.The Shadow Knight.

-31-

"What is it?" I looked at Elise "What occupies my shadow's mind?"

"Several things." I sighed. "For one how long do we need to be tied together?"

"Oh silly, haven't they told you? Until we go to bed for the 'first' night together." I sighed and she seemed amused at that. "Anything else bothering you?"

"Just wondering if all your knight are trained like.... That." I pointed ahead. "Solor greatly surpasses you."

"I am aware of that unfortunately which is a good enough reason to be allies if nothing more, only men learn to fight and in their old archaic ways, when you or any of my queens showed up they couldn't stand a chance against you, I have hope you can change them with the others to help you as that might be what saves us in the inevitable war that is just whispers for now."

I nodded, looking as the men fight 'for glory and riches' in front of a crowd sitting up on wooden seats.

"Must we watch this?" I asked, this was boring, I can't even participate yet as I am tied to her right now.

"We must be good hosts and let the visitors have a bit of fun." I could hear an eye roll in her words as we glanced over at the royal family sitting further from us and invested in these boring fights.

"Cheer up, you'll be able to mess up their celebration when we visit their land." Melore grinned.

"Always looking for trouble huh?" Rain sighed while asking, I feel like out of the four of us married to Elise only Kia and I are mature.

"Little shadow, has your friend found anything interesting yet?" Elise asked, distracting me from the two silently bickering queens.

"Not a lot, he is the forgotten heir but even so he isn't the strongest of all, he is as much of a dragon as Kia but has wild magic abilities he can externalize. He needs to get to know the animals he wants to establish a bond with to enable him to link his mind to its."

"How long will that take him?"

"Each animal is different, for a bird? If he has some food for it I'd say, a few days."

"I can spare that much since the festivities."

-------------------------------------------------------

As the royal group we were forced to attend the festival all day long, watching people juggle flaming torches, act out historical events as comedies or even a bard singing the stories.

This was the one time the common folk could get so close to the empress and the other highnesses.

Unlike them, I couldn't enjoy this fully, I didn't even enjoy my marriage fully, always on the look out.

The festiv-- I stepped forth and held my hand up, my katana shooting out from the pocket realm, I caught it and turned the blade horizontal to the ground but the edge facing upwards.

"Who are you brave soul that dares to attack us on such a day?" Elise gently asked, Melore already behind the men, sharp and long claws replaced her nails and resting against his throat. "You can't believe you could have gotten to us could you?" I could hear the smile in her voice as he looked terrified.

I flicked his blade off mine slashed.

"W-what?" He had the time to whisper before his head rolled off his neck and the body collapsed.

I took the handle in my mouth so I could open the hole in my hand before dropping it in.

I shot a knowing glare at the other royal family following after us, the mother shocked and the men looking unnerved but the princess as calm as ever.