King Rafael groan as the sun hits his face, shuffling of pages can be heard from the sofa and a voice he knew too well greeted him, "you're finally awake Sire" Symon look over at the king with a deadpanned expression.
"you are definitely not the voice I expect to hear this fine morning" King Rafael complained as he pat the empty space next to him and look around.
"It's 11 O'clock Sire...if you're looking for her majesty, she's on the training ground. Her sword lesson starts today" Symon said while casually sipping a cup of tea. Rafael's eyebrow twitched at the marquis nonchalance, if they weren't childhood friend he might throw the marquis in the cells or the stocks for being so casual with him.
He then processed what Marquis Symon said then bolted up instantly "11 O'clock?! why the hell does no one woke me up?!". He glared at the serene marquis, finding him more and more irritating to the eyes.
The marquis just sighed and glance at the ceiling in exasperation, "many had tried to wake you up sire... from the maids, to the servants, to me and even Her Majesty had tried to wake you up...although it is very funny seeing Her Majesty slapping your face 6 times, three each, trying to wake you up...I'm surprise she didn't just suffocate your face with a pillow in frustration! Oh don't worry, I'm the only one who were here to witness it at that time". He then smirked thinking of the scene earlier, though his eyes are clearly laughing.
King Rafael take a pillow then chucked it harshly at the smirking marquis though he managed to avoid it. He then touched his jaw thinking 'no wonder my cheeks feel numb and my jaw ached... she didn't spare any mercy in slapping me, probably revenge from last night and the bracelets'.
"well get out then, I'm going to prepare..." he make a shooing motion at the marquis who just chuckled and went out.
#--------------------------------------------------------------------#
QUICK INTERLUDE!! :
scene : waking up the King! (or in Aella's word; the perverted bastard)
Marquis Symon poked at the king tiredly after countless shouting, shaking and pinching. He sighed then turn to Queen Aella who was sipping her tea quietly . The marquis threw an exasperated face then said "Your majesty... please help me wake his majesty up, who knows if he'll wake up hearing your voice".
Aella scowled at that, the king description of her voice being stern and willowy come back in her mind. She then trudged lazily to the bed and climb back in, poking the king for a few times before shaking him gently in the shoulder "husband... wake up~ It's morning already~".
The only responsed she get is being pulled by the sleeping king. "ugh!" she groaned in annoyance then
"PLAK!!"
The marquis blinked in surprise seeing the queen slapped the king mercilessly. She does it five more times before she looked at the marquis with a deadpanned look and said "I give up". A servant came in to inform them that Queen Aella's sword lesson was going to start and he was sent to bring her to the training ground. She shrugged and follow the servant out after saying good luck to the marquis.
The marquis stay silent for a few minutes then glance at the king red cheeks and laugh out loud.
#--------------------------------------------------------------------#
It was 12 noon as Aella was sitting quietly, reading a report from the treasury when a bang startled her... again! the good thing is that she had put the inkwell far away from her. She hit her forehead softly to the table few times before feeling a hand softening the hit.
The king had slammed the door again and was yelling at Symon again. "Those damn ministers should find themself a new job if they only know how to complain! if it wasn't for me those old coot would be kicked out! who are they to question my ruling!!" he turned to see Aella hitting her forehead to the hard table, sighing he whispered to Symon "we need to finish that thing fast, don't worry... the stone is not necessary for the staff anyway... the thing that Cinco is getting is the important one, the stone problem can be solved after we finish it". Aella did not heard it due to the fact that they're whispering and that she's busy hitting herself in the table in frustration.
The king went to her table and put his hand on the spot the forehead will head, hence softening her landing. He can feel Aella's tensing before sitting up straight and turning to the side to avoid looking at him.
"I... will leave you both... alone" Symon slowly walked backward to the door and going out quickly as he sense a weird atmosphere between the couple.
The king then pick her up bridal style then sat down on her chair before putting her on his lap, circling his hand around her waist to trap her. "So how are the lesson? I do hope you ain't going to use it against me... I hate the thought of putting you in the cell" His right hand wonder down to her thigh rubbing and squeezing it. "you're mine... the perfect place for you is in our room, in our bed" He whispered seductively.
Aella scowled and clench her fists, "you're disgusting! ". She took her feather pen and quickly sign all the report, ignoring his present.
"Only for you Little Kitty~" He replied huskily, moving his hand up her breast and squeezing it. "I mean... I'm not the one who pleasure herself last night no? " .
Aella blushed darkly at the reminder before steeling herself and put a blank face, "It was your fault" was the simple answer.
King Rafael hummed in agreement, "indeed it is and I'm proud of it... ".
It was then silent as Aella read and signed the reports while the king read them after and adding his own signature. She tried to get out of his lap but he tighten his hold everytime so she settled on ignoring him instead.
After 10 minutes of silence, the king suddenly ask "where is it?" making her flinch, startled by the sudden voice.
"where's what?" she snapped at him, nearly knocking over her inkwell in anger as she refilled her ink.
"the stone kitty... the package, it fell last time and haven't been found since, I know you're the one that picked it up" He answered, still reading the signed reports.
Aella yawned in boredom with her repetitive work before answering "and you think I'm going to told you where I kept it?" turning her face to look at him behind her in a deadpanned expression.
The king laughed at that, "you're right love... I'm scared that it might be a trap if you do tell me that easily. Second question, do you know what's the stone capable of?".
Aella stay quiet at that question and continue reading and signing as if the king did not ask anything. The room went quiet again with only the sound of writing and shuffling of papers could be heard.
King Rafael give up on reading and ended up watching 'his little wife' instead while lying his head on her shoulder.
Aella pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance before continuing her work with a sigh.
