Four days have passed since Lierin had lost control of her flames and caused the resurrection of the God-Slayer. Now she finds herself sitting at a circular table in the room she had lost control of her flames, the smell of burnt wood still lingers in the air as the scorch marks on the ground are still visible.
Also sitting at the table are her mother and father, the King and Queen of Nova, her aunt the Captain of the Royal Guard, and her grandfather. Though she sits with no authorial power she wonders why her father had summoned everyone here.
"So," Raymonde begins, her father, "you all must be wondering why I brought you here today." He finishes while looking across the table towards Lierin.
Lierin sits in her chair with her feet resting on the table and leans back in her chair, purple flames dance between her fingers, "Yeah, so why did you bring me here of all people?" Lierin asks, not looking at anyone in particular.
"Well," her mother now chimes in, "the reason for that is, we wanted to talk to you about what you want to do with your life." Katrina finishes, her eyes flash with a touch of sadness but at the same time joy.
"Well, I already know what I want to do with my life," Lierin says now standing, "I want to go adventuring, I want to see the world, go places and do things, I want to explore." Her midnight purple eyes sparkling.
"That's amazing," Raymonde says while walking towards her, "however, I'm going to need that sword of yours, Frostburn isn't leaving the country."
Lierin looks at him with complicated eyes as she unbuckles the sword from her waist and passes it to her father, "But I want something so I can remember you guys from." Lierin says as Raymonde places the sword on the table.
Skye now stands from the table and unbuckles her sword and passes it to Lierin. As soon as she touches the sword the scabbard begins to glow a faint purple, Lierin pulls the sword out slightly and sees countless runes on the blade glowing purple, her eyes widen in surprise as the runes disappear without a trace.
"What was that Aunt Skye?" Lierin asks as she puts the sword at her side.
"I have no idea; I've owned that sword for as long as I can remember and it never once did that," Skye replies as she is just as shocked as Lierin.
Lierin shrugs it off as the sword had stopped glowing so maybe it was a one-time thing. She buckles the sword to her belt and begins to walk towards the large wooden doors, she pauses for a second and turns towards her parents, "I will miss you guys, but you will forever be by my side, I love you guys. Bye." She walks out the door.
***
As Lierin had left the room, she couldn't help but stop and draw the sword that Skye had given her, 'What is this thing made from?' She thought inwardly as she begins walking down the long hallway with Llorva and Lorxan, Llorva's Dragonborn husband, following behind her.
When they had reached the exit Lierin turned towards Llorva and looked her dead in the eyes, "I still haven't forgiven you for the whole knocking me out thing." She says with a cold gaze.
Llorva's skin begins to crawl as she met with Lierin's mystical purple eyes, "I am sorry Princess."
Before Llorva could mutter another word Lierin cuts in and says, "I said I haven't forgiven you, not to the stage where you have to address me so formally. I hate being called a Princess."
As Llorva looked up from her bow she saw that Lierin had already left the premise.
***
While walking through the crowded streets of Kram, Lierin had managed to traverse her way to the Dirty Mind Hotel, she looked at the place with a complex gaze as it looked nothing like the run-down place her father had described to her, it looked to be the best-looking place in Kram.
Its marble exterior works well with the basalt contrast of the overhang, the large wooden door in the front and the sign that hangs over that. As she enters the place, she is welcomed by a ruby red carpet with a diamond chandelier hanging from the ceiling, she approaches the reception desk in the middle of the room.
"Hello there and welcome to the Dirty Mind Hotel, how may I be of assistance?" The man behind the desk says in an excited tone, he stands at maybe three feet tall, it is difficult to tell with him sitting down, he had dark brown well-groomed hair, which is neatly coiffured to reveal a furrowed, anguished face, smart grey eyes look at her with something more than excitement.
"Yes, I would like to acquire a room for this evening," Lierin says as she adverts the man's gaze from her body to her face.
"Ah yes, name?" The man answers, his eyes continue to scan every inch of her body.
"I don't want to tell you my name, because I know that when I do your expression towards me would change dramatically." Lierin answers with a smile, and the man's gaze goes wild.
His eyes calm slightly as he says, "I'm sorry miss, but it is company policy that we get everyone's name before we give them a room."
