The next day, because they both passed out like babies yesterday as soon as they got back to their room.
"Okay, let's count this and make sure it's the right amount," Estoria said to Asher, who was sitting in front of her.
Her tone was serious as they prepared to tally the money they had received from the handkerchief's auction.
"Alright, you count this, and I'll count these," Asher replied in a serious tone as he divided the amount in half, each of them taking on the task of ensuring an accurate count.
"My total is 360," Estoria reported to Asher after completing her count, hoping their tallies would match.
"Mine is 440," Asher replied, and a puzzled expression crossed both our faces as they realized there was a discrepancy between in their counts.
"That's only 800," Estoria exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.
It seemed that their earnings from the handkerchief auction were significantly less than she had expected.
"I thought we would get more too," Asher replied, sharing her disappointment at the unexpectedly unmodest sum they had received for the handkerchief.
"So, 400 gold coins for me and 400 gold coins for you," She said as she divided the coins equally, ensuring a fair distribution of their earnings.
"Okay, I can get a lot for that too," Asher replied, his satisfaction returning as he considered the possibilities for his share of the money.
"If I end up becoming rich, I'll give you more money, so use it however you want," Estoria told Asher, expressing her willingness to share any future prosperity with him and ensuring that he had the means to pursue his desires.
"Are you sure? You wouldn't ask me to rob for you, right?" Asher asked dramatically, adding a touch of his humor to the conversation.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Buy yourself whatever you want. Also, we are returning to our home today, so get ready. The carriage is about to arrive soon," Estoria informed him about the upcoming carriages.
"Alright, I'll be quick then. Just give me 20 minutes—no, 30 minutes," Asher said hurriedly, making a swift exit through the window.
"Hey, where are you going? Go from the door instead!" She called out, quickly realizing he had already disappeared out the window.
"How is he so quick?" She wondered aloud, impressed by Asher's agility and speed as he rushed to go outside.
With Asher already out of sight, she took the opportunity to pack her few belongings and bid farewell to Princess Alstroemeria, preparing for the departure from her palace.
As she completed the preparations and noticed the waiting carriage outside, Estoria worried about where Asher had disappeared to. He had initially said he'd take 30 minutes, but it had already been an hour, and there was no sign of his return.
Worried and impatient, She began to consider the possible reasons for his delay.
Soon relief washed over her as Asher returned through the window, explaining his delay. "I'm back, sorry for being late. I was looking for something, but couldn't find it," he said, finally rejoining her as they prepared to leave.
Together, they left the room behind, bidding it a fond farewell as they embarked on the journey back home, leaving behind the princess's palace and the memories they had created there.
"Estoria, Asher, what took you both so long? I was waiting for you," Tyrion exclaimed, standing by the royal carriage that had been prepared for their departure.
During the time they spend at the palace they had gotten pretty comfortable with the royal family enough for them to call each other informally.
It seemed that their delay had not gone unnoticed.
"Why were you waiting for us? Are you here to say goodbye?" Estoria asked Tyrion as she handed the suitcases to Sebastian, who was accompanying them for safety reasons, ensuring that the belongings were securely loaded onto the carriage.
"No, I'm waiting because I've been assigned the task to make sure you both arrive home safely by father," Tyrion explained.
"And why are you here?" She asked, directing her gaze towards Aluxio, who stood behind Tyrion, curious about his presence on this occasion.
"He volunteered to tag along," Tyrion spoke for Aluxio, providing an explanation for his unexpected presence.
"Thank you very much for your concern, Your Highness, but I don't think we need you here," She politely conveyed to Aluxio, indicating that they could manage the journey even without his assistance.
"I don't care what you say, I'm going with you," Aluxio stubbornly rejected any suggestion of leaving, clearly determined to accompany them on the journey.
"Just say the word, Estoria," Asher declared, looking at me with a determined expression, ready to intervene if necessary to resolve the situation with Aluxio.
"It's fine, go inside the carriage. I'm coming in a minute," She assured Asher, signaling for him to proceed while she addressed Aluxio.
"I'm only going because you said so," Asher declared, sending a stern glare in Aluxio's direction before finally getting inside the carriage.
"I don't care what's going on between you guys, so don't waste my time. Get going already, Aluxio. I'm riding inside the carriage with Estoria. You can ride on the horse with the knights," Tyrion decisively ordered, settling the matter and assigning roles for the journey.
"Why do you get to ride comfortably inside the carriage while I ride with the knights?" Aluxio complained, clearly not pleased with the arrangement.
"You were the one who volunteered to go with us. And it's for the safety of Estoria and Asher so don't complain to me now," Tyrion retorted, defending the decision.
