Over a hundred people loitered in King Bethel's courtyard, as several officials and even King Bethel himself tried to figure out what to do. It had been over two hours of waiting, with some progress.
Zee was no expert, but even she knew just how delicate this situation was. Putting aside the fifteen Ducale, there was a wide array of different species from all over the Kelvish dominion. The species ranged from the short black-scaled lizard kin, ten-legged spider-like arachnids, to a nest of rift walkers.
What made it even more troublesome was the fact that all of these cultivators were Peak F grade, or in the E grade, strong fighters in their own right. If a fight broke out, this many strong fighters could level the entire castle with the backlash of their attacks.
You might say that the king, and castle officials had their work cut out for them to resolve this peacefully. Dealing with so many foreigners might normally not be a huge deal, but there were also four official emissaries from the Kelvish dominion, including Petrie.
Even the king was forced to bow and scrape before these emissaries. Zee felt kind of bad for King Bethel and even Malden. They were currently in hushed discussion with the four emissaries and had been for the last twenty minutes.
Bowing deeply, Malden retreated, looking unhappy. Malden approached her group, while the king personally escorted the four emissaries away back by his personal guard.
Zee watched the four people go, meetings Petrie's eyes. The infuriating woman gave her a needle-toothed smile, that made her shudder, with building dread. Zee didn't know when Petrie was going to come calling, but it had to be sometime soon. When that happened, Zee was going to be screwed.
"Well, that was fun," Malden said, pausing next to the princess, his ears twitching unhappily.
"What did they want?" Zee asked, curiously, pretending like she hadn't been listening in with her spatial ripple skill.
"The question should be, what didn't they want? They demanded our best estates in Carden, food, servants, and access to the teleportation hub as soon as possible," Malden said, tiredly.
"Wow, they sound like a lot of fun to deal with," Zee said sarcastically.
"I know right? For people in the D grade, they sure are unreasonable. You would think they would understand that I can only activate the teleportation hub once a week and that it will cost me a fortune each time," Malden complained.
"I take it they aren't paying?" Zee asked.
Malden shook his head, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Of course, they aren't. What's worse, they are shoving the cost of getting everyone here back home on the royal family. That's like a year of taxes, thrown down the drain," Malden said.
"I guess it's a good thing that the royal family is rich," Zee said, with a cheeky smile.
Malden glared at her. "I hate you sometimes." Malden mutter.
Zee smiled, patting him on the arm, ignoring the glares of his personal guard standing a respectful distance away.
"So, what now? The tournament is over, shouldn't we be getting prizes or something?" Zee asked.
Malden gestured towards the hallway the representatives of the Kelvish dominion went down. "If you want to go demand they give us stuff after that shit show of a tournament, be my guest," Malden said.
Zee glanced back at the others behind her, noting their hesitant expressions.
"Well, shit. So, we went through all of that, and now we are getting ripped off?" Zee asked.
Allison brushed a lock of white hair from her dirt-stained face. "Just be patient. Once our, uh, overlords." She coughed, "I mean honored guests have some time to recover from that rough transport, then they will probably want to collect all the resources we gathered," Allison said.
"I guess I can live with that." Zee glanced around at the exhausted, and filthy team. "Since we are not in a hurry, maybe we should go get cleaned up, and get some rest?" Zee asked.
The princess smiled. "That is something we can all agree on. We can let those officials figure out how to deal with all the uninvited guests," Allison said, with a dismissive wave towards some well-dressed Allevark eying the mismatch of odd people with some distress.
Malden raised a paw, "Hold on, what do you expect me to do with the rift walkers?" Malden asked.
Allison shrugged. "Find them a place to stay. And get them some food. Anything should do, they aren't picky eaters," Allison said.
Malden sighed, "I will get it sorted. The barbarians too, ill find them someplace to stay as well," Malden said, gesturing one of the officials over, and giving them directions.
Zee didn't wait around to see how it went, walking towards the exit with the rest of the group. She was aching for a hot bath, not to mention a pair of clothes that were not caked in an inch of blood, dirt, and ichor.
