A few days past since the fall of Babalonia's royal family due to Christopher and Azure's hasty actions. Word spread about it like wildfire-two children who looked of ages between 12 and 15 entered the kingdom of Babalonia, massacred all the knights, and killed the entire royal family. Beast-humans who heard this were relieved, humans who heard this, some who heard this were furious, while others were frightened, or just didn't care at all. The names 'Christopher' and 'Azure' were beginning to spread around the Overworld.
The duo returned to Aznos's castle, where they returned the princess safely back home-and in better condition than they the royal family thought. Despite not asking for a reward, Christopher and Azure were given authority to rest and eat at the castle for as long as they'd like, until they take their leave.
As of then, Babalonia was without a ruler. The king of Aznos, along with the queen, took note of this, and they themselves, Eloise, Bertrand, Christopher, as well as Azure, went over. They weren't shown any hostility, and after the announcement that the royal family of Babalonia were dead, they were overjoyed. The duo were treated as the saviours of that kingdom by the citizens. A new ruler was elected, and the man was the eldest person there. His name was Arnold Kingsley
Now, after all the drama they had to go through, they finally had a chance to really enjoy the new world they were in...
"Come on, master! Make a wish!"
"Okay, okay! Here I go! I wish..." Daytime arrived faster than they anticipated, and after eating a quick breakfast whipped up by the castle chefs, the two found themselves wandering around the kingdom. By the time they realised where they were, they found themselves near what looked to be a shrine. The shrine was relatively large, and contained a five foot long, two foot wide container. Inside the container stood a large, seven foot tall statue depicting what Christopher thought was a deity, female from the looks of it. The statue was made of pure silver, with long hair, which reached up to it's abdomen. The Goddess the statue depicted wore a dress reaching up to her ankles, which were covered by large, slim boots. Her body was slim, and her face was round. The shrine was located near a church. The duo figured that this was the deity Aznos worshipped.
The scenery was beautiful. The two stood on pure green grass which were cut short. Ahead of them was a dirt path, leading to a large building, white in colour. Four pillers stood at the entrance, and inside, a much bigger version of the statue the two prayed to, stood. Leafy trees were lined at each side of the smooth dirt road.
"Aaaaaanddddd done! I'm all finished, Azure!"
"Awww but masterrr, you didn't say it out loud!! I wanna hear what you wised for!" Azure wasn't happy at all Christopher kept his wish all to himself, but he wouldn't let up. His wishes were his business, and his alone.
"Nope, not telling." He said, looking away with his hands holding up his head from behind.
"Masterrrrrr!!! Tell me!!! I'm the one who protected you all this time! Without me you would've died longgg ago!"
"I knowww, but still, my wishes, my business." He joked, eyes on her, he chuckled, "What did you wish for?"
"Why should I tell you, master?? You wouldn't tell me mine!" She pouted, though despite her master's reluctance to tell her his, still admitted to what she wished for, "It wasn't much, just for you to get me some sweets soon." Smiling, she laughed a bit, "I'm hungry."
"Oh, well if that's what you want, I'll just get you some when we're close to a tavern then."
"You will?!" The look on Azure's face was more than enough for Christopher to know that sweets was exactly what she wished for. He placed a hand on her head, then gave her a thumbs up.
"Yeah." Christopher mouthed to her. Azure was more than satisfied at that point.
"Yes! I knew it'd come true! Thanks master!"
"No problem." Christopher spoke. Further, they turned around, and started walking away from the statue, satisfied now that they made their wishes...
YOUR WISH IS MY COMMAND, OH CHILD OF THE ELDER GOD AMATERASU.
"Huh?" Suddenly, a feminine voice spoke to the boy. By what it said, could it be the deity the statue represents?
"Did you hear that, Azure?"
"Hear what, master?" Azure peered at him with a grin, her slightly baffled face clearly told him that she hadn't heard anything.
"Hrm...nothing. Forget it." Christopher said to her, the two continued on their walk.
About half a day later, they returned to the castle. The first person to greet them was a maid, who bowed to them lightly.
"Welcome back, Christopher, Azure. Have you enjoyed your time in the town?" She questioned them.
"Yes, thank you for asking, miss." Azure respectfully stated. Christopher gave the maid a nod.