After 25 minutes of blessful silence (for Aella that is) a "boom!" can be heard, shaking the castle a little. Aella who was on the verge of falling asleep and King Rafael who was already asleep on her shoulder jolted awake by the exploding sound.
A guard barged into the study, faltering and blush a bit seeing the comfy position of his king and queen to the point that he need a minute to compose himself before reporting, "your majesties the east wing got exploded! It was one of the guardians, zero casualties as it seem people in there are already evacuated though Professor Alex had a slight injury in the leg. She is already rushed to the medical wing".
King Rafael widen his eyes in surprise before standing up along with Aella (who was sitting on his lap). "which Guardian? " he scowled.
"It was Firefist Sire!" he answered back before continuing "and Kratos, Marquis Symon is currently fighting them off!"
The king groaned in exasperation before waving the guard out and pulling the amused Aella into their room next door, throwing her in. "You will stay here quietly and out of the way... actually let me make this easier.. " he touched the room wall and mutter a spell, re-activating the barrier spell that he cast last night before leaving to go to the East wing.
Aella giggled as the king gone out, "Firefist sure love her explosions". She walked to Persi who was lounging on a cat tree and took off one of his bells which changed into a mirror once it was taken off. "Come Persi" she called out as she headed to the bathroom, Persi following suit.
She lock the bathroom behind them and sat on a marble counter holding the mirror to the light, "Aurum, Aurum, Aurum" she called out. The mirror shimmered and Aurum maskless face could be seen, her hair was blonde instead of albino.
"Ailorous... you usually called us through the communication spell, what's wrong?" Aurum asked, concerned.
"first, what's up with Kratos and FireFist? what did I miss? " Aella asked back with a raised eyebrow.
Aurum's got confused for a bit before she realised what she meant, "oh yeah that... Fairy found out that your husband (Aella scowled at that) and the marquis is making something, specifically their acquaintance the inventor Alex were the one ordered to make it, Kratos and FireFist went to check what it is and possibly take it before they finished it because we feared that they're trying to make Divine staff with it... another of their hunters are possibly looking for the celestial pearl and the stone we got is probably an enhancer".
Aella thanked herself that she's sitting cause she felt faint at the information. "what could they possibly want with something that powerful... "
Aurum shook her head in helplessness, clearly not knowing the answer herself. Her eyes caught something from the mirror, "Hey Ai... what's with the glowing bracelet on your wrist?".
Aella look at her wrist realising that the bracelets was glowing. She slumped over the wall in defeated, rubbing her face in frustration. "He knows, he fucking knows! It only needed me to accidentally cursed during the battle for him to figure it out! " she groaned tiredly.
Aurum widen her eyes in surprise "you... you mean.. he knows you're... ".
"Yes! he knows I'm Ailorous and this bracelets, there's another one in the other wrists, suppress my power core...I'm currently powerless!" she cried out.
Aurum look thoughtful at that and muttered "no wonder you called with this mirror" she look at Aella, noticing her distraught and traumatic look making her eyes tears up for her friend wishing that she can went over there and hug her tight"oh Ella... what did he do to you... " gone were the cheerful and bright Ella replaced with a tired and distraught lady.
Aella break down hearing the sentence, crying freely "I can't stand him, he fuck me almost everyday like I'm his plaything! last night he spank me mercilessly just so I could admit I'm Ailorous, he dare to say I'm his obsession his love but treat me like that... I can't feel my power Shana... I felt so hollow!" she buried her head behind her raised knees.
Shana cried too as she heard and look at her crying friend. Aella never cried even when she fell from a tree and scraped her knees badly when she was a kid. Hearing her cry for the first time really breaks her heart.
"wait for me ok... I will make a visit soon then we can spend our time together, I might not be able to take you away and erase everything that happen to you but at least I can be you fence... and I will never let you face this alone, ever! " Shana promised resolutely, sobbing and sniffing. touching the mirror.
Aella sniffed and looked up with a teary eyes "how... "
"you don't have to worry how... you'll found out soon ok? stay strong and wait for me ok?" Shana threw a smile at Aella making said girl smiled too, though her smile is a bit wavy.
"you can tell the other about the king knowing my alter ego and about this magic suppressor... just don't tell them about the other things, they won't take it calmly especially Kratos... he'll go beserk and might ended up revealing his identity if that happens and gods forbid Firefist might blow up the whole palace if she knows" Aella told her to which Shana agreed to and laughed together at the thought of FireFist love for exploding thing.
The sound of Persi's meow interupted them and she inmediately told Shana to hang up as someone just enter the bedroom. She hang the mirror back to Persi's collar which immediately turns back into a bell, rushed to the sink and quickly washed her face to erase the sign of crying.
Meanwhile, in an academy dorm Shana put the mirror back on her nightstand. A raven haired butler was sitting on a study table, arranging flowers to a vase. She immediately went to the study table, take out a paper and feather pen and started writing. After 6 minutes she finished it with her signature and put it in an envelope and sealing it with a seal, the seal of the royal family of Aurelia.
she handed the sealed letter to her butler and ordered to "have the messenger to send this to the palace, tell them that Princess Shana-Liana is going back for good". The butler stands up and bowed as he took the letters,
"yes milady, should I settle your leaving certificates?" The butler asked.
"no need, I will do it myself" she take her uniform jacket from the coatrack and wore it, walking outside and headed to the administration building.
"I'm not letting you broke my bestfriend more than you already did.... brother"
(a/n : if some of you think that Aella's reveal to the king sounds a bit fast...then it's intended. It's just show that the king is more cunning and clever than they thought and should not be underestimated. The Guardians have to be extra vigilance in their identity and besides as written the king obsession is Aella herself hence he could recognised her no matter what disguise she's wearing)