Morning, 6AM.
"It's not as comfortable as the royal carriage, but this is the best carriage we could find in this town," Tyrion says, presenting the new ride for the journey.
"I don't mind it; anything is better than riding on the horses," Estoria replies, expressing her satisfaction with the change.
"And Aluxio will be riding with you and Asher this time. I will ride with the knights because we have to go through a lot of security to enter the Stallion's residence, and I'm the official escort that has the permit to enter," Tyrion explains thoroughly, outlining the plan.
"Will we be arriving today at the residence?" Estoria inquired about their expected arrival time.
"As far as I'm aware, yes," Tyrion says as he mounts his horse, indicating the anticipated arrival at the Stallion's residence.
***
Surprisingly, it's been an hour with Asher and Aluxio in the carriage with Estoria, and they haven't fought once yet.
"Estoria, are you still mad at me?" Aluxio breaks the silence in the carriage, seeking clarification.
"Of course not, Your Highness," Estoria replies with a fake smile, masking any lingering displeasure.
Estoria could feel Asher's gaze on her without even looking. The atmosphere in the carriage remained charged with unspoken tension.
"What do you mean? About keeping my status from you, I apologize again, Estoria. It was really to keep you free from the pressure," Aluxio explained, but it seems like he doesn't want to fully give in yet.
"Forget about that. Why do you keep flirting with me? If you're looking for someone to entertain you, please look for someone else," Estoria asserts, challenging Aluxio.
"Playing with you? How atrocious of you to say. My feelings for you are truly pure and generous," Aluxio says, maintaining his innocent act.
"What feelings are you talking about? I'm sure they'll fade away with time," Estoria asserted again, hoping to convey her desire for Aluxio to stop before she started to believe his supposed feelings.
"I—" Aluxio sneaks a glance at Asher before speaking, but Asher ignores his glare, choosing to look out the window.
Aluxio closes his eyes tightly before shouting, "I REALLY LIKE YOU, ESTORIA!"
The confession echoes loud enough for even the knights outside to hear, breaking the tension in the carriage.
The only reaction Estoria had to hearing his confession was to cover his mouth, preventing any inadvertent blurting of something embarrassing again. The carriage became engulfed in an awkward silence.
"Keep your voice down!" She whispered sternly to him, attempting to minimize the potential embarrassment caused by his loud confession.
It was already embarrassing enough with Asher listening on to them, but now probably everyone else outside the carriage also knows about Aluxio's confession. The situation becomes increasingly awkward.
Aluxio puts his hands on her hand, covering his mouth, and she swiftly removes her hand, allowing him to regain control.
"I don't know why you're doing this, but please don't lie to me like this," She clearly request from Aluxio, seeking honesty in their interactions.
"I am not lying, Estoria. It's really true. How will you believe me?" Aluxio looks at her, his cheeks tinted with a blush.
The sincerity in his eyes makes her wonder if he's truly genuine or just exceptionally skilled at his act. The ambiguity of the situation leaves her perplexed.
"I don't feel the same way. I'm sorry," Estoria straightforwardly expressed, deciding to reject him even if there's a possibility that it's not all just an act.
Observing Aluxio's expression, it seemed as if he has just lost a war, and in contrast, there was Asher silently laughing, finding amusement in the situation. The dynamics in the carriage were quite intriguing.
"Asher" Estoria whispered.
"Asher, that's enough," She whispered to him again, urging him to stop his silent laughter and perhaps ease the tension in the carriage.
***
The sun halfway through the sky, signaled Estoria and the others' arrival at the Stallion's residence. As their eyes got fixated on the almost unnecessarily huge mansion and the surrounding scenery, the journey concluded, bringing a change to the current atmosphere in the carriage.
Aluxio got off the carriage first and gestured his hand, offering assistance for Estoria to disembark, but she choose to get off on her own, maintaining a sense of independence.
As soon as she got off the carriage, a woman and a man rushed towards her, enveloping her in a tight hug while shedding tears. The emotional reunion tugs at her heartstrings.