It took about half an hour, but they made it out of the castle, receiving no small amount of curious glances from residents either visiting or staying in the castle. Thankfully once outside, the streets were quiet, lit by the light of etched lanterns.
As it turned out, they had arrived back on Iztara in the middle of the night, hence the lack of people on the streets. That was a definite boon, as the streets were empty, aside from the odd patrol. Without much hassle, they arrived at Allison's sprawling estate.
Shutting the front door behind her, Zee gave Bastion and Greg a smile.
"Dibbs on the tub first," Zee said, walking through the front gate, and up the dark driveway.
"You can't call dibs," Bastion said, aghast.
"Too late, I just did," Zee said, slipping off her boots at the front door and striding towards the stairs leading to the basement.
"Dibs on second," Greg chimed in, a smirk splitting his bearded face.
Bastion gave them both a look of betrayal. "This is unfair, I am the filthiest of all of us. Greg is an archer, he doesn't even have ichor on him," Bastion said, gesturing to his torn and blood-soaked leather armor.
"And we appreciate your sacrifice. Besides, all of that shooting with his bow must have made Greg really sweaty, he deserves a hot bath," Zee said, walking down the stairs.
Bastion looked to Yukna for help. Yukna shrugged. "Don't look at me, I am not giving up my tub. You will have to wait your turn," Yukna said.
Rushing across the tile next to the pool, she opened the basement washroom door. Before the door had even fully shut, Zee was stripping off her clothing, tossing them in a pile for later disposal.
Her body was absolutely covered in ichor, blood, dirt, and sweat, caked on after over a week of constant fighting.
Stepping over the edge of the copper tub, she activated the etching that let water flow into the spout overhead. Hot water fell onto her with a soft hiss, trickling down her skin, and flowing down the drain.
Looking around, she found a bar of soap on a small shelf and started to scrub her skin. The pesky gunk stubbornly clung to her skin, taking a profuse amount of scrubbing to get off. She scrubbed so hard that her skin felt raw, but the discomfort was worth it.
For the first time in months, she felt clean. She smiled, standing there as the hot water streamed over her head, down her scarred torso. The hot water soothed her aching muscles, the steaming air in the room-filling her lungs with each breath.
It was enough to help her relax, and bit by bit, the day's stress fell away. It was nice, to just relax, and let the water pour over her. Just the droning water trickling down her skin, washing her worries away.
After a while, she remembered that the others were still waiting for her to get done. With a regretful sigh, she turned off the water, stepping from the tub onto the cold tile floor.
There was a full-length mirror on one wall, and the reflective glass steamed over. Humming softly, she wiped away the steam, her fingers caressing the cool glass.
Zee was startled by the appearance of the person who looked back at her. Her reflection stared back at her with a stern expression, the scar splitting her left cheek making her look fierce.
She glanced up and down her naked body, her eyes lingering on the dozens of scars gracing her pale skin. Many were faint, thin white lines, while others like the claw marks that bear left, stood out on her ribs.
Each of the scars had a story, a reminder of a time when she got careless, or just unlucky. Like that large scar on her abdomen, where Allison had stabbed her.
Zee had mixed feelings about that one. Getting stabbed and captured by the princess was the beginning of an alliance, which gradually turned into a friendship.
She smiled, flexing her arms. It wasn't the slow, swollen muscles of a bodybuilder, but the lithe corded muscle of a warrior. She looked like a grizzled veteran, her lithe athletic body covered in scars from dozens of fights.
Content with the sight in the mirror, she wrapped her hair, chest, and waist in the soft towels folded on the water basin. She should have a change of clean clothing in her room. In the meantime, these soft towels were far better than wearing a crusty pair of clothing.
Opening the door, she stepped out, into the pool room, where Greg and Bastion stood. Greg went in first, leaving her and Bastion next to the pool.
Bastion eyed her up and down, taking a step towards her, his arms open wide as if to pull her into a hug. Zee took a step away, raising a hand.
"Oh no. Not covered in that filth you don't, I am finally clean." Zee said, backing away, around the pool as he slowly followed, his eyes glimmering mischievously.
