Journey Through The Three Kingdoms - II

Under the camouflage, the carriage soared in the high skies, hidden from sight by layers of magic that distorted the light around it. The wind howled past, yet within the enchanted interior, all was still — silent except for the faint hum of the runes lining the walls. The Orlean children sat in anticipation, each occupied by their own thoughts.

Liam kept his gaze fixed beyond the window, though nothing but an endless stretch of clouds greeted him. His mind lingered on the words of his father's letter, on the expectations that loomed ahead. He had given up his claim to the throne, yet still, he was being called upon. Would he ever be allowed to simply exist as himself?

Beside him, Cassandra sat with poise, her golden hair illuminated by the faint glow of the carriage's runes. Unlike Liam, she was untroubled, her eyes scanning a book she had brought along. She had always been that way — composed, calculating, the weight of her lineage carried with quiet grace.

Elaine, seated across from them, fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "Do we really have to fly this high?" she asked, glancing toward Edwin. Her voice cut through the silence.

"Yes, Princess Elaine" Edwin replied simply.

Elaine frowned. "Why?"

Before Edwin could answer, Cassandra, who had been reading silently, sighed and turned a page in her book. "You're still afraid of heights?"

Elaine huffed. "No! It's just… what if something goes wrong?"

Cassandra didn't even look up. "Then we fall."

Elaine shot her a glare, clearly unimpressed with the answer, but said nothing more.

Liam, curious, leaned forward and slid open the small window that connected the carriage's main chamber to the puller's chamber. "Edwin," he called, his voice steady, "can't we lower it a little? Sister Elaine is a little uncomfortable."

Edwin's calm voice responded. "I'm afraid we can't, Master Liam."

Liam raised a brow. "Why not?"

"The whole fleet is following protocol," Edwin explained. "And, to be honest, it's not even about security. The skyvails and I can conserve much more energy at this altitude."

Liam perked up slightly at that. "How does that work?"

"The air is thinner here, meaning less resistance for the skyvails," Edwin said. "They expend far less effort maintaining speed. Plus, the cold helps with mist-ice formation. Even though it's nighttime, we could still do it in the day if needed."

Cassandra hummed in understanding, but Elaine still looked skeptical. "Then why not go even higher?"

Edwin chuckled. "Because there's no air up there. No resistance, true — but also no breath for us."

Elaine sank back into her seat, muttering, "I knew that."

Evaline giggled.

Liam leaned back against his seat, turning to Cassandra. "Sister, how long until we reach the Institute?"

Cassandra barely lifted her gaze from her book. "About a quarter of a day."

Liam exhaled softly, then shifted to the window, peering down. Through the layers of mist, faint glimmers of light flickered far below. A thought crossed his mind, and he asked, "What about the skyvails outside? Don't they need air like we do?"

Edwin's voice came through from the puller's chamber. "Master Liam, unlike us, they can go even higher. They're adapted for this altitude."

Liam watched closely, trying to spot the creatures pulling their carriage, but Edwin's chamber made it difficult to see them clearly. Instead, his eyes caught something beyond the clouds — an illuminated city in the distance, and above it, a massive tower piercing the sky.

"What's that?" he asked, curiosity sparking in his voice.

Evaline leaned forward, glancing through the window. "Oh, we've reached Marnem City. That's where the Azure Spire is."

Liam's gaze lingered on the towering structure. "That's where Master Caelus is?"

Evaline shook her head. "Now? No. He's mostly at the Institute. But yeah, he does have to go there from time to time. He is the Spire Master, after all."

Liam thought for a moment. "If I had to come here from the Institute, it would take six hours?"

"No."

"No?" Liam repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Evaline said with a smirk.

Liam frowned. "How does that work?"

"Well, when we catch the winds from the north, a separate skyway. It's much faster."

"Then why don't we use it now?"

"Because we'd be riding the upstream, dummy," Evaline teased.

Liam rolled his eyes, then asked Edwin, "So which route are we using?"

"The Skyway of the Three Kingdoms, Master Liam" Edwin replied.

Liam frowned slightly. He inquired, "Three Kingdoms?"

Cassandra finally looked up from her book and nodded. "Yes. We're about to enter the borders of Arvandor, then later we'll climb up north toward Valtoria before reaching the institute."

Liam frowned. "Why Arvandor? Isn't it south?" he asked. "And why Valtoria? It's east. Why go through all this just to head north?"

Cassandra finally placed her book aside with a sigh. "It's going to be a lot of questions, isn't it?"

Liam said nothing, waiting patiently for his answer.

Elaine was the one to speak first. "It's the trade winds up here."

Evaline picked up where her twin left off. "They run in mysterious ways."

Elaine continued, "One of them takes us close to the Institute up north."

Evaline finished, "It runs like this."

Liam glanced between them as they spoke in perfect sync, each picking up seamlessly where the other left off. Then Cassandra spoke again, now fully engaged in the conversation.

"If we don't take the trade wind in its entirety and instead try to reach its continuation point from our kingdom's border, that alone would take six hours altogether."

Liam considered that for a moment, then asked, "Don't we have some degree of conflict with Valtoria?"

Elaine replied with a small smirk. "That's why Edwin secured the skyway." She continued, "He took a permit. Besides, if Valtoria wants to trade with the northern regions of our kingdom, they have to use the same downstream we use to come back. That route is much faster."

Cassandra nodded. "And that alone is enough to grant us access to their kingdom. They wouldn't dare make trouble for us."

Liam leaned back against his seat, absorbing the information. It seemed their route wasn't just about speed — it was also about politics.

Cassandra glanced at Liam and said, "Look down in an hour. We're about to reach the borders."

Liam waited eagerly, his anticipation growing with each passing minute. Finally, as the time approached, he leaned toward the window, peering below.