As Lierin was going to voice a reply, the door behind the man swings open to reveal an older gentleman, his white hair clearly showing his age as he walks up behind the man, with a cane that supports his every step. The older gentleman's eyes light up as his gaze is laid upon Lierin, "Lierin, it has been too long since I had last seen you, you were about this tall back then," he lowers his hand to the height of his knee, "how have you and your family been?"
"Sergeant-Major Waw! It has been a long time indeed, and the family is going as good as they can be, you know how my father is," Lierin answers in excitement, "how are the grandchildren?"
"They're good, spoilt little brats, but they're good." They share a laugh as Waw says, "So what brings you to Kram, and to my fine establishment here?"
"I just wanted to get out of Nova, so I came here looking for adventure, hoping to find it where my father did." Lierin answers as Waw leads her upstairs.
The man behind the desk looks on in disbelief and mutters, "Lierin? As in Lierin Hawkstride, the Princess of the Kingdom!" His face pales as he realizes what could have come of him.
***
As Lierin and Waw reached the top of the stairs, a woman dressed in black rushes down the stairs and bumps into Lierin causing the woman to trip over, "Anthem, watch where you're going next time," Waw shouts as he looks at Lierin, "are you all right?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Lierin answers as she walks over to the woman who had tripped over, Anthem, "Hey, are you all right?" She walks over to Anthem who promptly grabs it and stands.
"Yeah, I am alright." She says as she looks Lierin in the eyes, the next words that had left her mouth had even Lierin surprised, "Goddess."
"I am no Goddess, but thank you I guess?" Lierin answers, her eyes look Anthem up and down, her hair is platinum blonde with iris purple highlights, she wears a tank top and leather jackets which eccentricities her amazing bust, which is rising and falling at a rapid pace, her legs are beautifully tied in with a tattered skirt and thigh high stockings. She looks into her deep royal blue eyes, Anthem's face is now a rosy red.
"I—I—I—I'm sorry miss, I didn't mean you any harm," Anthem says in a panic.
"You are damned right," Waw pipes up, "no granddaughter of mine should show such disrespect to the Princess of this Kingdom." Waw begins to scold Anthem, his granddaughter.
It makes perfect sense, her platinum hair, her royal blue eyes, she doesn't know how she didn't make the connection sooner, "There is no need for that Waw." She shakes her head, "I actually want to get to know Anthem a little better." She looks Anthem in eye and smiles, Anthem's blush grows.
Lierin looks Anthem in the eye and smiles, "Let's get going Anthem."
Anthem's face slightly reddens, and she smiles at Lierin. Lierin leads Anthem up the stairs and into one of the luxury suites of the Hotel, Anthem walks to the middle of the room and looks around in amazement, Lierin shuts the door behind her.
Anthem looks at Lierin, she gestures for Anthem to sit in the free chair across from the bed, and Lierin sits on the bed. Anthem looks at the ground and fidgets with her fingers, "So," Anthem begins, "you wanted to talk about something?" Her already red cheeks deepen in colour as she looks up at Lierin.
"Yes," Lierin replies, "I didn't notice it at first but, are you of the Northern Elf Tribe?" Lierin looks at Anthem's features again, her platinum blonde hair with iris purple highlights, and her royal blue eyes.
"Y—yes I am," Anthem replies, "as you have already heard, I am Waw Greyflare's granddaughter, and he is one of the Elders of the tribe." Lierin leans in closer, Anthem's blush deepens, "U—um, and since I am the seventh daughter of the third child, I have no right to be an Elder of the tribe, even if everyone before me didn't want it, by Tribal Law I can't possibly be an Elder."
Lierin looks at her coldly, it sends shivers up Anthem's spine, "The fact that I wanted to talk to you, does not mean you have the right to tell me your entire life's story."
Anthem quickly looks down at the ground to avoid eye contact, "I—I'm sorry. I—it is just that I speak a lot when I am nervous." She says as her face is now beet-red, "B—but if you'll allow me to, can I be your friend?"
The sudden question shocked Lierin as she inwardly thinks, 'What is wrong with this woman?', she looks Anthem directly in the eyes, "Do you not have any friends?" Lierin asked.
"N-n-n-n-no I do have friends, but they all are back home, I had to come here to further my education," Anthem smiles, it is surprisingly cute, "it is just I haven't made any friends in Kram."
Lierin gives her a sympathetic look and says, "Doesn't mean you have to be nervous; I will happily be your friend." Lierin's smile causes Anthem's face to turn redder than it already is.