Enya stepped inside the tower, looking down at the tiny Dragon commoners. Salem stepped beside her.

“Enya, Kahni sent words…”

Enya looked at her.

“And…?”

“The flowers aren’t ready… apparently, it’s not poisonous, yet…” Salem paused.

“Yet? How?”

“He’s also confused. He needs more information from the Viscount.”

“So we have to go back, right?”

“Right!”

Enya smiled, staring at the empire.

“This empire is but a foolish ruler’s home. Then let’s head out when the lights are out.”

Soon, the day had turned dark. The sun fell past the horizon. Enya and Salem dressed in their stealth outfits. They looked at each other, nodding before they jumped down toward Degardo’s estate.

Enya snuck into Lumerin’s study room. The books and papers were scattered everywhere like a mess. In the main office, Lumerin slammed his hand on the table.

“Fuck! I need to find more of the sunfire nectar! Buy more from any merchants! It has to be a bloomed one!” Lumerin shouted.

Enya peered inside, watching him unload. She smiled, slipping away from there.

Salem searched for any clues in the study room.

“Enya. Could this be it?” Salem whispered.

Enya peeked and skimmed the paper.

“Part of it. Where are the rest?”

They slid the papers across the table, reading them. Enya grabbed the ones she needed, shoving it into her shirt. Then, they snuck out of the mansion. Before they reached the gate, a gust of wind flew their way.

Enya quickly pushed Salem away to save her. Enya turned around.

“Who are you, and why are you trespassing on the Viscount’s estate?” Zilant asked.

Enya frowned and looked at Salem.

“Head back. I’ll distract him!” Enya ordered.

“But—”

“Now!” Enya shouted. She jumped to the right, dashing away.

Salem turned to the opposite.

Zilant panicked, deciding to chase after Enya’s shadow. He hopped on the horse, hurdling her way.

Enya smirked beneath the mask, spinning on a tree branch. She grabbed and pulled the branch back.

“Hello, sir!” she said.

Zilant stopped and looked at her.

Enya released the branch, causing acorns from the tree to shoot at him like bullets. Zilant glared at her. Enya saluted him before climbing away like a monkey.

Zilant kept chasing on the horse, but he knew that Enya was getting further and further away. He decided to jump out of his horse and wielded his sword. He transferred his aura into his sword and slashed toward Enya. Before the aura slash was near her, she turned and quickly moved to the side. 

“Wow. You got an aura, too?” she teased. Then she continued to leave.

Zilant panted rapidly. Cullen suddenly ran through the forest.

“Commander!” he called out worriedly.

Zilant turned to him, slowly fading away.

“… they managed to escape…” Zilant muttered before he collapsed.

Cullen quickly caught him, gasping. Cullen then carried him back to his estate.

Zilant lay down on the bed, sweating.

“Commander… why did you use up so much aura? You should already know that your body doesn’t generate enough?” Cullen asked.

Zilant frowned upon hearing such complaints.

“There was an intruder… based on the outfit and size of that person, it’s a girl…” Zilant was able to utter.

Cullen dropped everything in his hand.

“A girl? Trespassing into a Viscount’s estate?” Cullen asked.

Zilant groaned, sitting up. He recalled every second he had interacted with the intruder, Enya.

This person definitely has some experience with aura users… she sensed my aura from far away and dodged it. Could she be the aura user last time? Zilant tried to piece everything together. He clenched his fists. But no… that aura last time was definitely someone who was dead… supposed to be dead.

Enya returned to the tower and laughed as she saw Salem. Salem frowned.

“You could have got caught, Enya. Varen—”

“I’m fine. So, the Second Prince definitely has an aura. Fainted one…” Enya said.

“What?! But the rumors stated that he…”

“He’s a royal member. He should have an aura, especially since he has a dragon… I’m glad that I didn’t put my guard down against him…” Enya smiled, staring at the empire.

“I’ll let them know right away…”

Enya nodded. She panted as she removed her mask and gloves.

“What else is happening behind these walls? I… as the Phoenix Royal Princess will find out the truth of the massacre. Then I’ll protect and take my brother away… just watch. This empire will either be in flames or disappear in ashes.”

As the night rose to day, Enya entered the training grounds. Rumors sparked a lively morning.