"Come on, it's not that bad. Afraid of a little hug?" Bastion asked, grinning at her.
"Yes, it is that bad. You are filthy," Zee said, scrunching up her nose at the smell.
Bastion paused, only a few feet away, glancing down at his battered and gunk-covered armor.
"I mean, you are probably right. Getting all of this off could be a two-person job," Bastion said, with a cheeky smile.
"Maybe Greg will help you get it off if you ask him," Zee retorted.
Bastion laughed. "Can't blame a guy for trying," Bastion said.
Zee smiled and slipped passed him walking towards her room. "Maybe next time. I am going to get some rest, talk to you in the morning," Zee said, letting out a jaw-stretching yawn.
It wasn't that Zee was against having a shower with the man, it was more that she was absolutely exhausted. Locking the door to her room behind her, Zee climbed onto the bed, slipping under the covers. Settling into the sheets, she let out a content sigh.
Ahh, the comforts of life in a civilized society. She had missed this a lot. Sleeping on the hard rock for months made her realize just how much she enjoyed a soft bed.
Not to mention that shower, utter bliss. She closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of contentment. With her eyes closed, the world river came into stark focus, illuminated by her inner sight.
Zee reached out with her mind and drew the energy in, startled at the torrent of energy that flowed into her body. It was as if the energy leaped to her command, rushing into her body.
What's more, the energy no longer contained the turbid gunk that had been a constant pain in the ass back in the planar space.
Without needing to separate the taint from the energy, her body greedily drew the energy in. Zee's cultivation speed was faster than ever, a river of energy flooding into her body.
That river flowed through her energy channels, before creating a whirlpool in her mind, flowing into the fragment at the base of her skull.
The fragment pulsed, releasing a wave of pure energy that rushed outwards. Focusing her will, Zee caught the pure energy, directing it towards her left foot.
With an iron will, focused the energy, directing it to start wearing down the gate housed near her heel. During their frantic flight through the planar space, she hadn't had much time to work on opening the second inner gate.
Even still, by morning, Zee could already sense small cracks spreading along the gate's smooth surface. It seemed like unreasonably fast progress, for only one solid night of cultivation, but it wasn't.
Zee had a fragment, and the heart of fire, which gave her a solid leg up in terms of cultivation speed and energy density. Besides, the first few inner gates were usually the easiest, and quickest to open, even for people without her advantages.
Stretching, Zee got up and got dressed in a stylized uniform with the Tesh and co on the left breast. She had almost completely forgotten that Yukna had given her some of these.
Zee ran a hand down the smooth fabric, stretching and turning to get a feel for her mobility in the clothing.
It was comfy, though it was a little tight, around her arms, legs, and shoulders. Zee scowled noticing the inch or two of room around her wrists and ankles. It appeared that she had grown several inches in height, which would explain the uniform being a few sizes to small.
Cinching her sword belt around her waist, Zee gave herself one final glance in the mirror. After some thought, she decided to tie her silky red hair in a sloppy bun instead of letting it hang past her shoulders.
Zee might have spent more time on her unruly hair, but her growling stomach wouldn't have it. Cracking open the door, she walked passed Greg, snoring loudly on the couch.
Bastion was nowhere to be seen. She didn't need her spatial ripple skill to tell her he was upstairs cooking, as the smell of frying meat filled the air.
Taking the steps two at a time, she ran up the stairs, striding into the living room. As expected, Bastion was already hovering over the oven, his hands dancing between four separate pans.
The man was wearing a soft white apron over a thin brown shirt, and formfitting black pants. The clothes fit his muscled body like a glove, drawing her attention to his toned muscle rippling under his shirt.
"What are you making?" Zee asked, walking passed him, to grab the teapot.
Bastion grinned at her. "Nothing much. Just some eggs, sautéed veggies, fried stag, and some stir-fried rice," Bastion said.
Zee activated the etching on the water basin, letting clear water flood in, raising an eyebrow at his statement.
"Nothing much? That sounds like a four-course meal, and for breakfast no less," Zee said.