"I can also say the same about you. Father assigned you for protection, not me," Aluxio retorted with frustration, pointing out that Tyrion is the one who was given this task by the king.
As they continued to bicker, Estoria made a somewhat impulsive decision. "Fine, I'll be the one riding the horses with the knights," She declared, choosing to take on the less comfortable role in order to put an end to their argument.
"What? Do you even know anything about riding a horse?" Tyrion asked her, clearly concerned about her ability to handle such a task.
"Fine, I'll ride with the knights. Tyrion can go sit in the carriage like a princess," Aluxio relented, perhaps recognizing the futility of their argument.
With the matter settled, they set out on their journey to the South, each of them in their respective positions within the group, heading towards the destination.
"How long will it take?" Estoria asked Tyrion, who was seated opposite her in the carriage, curious about the duration of the journey.
"It usually takes about a week, but since we are going by the royal carriage and without stopping in between, it will take 2-3 days at most," Tyrion replied, providing her with an estimate of their travel time.
Given Tyrion's willingness to provide information without hesitation and his unfiltered responses, Estoria thought that this might be a good opportunity to gather more information about this world from him.
"Could you tell me more about my family and the other noble families since I don't remember anything about them?" She inquired of Tyrion, seeking to fill in the gaps in her knowledge about the noble families in this world.
"Sure. There are currently two dukedoms in this kingdom. The northern dukedom, The Théodreds, and the southern dukedom, The Stallions. These families are the pillars of this kingdom since they're as powerful as the royal family," Tyrion shared, providing her with valuable information about the key noble families in the kingdom.
"The Stallions are known for their strength, having won countless wars throughout the history of our kingdom, while The Théodreds are known for their wealth, as they own all the gold mines in this kingdom," Tyrion further elaborated, giving her insights into the distinguishing traits of these noble families.
"You're part of the Stallion family. Your dad, Issac Stallion, is the head of the magic tower, making him the most powerful magician in this kingdom. Your mom, Ria Stallion, is the first dragon to ever marry a human and abandon her own kind. You also have a twin brother named Eston Stallion," Tyrion revealed, providing her with a detailed overview of her new family.
"Now I understand why no one has ever said anything to me; it's because my family alone can overtake this kingdom if they want to. And a dragon mom?" She responded, both amazed and overwhelmed by the power and uniqueness of her own family.
"That's true; they probably could, but my father, Uncle Issac, and Uncle Neo Théodred are like brothers. They've been close since childhood, and they get along well with each other," Tyrion explained, shedding light on the amicable relationship between the powerful families.
"Then we probably used to see each other too, but no one recognized me?" She inquired of Tyrion, wondering if she had crossed paths with him in the past.
"Uncle Issac used to visit alone, probably because people used to view the twins with amusement and gossip because a dragon gave birth to them making them feel out of place. But Uncle Neo often visited us with his children, Isabella and Luke. They used to play with us all the time when we were young," Tyrion shared, providing more insight into the past.
Tyrion was more observant and perceptive than Estoria had thought.
"Yes, I heard that Isabella is betrothed to Darius," She mentioned, recalling the passionate scene she had witnessed between the two at the market yesterday.
Tyrion also harbored a deep affection for Isabella. He played the role of the supposed second male lead, his love for her unreciprocated. He found himself in the 'brotherzone' before he could even confess his feelings to her.
"Yes, they said they're in love, apparently, and got engaged last year. Even Luke Théodred was shocked to find out. You should've seen everyone's face when they announced that, although Father and Uncle Neo were overjoyed at the news," Tyrion explained, painting a vivid picture of the surprise and joy surrounding Isabella and Darius' engagement.
"Yeah, but it's not like I would remember that now," She commented to Tyrion.
"Don't think like that; it will only make things difficult for you. You can always regain your memory, and even if you don't, it wouldn't change anything significant," Tyrion reassured her, offering words of encouragement and support.
"Yeah, Uncle Tyrion is right," Asher chimed in, resting his head in Estoria's lap.
"Asher, I'm exactly Estoria's age. How am I already an uncle? Just address me as Tyrion," Tyrion playfully complained, highlighting the little age difference between him and Asher.
"I thought you were sleeping, Asher. If you're not going to sleep, get up," Estoria requested, wondering why he had his head in her lap if he wasn't planning to rest.
"I'm going to sleep now, and Uncle Tyrion is Uncle Tyrion to me no matter our age difference," Asher said before closing his eyes, settling in for some rest.
"Wow, Estoria, is that what you're teaching him?" Tyrion teased, commenting on their playful banter.
"He's just like that; I didn't teach him that," Estoria clarified.