“Did you hear that the First Prince is here to recruit some of us as Imperial Knights?”

“No way! Then I will get a better salary if I become a part of the Imperial Knight!”

Enya pulled her gloves on, looking at the swords. The knights glared at her as they forgot that Enya was better than they were. One of them decided to walk up to Enya and push her. Enya almost slashed her own skin, turning to him with a glare.

“Oh! My bad, didn’t see your tiny body there…” he laughed.

Enya smirked, swooshing the tip to his neck.

“Apologize to my sword instead… it’s hungry for blood after all,” Enya responded.

The group of knights tightened their jaws as they looked at her.

“You’re insane!” the guy pushed her sword away from his neck.

Enya’s eyes twitched. She quickly twisted her wrist, swinging the sword to the side. The sword slashed his belt off, causing his pants to fall down.

“Ahh!” he screamed, covering himself.

Cullen saw this, groaning. He slammed his hand on his head with Llard behind him. Llard smiled slyly as he stared at Enya.

“My apologies, Your Highness. Our knights seem lively today…” Cullen said, bowing his head.

Llard took a step forward.

“His moves are amazing. If it’s possible, can I spar with him?” Llard asked.

Cullen swallowed hard, wanting to reject the request. However, if he did, then Llard would definitely attack Zilant as the commander.

“I…”

Llard walked past him, heading to Enya. Enya locked eyes with Llard. His smile curved as big as possible, looking down at her.

“Care for a spar?”

Enya raised an eyebrow.

“And you are…? Why is this flashy man here? I thought we were Snow Knights.”

Llard scoffed, getting irritated with her nonchalant statements.

“My brother has some unique recruits. I wondered why he even allowed a potty mouth like you into his knights,” Llard offended.

Enya smiled, startling Llard.

“Potty mouth? Well, I didn’t have parents to teach me to talk to strangers who run up to others with a sword in their hands every second and talk all highly of themselves.”

Everyone around them focused and listened closely, their jaws dropping from Enya’s disrespect to the royal family. Llard smirked at her daring attitude.

“Do you know… your neck could be in the guillotine by now?” Llard asked.

Enya looked at him shockingly for a second. Llard thought he had her there until…

She burst into laughter.

“In a guillotine? So, just because I have a foul mouth, can I die? Then wouldn’t half of the population in the empire deserve death at that point? Are you willing to lose half of the empire just because each of them has a foul mouth?”

Everyone’s eyes widened, speechless. Llard then flushed with embarrassment and frustration because he couldn’t argue back.

Just before Llard could speak again, Hansel walked by, searching for someone. Cullen ran up to him, distracting Llard’s attention.

“Hansel?”

“I couldn’t find His Grace anywhere… I have this for him.”

Cullen looked at Hansel’s hands. It was a potion for Zilant’s aura. Cullen sighed heavily and smiled.

“Thank you. I’ll hand it to Commander.”

Llard smirked and pushed Enya aside as he stepped closer to Hansel. Hansel looked up and saw Llard, starting to tremble. Hansel sweated, shaking.

“So, Phoenix Heir. What is your day-to-day life like? I would like to ask you to join me in the palace for some training practices if you dislike it here,” Llard spoke kindly just enough to be friendly.

Hansel swallowed hard. Enya observed carefully, stepping closer.

“I… I like it here…”

“Really? I have heard that my brother hasn’t been letting you out of your room. It could be stuffy. How about transferring your location to a palace room?”

“N-no, thank you…” Hansel clenched his fists.

Llard was already losing his sanity because of Enya’s words. He tightly gripped his sword’s handle.

Enya frowned, removing her gloves.

“Hey, noble boy!” Enya screamed.

Llard snapped out of his anger and turned to look at her. Enya threw her gloves at Llard’s face.

Everyone gasped, taking a step back in shock.

“Oh no! Did he just throw his gloves at His Highness?!”

The gloves slid slowly from his face to the ground. Enya smiled.

“Let’s have a fun duel. I need some morning exercise anyway. Deal?”

Llard glared at her with his right eye twitching uncontrollably. He smiled so big and so ugly that Enya had to hold in her laugh.

“You’ll regret this… you’ll regret embarrassing me!” he shouted.

