Two days later, Ocean sat in a carriage bearing the Ryujin family crest. He rarely used carriages unless for official business—his wings and the teleportation device were far more convenient—but today was different. He was not traveling alone.
Beside him sat a young woman in a maid's uniform. Her long brown hair was tied neatly into a high ponytail, her pink eyes lowered to the floor. Pale and tense, her hands clutched tightly at the fabric of her navy-blue skirt, betraying the storm inside her.
Ocean said nothing, his gloved fingers resting calmly on the royal summons in his hand. Two days prior, he had sent a request for an audience with the King; the reply had come swiftly in the form of a summons.
