They looked at me and laughed. There was no time to talk to them. I created a large, strong bubble to engulf the girl. The men stopped laughing and unsheathed their swords. They stepped closer, their swords pointing at me, and I moved backward.
"Mei!" Alas shouted from behind. I ran backward, bringing the girl in the bubble with me.
We were in the main room, surrounded by the bandits. The girl was above us, still inside the bubble. For a second, I forgot that I could bloodbend.
"This is fun," cackled one of the bandits.
I focused on the energy at the tips of my fingers and started feeling the water in the blood of the four bandits. I controlled it to… to what? I didn't know. Oh man, oh man, what should I do? Banyu started shooting water spears, but as I said, the bandits were agile. Estevao and Alas were sword fighting. Oh, come on, come on.
"What are you doing?! Bloodbend, miss!" Alas called out.
"I don't know what to do with the blood! How should I control them through blood?"
"You're stupid! The human body consists of 60% water—use that! Contract and relax their muscles using the water inside their—AH!" Alas got sliced again.
I took a deep breath and felt the water inside their bodies. I did as Alas instructed, relaxing their muscles using the water. Come on, come on…
"Clank!" All of the bandits' swords fell to the floor.
They collapsed, lying frozen on the floor. Banyu quickly made four bubbles and captured them. Alas glanced at me, nudged me, and rolled his eyes. The bandits were screaming, but the walls were too thick for the sound to travel. Estevao looked stunned and smiled at me. I lowered the girl from the bubble, allowing Estevao to hug her. She looked about six years old. She had Estevao's eyes—they looked so much alike. She cried as she hugged her brother.
"Eliora!! Are you okay?" Estevao hugged her tightly and held her face, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Brother! Y-yeah…thank you," she sobbed, then looked at us.
"Anytime, Eliora," Banyu smiled. Eliora turned to hug each of us. It was adorable. Banyu gave me a puppy-eyed look, which meant, "Aw, she's so cute." I know, right? Bestie stuff.
"Come on, let's go," said Alas.
"Where are we heading to?" Eliora asked.
"The king's castle. Come on," Alas replied, leading the way. Eliora ran to walk beside Alas and took his hand. AWW, THAT'S CUTE!
"Look who just got a fan," Alas teased, rolling her eyes.
"Didn't I already have one? You?"
"You wish."
Walking through the crowds with bubbles containing people would attract too much attention and reveal the existence of bending. No one outside of Aisling must know about bending because, like a knife, it can be misused. So, Alas called Zeus, and Banyu called Noodles. They arrived soon, and we hopped onto them.
"Whoa, what is this?" Eliora looked thrilled.
"This is a white lightning. His name is Zeus," Alas said as he lifted Eliora to sit with him on Zeus.
"Hey, Zeus!!" She rubbed Zeus' back and rested on it. "It's so soft!"
I climbed onto Zeus as well.
I don't know why, but Zeus and Noodles were acting strange. Oh, right, we had the bandits with us. I controlled three bubbles while Banyu controlled two. We flew high up into the sky. Eliora fell asleep. I noticed Alas' wound and healed it. After learning to control the bandits without touching them, I managed to heal Alas' wound without physical contact.
"Hey, what are you looking at?" Alas said.
"Your healed wound," I said, shaking my head.
"Wha—" He looked at it and rubbed it.
"You're welcome," I sighed.
We descended as we approached the castle.
"Pop the bubble, Ban. I'll control them."
"Alright," Banyu replied, and we popped the bubbles as we landed in a hidden area.
Everyone was staring at us, whispering among themselves. We arrived at the front gate and stated our intentions. The guards didn't trust us, so one of them escorted us into the castle. They wore black knee-length dresses paired with black pants and boots. The shoulders of the dress were decorated with white entangling lines. A tall metal spear was clutched in their hand, and a silver-sheathed sword hung at their hip.
It was my first time entering the castle. Beyond the gate was a huge open area with grass and flowers on either side of three walking trails. Each trail separated the grass and led to a different gate. At the end of the humongous path stood a pristine white castle, its walls adorned with intricate carvings. The castle seemed to have three interconnected sections, each with its own gate. The shimmering roof reflected the cyruslight beautifully.
