Aqua left the kitchen carrying a bag full of edible items, from sweets to pastries. He put in a lot of effort, and it would be a shame not to enjoy them.
She lifted the bag in front of her face and wryly.
Thanks, teacher, I appreciate it.
"I guess I can head out to the departure point." She gently placed the bag into her void storage and headed out of the palace.
Even the guards moved away from her path.
Ugh, well, no matter. The important people are not afraid of me.
Aqua shook her head.
Agonizing over some rumors was something she was unwilling to commit her mind to, especially now that she had an exciting opportunity to gain new experiences and an important task from Sun God.
She passed toward the royal stables where a carriage was prepared for them. The servants were brushing the drakes and inspecting the carriage. They stood with their heads tall, and their gazes were sharp.
She placed her hands in a V shape and approached. A young elven girl took notice of her, and she tugged at the sleeve of a taller male. The duo's eyes went wide. They suppressed their fear and approached.
"M'lady Aqua." Both of them bowed, and a bead of sweat rolled down the man's face.
"The transport is ready. We will leave at once."
"Mhm, I see. Thank you." Aqua cracked a slight smile. They might have been scared, but they were appropriately conducting their duties.
They turned their gazes toward each other, then nodded and rushed toward the remaining servants. Come on, it's not even the most brutal execution I've done.
She needed to learn what the rumors spoke about her. If the servants were so terrified, then it meant that she was most certainly considered a terrible monster.
Aqua crossed her arms and her gaze washed over the prepared transport. It was an identical carriage as Sheira's attacked transport. "They could have given her a different color at least."
She shook her head.
For most, riding in the same transport they were attacked and kidnapped in wouldn't be comfortable; fortunately, Sheira didn't even seem to hold a grudge. She is definitely a bigger person than I am.
The servants finished the preparations, and they quickly made their way out of the stables.
"Lady Aqua, we are finished here. Please excuse us." The young servant girl curtseyed before quickly leaving the premises.
She nodded, her eyes noticing only a single man remaining. He was their driver and was apparently deep asleep in his seat.
No point in waking him. She clicked her tongue while inspecting the stables. Despite its name, it did not smell of animal waste, nor was it filled with hay or any other animal maintenance product.
It was most certainly the front part of the stables meant to act as a harbor where the royals and nobles would depart from.
They are really clean.
Her gaze shifted toward the entrance. At any moment, Sheira and Azure were supposed to arrive.
I guess I am a bit early. Not sleeping made her anxious to arrive just on time, yet the girls with whom she was supposed to go were most likely asleep.
She crossed her arms again and approached the beasts of burden.
Unlike the sentient creatures, it was not afraid of her, although it had shrunk back slightly.
Aqua brought her hand in front of the reptile's nose, letting it sniff her.
"Here, big boy, I won't hurt you." After it sniffed her hand, she gently moved it on top of its head.
It rumbled, its forms quivering.
With a loud thud, it lay down, letting Aqua pet its dull green scales.
"Despite being so big, you are really cuddly, huh?" Aqua placed a second hand and rubbed the lizard-like creature.
"Did they feed you?" She tilted her head. The beast seemed plump and almost sparkly clean.
Its head turned toward her, closing in on her face.
She blinked.
It opened its mouth.
And then licked her across the face.
"Hey!" Aqua squealed, taking a step back. "I didn't offer myself as food!" She held her pointer finger in front of her face, "Bad boy!"
The beast slumped down, its eyes dimming slightly.
"Y…you understood me? Well, ain't you smart!" Aqua giggled. The earth drake was far too cute for her to remain annoyed.
A low rumble reached her ears.
It doesn't seem hungry at least. Aqua moved her hands away from the gentle giant and nodded.
It growled and shook its head.
"Hey, I can't spend the entire day petting you." She grinned and placed her hands on her hips.
A treat is in order. Her hand disappeared into the void and retrieved a small white cube.
The beast tilted its head.
"Here~" Aqua brought the cube to its nose.
Sniff.Sniff.
It anxiously inspected the cube, then it brought its mouth close. Aqua brought her hand closer. "It's delicious, just sugar."
The beast opened its jaws.
However, instead of only consuming the cube, it lathered Aqua's hand in its saliva.
I guess this is how it shows love. It was impossible to be angry at such a gentle creature. While it chewed at her hand, she patted its head.
She pulled her hand out. "That's all for now."
Her magic quickly removed the saliva from the temporal barrier.
The beast retreated, its grumble low.
"Don't be sad, I will give you more later." She patted the Drake before turning toward the sleeping coachman.
He was slowly stirring from his slumber, and so it meant that Azure and Sheira would surely arrive swiftly.
She walked toward the entrance; it would have been unfortunate if their driver was scared of her presence, thus she decided to wait right at the entrance.
She leaned against the rim and used her right leg as support.
Her head tilted up and her eyes closed. I am worried about their war against the savage tribes.
They had relied on Azure far too much, and in turn, it left her new home rather weakened. Golden Rose would bring them up to shape; however, a single complication would send such a house of cards crashing down.
Maybe I should give them some technology. That was a horrible idea; they were far too primitive to accept more powerful weapons.
It would have done more harm than good; before she could share anything with the elves, they needed to mature as a civilization; otherwise, they would certainly use the gifted weapons against each other.
We shall see, depending on how their war goes, my plan might change.
Aqua had all the time in the world; she was a true immortal, neither age nor wounds would be the end of her. Her mastery of time would assure it.
Sheira was much like her; however, she could be killed by an immense amount of power, which made it paramount to make the princess as powerful as she could possibly do.
What about Azu? She shook her head; it would be something she would need to figure out, but increasing her lifespan without her consent was not something she was willing to do.
Her mind's focus shifted, footsteps pulling her mind toward their source.
Her smile beamed.
There they are. She pushed herself away from the wall and faced their direction.
"Aqua! You are early!" Sheira rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Aqua's waist, letting herself hang.
Azure approached slowly and pulled Sheira's ear, forcing her to peel away from Aqua. "I am sorry to keep you waiting. Sheira started sleeping in a bit too much. I had to wake her up."
"I do not mind. Were you able to settle your duties, Azu?" She held her open palm in front of her for a moment.
"I am glad." Azure rubbed the back of her head. "Fang told me to continue practicing by myself for a while. Soleah had sent him on an important mission; most of the golden roses remained to train the troops. I believe that issue is settled as long as they don't betray us."
"Alright, enough of that. Now you two are going on a vacation while I am finally going to study." Sheira waved casually.
Azure and Aqua looked at each other and smiled. "Let's go."
"My Ladies. Welcome." The coachman placed his left hand on his right shoulder and bowed. "The ride is ready."
Unlike most servants, this man had not shown fear when looking at Aqua. Rumors might not have reached him.
The man opened the door of the carriage.
The trio quickly made their way in. Azure went in first, followed by Aqua.
Sheira leaned out of the carriage. "Excellent. Drive safely~"
"I will get you there safely, your highness." The coachman bowed and closed the door behind them.
He quickly fastened the reins to the Earth drake and took a seat.
"Go, go!" The man hit the drake with the reins, forcing it to swiftly make its way out of the palace's stables.