A breathtaking sight greeted him — a massive wall stretching endlessly in both directions, standing as an unyielding divider between Ironhelm and Arvandor. Even from high above, he could make out the glow of scattered lights on both sides of the structure.

"Campfires," Elaine murmured, noticing his curiosity. "The military forces of both nations are on guard. Even in times of peace, no one lets their defenses down completely."

Liam studied the flickering lights, each one a sign of soldiers keeping watch through the night. Though the border was officially stable, history had proven that stability could shift in an instant.

Then, suddenly, he felt it — the pull of the trade wind. The carriage surged forward, the landscape below blurring as their speed increased dramatically. Within moments, the great wall had vanished from sight, lost to the distance.

"Now you can feel how fast we're actually moving, huh?" Evaline spoke seeing Liam's reaction.

Liam nodded in quiet awe. The sensation was unlike anything he had experienced before.

"Marnem was the last city toward the south," Evaline continued. "And soon, we'll reach Erqshire — the first city of Arvandor via this skyway."

From afar, Erqshire's architecture and city planning looked distinctly different from the structured, fortified designs of Ironhelm. The buildings were arranged in a more organic, almost flowing pattern, with curved rooftops and wide open plazas. Unlike Ironhelm's towering stone fortresses, Erqshire's structures blended seamlessly into the land, as though the city had grown naturally over time rather than being imposed upon it.

Liam narrowed his eyes at the sight and asked, "Arvandor looks so different from our kingdom. They're neutral, right?"

Cassandra nodded. "Yes. Arvandor has always maintained neutrality, focusing on trade and diplomacy rather than war."

Evaline added, "But Valtoria? That's a bit tense."

Elaine sighed. "They claim Ironhelm violated past treaties, and there's always friction at the border. It's not an open conflict, but neither side fully trusts the other."

Liam absorbed the information, then shifted topics. "What about the Institute? How does enrollment work?"

Cassandra smirked. "Well, you'd be in your first year, obviously."

Evaline chimed in. "But you've been given special enrollment."

Liam raised a brow. "Special enrollment?"

Elaine nodded. "You're the only one enrolling this late into the first year. You probably have about four months left to cover everything."

Liam blinked. "What?"

Cassandra shrugged. "Yeah. Students who are about to turn thirteen in the year of enrollment — or are already thirteen — are eligible for the entrance exam."

Elaine continued, "They have to pass the entrance exam to get in. You, on the other hand, not only didn't give the exam late but are also joining at the last moment."

Evaline smirked. "Talk about being a prince."

Elaine giggled. "Yeah, must be nice."

Liam sighed, already feeling the weight of the challenge ahead.

As the carriage soared along the skyway, they passed through two more major cities of Arvandor. The rest of the journey through the kingdom was mostly rural—vast stretches of forest, scattered villages, and open plains. The lights below became sparse, the settlements blending seamlessly with nature rather than overwhelming it.

Then, they entered Valtoria.

Liam glanced at Edwin and asked, "Is it safe?"

Edwin gave a small chuckle. "It will be fine… if they want to keep their kingdom."

Liam noted the weight behind Edwin's words. His bold statement confirmed that the tension between Valtoria and Ironhelm was more than just diplomatic posturing.

"How long will we be in Valtoria?" Liam asked.

"Half an hour," Edwin replied. "Then we'll be back in Ironhelm's territory. From there, about four more hours to the Institute."

"I'm looking forward to seeing their cities."

There was a brief silence before Cassandra and the twins suddenly burst into laughter.

"What?" Liam asked, confused.

Cassandra smirked. "Cities? They could only dream of having cities."

Liam frowned. "Why?"

Cassandra leaned back, her expression turning serious. "With almost all their resources funneled into war and defense, how could they ever dream of prosperity?"

Liam fell silent, taking in her words. He had heard about Valtoria's militarization, but he hadn't fully grasped what it meant until now. A kingdom without thriving cities, without wealth and culture expanding beyond the battlefield — it painted a bleak picture.

As the half-hour passed, Liam saw it for himself. Below, only dim sources of light flickered in the darkness — mostly villages and only four small towns scattered across the land. It was nothing like Arvandor's bright cities or Ironhelm's grand capitals. The difference was evident.

Liam truly understood why Valtoria and Ironhelm would never see eye to eye.

As they crossed back into Ironhelm's territory, the carriage smoothly caught the wind stream, propelling them forward at an even greater speed. The landscape below became familiar again, a stark contrast to the dimly lit lands of Valtoria. Soon, they would reach the Institute.

Thinking about it, Liam turned to his sisters and asked, "So… what exactly will I be studying?"

Cassandra and the twins exchanged mischievous smiles, as if they had been waiting for this question.

"Nothing much," Cassandra said casually. "Just twenty-two subjects."

Liam blinked. "TWENTY-TWO?"

The trio snickered in unison.

"You're telling me I have to study twenty-two subjects in four months?" Liam's voice rose in disbelief.

Cassandra smirked and leaned back. "That's what you get for disturbing my reading."

Liam groaned, running a hand through his hair. "You can't be serious."

Elaine grinned. "Oh, we are."

Evaline added, "You're the only late-enrolled student in the first year, so you have to catch up. That means — "

"Twenty two subjects in four months," Cassandra finished, clearly enjoying his reaction.

Liam slumped back against his seat, staring at the ceiling. "I knew this was a bad idea."

Cassandra and the twins giggled as Liam groaned again. "At this rate, I won't have time to breathe."

Elaine shrugged. "Welcome to the Institute."

Evaline smirked. "Don't worry, you'll survive. Probably."

Liam sighed, staring out the window. The Institute loomed somewhere ahead, waiting for him — and with it, twenty-two subjects crammed into four months.