The walk was long, but we finally reached the middle gate. Two guards stood in front of the tall, glittering white door. They spoke briefly before letting us inside. The guard who had escorted us returned to their post, and we were handed over to another guard.
OH MY. I'M SPEECHLESS. The interior—it's epic. Like the exterior, everything was painted white, with some sections featuring intricate carvings. At the end of the room was a grand staircase connecting the first and second floors. At the top of the stairs were three massive, glittering, golden, diamond-encrusted thrones. The thrones were so tall that even Alas would need stairs to climb them. The railings had golden ends, and the staircase was lined with white and gold thread. Oh God, alright, THE KING!
The king stood out amidst the decor, dressed in a yellow outfit with a white cape. His piercing blue eyes exuded gallantry and charisma, reflecting his true kingly value. His dirty brown hair barely reached his ears, and atop his head was a grand white crown adorned with what must have been dozens of diamonds. We finally reached the stairs and knelt before him. I made the bandits kneel too, bowing low. The two guards bowed as well and left at the king's command.
"Good aftercyrus—afternoon, Your Majesty. I am Alas, and I'm here with my friends and sister to report a transgression committed by these bandits. They captured a girl for her parents' wealth. She had been detained for over three days."
"Afternoon. And where is this girl? Let her speak."
"I'm here, Your Majesty," Eliora said, sitting up.
"Then speak to prove their guilt."
"I was playing tag in the garden with my brother when he ran so fast, I lost him. Five men in black outfits covered my mouth with a poisoned cloth, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was in a wooden room with my hands and mouth tied tightly. Soon after, they barged in and interrogated me about where my parents had hidden their gold and jewelry, but I didn't know. They kept asking the same questions for days until these people found me and saved me…" Eliora's voice broke as she began to cry.
The king sighed. "I'm sorry, but that evidence isn't enough to prove their guilt. This could all be a setup for you to take revenge on these innocent people dressed as bandits."
What?! We all sat up, shocked. Alas was about to speak when a very charismatic and beautiful woman, wearing an outfit that matched the king's theme, walked down the stairs. She must be the QUEEN. SHE—
"What is going on, my dear king?" she asked, taking her seat on the queen's throne.
"Oh—have you eaten? You all seem so tired. Were you fighting?" Her kind aura radiated warmth, and I felt oddly safe as she spoke.
"They're reporting a transgression said to have been committed by these five bandits. This girl, Eliora, is the victim and has told me what happened, but as you know, it's not enough to prove their guilt. They could just be setting this up."
"If I may speak, Your Majesty, they aren't lying. Look at their eyes—they fought earnestly to save Eliora," the queen said, her gaze lingering on Eliora for a long moment before turning back to the king.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Do you no longer trust me on these matters, King Alexander Archirillio?" she teased, smiling slyly. SPIRITS. SHE'S SO BEAUTIFUL. Oh, so his name is King Alexander Archirillio.
"Of course, I trust you, my queen. I always will. Very well, then. I'll arrange a royal court to determine their punishment." He shifted his gaze from the queen to us.
"Well then, you may now leave. We'll send you an invitation to attend the court. Where do you live?"
"Aisling Village, Your Highness," Alas replied.
"Alright then. Thank you for reporting this to us."
"Uh, Your Highness…if I may, I would like to suggest a different form of punishment for the bandits. Perhaps they could be sent to a temple where they can reflect and learn from their mistakes, with guards ensuring they don't escape. I'm sorry to—" I bowed again.
"What's your name?" The queen's kind voice cut through my nervousness. I sat back up and met her ocean-blue eyes and gentle smile.
"Uh, I'm Naeva, Your Majesty." Unlike Alas, my actual name is quite unusual. I didn't want to risk people asking where it came from. Who even names their child Valentine? The queen smiled and nodded.
"You have a very beautiful heart. Follow it."
Man, I felt so safe.
"Yes, I will, Your Majesty," I replied, bowing again.
"We'll consider your suggestion. Thank you for your input, Naeva," the king said.
"Do you need food or rest? You can stay longer if you like."
"With all respect, we have fulfilled our task of reporting this crime and do not wish to impose further. Thank you for your warm hospitality," Alas said as we all bowed and stood up.
