It was eight in the morning. The sky was clear and a slight, yet sweet breeze was blowing over. This place was called the "Golden Quarter", reputated to be "paved with gold". When she steps in, Énée understood why this place was called like this. Her side of Cel'Hestyn was clearly more miserable than this luxuous place. Even if Cel'Hestyn was known as the City of Prosperity, the flying city could clearly show three different parts: the Lower Cel'Hestyn, which Énée comes, and which is located at the bottom of the gathering of flying islands, the Average Cel'Hestyn, and the Higher Cel'Hestyn. Énée has been invited by the Cel'Hestynian king as a representant of her kind, the Caelists, which are one of the flying species. Thoses are becoming rarer, and most of them can't use weapons due to their features. Out of the three flying species, Caelists are excellent mages, but since they got wings instead of arms, they became weak to the most modern weapons.
She was nervous. She was about to meet Cel'Hestyn's most important man, the King, who also happens to be one of the most powerful creatures of the whole continent in terms of political powers, with the Sorcerer from the Animalis Wizardy Academy. Her family, or more like, her single father, was now believing that she could change the face of the world if she took that place as Royal Consultant. But the young flying woman wasn't so confident, as her sibling, her only older brother, who took that place several years ago, has mysteriously disappeared a few days before she was called— and she wasn't stupid. Énée knew that it is possible that the King got rid of her older brother, who shared a lot of his polemical ideas. More important, who knows if the Aerists, living in the upper Cel'Hestyn, will accept her as a part of the Royal Court ?
But before she could end her thoughts, a young and elegant man reached her, proceeding to greet her in the nicest way possible. It took her a few instants to recongnize that young man, she indeed knew who it was. She realised quickly that it was a test, and she passed it quickly. It seems that the young man underestimates his new coworker.
"Where are we going ?„ the Caelist asked, curiously, "I thought we were going to visite The Golden Square„.
Her new companion stared into her beautiful golden eyes. He stopped his walk a few seconds to admire her youthful face. Énée was surely a gorgeous woman, but she wasn't elegant, neither polite. She was very straight-forward, and she was known for her rebellious attitude. She was a young healthy woman, but from the lowest and cheapest part of Cel'hestyn, and him was a noblesse man from the high aristocracy. Who knew that they could get along that well ?
"Well, excuse me, my Lady.„, he replied, defying her from his gaze, "But you have to get used to the Upper Cel'Hestyn before entering your post as the Royal Consultant. It would be a shame that your beloved people finds out you got lost in the town. ~„
His voice got something that annoyed her. It was clearly intentionnal. Yet, Énée had to keep her calm. Soon, she felt uneasy, walking wasn't her thing.
But clouds started to gather. And as soon as they reached the palace, the storm gathered outside broke down. Énée was exhausted from her walk. She stared at the King, yhe youthful boy that was there all along, too shy and too proud to ask for a break. And soon, a light headache struck her head.
"Servants !„
Thoses stared at the royalty. He didn't yo say more for them to understand. So, they went to do the assigned task: preparing a room for Énée.
"Saying that I is the king of Cel'Hestyn is indeed accurate. But even as the king, I am in fact new. My father and older siblings passed away during a recent embush and I was the only one left. They still see me as "Cel'Hestyn's prince", but please, be formal with me. I don't want to look like a careless asshole.„
It surprised the winged woman. She didn't know it could be that easy to share some secrets. Why would he share that so easily whitout even taking precautions ?
Everything here was strange for her.
"Your Majesty, why hiding yourself then ? Tell your people—„
"Basics, Miss Axlana, basics. I am not king yet. And as I am not king yet, I have to live as the prince I am yet.„
"... Everything you say is contradicting...„
"It makes sense.„
"It doesn't.„
"Hrm. Anyways. What is so special about you ?„
Énée started to think. What was special about her ? As she formulated her words, the young man stared at her. His eyes opened wide while his jaws dropped. He never heard such a story. How to explain to an aerist, a mere follower of the Sun King*, that she was linked to the fammed Celestians* ? As the young woman breathed, her words faded away. The one that is-to-be king's stare pulled her wing, realising how much potential the caelist had. After all, she was the daughter of the Star Queen*. Énée was a semi-Celestian**.
"Welcome to the Royal Court, Énée Aegrima Axlana.„
*𝘈 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 "𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥" 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴, 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘶𝘯 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘦𝘪𝘢, 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴.
**𝘈 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘪-𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴, 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 "𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘪-𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯". 𝘞𝘦𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘭𝘺, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘪-𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘦 (𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵).