Princess Zyra

***Kimberly***

After sitting quietly in the lobby for what seemed like forty minutes, I saw people coming from the direction of the conference room, each looking powerful. I wondered who they were.

As I kept scrutinizing them, I saw the previous proud and majestic-looking woman whom Kai had referred to as Queen Prryra during her argument with Ethan earlier.

Behind her was another woman who looked so calm and angelic; her aura reminded me of Aurora, my maid. I could easily guess she's the Empress of the Merclan, Kai's mom.

Her hair is also pastel pink, I guess that's the hair color of women in the Merclan.

The two women were draped in heavily adorned flowing gowns, and their hair was graced with sparkling and expensive-looking hairpins.

Wow! They were so impressive.

"I saw you with Lord Lucian, the other time. Are you the girl from the auctioning ground?" Queen Prryra, with fiery red hair, questioned arrogantly as she approached where I was sitting close to the entrance door.

From the way she spoke, her demeanor, and the heated argument that had happened between her and Kai earlier, I knew she was obviously a troublemaker.

I didn't know why she asked, but my intuition was telling me she was up to no good.

"No, Your Highness, I'm just a humble maid," I lied, bowing slightly.

She heaved a deep sigh and said, "Better, or else I would be highly disappointed in him for wasting such a huge amount of money on an ugly thing like you," she blurted rudely and slowly continued her journey out of the lobby.

"You're a smart girl," the second woman with pastel pink hair, Kai's mom, said, smiling gracefully at me before she, too, left.

Goodness! Her presence was so calming, I felt like hugging her tightly. But what did she mean by that?

I saw Lycan King Alfred too, but he seemed to be engrossed in a chat with a white-haired old lady that he didn't notice me.

The lady flashed a glance in my direction, and an unexplainable look etched her face.

Who is she, and why is she staring at me like that?

Her aura was so dark that immediately she passed by, I began to feel gloomy and depressed.

Ethan is truly dealing with a lot. Imagine being in a room with these types of people for that long.

I closed my eyelids and rested my back against the bench, silently praying for Ethan and Kai to return soon so I could leave this damned place.

"Tired already? Sorry to keep you waiting," Kai's voice jolted me back to reality, and I opened my eyes to see the two men's handsome faces glaring blankly at me from above.

They were just too cute. Imagine being surrounded by cute men like these.

"Kai, you can go attend to work and other stuff. I'll take Kim sightseeing," Ethan ordered, and immediately Kai left, leaving Ethan and me alone.

"Will you attend a banquet with me in two days' time?" he asked, taking his seat beside me, our arms slightly brushing against each other.

"Do I have a choice?" I muttered, asking for my opinion as if he wasn't going to force me even if I said no.

"I won't force you if you don't wanna go, Kim," he said.

"You read my mind again!" I yelled at him, kicking my legs in the air in annoyance.

"I swear I didn't read your mind. It was just a coincidence. I stopped reading your mind since this morning," he breathed and sighed at the same time.

I couldn't help but have a feeling that he's kinda troubled. Even the rich and mighty also have issues? Life is truly vanity.

I placed my hand on his, gently patting as if reassuring him that things would be fine, even though I didn't know what may be bothering him.

"Thank you, Kimberly," he smiled softly at me.

Why is he acting strange since morning?

This isn't the demon lord I met at the House Of Pleasure, he no longer exudes that powerful aura that always surrounds him. It's just as if his powers are gone.

Wait, what! It can't be right? Is that why he doesn't want to get on Queen Prryra's nerves? Oh my, that seems true. What else could make a rich and powerful demon lord unhappy than losing his powers?"

"Can you teleport us into the car? I'm kinda tired," I lied. I wasn't tired at all, I just wanted to test his powers.

I pinched his delicate hand slightly, and he gave me a lopsided smile.

He rose from the bench, turned his back to me, and knelt before me.

"Come on, get on my back. I'll carry you," he said, and I became dumbfounded.

He wants me to climb on his back? He would rather do that than summon a portal and teleport us into the car? The car isn't even far from us, it seems like he really lost his powers truly.

"Common, what are you waiting for? Climb on," he urged excitedly, and reluctantly, I climbed onto his chiseled back. I wrapped my arms around his neck for support, while he held onto my leg tightly as he began to trudge to the parking lot.

"The banquet is the Princess of Phoenix Tribe's coming-of-age ceremony. Would you like to follow me?" he asked again as we approached the car.

"What is a coming-of-age ceremony? And is Queen Prryra the queen of the Phoenix Tribe?" I inquired, even though I was sure she was the one. Judging from her look and dressing today, it was very easy to guess she was from a bird tribe because feathers of different colors adorned her clothes and hair.

"Yes, she is. The coming-of-age ceremony means the day the princess is now matured to become queen and have her own family. It's the day she will appear outside of the Phoenix Tribe. The Phoenix Tribe has a tradition; they don't show their child to the world until the child comes of age. That's why they do a coming-of-age ceremony to show the child off publicly. Sometimes, the child can pick their mate from the guests."

"Wow, sounds fun. I'll surely go with you," I giggled behind his back.

Ethan unlocked the car and carefully dropped me in the front seat. He then took his seat by the driver's side and started the engine.

"Let's go get you a nice dress for the banquet…"

"And a phone," I snapped sharply, cutting him off. I seriously need a phone.

Ethan drove down the busy road of Sylva North until we eventually reached a very tall skyscraper building, much taller than the House of Elysium.

We got out of the car and entered the building, it was a boutique.

Holy Moly, my jaw nearly hit the floor when I stepped into the building. There were lots of beautiful designer dresses, bags, shoes, and jewelry displayed in their respective showcases.

Ethan excused himself, saying he wanted to use the restroom, and I took the opportunity to check around.

My eyes fell upon a delicate neckpiece adorned with ruby-like gems, carefully displayed in an aesthetically pleasing resin tray, instantly captivating my attention.

I couldn't deny my attraction to it.

With care, I lifted it from its display, ready to make it mine.

But as I headed towards the counter, a firm grip on my sleeve brought me to a halt.

I turned to face a stunning young lady, her face resembling that of a mannequin. I flashed her a smile because her beauty was something that could melt one's heart.

However, when she opened her mouth, the disgusting words that came out of it made me change my mind about her, she wasn't a freaking angel at all.

"Bitch! That's mine, drop it!" she rudely fired at me, causing me to scoff in disbelief.

Who does she think she is?

"Yours? Are you the owner of this establishment?" I snickered, and this hurt her feelings so much that she charged at me angrily, her hands conjuring fiery orbs.

Who on earth is she, I screamed in my head as she charged at me with the balls of fire gleaming in her hands.

"Do members of the Phoenix tribe have a hard time keeping their anger in check, Princess Zyra?"Ethan growled in a calm yet deadly tone as he appeared from nowhere, dragging me away from the incoming threat.