"Well then, be careful on your way home," the king and queen waved.
"Thank you, Your Majesties," we replied, bowing again before leaving. I made sure the bandits were securely handed over to the guards before releasing control over them.
We returned to where we had left Noodles and Zeus and found them playing together. The crowd no longer paid us any attention. We climbed onto Zeus and Noodles.
"Come on, stop crying. We're together now, okay?" I said, hugging Eliora from behind as we sat on Zeus.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"There's nothing to thank me for, Eliora."
When we arrived back at Aisling Village, El Eliodora greeted us with hugs.
"How was it?" she asked.
"It went well. They'll send us a letter inviting us to the court soon. Thank you, El Eliodora. And here, this is Eliora, Estevao's sister," Alas introduced her.
"Hello, I'm Eliora," she said, shaking El Eliodora's hand.
"Hey there. You have a beautiful hair," El Eliodora said.
"Thank you," Eliora blushed.
"Well then… the evil spirit we were talking about must be out of your sight by now, right?" Banyu asked, seeking confirmation.
"Oh—about that. I haven't regained my sight yet," El Eliodora admitted.
"Oh, uh, okay." Banyu looked anxious. Alas put his arm around her and rubbed her shoulders reassuringly.
"How was the castle, by the way?" El Eliodora asked.
"Oh—yeah, it was so amazing," I answered, recalling how glamorous it was.
"Brother… I'm sleepy," Eliora said innocently to Estevao, leaning against him.
"Ahaha, well, well, you should rest then. We'll talk again soon."
"Oh yeah, see you around, El Eliodora," Banyu nodded as we went our separate ways.
"Good job, guys."
"Good job," Alas added.
"Thank you so much, everyone," Estevao smiled and held his sister's hand.
"Anytime, man," Alas said, tapping Estevao on the shoulder.
Banyu walked into her house while we returned to ours. I went to my room and unrolled my bed. Alas and Estevao showered first while I prepared dinner.
After preparing dinner, I noticed Eliora sitting quietly, her expression solemn. Trying to cheer her up, I leaned down to her level.
"Do you want to see me shower you in ten seconds?" I asked, hoping to distract her from her thoughts.
"What?! You can?! How?" she exclaimed, her eyes widening with curiosity.
"Watch this," I said with a grin. I gathered water with my bending and quickly washed and dried her without a drop out of place.
"WHAT?! You can do that with water?" she gasped in awe, clapping her hands.
"Yep," I replied, chuckling softly. "Now, come on, let's eat first."
"All right!" she said enthusiastically, following me to the dining table.
"Here's yours, a pink ero mushroom rice," Alas said, placing a dish in front of Eliora. The meal consisted of a hollowed-out ero mushroom filled with rice, vegetables, and eggs.
"Whoa! Thank you!" She quickly devoured it, her enthusiasm infectious.
"Do you want more?" I asked as she licked her lips, already eyeing the empty bowl.
"Sure!" she said through a mouthful.
"Here," I said, sliding my portion to her before Estevao could protest.
"No, Mei, it's fine. She shouldn't—"
"It's fine, Estevao. I don't usually eat dinner anyway," I said with a smile, genuinely enjoying seeing Eliora so happy.
"Who do you want to sleep with tonight, princess?" I asked playfully, thinking the title would make her smile.
"Wait, how'd you know I'm a princess?" she asked, her innocent question catching me off guard.
"Wait…what?" Alas said, clearly as baffled as I was. We both turned to Estevao for clarification.
"Uh…yeah, about that," Estevao began hesitantly. "Hello, my name is Prince Estevao Leonardo Aurelianos. I'm from Aurelianos, as I mentioned, and this is Princess Eliora Rea Aurelianos."
I froze, my mind racing as I processed his words. A prince?! And she's a princess?!
"No, no, you don't have to bow," Estevao said quickly, noticing my instinct to kneel. "I'm under a disguise, so I hope you can keep this a secret."
"Of course, Your Highness—"
"No! Please don't call me that. Just treat me how you always have, all right?"
"Yes…" we both replied, though I couldn't shake my astonishment.
"Oh, if I may, can I sleep with my brother?" Eliora asked.
"Of course," I said. "Just call me if you need anything."
