THE KING OF ZEPHRO

"Alloy!! Ivy!! You're back!!" A light bass of a voice spoke. A man shouted from behind the massive palace gates that opened as they walked toward it. He ran toward them, Ivy knowing exactly what was going to happen, she moved two steps to the right.He got to Alloy, who was smiling as she saw him. His fist had closed, with sparks of blue electricity surrounding it quite a bit. "How could you let her take Soran's sword??!!" He demanded. Instantaneously, his fist landed on Alloy's head. Sending her to the ground immediately. Head first. Ivy sighed.

"She stole it…" Alloy said from the ground, she turned her head to breathe better, but smoke just bellowed from her mouth due to the hit. "I tried to fight her for it… but she ran." She got up slowly to look at the giant of a man she called a father, the lean-built 5'2 girl stood upright, her head basically hanging backward to look at the broad-shouldered, athletically built 6'3 tall man. He was dressed in regal yet practical attire, his dark, royal blue coat with silver embroidery and lightning motifs, paired with a silver-lined cape. It was designed for mobility in battle whilst maintaining his great presence.

"I told you…" She jumped, high enough for him to look at her the same way she did. Her fist was raised. Ivy moved another two steps back.

"TO QUIT HITTING ME LIKE I'M A CHILD!!" Alloy's drift began taking form on her right hand. She just needed its power, not the sword she was used to forming. With her fist holding the ebony, shadow aura of her drift, she landed a hit on his face. He moved back, barely affected by the hit, however, when she was about to land he flicked his index finger down and a stream of lightning shot her from above. Forcing a faster and rougher landing on her face yet again.

On the, what used to be green grass, now torched quite a bit, that she was on, she bellowed one last puff of smoke from her mouth and focused her eyes ahead at a simple ladybug laying on a leaf of grass in front of her. She blew on a strand of black hair that blocked her vision, 'luckily' she thought, it didn't blow the ladybug away. The next thing she felt was a very soft and calm hand on the top of her head. He squatted next to her. "I can't use my drift on a child. Let alone my own…"

"I SAW SPARKS!!" Alloy ranted.

"Those were sparks from the power of a father's love."

"They don't feel like love…" Alloy mumbled. The man laughed. Ivy watched him, staying where she was, waiting for the usual situation to end.

"Welcome home, Alloy, Ivy!!" Zedlis Ariel, the King of Zephro bellowed happily, as he stood up from his squat next to Alloy. Ivy just smiled while her hands crossed over each other.

He held his hand out to Alloy. She took it as she got up. In front of them, they heard footsteps from high heels get closer to them. A woman exited the palace to where they were. Closer to Alloy's height, the 5'7 woman was lean, her dark green, high collared coat with gold embroidery hid the rest of her physique beyond the lean appearance. She had black hair that was cut short, just above her shoulders. A few black strands fell over her forehead to impose a subtly sharp look. Her eyes hold a deep piercing brown color which kept the guards at attention at all times. Her black short skirt and high-heeled boots suited for small but clear movements around the palace helped get everyone's attention. Including a nervously smiling king in front of her. She barely spoke after looking up and glancing sharply at him.

"Naja…"Zed tried to speak.

"Inside," her sharp-tongued mid-pitched voice spoke.

"I… Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!!" Immediately, Naja took him by the ear, pinching it and dragging him along with her back to the palace.

"I said… Inside." She looked back as she still held the king's ear, to which, he was wincing in pain. Alloy and Ivy glanced her sharp eyes and moved a step back, startled.

"You two, head to your rooms and freshen up, you will find us in the throne hall where this oneee…" She said as she increased the pressure on Zed's ear, forcing him to wince more in pain. "Will be." She finished.

The royal guard knights, clad in both golden and silver armor with the same cyclone and lightning symbol as the rest of the knights, began feeling sorry for him as they stood on the massive silver entrance gate, but they couldn't do anything since they were ironically more afraid of Naja.

"We were about to g…" Ivy began, but Naja's sharp gaze forced her to pause. Telling her that she'd be in danger if she did anything else other than what she was told immediately, and in that second. Alloy glanced at Ivy and saw a bead of sweat drop from her head. She took her hand and they ran past Naja, Zed and the royal guards, straight upstairs to the East wing of the palace, where their living quarters and rooms were. Ivy stayed in the palace a bit later than Alloy due to her relentless begging for it when they were children, they were next to each other until she joined the knights of the kingdom, so she stayed in both the barracks that lay before the entrance to the palace and was pardoned to live in the palace as she pleased. She was never tardy so she never had any problems from either side, her Commander Lore, or the King Zed. They got to their rooms, their doors faced each other. They walked through the hall, finally catching their breath.

"How the hell is the King's Advisor scarier than the King himself??!!" Ivy asked. Taking her final deep breaths to stabilize herself again.

"I'm sure that's rhetorical. You've lived here." Alloy replied. Her heart rate reducing to a normal pulse.

"You're getting better." She smiled.

"Really??"

"No."

"Aw…" Alloy sighed as she slumped her shoulders. She turned to enter her room. "We only have less than 40 minutes to get to the throne room." She said to Ivy.

"As you wish, princess." Ivy said, letting out a small chuckle and a mocking courtesy.

Alloy turned to close the door, letting out a chuckle followed by an immediate frown on her face. Ivy noticed it, but before she could ask about it, Alloy had already closed the door. Ivy then turned the knob on hers with a frown after the realization of what she had said dawned on her. She entered her room and closed her door as well.