Ages and Behaviors will never correspond

"You are not going anywhere," Arcanis refuted, already turning around to take his leave, so he would get to his alliance on time.

"Please."

"No."

"Please."

"No and stop following me," he warned her, after realizing she was following him nonstop. "You should also go and check on your father, he must be furious with you by now," he added taking a right turn towards the halls that led to the rooms.

Elyria remained adamant, following him behind like a fly, she continued pleading with him, ignoring his refusals till he got to the room he woke up in.

"Please Arcanis, I'll do anything," she finally admitted after considering the disadvantages of what she was offering him.

But she cared less, she wanted to see the world outside the Kingdom's gate and that was what she set her mind on doing.

Bring cooped up in the palace, doing nothing but giving orders and being treated like a god was tiring.

Arcanis then turned around to face her almost immediately, annoyance visible on his face, he also needed her. She was intelligent, but 'What would the King say'.... He asked himself as he gazed down at her.

Not only was she intelligent, asides his sister, she was easy to get along with.

And she offered to do anything.

He weighed his options, from the simplest to the most complicated, he stoked his beardless chin, still considering, while she watched him silently

"Alright," he uttered, a grin appearing on his lips instantly, he dipped his hand into his pocket and took out the glass slab, he did a few taps and swipes on it before handing it over to her.

"It's recording. You must vow to do anything and everything I ask of you. No..matter..what," his eyes gleamed sinisterly and he spoke, making emphasis and the last three words.

Elyria glanced at the device in her hands, it was actually recording, and she could get her freedom if she made the promise.

Although she would be free from her father, she would then have to be loyal and faithful to Arcanis, and who knows what he would do to her.

"Do I really have to make such a...."

"Yes you do," he replied without waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"If you want to come along, then you make the promise, it's still recording and my ride will be here soon. You do it or simply drop the device here and join your father," he added, flashed a quick smile at her and walked into the room.

"Oh and also," he looked at her from the corner of his eyes and smiled. "You look wonderful in black."

He winked and locked the door behind him, leaving her confused and flushed. She moved her eyes down to the device, her eyes staring at the seconds that counted as time went by.

After an hour, Uravis emerged from the room wearing black sweat pant and a black hoodie with a mask that covered his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

As he closed the door behind him, expecting to see the glass slab on the ground, to show that she had given up, instead he was met with a casually dressed Elyria.

Instead of the black ball gown she wore earlier, she was wearing a white flare skirt that stopped on her ankle, white off shoulder, lace shirt that stopped above her navel.

He couldn't lie he liked what he was seeing, but he was stunned and annoyed that she still wanted to follow him.

She even had two bags with her, one he assumed contained her clothes and other necessary materials, the other...from how he saw it, looked like it had weapons.

He took a deep breath and pinched his nose bridge, "Your highness," he said between gritted teeths, trying to avoid showing his annoyance. "You are actually serious about going with me."

"Yes I am," she answered and dropped her bags between them, mischief gleaming in her eyes, "I made the promise and vowed to do anything you ask of me. But I am still a princess and you get to carry my stuff."

Uravis eyes slowly darkened, fists clenching around his bag as he stared at her. "But you vowed to do what I asked you to, so you get to carry them."

"Claire won't approve," she smiled innocently like she wasn't asking him to be her servant, "And since I have to do everything that you ask. You also have to protect me," she added, tilting her head slightly to let him see how innocent and adorable she was.

Uravis thought about what she said, as much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He would have to Protect her.

He heaved a sigh, "Fine, I'll carry it, but don't draw me back, and don't be a burden," he warned, picked up her bags and walked ahead of her, oblivious of the victorious grin etched on her face.

They walked past the King's bedroom silently, after noticing he was already asleep, probably exhausted from the celebrating.

And made their way to the entrance of the palace, where Uravis' scorpion waited for him, circling it was Claire's crocodile.

When he made his presence noticed, the beasts stopped whatever they were doing and set their eyes on him.

"Nice," he mumbled and dragged his eyes to where he knew Claire would be, and she was there.

Holding the sword King Arineth had given him.

"Where did you get that?" he asked as he made his way down the few stairs and to where she stood.

"Your bags," her eyes drifted away from him and to Elyria who waved at her, then a grin appeared on her lips. "You are taking the princess with you, how did...."

"Don't ask anything," he cut her off and whispered, "Just take whatever happens as the consequences of getting along with a stubborn princess."

Claire chuckled and collected one of the bags from him, she made her way to the scorpion, leaving Elyria with Uravis who was far from pleased with her company.

"You shouldn't glare at a princess, I hope you know that," she uttered, not sparing him a glance as her eyes was on Claire who had suddenly become strangely comfortable with the beasts.

"And you must be aware I can carry on on my shoulders and spank the sassy attitude out of you," he glanced at her, a smirk playing on his lips.

Elyria frowned as he cheeks swelled, she bit her lips and stormed off, to join Claire. Uravis simply shook his head and followed suite, already cooking up way to put her in her place.

_______

Two hours of silence, strategizing within, and trying his best not to let Elyria fall off the scorpion, passed and they had finally arrived at the temple Seraphina mentioned earlier.

Claire got off her crocodile, her eyes glued to the old massive structure before her, with some part of the walls broken off.

It looked very ancient but they could sense the amount of powered emanating from the temple.

Uravis came off the scorpion at the same time, then he held out his arms for Elyria who was terrified of the beast that she kept her eyes closed through out.

He was having a difficult time resisting the urge to put a gag in her mouth and shut her up, because she was getting annoying by the minute.

She came off the scorpion and into Uravis' arms, then he dropped her gently on the ground.

"I hear voices," she said after dusting herself and taking a step away from the beasts, "How many are they?"

"Ten," he replied as he pulled down her bag, "What would you like to eat?" he asked, searching through the bags Claire packed up for him.

"Your highness?" he called, after a second of silence that he felt was odd for someone like her. He rose up and turned around, only to set his eyes on a massive crowd.

Sweaty, heavy panting, some shirtless and rugged looking crowd, staring at Uravis with raised brows, asking who is was since he was with a mask and who the lady beside him was, as well.

Then Seraphina and Torvald emerged from the center. Both holding balloon swords and shield with thorns sticking out of the back.

He pinched his nose bridge, taking in a deep breath, that did nothing to soothe his anger, before calling them over.

"Explain yourselves."

"We did what the princess asked us to do...play games," Seraphina's answered immediately and shrugged with an excited gleam in her eyes.

She was having fun and he knew it, something he did not expect from her. Knowing how high and mighty she carried herself.

Seeing as she was not going to give him the answer he wanted, he turned to Torvald who simply chuckled and raised his hand to his neck, rubbing it nervously.

"The alliance somehow expanded and is still expanding, because we managed to draw attention to ourselves when we accidentally released fireworks,"

he explained, averting his gaze slowly as Uravis' gradually turned dark.

He bit his lips and clenched his fists, fighting back the rage that was threatening to escape him.

Despite being the youngest among three of them, he seemed like the most mature and less energetic compared to Torvald who was the oldest among them.

Torvald was twenty two.

Seraphina, Twenty one.

And Uravis was a mere Nineteen year old, with the experience and behavior of a thirty one years old man.

Not that he hated it, but still, they should at least act their age.

Uravis suddenly sighed out, he unclenched his fists and grabbed Elyria's hands.

"Find my sister and cease the games," he ordered but paused and then glanced at Seraphina, "Unless you want us to get caught or found by the Void serpent's followers."