"Thank you," she replied sweetly.
Still reeling from the revelation, I cleaned the dishes and tidied the house before retreating to my bedroom. "Ai moone," I said softly to them as I passed.
"Ai moone," they replied.
Lying down, I couldn't stop my thoughts from spinning. Estevao is a prince?! I closed my eyes, trying to calm my racing mind.
"Hey, move," Alas grumbled, breaking my train of thought.
"I can't, alright? You're hogging almost 80% of the bed."
"Then sleep on the floor."
"How dare you?"
"Fine, I'll take 100%."
"Whatever. Ai moone."
"Ai moone."
I was awakened before the cyrus was fully risen by a loud voice calling out for Alas and Naeva. Who the spirits is—oh, never mind. My arm was numb, and I realized that Alas had been using it as an extra pillow. Typical Alas. Groggy, I carefully slid my arm free and stepped over him to see who was outside.
A guard on a brown horse approached. He looked similar to the ones from the castle.
"Miss Naeva?" he called.
"Yes, that's me," I replied.
"Here is your royal court invitation. Please read it and ensure your attendance," he said, handing me a scroll before riding off.
"What is it?" Alas asked, appearing behind me, his voice rough from sleep.
"It's the invitation," I said as we sat on the balcony. Alas conjured a small flame to light the parchment as I unrolled it.
To Mr. Alas and Ms. Naeva,
We have scheduled a royal court tomorrow morning from 9 to 11. You are expected to attend with Eliora as the witness and victim. Only one of you needs to accompany her, as she is under the age of 15. Please ensure punctuality.
With respect,
The Law Minister of the Kingdom of Archirillio
"So, who's going? Estevao?" Alas asked.
"Yeah…oh, wait, have you fed Zeus?"
"No, you said you would."
"Well, I forgot."
"Great," he muttered.
"Come on," I said, grabbing a Pori fruit from our stock. Zeus hated being woken up early, but we had no choice.
Alas fed him, and after some initial grumpiness, Zeus ate the fruit and settled back down. We returned to the house, where I helped Alas prepare breakfast. Once everything was ready, we showered and dressed. I had nothing pressing to do, so I planned to practice bending. I hadn't had a chance to read the next chapter of my bending book since the "prophecy."
Estevao and Eliora walked in just as we were setting the table.
"Ai cyrus," I greeted them with a smile.
"Ai cyrus," Estevao replied, his voice deep and groggy as he rubbed his eyes. Eliora clung to his hand, still half-asleep. They sat down, and we began eating.
"Estevao, we received this letter," I said, handing him the scroll. He read it carefully, then rolled it back up and returned it to me.
"So…who's going?" he asked.
"Uh, don't you want to come?"
"I think I need to return to Aurelianos today to inform my father about everything. He must still be searching for Eliora, and my mother is likely worried sick. Can you go in my place?"
"Oh, yeah, sure," I said, glancing nervously at Alas.
"Why are you looking at me? You're going," he said, clearly uninterested in attending.
"What? But I don't know what to do or how to act in court," I protested.
"Do you think I do?"
"Well…yeah?"
"Too bad. You're going."
"No."
"Yes, and no Zeus."
"What?! I don't even know where the castle is."
"Ask," he said dismissively.
"Brother…"
"I'm not risking it."
"Fine," I sighed.
It was around 7:40 when I started walking with Eliora. A carriage, likely sent from the castle, arrived just as we stepped out of the house. The driver leaned out and gestured for us to board.
"The king insisted you ride in this carriage, as the journey from Aisling Village to the castle is quite long and tiring," he explained.
We climbed inside. The interior was luxurious, with a dark red, plush sofa that felt like sitting on a cloud. I wished such sofas were sold in the market so that Alas and I could afford one someday. The ride was rough compared to an air journey, but it didn't matter much. Eliora gazed out the window, captivated by the changing scenery—first the sea, then bustling streets as the carriage maneuvered through crowds of people who stepped aside to let us pass.
When the carriage stopped in front of a gate, we stepped out and followed a path that led to a different section of the castle. Everything around us gleamed white, with intricate carvings adorning every visible surface. I found myself walking through a long hallway, its walls lined with doors. Above each door was an engraving indicating its purpose: Laws, Defense, Weaponry, History, and more.