'Are these my parents? The ones Tyrion mentioned earlier?' The emotional reunion sparked questions and uncertainty in her mind.
"Estoria, are you feeling alright now?" The woman with champagne blonde hair looked at her with tears in her eyes, expressing concern and genuine care.
"I was so scared when I heard about your situation," The man with black hair with a mullet expressed, tears glistening in his eyes. The overwhelming emotions of the reunion echoing in his words.
'How do I ask them who they are? It might hurt their feelings if they really are my parents.'
"I'm okay, thank you for worrying about me," She offered them a reassuring smile, trying to navigate the situation with a blend of gratitude and curiosity.
"What do you mean, thank you? Who wouldn't worry about you if we don't?" The woman with light blonde hair remarked.
"Do you not remember us, Estoria?" the man inquired, a hint of hurt evident in his expression.
"I do not, and I'm genuinely sorry," Estoria apologize, bowing sincerely as she felt bad, realizing the potential hurt her lack of recognition may have caused them.
"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault," Another voice chimed in from behind.
Estoria turned to look, and to her surprise, the person behind her beared a striking resemblance to her, even down to the mole under her eyes. "Brother?" She inquired, a mix of surprise and realization in her voice.
"Do you remember me?" Eston, her twin brother, asked her curiously, pointing at himself as if seeking confirmation.
"Prince Tyrion informed me about having a twin brother, and we do look exactly alike," She explained, offering an account of the information shared with her.
"Yes, you can tell at a glance that we look exactly the same," Eston says, expressing excitement for some reason.
"Estoria, it's okay even if you don't remember. We are just happy to see you in good condition," Issac Stallion, her father, said, offering a warm smile and understanding.
"I can't believe you don't remember me after all the trouble I went through to bring you into this world, but it's okay. I'll remind you again. I'm your mother, Estoria," Ria Stallion, her mother said, gently cupping her face in her hands.
'It's a significant revelation – they're my parents!' The thought crosses her mind that she should have asked Tyrion about their appearances as well.
"Mother, Father, I have someone I'd like to introduce to you as well," She said, pointing to Asher, who was discreetly hiding behind Tyrion.
"Come here, Asher," She invited him, waving her hand to signal him to come forward.
"We didn't hear anything about him," Eston remarks, looking at Asher with curiosity and surprise.
"He's Asher Stallion," She announced, observing the expected confusion and shock on everyone's faces.
"He does have a resemblance to us, especially with those red eyes," Eston notes, closely examining Asher.
"Issac, he's not your secret child, is he?" Ria glares at Issac, casting a suspicious look his way.
"I swear he's not, Ria. I have only ever loved you and no one else," He reassures Ria, embracing her tightly in an attempt to convince her.
"Dad, you don't love us too?" Eston questions Issac, seeking reassurance in the midst of the unexpected revelations.
"Loved? You don't love me anymore?" Ria argues with Issac, emotions running high as the family confronts unexpected revelations.
"You should tell them already," Asher whispers to her, urging her to share the truth with the family.
As much as she was enjoying the drama, She realized she should probably reveal the truth before things take a more serious turn.
"Asher is not Father's secret child; he's actually my child," She declared, leaving everyone's eyes widening in astonishment.
"Estoria, you're only 18! How could you have a child in the short amount of time you were away on vacation?" Ria exclaimed, her voice filled with shock and disbelief.
'I'm 18 years old? I didn't realize I was a year younger,' Estoria thinks to herself.
"He's not actually my biological child. I adopted him a few days ago," She clarified, addressing the misunderstanding and revealing the truth about Asher.
"You can hardly look after yourself; why would you adopt another living human being?" Eston remarks, expressing confusion and concern with his words.
Estoria expected worse reactions, to be fair.
"I'm a grandfather now?" Issac looks at her, his eyes shining with a mixture of surprise and joy.
"That means I'm a grandmother, then!" Mother exclaims once again, processing the revelation with a mix of shock and excitement.
Their quick acceptance and joy seem surprising, but perhaps they're just happy to have a new addition to the family.