"Mhm." He replied. "Is lunch ready?"
"Yes. The king, queen, prince, and princess are waiting for you in the dining room." She said to him.
"Alright, thank you."
Christopher and Azure made it to the dining room. The table in which everyone sat at was wooden, golden-yellow in colour, about five meters long, and five meters wide in size. At first when the young boy saw this, he was shocked-never before did he ever see anything like it. After taking their seats, everyone greeted him.
"Oh-Christopher!" Princess Eloise announced, she sent him a wide twinkle, then immediately waved over. "Good to see you! Did you enjoy your walk?"
"Good to see you too, princess Eloise." Christopher respectfully said to her, "Yes. The walk was really enjoyable, Aznos is a lot bigger than we thought it was!"
"Mhm!" Azure agreed with him. All of a sudden, she glared at bit at her master, "Mmm! Master wouldn't tell me the wish he made though!!"
"Wish?" Eloise tilted her head. "You mean at the shrine to Goddess Avathara?"
"Ava...thara?" Right after hearing the name, the duo froze. W-Wow...that...that is a...unique name...definitely...! "That's a...strange name..!"
"It's not that strange, Christopherrrr!" Eloise spoke up. She seemed a bit riled up after hearing that Christopher said. But before she could continue, her father laughed a bit.
"Hohoho, calm down, Eloise, remember, neither of our guests are from around here." The king said. He peered at Christopher, "My dear Christopher, please pay no heed to my daughter's behaviour. She's just excited about having another person her close to hear age around."
"It's alright." He replied. The boy looked at the princess, and immediately, she averted her gaze with a blush. "I don't mind it. Honestly, I feel excited as well!"
"Really master?" Azure was a little surprised about this. "You didn't tell me that!"
"Ah-sorry." He let out a nervous giggle. "A-Anyway..." Christopher, taking a spoonful of his meal and munching it, continued speaking, his tone went up a bit in slight embarrassment, "...Azure and I were thinking..." He peered at the royalties, then let out a sigh. Eloise noticed his stiff composure, and a worried look befell her,
"Is something the matter, Christopher?" She questioned him. "I-If you need anything, you don't have to hesitate to ask of me." Smiling, she bobbed her head.
"N-No, it's not that..." Christopher was anxious to continue speaking. He knew the royalties weren't going to like what he wanted to say to them. His gaze fell upon the king, who in turn gave him a reassuring nod,
"If you need to say anything-anything at all, don't hesitate, young Christopher."
"O-Okay..." Hearing the king's words, he cleared his throat. With one more look at his familiar, Christopher stood up from his seat, and gazed at the royalties around him, "...Azure and I have been thinking. You all know what my mission is right now, to find my sister who is somewhere in this world with me."
"Mm?" Eloise tilted her head. Azure stood up along with her master, and they both bowed deeply. Christopher said, "Thank you all for your kind hospitality, we greatly appreciate it. It's time for us to leave now, and continue our search for Roselina."
Everyone fell silent after that remark. The king, queen, and prince Bertrand all seemed to have expected it, however, as for the princess, she was stunned. Immediately, the young girl darted from her seat, and vigorously shook her head, refusing Christopher and Azure from leaving.
"W-Wait!" She shouted worryingly at them.
"Y-Yes, princess Eloise?" The duo finished their bow, and looked at the princess.
"B-But it's only been a few days since you rescued me...I know you need to search for your sister Roselina, but can't you stay here for a bit longer though? I..." Eloise averted her gaze to the ground, her entire face dyed rosy pink. "...Mmm!" Her body was as stiff as a board. The girl flew back into her seat with her hands covering her face, which startled the duo.
"H-Hey, a-are you alright, P-princess Eloise?" Christopher reached out to her a bit, but stopped. He gaped over to Azure, who seemed uncomfortable. Noticing his master's gaze, she gave him a rigid smile as to tell him the reaction was expected.
Eyes falling back onto the princess, he stammered to her, "Erm, b-but we'll of course be visiting every now and then, s-so don't worry. We won't forget about you."
