After finishing the feast and choosing their escort, the delegation of Salac had quickly ventured toward the kingdom of Valar. Of course, Lara's husband, the king himself, wished to attend the meeting, yet she had managed to convince him that it was a bad idea.
Her husband's heart was weak, and travel would have taken too much of a toll. 'That's why he has me as the queen.'
An Earthquake shook the ground around them.
Lara braced herself to the edge of her carriage's seat. Then she gracefully patted down her dress and turned to the girl sitting next to her.
The Angel leaned back and stared at the ceiling of their ride, giving Lara ample opportunity to wrap her hands around the adorable creature and ruffle her hair.
"You are such a cutie!" She squealed while petting the Principality.
Scarlet's eyes fluttered. "Auntie, I know I am cute! Don't need to smother me," She said while fighting to escape, her wings fluttering.
"Shush, I always wished to spoil and cuddle my sister's child, it just happens that is you, lady Scarlet~"
"But, Auntie, you might crush me and I will die~" Scarlet teased, gently pushing Lara way from her.
"Hah!" She scoffed. "As if!"
The queen seperated and placed her hands onto her legs. She patted her thighs, "Come, sit here," she said.
Scarlet's face flushed slight red. "Auntie, I don't think that would be appropriate," she retorted, putting her hands in front of her in a defensive manner.
Lara pouted, "I don't have children of my own, if you don't sit in my lap, I will be sad."
Scarlet stared at her for a moment, a small grumble escaping her throat. She scuttled over before seating herself in Lara's lap.
Lara squirmed and pulled the Angel closer, she then gently placed her hand on Scarlet's beautiful wings.
"Your wings are so soft," She said softly before combing Scarlet's silver hair with her fingers, which made Scarlet shudder.
Scarlet snapped her head toward Lara and stared at her with a frown. "Auntie Scarlet, not even a word that I let you do this to any other Angels or Mother."
The queen smiled, her hands hard at work braiding the silky angel hair. "Not a word, I just want to spoil and take care of my niece~"
Scarlet's wings fluttered. "I don't mind, you doing it is close enough to Mother."
She kicked her feet and let Lara do her thing. "So, Auntie. How come you ended up as a queen of Salac? I heard from Mother you were just supposed to be married off to some noble."
Lara hummed. "It's a funny story, really."
Scarlet leaned back and her lips stretched into a light smile. "We have time before arriving in Valar, so Auntie, please tell me, I am sure Mother would be curious too."
"I am sure she would, well I can probably start with the fact that our father really didn't like either me or Aurelia," She said, her voice slightly shaking.
"I heard that he didn't like Mother, but why you?"
"Oh, he didn't hate me nearly as much as my little sister, but he certianly didn't like me," she said.
Scarlet sighed, it was very unfortunate that Mother had such a rough life, yet now it was different. She had become more than her father ever was. Scarlet couldn't help but smile.
"He searched far and wide to send both me and Aurelia to any noble who wanted us, the alliance that resulted was just a small bonus. Soon he found my husband, the current king of Salac."
She stopped for a moment, letting Scarlet process the information.
The Angel hummed for a moment. "The way you said it makes it like he was not meant to be a king."
"Oh he wasn't, but he was incredibly good at playing their political games, and with my help he was able to push himself to the top, after which we started a campaign of weakening the church and purging the formerly useful nobles," she said proudly.
"But unfortunately, he is old. I hoped I would be able to sire children for him, yet I doubt it will happen before his time on this world passes."
Scarlet sighed. 'Such a shame, maybe Lord Cedric's Angels could help them?'
Lara shook her head, pulling herself out the depressive thoughts. "We had ruled for a while, and our subjects liked us, as you had noticed during the feast. Before us, the Church of Chrunus absolutely ruined any chances of prosperity, when I first arrived, the kingdom was falling apart, due to their funneling of money into Valar's church."
'She really is similar to Mother.' Scarlet smiled proudly.
"You should have seen how scared I was of my husband when I first got called into his chambers, I was like a little girl hanging at the edge of the cliff," She said, a wide smile forming on her face as she reminisced.
Scarlet leaned back into Lara and placed the back of her head on her shoulder. "And I can tell you aren't anymore."
Lara shook her head. "No, he was incredibly respectful, he even gave me my own room before I fell in love on my own, he was so incredibly sweet to me. Complete opposite of my father. I never thought a man could be that compassionate and kind, considering I've only interacted with my Father and Ayano before."
The silence descended in the carriage for a moment.
"Overall, I was incredibly lucky, unlike Aurelia. That poor thing," She said solemnly.
Scarlet's ears perked up. "Oh?"
"Unlike me, who Father only disliked, Avaros actively hated Aurelia. He tried to find someone he could marry her off to, considering even the lowest nobles and even richer merchants, and even our brother was making advances on her just because she lacked protection that a status of the princess usually carries," she said. "It got so bad that she devleoped rather lustful tendencies as a way to make herself undesireable."
Scarlet keenly listened as Lara continued. "Let me tell you one thing, she was not always like that. I was very worried about her when I went away, until you and general Grahm arrived, I worried every day about my sister."
"And now, Mother has a great fiance and even ascended to the throne of Valar," Scarlet stated to which Lara nodded.
"I am so glad, I am really looking forward to meeting both her and Lord Cedric. Not many men would have taken my sister considering her behavior."
'Hmm, I still think Mother is the best.' Lara chuckled. "Lord Cedric is amazing, Mother is able to be herself around him, and he was the reason Mother's enemies were swiftly dealt with and Church of Chrunus dismantled."
A knock reached them from the window, Lara leaned under the curtain and pulled down the wooden panel seperating them from outside world.
"We are entering the city of Valar in a minute, Lady Lara," Grahm said before swiftly riding off to the front.
Lara closed the panel and gently pushed Scarlet out her lap. "It seems our journey is coming to a close."
The angel nodded. "Thank you for sharing so much with me."
"Of course, you are my niece after all, and not to mention you are cutest little thing I have ever seen in my life, " she said. "On that note, my sister is close second."
"Hah, I disagree. Mother is the best!" She exclaimed.
Soon, the delegation entered the city without being stopped, their carriage carrying them in front of the palace of Valar.