"So, what’s the plan?" Rune whispered, his eyes darting between the mansion and .
I turned to him, lips twitching into a small smile. "No plan. We just have to find the princess."
Rune’s expression froze before shifting to one of sheer disbelief. "We ca without a plan?!" His voice rose slightly, nearing a shout, and I swiftly clasped a hand over his mouth.
"Shh! Don’t announce our arrival already," I hissed, narrowing my eyes at him.
He frowned but nodded, and I removed my hand. He exhaled sharply before muttering, "Unbelievable."
I reached into my cloak and pulled out a small, silver brooch, pressing it into his palm. "Here, wear this."
Rune examined the piece. "An invisibility brooch?"
I nodded.
"What about you?"
"I’m a trained assassin, Brother," I said, smirking. "I can hide without magic."
He rolled his eyes but pinned the brooch to his clothes regardless.
With quiet precision, I pried open the window that led into a dimly lit corridor. We slipped inside, landing soundlessly on the polished wooden floor. After securing the window shut behind us, we surveyed our surroundings.
"Where now?" Rune asked in a hushed voice.
I gestured left. "Lima told Celestia’s room is in the East Wing."
"Who’s Lima?"
"Celestia’s personal maid. Also, my source."
Rune let out a sigh. "Of course you already have inside connections."
As we moved deeper into the corridor, the air shifted, carrying with it a delicate lody. The soft, ethereal notes of a piano flowed through the mansion, weaving a hauntingly beautiful tune that wrapped around us like a gentle mist. The sound was serene yet lancholic, whispering of untold stories beneath its delicate composition.
We continued forward, and soon, Rune stiffened beside . "Do you hear that?" he whispered, leaning closer.
"Yes. I’ve been hearing it for a while."
"Who plays the piano this late?" he mused, curiosity lacing his tone.
"Let’s find out," I murmured, already turning towards the source.
"Reina?!" Rune hissed, his voice an urgent whisper. "We’re here to see Miss Konstantinos, not investigate a midnight concert."
"It doesn’t really matter," I replied vaguely, my instincts nudging forward.
Rune groaned but followed as I led him towards a large, arched window. The music grew clearer, each note striking with precision, yet carrying an air of deep contemplation. The lody was neither hesitant nor careless—it was the sound of soone completely lost in their own world, playing not for an audience, but for themselves.
Rune had barely started asking where we were going when I suddenly leapt out of the window, my wings unfurling effortlessly in the night air.
"Don’t scare like that, Reina!" he whisper-yelled, his arms tightening around my shoulders as I carried him mid-flight.
I chuckled softly. "Relax, Brother."
Flying closer, I aid for the grand balcony that extended from the source of the music. The large, ornate windows provided an unobstructed view of the room inside. Perching on the concrete railing, I held Rune steady as we both peered in, our breath catching at the sight before us.
Bathed in the soft glow of candlelight, seated gracefully at the grand piano, was the woman responsible for the breathtaking lody.
Celestia Konstantinos.
Her delicate fingers glided effortlessly over the ivory keys, the lancholic tune flowing like a whisper in the still night air. The flickering candlelight illuminated her cascading soft lavender hair, giving her an almost divine aura. The soft hues of her locks, coupled with her serene expression, made her seem like an ethereal being—too delicate for this world, yet holding a quiet strength within her.
She looked like sothing out of a dream, a vision of grace and elegance.
For a mont, neither of us spoke. We simply watched, entranced by the princess whose lody had drawn us to her.
Her eyelids were closed and she seed to be completely one with her music. The lody was quite beautiful yet, it had a tinge of uneasy as if the lody itself was trying to find sothing. The hauntingly beautiful lody that which was as ethereal as the one playing it, it almost seed like both the lody and the girl would disappear if we dared to move our eyes from them.
"She’s... beautiful." Rune breathed and I looked at him.
He looked completely entranced by her and it made smile.
Looks check.
Talent check.
"So, what do you think?" I asked Rune.
Rune was still looking at her unable to tear his eyes off of her.
The lody ca to a slow and then stopped as if a river finally finding its ho in the sea.
Celestia stood up from the stool and turned her head in our direction, Rune almost fell off and I instinctively leapt off the railing landing onto the branch of the tree nearby.
Rune stayed fixated in his spot where he sat, thankfully, he had the invisibility spell on or he would have been caught.
Celestia released a low sigh before she started walking towards balcony, I activated my Mana Eyes and saw as Rune stayed frozen on the railing watching her co closer and closer to the place where he was.
She opened the doors of the balcony and walked out, the midnight air greeted her making her hair look like molten silvery silk with the lavender hue while her silver eyes matched the moonlight. I watched in silence as she stood just a couple of feet away from Rune who seed to have held his breath.
Celestia walked over and stood just half a ter from him right where I was sitting a mont ago and I watched as she released a sigh.
"His Majesty must have announced of the engagent, I wonder why he is doing this..." Her voice was just like her deanor, soft and gentle.
She seed upset.
"Marrying into an enemy nation, what is he even thinking? What if they torture and feed to the rogue beasts that keep appearing in that nation?"
I cocked my brow amused at her worries, well, it’s not like she was planning on running away.
"Should I run away?" I heard her and Rune almost gasped.
"But that would put the entire nation in danger... Mama said she will test the man before she decides and I know if she says no then His Majesty wouldn’t dare marry off." She bead.
I could hear Rune’s heart beating from all the way over here and I knew his face would be as pink as his hair if not more.
"But if she agrees to it then...?" I saw her biting her nails.
"Oh Great Dragon! Please make it so that I won’t have to marry a brute of Sestia. I promise that I will stop eating sweets for a month."
Only a month? I wondered.
"All right, all right, two months? Please?!"
I almost responded to her adorable plea but then I realised that Rune was right there and she was praying to not be married to him while he seed to have already fallen head over heels.
"My poor brother." I murmured with a smile.
[Goddess of Wisdom asks if you would accept her prayer or not.]
"Huh?"
[Defender of Divine Glory explains that if a being prays directly to a Dragon they have to either accept or reject the prayer.]
"Wait, who made this rule?" I asked.
[Goddess of Wisdom says it was always there.]
[Giver of Gifts reminds you that you answered to Kai’s prayers when he was earnestly calling for you.]
"Eh?! So, that’s how it works?"
[Goddess of Wisdom asks you if you accept her prayer or not.]
"No," I said, "I’ll bless her with my sweet brother instead."
"I hope whoever it is wouldn’t answer Mother’s questions and I wouldn’t have to marry and leave this place." She prayed and I sighed.
"My poor brother."
After a while, there was a knock on the door and a maid poked her head in, it was Lima.
"Princess, we should head back to your chambers now. It’s late, you must rest." Lima called and Celestia released a sigh.
She looked at the sky again and I smiled as I saw her leave, her night gown billowing after her.
Once the door was closed, I landed beside Rune.
"Let’s return, shall we?" I asked and Rune wordlessly wrapped his arms around my shoulders while I scooped him up.
I unfurled my wings and flew high up watching the Konstantinos mansion once before we started in the direction of the royal palace.
"I get it that you like her." I started.
"It’s obvious that she doesn’t want this marriage." He responded in a low, defeated tone.
"Aw, don’t be in such low spirits, she was saying that because she hasn’t t you yet. Once she sees you and talks to you, I’m sure she will be just as smitten as you are." I teased and his face flushed.
"I-I’m not smitten by her." His voice jumped to an octave making laugh.
"You proved it yourself, Brother. Don’t worry, your marriage to her is my responsibility so, have faith. Celestia will be coming to Aurelia as your bride."
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