"Y-yeah!!" Azure forcefully and loudly added, "H-How could we forget you w-w-w-w-w-w-when y-you're a p-p-princess!!!" The way she spoke amused the other royalties. Bertrand approached Eloise from behind, then placed a hand onto her shoulder. With his confident figure, one could easily guess what was going on inside his head.
"Princess. If you need to say something, I advice you, say it. You might not get another chance for a long time if you keep it unsaid." Bertrand spoke. His words were true, neither Christopher nor Azure knew the time at which they would return. Eloise raised her head, and eyed her elder brother, who gave her a grin. "Bertrand..." She said. Then, she planted her gaze upon Christopher with a soft smile. "Christopher..." Christopher didn't say a word in response.
Quickly, Eloise stood up. She strutted over to Christopher's seat, then stared at him in a stern manner.
"Christopher." She said.
"Yes, princess Eloise?" Christopher replied.
"I..." Eloise's face didn't lose the flushed colour at the least. After, the unexpected happened. Out of the blue, Eloise pressed her lips onto Christopher's and kissed him. This caught him by surprise, but he didn't pull away. Everyone around them, including Azure herself, gasped in shock.
"Mmm...Christopher..." Christopher felt a smile form on Eloise's lips just as they pulled away. Though he was absolutely speechless afterwards.
"P-Princess..?" He murmured.
"I-I love you, Christopher! I beg of you, please, please don't leave Aznos just yet!" Eloise bowed deeply to him, begging him with all her might to not leave just yet. Viewing this, Christopher was dumbfounded as to what to say next. He knew he had to leave to search for his younger sister, but never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd receive a confession from anyone in that world, let alone a princess.
"U-Um..." Christopher stuttered. He wasn't sure what to do. She was a princess, and a cute one as well. He thought about it, then finally decided. "...Eloise." He called out to her. The girl shyly raised her head.
"Y...Yes..?" She spoke. Swiftly, she was met with a hug from the boy. She was startled at first, but returned it with full force.
"Eloise..." Christopher said, "...Yes. I accept your confession, Eloise."
"You do..?" Her face lit up, but crumbled a little upon Christopher's next remark,
"But I'm sorry. I have to go. It's my sister who I'm looking for, so I have to." His face met Eloise's with a slight grin, "You understand, right?"
"..." Tears formed in her beady blue eyes, and rolled down her face. But she did not lose her composure. She knew there was no stopping him from leaving.
"I..." Her head hung slightly low, she let out a sour laugh, "...I guess there's no helping it then." The girl said. She pressed herself onto Christopher's chest, then tightened her hug. "You will be back though, right?"
"Yes. I said so, didn't I?" Christopher said to her, "I promise, I'll be back. I don't know when, but it's a promise." He assured. Eloise believed him, but was wary.
"Okay." She said. Both of them retracted their arms, then the girl giggled, "That was my first kiss y-you know."
"O-Oh...m-mine to..." Christopher fell silent. The more he looked at Eloise after that, the more he felt attracted to her. That...that was my first kiss to.... He thought to himself.
"Ahem, m-master..."
"O-Ooh, y-yes Azure?" Snapping him back to his senses, he responded to his familiar's call. Though, the look on her face made it obvious she was uncomfortable.
"Your food is getting cold. Eat it or I'll eat it for you." Azure spoke. She took up his spoon and was about to have a spoonful of her master's food.
"N-No! S-Sorry, I'll get back to eating!" Christopher immediately snatched it from her, and sat back down. Eloise, who was still standing by him, giggled a bit. Looking at the boy, she felt comfortable. It was the first time she actually ever liked someone the way she likes Christopher.
Eloise sat down in her seat, and continued her dinner. After the duo were finished, they signalled the royalties.
"Thank you again for the meal, your majesties." Christopher said with a grin. Azure gave them a cheerful nod.
"Think nothing of it." The king replied. Bertrand's gaze was conflicted. Was he happy with his sister choosing Christopher to be the man she marries? Christopher was a commoner in that world, he had no royal status before this, but he has helped them out tremendously due to both his strength, and his familiar.
"Ahem...Sir Christopher." Bertrand called out. Christopher acknowledged him.
"Yes sir Bertrand?" He wasn't completely comfortable with Bertrand as yet. But after rescuing his little sister, Bertrand started being nice to him.