"Just because you prefer having lizard jerky for breakfast, doesn't mean we all do," Bastion said.
Zee scowled, "I do not enjoy having lizard jerky for breakfast. That stuff is awful," Zee said.
Bastion laughed, turning off the etchings that controlled the heat on the stove. With expert precision, he put a sizable portion of meat, veggies, and eggs on a plate, even going so far as sprinkling some cheese on top.
Stomach grumbling, Zee waited for him to turn back to the stove, before making her move. She snatched the plate, retreating to the far side of the island counter.
"Hey! Get back here, that's mine," Bastion said, pointing his spatula at her, rounding the island counter after her.
Zee stabbed her fork into the steaming pile of fried rice, taking a large bite, all the while retreating, keeping the marble counter between them. "Mmmm, that soo good." Zee taunted.
"You can't just take my food after I made it look pretty," Bastion said.
Zee took another bite. "There is plenty more in the pans, just make another one," Zee said, bobbing her eyebrows at him.
"You are the worst," Bastion said, with feigned outrage.
Next to her, the teapot started whistling, prompting her to walk over and take it off the stove. She set down her place, reaching up to grab a cup, giving Bastion the opening he was waiting for.
He slid up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his head on her shoulder as she poured hot water into a cup.
"How was your sleep?" Bastion asked, his warm breath on her neck making her skin tingle.
Zee smiled, her heart skipping a beat at his warm touch. She placed a metal tea strainer, filled with moon berry tea leaves inside the cup. "It was good, even if I don't really sleep. Having a bed again is the best." Zee replied, leaning into his embrace.
"I wouldn't know, I slept on the couch," Bastion said.
She laughed. " The couch is a lot better than sleeping on the forest floor," Zee said.
He nodded, "Still, it seems like favoritism that you get the bed," Bastion said.
Zee turned to face him, looking up into those stunning hazel and orange eyes. "Well, maybe we can have some compromise?"
"Compromise?" Bastion asked, his interest peaked.
"Yes. You can sleep on the floor of my room if you like since you clearly don't like the couch," Zee said, mischievously.
Bastion laughed, his shoulder shaking. "You are so mean sometimes," Bastion said.
Zee stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. "You just make it fun to mess with you," Zee replied with a sly grin.
Bastion smiled, just staring at her for a few seconds, the silence dragging on.
"What is it? Do I have something on my face? Zee asked reaching up and wiping her mouth.
"No. I was just thinking how lucky I am to be dating someone as beautiful and amazing as you," Bastion said. Zee flushed at the unexpected compliment.
"I mean. Um. I don't know if I am much of a catch. There are a lot of much prettier women out there, that are a lot less troublesome than me." Zee said, suddenly self-conscious.
Bastion raised an eyebrow. "You are kidding, right? Why would I want someone who is boring? Life would be so dull." Bastion said.
She kissed him again, letting it linger for a moment. "It's a good thing you are good at cooking because you are terrible at being romantic," Zee said.
"Hah, now you are just being rude," Bastion said.
Zee slipped out from his embrace, and picked up her plate, sitting down to eat. She stabbed her fork into the steaming pile of meat, eggs, and fried rice taking a bite.
It was delicious, though the meat had a weird spice that threw her off for the first few bites. She looked up across the living room, as the door to the master bedroom creaked open.
"Cooking is definitely your best quality," Allison said, striding from her room.
Bastion gave her a rude gesture, "What's with the formal uniform, are going somewhere?" Bastion asked.
The princess grimaced, and glanced down at her silver and blue robes, tugging at the gaudy trim.
"King Alex has demanded my presence. I assume he is summoning me to get a debrief on the tournament," Allison said unhappily.
"Oh, right. That sounds like fun... Not." Zee said.
"Sometimes I hate being a princess," Allison said, letting out a weary sigh.
"It can't be that bad can it?" Bastion asked.
"You clearly have never met my father. Anyways, I wish I could stay for breakfast, but I have to go," Allison said, moving towards the door.