"I already have a nephew? uh," Eston looked somewhat defeated, his expression revealing a mixture of surprise and perhaps some other complex emotions.
Mother and Issac both embraced Asher in a warm and heartfelt hug, expressing their acceptance and affection toward their newfound family member.
'It's surprising how quickly they embraced the truth. Sometimes, things work out better than expected.'
"Estoria, just so you know, I will not be looking after Asher. He's your responsibility only," Eston states, treating the situation as if Asher was a literal child.
"Don't worry, he can look after himself. He's not a baby," She assured Eston, emphasizing Asher's independence.
As Ria and Issac showered Asher with adoration, he seemed as still as a statue.
'He must be feeling quite nervous in the midst of all this attention.' Estoria thought.
"Pray pardon the intrusion, but-" Tyrion interrupts, his tone imbued with a sense of antiquity, breaking the moment to address another matter.
"Prince Tyrion and Prince Aluxio, we totally forgot about you both. I apologize," Issac finally acknowledged, realizing the oversight.
"It's quite alright. I feel bad for interrupting your family reunion already," Tyrion said to Issac, showing understanding and humility.
"It's my first time meeting Your Highnesses. I'm Eston Stallion," Eston formally introduced himself, emphasizing respect and formality in his greeting.
As Eston introduced himself, Tyrion stood frozen in place.
Despite his ease in conversing with others, Estoria realized he still might feel nervous meeting strangers.
"Yes, there is no need for you to be so formal with us," Aluxio replied to Eston, encouraging a more relaxed interaction.
"Mother, they went through a lot to get me here safely," Estoria mentioned, addressing Ria, who doesn't seem to be letting go of Asher.
"Yes, thank you so much for escorting Estoria and Asher here safely, Tyrion and Aluxio," Ria expressed her gratitude, appearing to be familiar enough with them to drop the formalities.
"The last time we met, you both were below my shoulders," Issac casually mentioned, playfully noting their growth in height over time.
"Everyone must be tired from the long trip; show them to their rooms," Eston instructed the staff, acknowledging the need for rest after the extensive travel.
As Estoria took in the scene, She noticed numerous staff members greeting them, and the Stallions residence was as spacious and grandiose as the Imperial Palace. It was surreal to think that she'll be living there from now on.
"Let's go inside, Estoria," Ria invites her, holding her hand along with Ashers, ushering them into the grand residence.
***
The next morning, Tyrion sent back all the royal knights with a letter from himself and Issac to inform the king of their safe arrival and the details about the attack.
Why did all the royal knights leave without Prince Tyrion and Prince Aluxio?
As the 19th birthday of the twins was approaching, their parents extended invitations far and wide, gathering a diverse assembly for the grand banquet celebration.
Sighing, Estoria realized she had miscalculated, thinking she was a year younger this life.
During this interval, both her family and the princes have gathered for breakfast at the dining table except her father, Issac Stallion.
"Has Dad already departed?" Eston inquires of Ria.
"You're well aware of his obsession with magic, Eston," Ria responds.
"He could have lingered for breakfast, at least," Eston sighs.
"Asher, have you finished already? Consume more; you need ample nourishment at your age," Ria replenishes Ashers empty plate with food once more.
'Staying with mother, Asher is bound to put on some weight.'
"Mother, must we celebrate our birthday on such a grand scale by inviting everyone? Can't we simply rejoice among ourselves?"
Estoria had never been fond of meeting strangers, and the thought of a hall full of them was truly terrifying.
"But you used to enjoy... I've already invited everyone, so please just go along with it. It's also your 19th birthday, which is quite special," Ria points out.
"How is it special?" Estoria asked Ria, but she remained silent, offering no response.
"Mother has reiterated this so many times; I've long awaited this moment," Eston exclaims.
"Why is it so special? I'm growing more curious now!" She complained, feeling a lack of information from those around her.
"I'll tell you tomorrow morning, Estoria. It's nothing serious," Ria assures her.
Perhaps it's a family secret, explaining the hesitancy around the table.