The Great White Lion

Chapter 22: So Strong, So Beautiful

"Can we?" She giggled before shushing herself down, "Oh right, gotta be good for big brother! I'll stay quiet."

"Oh yes, my dear big brother!" Mylo sighed dramatically while placing his hand over where his heart would be, "Please do take me as well!"

"Mylo." Lily whacked the demon upside the head, and Mylo pouted.

"Fine! Let's go before Valider notices we're in his territory." Mylo huffed, "I need my beauty sleep anyways."

*

They had gotten far in those hours of nonstop traveling. Noble could say it was worth the lack of food for the day, paid in distance. The crew had gotten a glimpse of MuIna, the capital city of Lunis, on their journey. It was at a far distance, but you could clearly see the castle from anywhere. It was massive with golden towers and a grand glass roof over the main hall. Noble stared at it intensely for the few moments he had to look.

Noble remembered how long it took to build such a castle in secret. It had been a gift to Tharros from Leo and his people. He remembered that he built the glass dome for the reason of easy access for his mother to visit him at any time, though she did not set foot on his hard work once. She never visited, only watched from above as his influence grew among the common folk.

He remembered Tharros' face when he set his eyes on the castle, and how the lion had burst into tears that night. He could remember the nights in that same room full of beautiful flowers that they had talked, drank wine, were treated like gods by the servants he knew so well. That night, Tharros swept him off his feet, spun him around and gave him the time of his life.

Noble's eyes watered at the memories returning to him as well as the red return to his cheeks of the memory of passion he showed him that night. That was the first time they had made love. It was under the stars and surrounded by flowers that Leo helped grow with his caregivers. It was sweet, gentle, and loving. Those blue eyes staring into his during the whole time, hair messy and pants heavily. That night was the start of something complete, whole, and a new experience.

Noble's stomach grew light and nervous. Was this normal? Was this a part of his ascension into becoming the god he was born to be? These memories were returning to him . . . Seeing the castle -- his castle alone forced on days of sadness he had suffered as well as days that he sitting on a throne with many of his citizens down on their knees worshiping him. Then, it crashed on him. It sucked the air out of his lungs.

Leo sat on his throne with a bored expression. He had been sitting here for hours, as it feels, and all the requests from the villagers had been done for the day. He glanced at his markings on his fingers and hands that led up his arms and to his neck. That's when the massive entrance to the throne room had opened only to reveal a little girl.

"Papa!" The little girl giggled and squealed. She ran over with her long, elegant blue dress and crashed into Leo with full force. Leo was now smiling like an idiot.

"Lina," Leo grinned, "How's my little girl doing today?"

"Daddy took me to the temple today. Many of the people there fell down on their knees when they saw me! I thought they all fainted!" Lina huffed, "They kept going on about how I was a "gift from Luna" and how I was some miracle that I was an offspring of two males! They were all so amazed!"

It was simple, Leo told himself, yet you were so hard to obtain my little flower.

It had been years since his mother had given them what they wanted, an egg. It was blue in color, and Leo's mother had told them that this would have a price. It was a price that Leo was all too willing to take. He didn't regret one second with his little girl. She was so beautiful when she hatched. A small baby had slammed its way from the hard shell of the egg, that feisty trait being inherited by him.