquid steeped in the fragrance of laurel and tropical fruits.
Euron's promise was like the most mellow wine, immersing Freya in tipsy joy all night. Holding her clay cup, her eyes brighter than the stars above, every toast turned the sweet liquid into a dimple by her lips.
As the night deepened, too much mead finally bloomed two rosy clouds on her cheeks. The blush spread from her ears to her neck, like the last afterglow of the sunset on the white beach. She tilted her head against Alicia's shoulder, petals in her hair rising and falling with her gentle breath, sweet smiles lingering even in her dreams.
When moonlight flooded over the treetops, the Naathi finally dispersed reluctantly, not forgetting to add fresh fruits for Halsyan before leaving.
Freya walked ahead carrying a firefly lamp, leading the two through flower paths dripping with night dew, finally stopping under a massive silk tree.
Intertwined vines hung naturally, weaving with blooming night-blooming jasmine into a flowing curtain, behind which a couch paved with sweet grass was faintly visible.
There were no walls here, let alone doors—to the Naathi, the clear breeze and bright moon should never be blocked; breathing and sleeping with all creation was the proper state.
"May you sleep peacefully under the starlight." Freya hung the firefly lamp on a vine, the warm yellow halo startling a few resting night butterflies. Then she turned to leave, her hair brushing past the hanging vines, bringing down a shower of petal-like fine snow.
Alicia reached out to touch the swaying flower curtain. Here, even dreams were connected to the starry sky.