Aroha, Zhiyi, and the six guards were rooted to the ground as the wyvern flew away. It had been almost a minute, and none of them could move an inch. It was a miracle they had an encounter with a Wyvern, and it went so smoothly.
Was it because of the presence of the Renoffs? Were they respected even by wyverns?
The guards saw them in an even greater light. What an honour it was to be guarding such noble individuals. Of course, Aroha knew that wasn't the case. She heard it quite clearly.
It said, Welcome.
Welcome? To where? And why her?And did Zhiyi hear it too?
She was fairly certain the guards didn't. But if she could hear it, there was little reason why Zhiyi couldn't. It had to be connected to their Renoff blood somehow. But that wasn't a discussion she was ready to have in public. Yes, to her, being around those guards was public itself.
Aroha cleared her throat, thawing everyone from their mental freeze. "Can we be on the move now? It's gone, isn't it?" she said.
The guards nodded and quickly got themselves together. Zhiyi was still quite shaken. She shivered slightly. One of the guards had to help her mount her horse. They tried to help Aroha as well. It was expected that such 'fragile' girls would still be awestruck by what had happened.
Fragile?
Aroha was anything but fragile. The scorn on her face said that much. No one attempted to help her up her horse once they saw that face. They probably wouldn't help her with anything else as well.
From that moment on, Zhiyi said nothing. She seemed lost—adrift in whatever dark thoughts consumed her. Aroha, on the other hand, welcomed the silence. It was a strange change from when they'd left home—calmer, almost serene. Or was it fear that made the air so still? Whichever it was, Aroha didn't mind, so long as the quiet lasted.
And yet, she hated seeing Zhiyi like this—shaken, hollow, small. For someone she could barely stand most days, Aroha despised her weakness even more. Zhiyi was supposed to be perfect—the golden child, untouchable. It had to stay that way, even if it cost Aroha herself. That was how much she cared, though she'd never show it. Not even a fraction.
"Wyvern got you all quiet now? I hear the princes love strong women," Aroha teased. But Zhiyi wasn't responding to her tease. She was truly shaken. Aroha bit her lip. Was she taking it too far?
"I'm joking, alright. You don't have to look so grim. That's my job," Aroha teased, and Zhiyi chuckled. "Ah, there's that smile. Keep it on, but shut up," Aroha said sharply. Suddenly, you could hear the cold in her voice again. It almost made her concern sound like mockery.
But Zhiyi was far from not being lost in her thoughts. The wyvern approaching them was a significant event. It was either that something had happened or was about to. The fact that Aroha wasn't talking about it meant that she knew. Or at least she had a fair idea. And to make matters worse, she kept completely silent about it. That must have meant its importance was of great magnitude. So great that she couldn't mention it in front of strangers. But she would try her best to look strong, just as she always had.
What Aroha didn't know was that Zhiyi wasn't strong. How could she know? Zhiyi was gifted and confident, and loved by all. But it was tough on her. Aroha was her solace. Someone who protected her even when everyone else shunned her. She wasn't as brave as her older sister, but for her sake, she would be. At least that way, she wouldn't have to worry about her. Zhiyi stared at Aroha occasionally without her notice. She looked so much at ease. As important as what she knew might be, she didn't look bothered by it. But Aroha had always been like that. She was hardly shaken by anything.
***
The rest of the journey was quiet, and by evening they arrived at the capital. It was a lot shorter than Aroha thought it would be, and she was glad that the journey was finally over. They were greeted quite generously at the gates once they knew who they were. Their parents were legends after all.
"My lady, shall we proceed to the Renoff Manor immediately, or would you like to visit anywhere else first?" one of the guards asked.
It was the first time any of them had spoken since introducing themselves before departure. They didn't seem the talkative type — something Aroha was perfectly fine with.
"Oh, we're not going there," she said quickly. "No way am I living with a bunch of rich snobs. Take us to the Healers' Nest."
The guards exchanged bewildered glances. How could a Renoff — of all people — speak that way about her own family? Aroha caught the flicker of confusion in their eyes and sighed.
"Ah, don't worry," she said with a dismissive wave. "People say it all the time."
It wasn't uncommon for others to assume that wealth and arrogance went hand in hand. In the Renoffs' case, the assumption wasn't entirely wrong — though there were exceptions, like Aroha and her family.
The Renoffs' ancestral manor stood proudly in the capital, once home to the entire lineage before many had followed Gero and Miya to Juza after the armistice. Those who remained still kept the estate, and Gero's instructions had been clear: the guards were to take his daughters straight to the manor. It was safer there, at least until they learned their way around the capital.
"My lady, your father instructed us to---" one of the guards started, but Aroha promptly cut him short. She was in no mood to engage them in a conversation.
"Fine. Take us there. Once we arrive there, your job will be done, and we can do whatever we like," she retorted.
"My lady---"
"That will be all," she interjected once more. And she called the others rich snobs, like she was any different. "What do you think, Zhiyi?" Aroha asked. Zhiyi wasn't yet quite her normal self.
"I don't think I want to stay in the manor either. We'll be cut off from so many people and fun stuff---" Zhiyi was getting excited till Aroha voiced in.
"People? Did you say people?" Aroha asked dreadfully.
"Well, yeah. In other parts of the capital, we would have to mix with a lot of people. Maybe even more people in the Healers' Nest. But in the manor, we could just avoid people. No one would even know we were there. But you already knew that, right?"
Zhiyi was clearly baiting Aroha. She knew that Aroha wouldn't live in the manor otherwise. But there was also no way she would survive the Healers' Nest. There were simply too many people to stay with. On her own, Zhiyi would be just fine. She had no problem staying with many people. But Aroha's life would be a living hell, in turn making her own life a living hell as well.