"Do...do you love my sister, princess Eloise?" He questioned him. Christopher wasn't sure if he loved Eloise, but he certainly liked her.
"Well...love is a...strong word..." He replied, "...I'm not sure if I love her as yet, but...I do like her." Christopher looked over to Eloise. Her face was beet red, and she twinkled affectionately at him.
"Even though I don't know her well, I can see us getting along, and I can definitely see us marrying later." Christopher spoke. "Haha."
"Ch...Christopher..." Eloise found herself overcome by emotions. Jumping from her seat, she dashed over to her future fiancee, and hugged him. He returned it tightly. "...Thank you." Christopher didn't reply. Bertrand seemed satisfied by his response, and the other royalties seemed fine with Eloise marrying him. About ten minutes later, they finished their meal.
They went to their room in the castle. The room they were given was one of the guest rooms. The room was bigger than the one at the inn, about 10 square meters large, with a cotton-made double bed in the middle. There was a fireplace situated about a meter away from the bed, pressed up against the wall. Logs were already placed in it, so all Azure had to do was to light it using her fire magic. A nightstand stood on each side of the bed, with a single candle on each of them. There wasn't much furniture, only a small couch, and a stool close to a corner of the room. A book case stood beside the couch.
Laying on the bed together, Christopher let out a sigh.
"Ahhh...what a week..." He murmured. Azure agreed with him.
"Yeah...master?"
"Mm?" While laying on the bed, Azure turned to her master with a tired expression. Christopher took note of this, and before she continued, he spoke.
"Tired?" Christopher questioned her.
"Mhm..." Following, the girl yawned. "...Will we be leaving tomorrow to find Roselina?"
"Yeah." Christopher nodded. He knew Roselina was searching for him to. So he couldn't stay at the castle for long. "Roselina must be looking for me as well. We can't stay here for too long."
"Mm." Azure understood him. "But what are you going to do about Eloise? She confessed to you."
"Well..." Christopher went silent. It was the first time a girl confessed to him. He wasn't exactly sure what to do about that. But despite this, he came up with an answer.
"...I accepted it. So after we find Roselina, we'll come back here, and well...I guess I'll have a fiancee." The word 'fiancee' made him snicker. A fourteen year old with a fiancee...ohhh boy, what have I gotten myself into? He thought to himself. "Roselina might get mad at me though."
"Hm? Why is that?" Azure perked herself up, and shuffled closer to Christopher. Her ever-so-curious gaze met his with a sweet, innocent twinkle.
"Not sure. I just got the feeling she wouldn't really like it." He replied after giving Azure's hair a light stroke. It was soft and fluffy to the touch.
"Hmmmmmm, well! You won't know until you find her then, master!" Azure finally spoke. Then soon, she collapsed back onto the bed. "Haaahhhhh..."
"Aww..." Christopher giggled. "...Goodnight, Azure."
"Goodnight, master..."
Late that night, while Christopher and Azure were sleeping, there was a knock on the door.
"Huh..?" Christopher was first to notice it, wiping the sleepy from his eyes. "Who would be up this late at night...?"
"Ahem...C...Christopher? Are...are you up?" A feminine voice spoke to him. He recognized the tone to be Eloise's. So he knew it wasn't just his imagination.
"El...Eloise?" Getting to his feet, he tiredly made his way over to the door. Once he opened it, he saw it really was Eloise. She was dressed in a flowing pink gown which reached all the way to her ankles. The flushed look on her face told Christopher she definitely had something to say. Eloise's sea blue hair was neatly combed, and open. Her bright sapphire peepers glowed in the darkness. The moment she caught sight of Christopher, she lowered her gaze.
"What are you doing up so late, princess Eloise?" The boy quietly, and sleepy inquired.
"P-Please, you...you don't have to be so formal, Ch-Christopher. Call me Eloise." She stated. At last meeting his eyes, she cleared her throat. "May...May I come in?"
"Sure." Christopher replied.
Eloise entered the room, and the two sat onto his side of the bed together. Having confessed to him earlier that day, both of them felt awkward. Silence befell them until Christopher decided to break the ice, though he was anxious.
"U-Um...s-so what brings you to my room, pr-I mean, E-Eloise?" He stammered with a slight smile.