The door swung shut behind her, for just a moment revealing a royal guard just outside. It appeared that Yukna's guards had returned sometime during the night, not even bothering to announce their presence.
A few minutes after Allison left, Yukna excited their shared room, walking towards the door.
"Sorry, can't stay and chat, I need to meet my father down at the shop," Yukna said, waving at them.
The door swung shut behind Yukna, and she heard some muffled talking.
"Oh hey duke Drakus, how can i help you," Yukna asked.
"I am here for your guest, is Zee in?" Drakus asked.
"Yes, she is, just in the kitchen," Yukna said.
"Thank you," Drakus said.
That familiar voice was what made her stand up, and walk towards the front door. Before they could knock, Zee opened the door, peering out at a familiar Allevark.
"Good morning Viotti," Duke Drakus said, beaming at her.
Zee glowered at the overly cheery duke. It's not that she didn't like him, she just knew he wouldn't be here unless he wanted something.
"It's only been one night since we got back. Do you really need to pester me so soon?" Zee asked, peering out between the partially opened door at him.
Drakus glanced around, leaning forward and speaking in a hushed tone, "Yes, I do, this is very urgent. I am here as one friend to another. Given the developments of the last few months, while you were gone, I have hurried over to give a warning." Drakus said.
Noting his serious tone, she opened the door wide. "Come in, we can discuss this in private," Zee said, glancing at Yukna and her guards, having a conversation with a well-dressed allevark at the front gate.
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving just the three of them in the kitchen. "Ah, Bastion, it's nice to see you again. How is the other one, Greg was it?" Drakus asked.
"Duke Drakus. Greg is fine, he is sleeping downstairs. What are you doing here?" Bastion asked.
"About that...." He turned back to face Zee, "I have something to say, that might affect the three of you," Drakus said, his ears twitching nervously.
Zee folded her arms, "Well, just spit it out," Zee said.
Drakus exhaled sharply. "King Alex has threatened a break in the formal alliance between the Allevark and Carmanah if that King Bethel doesn't hand you over to him," Drakus said.
Zee's jaw dropped, "What? He can't do that," Zee stammered.
Drakus nodded, eyeing her up and down curiously. "He can, but I don't think King Bethel will go for it. Especially since rumors of what happened in the planar space are already spreading like wildfire. I heard that you were the one who saved the entire group after the teleportation array failed.
Those are all good things in my book. The problem is that rumors of your relation to Julian of clan Viotti and the Lorocan empire are floating around, which I suspect was King Alex's doing," Drakus said.
Zee's blood ran cold. "What? it's already gotten out, how?" Zee asked.
Drakus looked taken aback by her words. "So it's true?" Drakus asked, startled.
She bit her lip, glancing back at Bastion for help. The man shrugged, as if to say whatever you do I got your back. Zee appreciated his silent support, It was one reason she liked him so much.
"Yes, it's true. Julian, is my grandfather." Zee said.
Drakus, ran a paw across his face, his ears twitching in agitation. "That is going to make this much more complicated. I was hoping we could spin this, and allay the rumors. If the emissaries from the Kelvish dominion learn of this, you are going to have a lot more to worry about than King Alex," Drakus said.
Zee glanced away, regret flashing across her face, an expression that didn't go unnoticed.
"They already know, don't they?" Drakus asked, his eyes wide.
"Petrie does. She has been using the information to blackmail me," Zee admitted.
Drakus's expression turned speculative. "That's troubling. This is more urgent than I thought. If you stay here, your hours are numbered." Drakus said.
"I am aware, but what do you expect me to do?" Zee snapped, biting her lip, hard.
"Just calm down. The news should take a few hours, or days to spread. If we act quickly, we can get you out of here. Gather all of your things. Do you know where Malden's estate is?" Drakus asked.
Zee nodded. "I have been there before."
"Good. I will meet you there in one hour. Do not be late," Drakus said.
"Where are we going?" Zee asked nervously.
Drakus smiled, "You and your friends are taking Malden's teleportation hub off this planet. It's the only way you will survive the next couple of days." Drakus said.