“Regret? We haven’t even started. Now step away from that boy. He doesn’t like your presence,” Enya stated.

Hansel paused, staring at Enya. He… he offended His Highness because of me?

Cullen panted anxiously, looking at Llard and Enya. Oh boy… Commander, Enya is at it again… this time, he’s offending a royal member who is known for his cruelty.

As Llard walked to her, he stepped on her gloves.

“Oh, ow! My gloves… I’m too poor for another pair,” she pretended to weep. “That’s okay. If I win, you can just buy me another pair.”

Enya walked to the center of the training ground. Llard followed angrily.

Cullen took a deep breath, being the referee and witness to the fight between them.

“No sword to the skin. And Your Highness, this is our new recruit. Please go lightly on him.”

Llard smirked.

“He dared to offend me… going lightly is for the weaklings.”

Enya smiled warmly.

“A duel is meant to have scratches on the face. So, since you’re so concerned about your look, make sure to dodge your face!” Enya responded.

Cullen groaned, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Vyrm Aeris Ignis!” [Dragon’s Air of Fire!]

Enya stood still. Llard wielded his sword and marched toward her. He smiled and slashed from the side. Enya smiled back, stunning him. The moment he swung, she dodged, jumping to the right as he pushed off with his left foot.

Enya lifted her sword, pointing the tip down. Llard’s blade clashed with hers, metals screeching. When the tip hit the end of her sword, Llard lunged with a stab. Enya quickly twirled away… and smiled again!

This bastard is smiling?! Llard stabbed the ground to stop his momentum. He kicked his sword and leapt toward her.

Enya jumped, placing her hand on his head. She pressed it down deliberately, enraging him, then landed and spun around.

“Touch!”

Llard swung angrily, his sword infused with an aura this time.

“You bastard!” he screamed.

Enya widened her eyes, not in shock. She nodded and knocked his sword up with her shoulder, leaving a small, burnt scratch from the aura. This pushed Llard away from her.

Before she could lunge forward, she pointed her sword tip toward him.

“Enya Fraye, stop this instant!” Zilant’s voice snapped both of them out of their battle.

Enya stopped and turned to look at him. Zilant was glaring at her before he looked at Llard. He walked to Llard and bowed his head lower.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I didn’t teach my new recruit manners…” Zilant said.

Enya stood, dusting off dirt on her pants.

“He was the one who wanted to spar…” she mumbled.

Zilant clenched his fists and lowered his bow.

“I’ll take responsibility for his actions today. Please spare him from any further troubles,” Zilant begged.

Llard smirked, enjoying Zilant’s begging. Enya glanced at Llard’s facial expression, frowning.

“He lost because I would have snapped his neck…” she muttered.

The crowd gasped upon hearing this.

“His Highness actually lost and raged for more?”

“How unknightly…”

Llard suddenly frowned and glared at Enya. She locked eyes with him and smiled delightfully.

“Oops. My mouth was too loud.”

After that escalation, Llard returned to the palace without another word to Zilant and Enya. Zilant watched Llard’s carriage leave.

He’s daring. Maybe a good daring… he can be the one to protect Hansel after all… Zilant sighed, thinking about Hansel’s subtle reaction when he was facing Llard. He turned to look at Cullen.

“Bring Enya to my office.”

Enya stood by the desk, frowning with her lips curved upside down. Zilant was staring at the papers in front of him, passing one down to the next. Enya groaned as she stared at him. Zilant froze, locking eyes with her.

“Is there a problem?” Zilant asked.

Enya forced a smile and nodded.

“Actually, there is. Why am I here?” Enya narrowed her eyes.

Zilant sighed, placing his hands in front of him.

“Enya Fraye. What do you think about being a personal knight?” Zilant questioned.

“It depends. Is it a noble or a commoner?”

“Noble. In fact, a royal heir.”

“It better not be your petty brother…” she mumbled.

Zilant paused, raising his hands to his lips. He closed his eyes, remaining calm.

“It’s not. It’s the Phoenix Heir. He’s now of age, and he will be the center of many noble targets. After taking you around, I think you’re the best fit to protect him.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🪶 🔥 Princess, Don't Waver ❄️ 🐉 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~