A guard led us to the correct room. He stopped in front of a door labeled Court, knocked, and stepped aside as it opened. We were ushered in, and the guard left after the door closed behind us. Not knowing the proper protocol, I bowed instinctively. Eliora followed suit.
"Welcome. Miss Eliora, please take this seat here, while Miss Naeva can sit in the front row," a court officer directed. We nodded and took our places.
The courtroom was immense, its opulence both awe-inspiring and intimidating. Everything was a pristine white with gold accents, including the massive table at the front where the judge sat authoritatively in a high-backed chair. His dark gray hair added to his commanding presence. To his right, at a smaller table, a scribe with parchment and a quill appeared ready to record every word spoken.
The room had around 50 chairs, divided into two sections by a white carpet that ran down the center aisle. Eliora sat in a separate area near the bandits, who were still wearing their black outfits. The vast emptiness of the room made it feel eerily lonely. I chose a seat at the far end of the row, hoping to avoid sitting between strangers if anyone else arrived.
Suddenly, the door creaked open again. A tall, striking man entered, his dark hair framing his face perfectly. He wore a white ensemble beneath a royal dark blue coat adorned with a belt holding a sheathed sword. His confident stride exuded authority, and I immediately realized who he was.
"I apologize for my tardiness," Prince Eugene said, bowing slightly as he entered.
"Stop apologizing and bowing to me, Prince Eugene. You are not late, and remember, you're not supposed to bow to me," the judge replied with a slight smile.
"Of course," the prince said, smiling back as he scanned the room. My heart sank as he walked toward me and sat in the seat right next to mine. Of all the empty seats, he chose this one?!
I stood abruptly, bowing as he passed.
"No, no, don't bow," he said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder to stop me. "Please, sit."
"Uh…" My voice faltered. I didn't know what to say or do. I'd heard that commoners were not supposed to make eye contact with royalty unless given explicit permission, yet here he was, sitting so casually beside me.
"Since everyone is now here, let us begin," the judge announced, drawing my attention away from the prince.
"So, what's your name?" the prince asked quietly, leaning slightly toward me.
"You can call me Naeva, Your Highness," I replied with a small nod.
"Naeva… A lovely name. Is the girl over there your sister?" he asked, glancing toward Eliora.
"Thank you, Your Highness. And no, she isn't my sister. She's my friend's sister. He was supposed to attend today but asked me to take his place," I explained.
"I see. Well, you see, I've been feeling rather weak these past few days. The royal physician has tried several remedies, but nothing seems to work. Do you happen to know of anything that might help?" he asked conversationally, as though we weren't in the middle of a courtroom.
My mind raced. "Yes, Your Highness. There is a recipe called kiyo soup, made with kiyo extract, erenda bark, and cinnamon. It's known to restore energy and vitality."
"Kiyo soup?" he asked, intrigued. "Why haven't they mentioned this to me? And where can I find it?"
"It's not available in the market, Your Highness. It's a recipe from Aisling Village. If you'd allow me, I could prepare some for you."
"That would be great. I'm sure we have the ingredients somewhere. Do you mind cooking me today in the palace's kitchen?" he asked with a charming smile. PALacE's KiTcHen?
"It would be an honor, Your Highness," I replied, grateful for the opportunity.
The court session proceeded, and the judge ultimately decided to send the bandits to the palace under strict supervision, as I had suggested. Eliora returned to me after giving her testimony, bowing respectfully to Prince Eugene as she approached. To my surprise, the prince didn't seem bothered by her direct eye contact. In fact, he smiled kindly at her.
"You were very brave today, Miss Eliora," he said gently.
"Thank you, Your Highness," she replied, her voice soft but steady.
"Well, Miss Naeva, I'll have my guard send you to the kitchen as I have something to be done. As for Eliora, we have a dog garden right in this palace, would you like to check it as Miss Naeva prepare me some soup? Would that be great for you two?" Prince Eugene looked at both of us.
"Really? That'd be amazing!" Eliora exclaimed.
"Yes Your Highness," I bowed. Then off he left. Two stewards came to me and Eliora, each to guide us to where we were planned to go.