"W-Well..." Eloise murmured. "...You...you'll be leaving tomorrow, right?"
"Mhm. My sister's somewhere out in the world and she may be searching for me even now. I've got to find her." Christopher remarked.
"I...I understand." Once more, Elosie averted her gaze. "You...you'll come back, right?" Her voice was soft, and melancholy
"I will." He responded. "I said I would, didn't I?"
"..." Eloise's lips formed a small grin. "...You're...you're the first person I've ever fallen in love with, you know." Christopher heard this, and chuckled.
"I know, same for me to." He moved himself closer to her, then hesitated. Christopher gazed at Eloise. Her small frame, her shy-yet confident demeanour. He knew he loved her. Then how come he felt so unsure about things? Christopher knew the answer.
"Eloise." He spoke.
"Yes, Christopher?" She met his gaze with an affectionate look. "What is it?"
"You know...I probably wouldn't be back for a while. Do you think you could wait for me until then?" Christopher expected her to hesitate to answer him, but she didn't. Almost immediately, she nodded to him.
"Of course I can. You're my fiancee now, and the first boy I've ever fallen in love with...Christopher..." Eloise leaned in slowly, then pressed her lips onto his.
"...!" This caught him by surprise, but he didn't pull away. He melted into the kiss, and embraced her tightly, pressing his body onto hers as if to protect it.
"Mmm..." Soon, they retracted. And with faces as red as tomatoes, they giggled.
"Christopherrr, your face is red!" Eloise exclaimed.
"Not as red as yours, silly!" Christopher blurted back. "Hahahaha!"
"Hahahahahaha!"
"Well, it's getting late, you should head back to your room in case the king notices you're awake." Minutes later, it was time to head back to sleep. Eloise bobbed her head to the boy, and gave him a positive grin.
"Alright, Christopher." She said. Standing to her feet, she waved. "I'll see you in the morning before you go. Take care, and sleep well."
"You too. Goodnight, Eloise."
"Goodnight." Eloise left the room after one final look at her fiancee.
"Mas~ter~!"
"Huh? A-Azure?" Out of the blue, Christopher's familiar, Azure, while still laying down, wrapped her arms around his back, and hugged him from behind. She snuggled up closely, and pressed her cheek onto him.
"Y-You were...awake?" Christopher, embarrassed, questioned.
"Mmmhmhmhmmm...I won't let anyone steal master away from me...*yawn* never...ever...zzzz..." Then just as fast as she awakened, she fell asleep.
"..." Christopher was dumbfounded. Was...was that really...all she was going to say? He thought to himself. Amused by his familiar's behaviour, he snickered, then placed a hand onto her head.
"Ahh...goodnight, Azure." He spoke. About a minute later, he went back to sleep.
The next day, Christopher and Azure were standing at the castle's entrance. Finally, Christopher thought to himself, Time to search for my sister. The king, queen, Bertrand, and Eloise all stood with him, both anxious, and fearful of his leave.
"You're certain?" The king asked him.
"Yes. As I've said before, Roselina's out there somewhere, I've got to find her." Christopher replied to him. He wore a determined, serious look on his face. The royalties all agreed with him.
"I see. Well then, we bid you farewell, young Christopher." The king continued. Bertrand spoke next.
"And safe travels. With you and your familiar's strength, we need not be concerned. But still, do be careful on your travels." The prince/knight gave Christopher a light bow.
"Take care, Christopher, Azure. And thanks again for rescuing our daughter Eloise. If you ever need a place to stay, you are free to return." The queen stated with a smile. She truly meant it.
"Thanks your majesties. We greatly appreciate it." Christopher said to them. He then turned to Eloise.
"Eloise..." He remarked. Promptly, Eloise threw herself onto Christopher with the tightest hug he'd ever received. The boy returned it with even greater force.
"Please...make sure you come back to me...alright..?" Eloise, in a soft, affectionate voice, muttered to him.
"I will. Wait for me, Eloise."
"Mhm." They retracted their arms, and exchanged a kiss.
"Well, we're off now." Finally, they were set to leave. After bidding the royal family one last farewell, Christopher and Azure took their leave from Aznos, side by side, setting out in search of Christopher's lost sister, Roselina Hallowswift.