As the belly door closed shut, the plane began to ascend, gradually distancing itself from the Castle and soaring into the sky above.
The plane left Tristan awestruck. Though it resembled one of Earth's distinguished bomber planes, it had a unique quality that captivated Tristan. Aside from its hovering ability, the noticeable differences were the sheer size of the plane and the remarkably quiet engines.
As they stepped inside the plane, a woman's voice greeted Prince Alex and his protégés, saying, "Hello, Alex. Welcome aboard, Ayana's Jet. It's been a while." Her voice held a hint of sensuality, yet it was undeniably appealing.
"Hello, Ayana. Yes, it has been a while. Thank you for the ride," Prince Alex replied, smiling and glancing at the CCTV in the cargo cabin.
"I'd like you to meet my protégés. This cute boy is Tristan, and this cute girl is Valeria. Guys say hello to our pilot, Lady Ayana. Or should they call you Auntie Ayana? Hahaha..." Prince Alex boomed as he teased the pilot.
"Oh, shut up. You're not that young either, old man! Come up the ladder. Get yourself up here so I can kick your butt myself! Haha..." Ayana's laughter trailed off faintly.
Tristan and Valeria exchanged confused looks, having witnessed the quirky banter between Uncle Alex and Lady Ayana.
The interior of the plane differed from the air transport Tristan had ridden on during his many missions as a special forces soldier. This plane had two levels. The belly, through which they entered, seemed to be the cargo bay. Inside was an open space with several small containers securely latched onto the plane. A ladder led upward, most likely to where Lady Ayana was situated.
Prince Alex ascended the ladder first, followed by Valeria and Tristan. It was a short climb before they were up in the passenger cabin.
Tristan noticed two couches facing each other in the cabin with a table in the middle. In the corner, he spotted a pantry table and a glass-door cabinet filled with food and bottles of wine. This plane's cabin facilities resembled private jets in the movies, with coaches, a pantry, and a lavatory. Even the coaches are fully reclined so one can sleep on it.
Tristan guessed they were the only passengers on this plane. Still, just as he assumed, a couple of women emerged behind them, followed by a striking lady with a regal presence.
"Don't just stand around, Alex. Tell your students to take a seat on the couches. By the way, meet Allyna, my co-pilot, and Karina, my engineer. There are no servers on this flight. You guys can help yourselves with food and drinks. Okay?" Lady Ayana spoke with a calm but commanding voice.
"Choose whichever coaches you want, you two. I need to discuss something with Lady Ayana on the Bridge. Don't go in there unless I call you. By the way, we'll be flying for about 15 hours. Try to relax and get some sleep. Make yourselves at home," Uncle Alex said before leaving Tristan and Valeria alone on the couches.
The co-pilot and engineer briskly walked ahead and disappeared behind the door to the Bridge. Meanwhile, Prince Alex and Lady Ayana strolled, their eyes locked intently. Suddenly, Prince Alex closed the curtain separating the passenger cabin from the Bridge.
Though the curtain concealed whatever was happening behind it, Tristan could faintly hear the sound of a man and a woman kissing passionately. The sound lingered for a while before being replaced by the moaning and rhythmic thumping between two human bodies. The noises grew louder until Lady Ayana let out a loud scream. At the same time, Tristan could faintly hear Prince Alex's moans.
After that, Tristan heard the Bridge's door open and close. The cabin fell silent.
"There goes your perverted uncle again," Valeria finally said, grabbing some snacks and water while making a funny face, indicating her annoyance at the sound of Uncle Alex and Lady Ayana making love behind the curtain.
Tristan simply smiled wryly and shrugged.
"I don't have any memories of Uncle Alex. So, don't you dare think that I'm like him!? I am certainly not a pervert," Tristan confidently smiled, as if he knew Valeria would trust everything he said. To strengthen their bond, Tristan calmly took some snacks from Valeria's lap, and she didn't mind at all.
Valeria glanced at Tristan with a slight smile. "Are you sure you're not different? Because your oldest brother wasn't." Her face grew gloomy again.
This was the first time Tristan had heard about it, and it piqued his curiosity about how people outside the Moonstone Family perceived the Moonstones.
Now, Tristan looked at her with a caring expression. "Valeria, I have no memories of my brothers. Only a faint memory of my little sister, Leylla. Can you help me remember?"
"How? I can only tell you what I know about your brothers. Aren't you worried I might tell you bad things about some of them?" She gazed intensely at Tristan.
"I don't care. I would appreciate anything that could remind me about my brothers, especially if it comes from you. When I meet people, I can tell if they can be trusted in just one conversation," Tristan replied, looking deeply into Valeria's eyes.
Tristan's words caused a blush to appear on Valeria's cheeks. "Okay... Who would you like to know about first?" she asked eagerly.
"Tell me what you know about the person both you and I despise, my oldest brother, Adrian Moonstone," Tristan asked Valeria.
Upon hearing the words "both despise," her excitement grew, and her mind gathered all the information she knew and had heard about the notorious ladies' man, Adrian Moonstone.
"I hate that guy," Valeria blurted out in her first sentence. After pausing momentarily, she continued, "I met him a couple of years ago when my mother appointed me the crown princess. I was only 16 years old, and that perverted brother of yours tried to seduce me. He flirted with me." Her face displayed heightened annoyance.
"He is undeniably charming, and he knows it. He takes advantage of it as if people are foolish enough to fall for it," she added, her tone tinged with cynicism. "My cousins and almost all the women my age adored him and fell for his charms. He even has a collection of young women willing to do anything he asks, absolutely anything. But I find his actions disrespectful and even disgusting." She paused for nearly a minute.
"Did you know he has proposed to me more than once? I rejected every proposal. Then he asked your father to approach my mother for permission to marry me," she revealed before leaning back on the couches, her arms folded over her chest.
"So what I overheard was true," he said.
Valeria remained silent, showing no reaction to what Tristan had just said.
After a few minutes, she finally broke her silence. "He will never have me. I have my own destiny, and he has no part in it. But you do."
After uttering those words, Valeria ignored Tristan. She stretched her legs on the table, folded her arms, and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep. Tristan was left perplexed, unsure of what to say or how to feel, knowing what she had just confessed.