3rd Person POV
"We have the list of the noble ladies that your majesty requested." Duke Quillion said while handing the papers to the majesty the king. The former was in the Palace, as a friend and an aide to his majesty, the Duke of Quillion who had a confidential mission that was given to him prior to their meeting now.
"I am grateful for your help, Duke Rue." the majesty said while looking at the papers. Scanning the names that are potential to be the next queen once the current crown prince has become king. "I see that your first child is not on the list, Lady Azmaveth. Is my son not worthy of your daughter? Or do you see your daughter not worthy to be queen someday of the Zenobian Empire?" The question has been expected by the Duke.
"Your majesty, I am honored that you look for my daughter's name on the list; however, I did not include it because of three reasons. One, the prophecy: my daughter is a matured woman despite her young age. Her responsibility to her title as the Saintess of the Kingdom is a great responsibility that she personally takes accountability of. A Saintess is not a royal. To become a royal, it is either of the two: by blood and by marriage. If my daughter will become a royal by marriage, we are disobeying the law of the first king and it was clear that the prophecy regarding the Saintess is not of royal. We can't afford to experiment if there will be some exceptions, your majesty. And the second and the third, are connected. It is her personal request to me as a Duke and a Father. She is not the type of person who will ask for personal reasons but she told me that she will find someone who will love her as she loves the other. And as a father, I completely agreed to it." the Duke explained.
When the duke is thinking about her daughter, he remembers something.
Duke Quillion POV
"Your grace, how many times should I tell you my request before you take some actions?" My daughter Azmaveth said with that voice you only hear too often in my many years of living.
A voice that even the royals dared not to oppose.
Those eyes looking at me as if we are not of blood.
Those black and red eyes that scream death and abyss.
She called me not father, it means that she is deadly serious.
"My daughter, calm down. Those things should be taken care of by his majesty, not mine. I-I will talk to him personally. And tell him what you desire." I stuttered a bit. I can't hide the fact that this daughter of mine is someone who can't be messed with. She is a child born with blessings and curses. My child that I think sometimes is not mine.
"I expect the best news once you arrive from the palace." She smiles and the darkness from her eyes becomes that of the color rainbow. "I excuse myself now, father. Please take care of your health" and she left my room.
"You grace, is everything alright?" My butler asked after he entered the room. He saw me covered in sweat I guess.
"I'm fine. I will seek an audience with the king tomorrow. Please deliver this letter to him. It is urgent." I commanded and he followed immediately.
Why does the king never learn?
~End of flashback
"I will take that in mind, Rue. Moving on, let me know why you picked these daughters of nobles?" the king does not want to contradict what the saintess would want. Honestly, he thought that Azmaveth vi Quillion is a perfect candidate to be crown princess however, he does not want to contradict the prophecy. He loves the Kingdom and doesn't want the doom and darkness to swiped the great and still growing kingdom of his.
~~~~~
"And it was an amazing experience." the Princess end her story. She was having tea at her garden with her maid, Rene. She is a maid that has been serving her for a long time. The other two that may be still serving her were killed when she was kidnapped. Upon remembering things like that, she does not want to experience again and doesn't want to see another of her loyal servants to be killed.
"Yes princess. I remember that you looked so happy when you went home that day." the maid said while smiling. She can't remember how many times she heard it from the princess but she is happy when the princess looks so genuinely happy.
Most of the stories that the princess always shared were about the experiences she had with her best friend, the daughter of Duke Quillion and the Saintess of Kingdom Zenobia. But when she asked about the tea parties she attended, she would only say, it's the same boring rumors or about the son of this and that noble.
She can't blame the Princess since Lady Azmaveth helps a lot to her royal highness since they were young. She also gave the princess an opportunity to do something different from any other noble ladies, like inventions, spells and a bit of training for self defense.
"Pardon me your highness but you have a visitor." one of the knights approached them and informed them regarding the visitor.
"I don't remember that I will have a visitor this day. Who is it?" the princess said. She looked at the back of the knight.
"It is the son of Duke Octavia, Lord Rufus." Cerys remembered that the king had visitors, chosen family of the kingdom. "And her majesty the queen asked to keep him occupied as the king and crown prince was with her." Probably the potential in laws, the princess thought.
Princess Cerys does not have any choice. The selection for the crown princess will be held next month and the possible candidates were invited to the Imperial Capital. Maybe some noble heads brought their sons also but she hopes that she'll not be disturbed anymore, not like this one.
Rufus joined the princess in her afternoon tea, the latter is talking with him with dignified manner but in her mind, she is bored as ever. A while later, Rene came and told the princess that she had another visitor.
"Pardon me, your highness. Someone would like your audience." Rene said while bowing. In the princess' mind. Another visitor. Ugh!
"Hi Princess!... Oh. you have company" a cheerful greetings turns to a poise one.
"Lady Ryne! I'm glad to see you. May I know to whom I should be thankful for your visit?" the princess cheerful reply. In her mind she is truly happy that her best friend came to visit this time. Azmaveth chuckled and looked at the person who was accompanying her princess. 'Her' is it hers?
"Greetings to the saintess of the Kingdom Zenobia, my name is Rufus Octavia." the man said after he stood up and bowed.
Azmaveth looked at the princess and Cerys smiled at her while whispering "I'm really glad you came."
"You should have sent Rene. I should have come earlier." she whispered back. The princess shrugged and smiled at her. "Hi Lord Rufus. How was your journey?" Azmaveth asked the son of the Duke. The three sat down and talked for a bit.
They converse about the economic status of the south. How is it doing with all the seafood farming since the south has a massive tourist attraction because of the beaches. The railroad that was currently ongoing build and a topic that Azmaveth would not want to hear.
"If I were to ask your royal highness, what would you like in a man?"
