Skyro POV
"Guards!" I shouted, my voice hoarse with anger, but it was already too late. The man was faster than all of us. In an instant, he had vanished into the shadows, leaving us with nothing but the aftermath of his speed and skill.
"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Eora's voice rang out, furious, but her anger was nothing compared to the fury boiling inside me. Who the hell dared to take Naeva from me?
I turned to Boryn, my voice rising with panic. "Boryn!" I called, urgency clear in my tone.
Boryn was at my side in an instant, his eyes wide with concern. "Your Majesty... what is it?"
"When I couldn't protect her, when I couldn't even keep her safe, a man—someone highly skilled—broke in, took her, and vanished without a trace! Naeva is gone!" My words were a roar, desperation lacing every syllable. "GUARDS! FIND HIM! BRING THAT MAN BACK AND BRING NAEVA BACK SAFE AND ALIVE!"
The remaining guards, the ones who weren't incapacitated, rushed to obey. "Yes, Your Majesty," they said in unison, their voices heavy with the weight of the task.
"URGH!! HOW DID HE SLIP AWAY SO EASILY?!" I shouted in frustration, my fists slamming into the nearest wall, the impact sending a jolt of pain through my arm. But I didn't care. I was beyond caring.
"Your Majesty, please… calm down," Boryn said, his voice a soothing whisper, though his hands were firm as they gripped my arms, trying to keep me grounded. "Prince Skyro, please. Stop."
But I couldn't stop. Not when Naeva was out there—taken from me—and I was powerless to do anything. My heart raced, every instinct screaming for me to act.
Mei's POV
A guy in black outfit carried me and we went to Zeus. Alas..?
"Al-as..?" I asked as we reached the clouds. Its only the two of us on top of Zeus. He made me sit leaning onto him and feed me some mushroom and potatoes.
"Come on eat," he spooned me. His voice was trembling. Then I felt water on top of my head, just then I realized that it was Alas' tear. I finished the food quickly but chewing was also tiring. He tidied up the food and faced me. I had more energy so I moved slowly to face my brother. I hugged him and he hugged me back.
"I'm- ow!"
"Oh right sorry,"
"I'm sorry ryu… I swear I didn't do it, someone framed-"
"I know.. I know u'll never do that, I love you so much and I'm sorry if i ever called u stupid or stuff, are u feeling better already?" I actually tear up just by hearing him say this.
"Yes ryu.. thank you Alas,"
"Don't thank me. It's always been my responsibility and I was late this time, you don't know how angry I am with myself," he held my face and kiss my forehead. He continued hugging me. This is all I really need Alas, a hug from u, a sincere one. "Go bloodbend."
"Mhm," I started healing my wounds and clean myself afterwards.
"Here," he lend me some new clothes. I changed quickly.
"Where are we going Alas?"
"See our father,"
"What did u say?"
"Father,"
"FATHER?! WE have A FathER?! oh u meant the spirits.. WAIT SEEING THE SPIRits?!"
"No mei, actual father, like a father. Like the king is Prince Eugene's father,"
"Wh-at?!"
"Yeah I just read this book where one of its chapter said that we could only open that when I've reached 18 and well I'm 18 in a month so I guess it counts,"
"Well then do we have a mother?"
"I'm not sure, the book just told us to go to Kingdom Aethelard, that's around 3000km. Its around a 3 day journey. I've stocked enough Pori fruit for the three of us,"
"Alas,"
"Yeah?"
"Again,thank you for saving me,"
"I love you mei, come here," he hugged me again.
"Oh mei.."
"Yeah?" I switched from hugging him to leaning on him.
"El Eliodora mentioned that the evil spirit is within the castle,"
A tremor of unease passed through me. "Oh… no."
"Why? What does this mean?"
"The royal family is in grave danger. They could be the next targets."
"Or… it could be one of them." A wave of dread washed over me. Oh spirits, protect them. Keep Skyro safe…
"You should cut your hair. Prince Skyro will be searching for you everywhere—he loves you, doesn't he?"
"How do you know that?"
"Well, boys understand boys, kiddo."
I hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Alas, I have a question."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"Do you know what love is?"
He paused, his brow furrowing slightly. "Perhaps... I'm not quite sure myself."
"What is it then?"
"It's that overwhelming need to be near someone, to keep them safe and happy. You'd go to any lengths to ensure their well-being. You might even feel jealousy if someone else is too close to them, and you'd miss them terribly, even after just a day apart. That's what it feels like."
I raised an eyebrow. "Were you imagining Banyu when you said that?"
He shot me a glare. "No, shut up."
I smirked at him. "Sure, brother."
"I really hate you," he muttered. "Do you think she feels the same way?"
"Of course. You're the only guy she's close with."
"But the kind of love I'm talking about is different from the love you feel toward someone you're attracted to. Do you understand?"
"Wait… what exactly is jealousy?"
"It's like this—imagine I saw Banyu walking with another guy. I'd wonder why she's not walking with me, and I wouldn't like it. That's jealousy."
I froze, my mind racing. Wait… I felt that way when I saw Prince Skyro with Margaret.
"What does it mean to be attracted to someone?" I asked, still processing.
He sighed. "I can't explain it until you feel it for yourself, little pie. But I know this—you love Skyro, don't you?"
"I… I'm not sure," I replied, shrugging.
Alas reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. "Mei…" He sighed deeply. "You can't love him. He's a prince, and we're… we're nothing. We're in the lowest caste. In our kingdom, the only people a prince can marry are the children of ministers. Promise me, Mei, promise me that you won't fall in love with him."
"But what if I already have, Alas?" I whispered, a heaviness settling in my chest.
He looked at me, his expression unreadable for a moment. "Then you need to stop. We'll find our father and settle there. We'll stay far away from him, so you don't have to see him anymore."
I stared at him, conflicted. "What about Banyu? You love her, right? What if I told you that you're not allowed to love her?"
His eyes darkened, and he rubbed his forehead. "I don't know, Mei. Just trust me on this. I don't want to see you get hurt any more than you already are. The more you fall for him, the deeper the pain will be when you see him marry someone else. He's been promised to a princess from another kingdom. Once they're married, if you keep seeing him, people will start assuming you're having an affair with him. His reputation will be tarnished. The princess will be heartbroken, and your family's reputation will be ruined too. Do you really want to do that to your father?"
I blinked, confused. "What's a concubine?"
He sighed deeply. "It's someone who has a relationship with a married person. Not officially, but in secret. That's what people would think of you if they found out about you and him. Please, Mei… just forget about him."
With that, he pulled me into his embrace. "I don't want to see you suffer anymore."
I nodded quietly, the weight of his words settling deep inside me. It would be hard, but I'd try. For him. For us.
"Yes," I nodded. If that's what's best then I'm up. It's gonna be hard but I'll try my best.
"Now cut ur hair,"
"Yeah," I took a knife from Skyro and cut my hair around my neck, longer than my chin but not until my shoulders.
After a 3 day quite boring journey, we finally arrive at Aethelard. We landed in a quiet woodland near the lake. It was covered in snow, there were no leaves hanging in the branches of the trees. The search for our father started.