"Is this some kind of question that a man of an age asking because he is looking for a future bride?" a bit surprising but the princess replied back. Azmaveth is just listening as she is also curious with a little rapid of heart thumping.
"If you can view it as such." Rufus said.
"Marriage is not yet on my thinking list." the princess said.
"Maybe you could give me some clues?" Rufus pushed the question.
"If you insist, maybe a man who can protect the kingdom, me and its people. Someone who is intelligent and brave." Cerys said then sip her tea. Someone like Lady Azmaveth if she was a man?. "Yes, someone like Lady Azmaveth if she's a man." People on that table were surprised by what the princess said. Even the princess was surprised by what she said. Who asked that question? She thought in her mind and looked on her side. Rene was standing and her head bowed.
Rufus cleared his throat and said, "I guess a standard like Lady Azmaveth is someone that the princess is worthy of. Great thing that Lady Azmaveth is not a man hence I do have a chance to you, your royal highness." a bit disrespectful however, the man has a point. Azmaveth sips her tea and just waits for what the princess will say.
"That's a straightforward thing you said there, Lord Rufus. Lady Azmaveth is the Saintess of the Kingdom plus a knight that is second to her father in skills, making her the second best in the battlefield, as his father the first in place. Tell me again how many wars have you fought?" the princess commented. A chuckle from Azmaveth was heard. That's a bit insulting but she does have a point.
"Your highness, you compliment me generously, I thank you. I believe I had a chance to work with Lord Rufus, I think that was the inter-training of knights of all the dukes of the kingdom. His crown prince was also there. Lord Rufus has potential. I bet you are continuing to hone your skills."
"The one when you were at the Island Shod?" The princess asked.
"That's right, your highness." Ryne answered.
The three continued to talk for an hour more, the princess innerly thanked Azmaveth. She would not last long if she hadn't come and would try to run back to her bedroom.
"At last! He left. I was about to call the guards." the princess said while stretching her arms.
"Pft. Hahaha. Actually, I can see your bored face every time he is talking and boasting how he apprehended a single thief with his 50 knights" the both laughed when they remembered Rufus boasting about it a while ago. "Anyway, I came here to give you the business proposal for our photo-capturer. We can begin the selling after 6 months if these papers are good." Azmaveth added, saying her real intention why she visited the palace.
It was normal for the princess and Azmaveth to meet without a prior request. It was a special privilege given to her since she was responsible for the personal barrier spell that the princess has on with her.
"Oh! That's why you are here. I can review it later. Rene, please get these papers and leave them at my desk. Let's just breathe in for a bit, my energy was greatly depleted because of my unexpected visitor" the princess commanded.
"As you wish your highness, do you want to go to Lake Hingh, or on the cliff to look at the aurora?" Azmaveth said.
The princess clinged to Azmaveth's left arm and happily said, "Teach me archery."
"Archery we go. Would you like at the palace ground or at the Quillion's, we can teleport."
"Let's go teleport."
~~~~~~
Cion POV
Hello! Yes, it's me for today's POV. Right now, we are in the archery training ground. My sister and the princess are with me. My sister asked the servants to leave before she "sneaked in" the princess. I don't know if that would be true but oftentimes, she will command the servants to leave if the princess will come here at the estate without a proper request letter. I trust my sister. She can handle anything if there's any accident.
I'm glad she let me join them. She's teaching the princess to do archery. I believe that she can ask her servants or knights to do the same but she told me that it's better if my sister will teach her. She's a better teacher than anyone. I can root for that because whenever I can't understand anything in my studies, I always come to her.
Well, since my sister is happy when she is with the princess, I'll let them be. I noticed that my sister, the saintess of this kingdom, is much more cheerful and happy when she's with Princess Cerys. I pray that she'll never betray my sister.
"You put your arms here, make sure that your feet have the same strength to balance you." I heard my sister say.
"Like this." - princess
"Correct. And if you do like this." I look at my sister guiding the princess for her to shoot the arrow.
Woah! Why do they look shining?
I smiled and did what my sister instructed and shoot! Bullseye!
"I hit it!" Just like me, the princess also hit the target.
"That was amazing, princess. You too Cion, did you practice secretly?" We all celebrated a bit then practiced more.
~~~~
"Sister, is it true? You'll go to the west without our father?" I asked as I heard from the servants that she'll go to battle.
"Yes Cion, we'll prepare and must be ready."
"How about your birthday? I thought that we would have a grand celebration." I retorted. Everytime that we planned to have a grand celebration of my sister's birthday, she always had to go away from the capital.
Since she was young, she always went away to protect the people of the kingdom. Other sons of the nobles will only participate in a war if the King has given them such command. What is the duke and the army of the west doing right now?
"Don't worry brother. I'll have a grand celebration next time. The west asked for assistance from the capital. If the wall from the dark forest were taken down, the demon beasts will come even here to the capital so the King called us."
"Okay." I said with a bit of worry. "I pray that you'll come home safe. I will train hard so that I will help you in the battle." I said to her, dropping the birthday celebration.
She's the Saintess of the Kingdom Zenobia, the current captain of the Quillion Knights and the best magician and inventor of this Kingdom, however she's not the heiress to our father's title. I asked why and they just answered that a woman cannot be an heir. I felt it was unfair to my sister's position. When I get older, I'll make sure my sister will have 25% of our estate's income, just for herself.
"I hope you do. See you brother. Your sister has a ton of preparations to do." my sister said and went on her way.
~~~~
Somewhere at the west of Kingdom Zenobia
"Someone! Please help!"
"Help!"
"I beg you, don't do it."
"Please, our lord."
"We'll do anything."
The hauling of the creatures who are asking for help were not heard.
"Stupid elves! Make sure you bring that one in the front line."