“A good book has no ending.” – Robert Frost.
THIRD PERSON POV.
"Grandpa!"
"Grandpa?!"
Claude de Alger Obelia lifted his eyes from the book he was reading and looked at the two little figures rushing towards him through his circular golden rimmed glasses.
A small boy with snow white hair and a girl with long messy blonde hair. Both of them were eight and nine years old respectively. They were the young Prince Emrys de Alger Obelia and Princess Eternity de Alger Obelia.
"What is it this time?" He asked as the two reached close to him and clutched at his robe starting to shout.
"You know Grandpa what Rys did-"
"Grandpa, I didn't do anything, Ety is lying-"
The two started shouting together which made it hard for Claude to understand what exactly was the root of the problem was. He spotted the certain red haired eleven year old who was assigned to look after the young Prince and Princess running towards them huffing as if he'd run across the whole palace.
As if noticing the gaze the child straightened up and mechanically walked closer and bowed before the previous Emperor.
"B-Blessings and glory upon the Obelian Empire."
"What's going on?"
"We-Well..."
"Rys! Ety!" He turned his gaze on the young woman who was walking towards them. Claude watched her with soft eyes as she was his younger daughter Athanasia followed by the Headmaid Lillian Robane.
The young boy gasped as he saw his mother and he and the girl hid behind Claude. Elias too fliched as he saw his mother but he stood rooted in his place.
"You two! How many times have I told you to not go around recklessly playing?!" Athanasia started scolding the two young children.
"And stop hiding now!" She scolded making the children who was hiding behind Claude flinch.
"I-I'm sorry...?" The boy and the girl poked their heads out from their Grandfather's broad shoulders.
"What happened this time?"
Athanasia sighed slumping her shoulders, "They tore the tapestry."
"So?" Claude spoke disinterestedly.
"It was the one with butterflies and meadow." Athanasia said making the two as well as Claude to pause for a moment.
"You mean the one that Aeturnus gifted Ara?" Claude asked and Athanasia nodded making Claude turn his head to look at the young ones.
He knew the children were more like their parents but his older daughter's older son was more like him. Aeturnus de Alger Obelia was the copy of Claude's personality and if it was something that he had gifted his beloved mother then...
"Grandpa..."
"Help us please..."
The two looked at Claude with puppy dog eyes. He wasn't immune to that look but he knew Aeturnus wasn't the one to yield or be merciful when it came to his mother.
Claude sighed, "Of all the people you had to ruin the gift he gave to Ara..."
"You should accept whatever punishment your older brother gives you two." Athanasia said making the two give her the look as well.
"No, that look doesn't work on me." Athanasia crossed her arms at her chest.
"Eternity de Alger Obelia and Emrys de Alger Obelia!" The two grew pale as they heard the voice of their angry older sibling.
Athanasia and Lilly turned to see the boy who was of age 15 walking towards them, his jet black hair waved around his shoulders because of the disturbed air flow around him. His jeweled blue eyes glowed dangerously and even the ladies felt the chill run down their spines.
Aeturnus was obsessed with his mother, just as Ara was obsessed with Athanasia.
"You two... come to the training grounds." He spoke as soon as he found them.
"Waah! Not the training grounds!"
"Big brother, it was Emrys not me!"
"Do I have to drag you two?" Aeturnus cracked his knuckles making the two bolt.
"Elias." The red haired boy flinched.
"Should I tell you separately?"
"I-I'll go, Your Highness!" He shouted as he ran behind the two young children towards the training grounds.
"Aeturnus, please don't drill them too much." Athanasia said and he looked at her.
"No promises, Aunt." He said as he started brought his hand up and snapped his fingers teleporting away.
Athanasia released a breath, "He's just like Ara."
"It's fine, he's going to leave as soon as his holidays are done." Claude said.
Ara as an Empress had arranged educational institutions in the Empire, one of which was for the elites where the ones with exceptional talent in any sector were admitted regardless of their birth or age.
Aeturnus was one of the students there along with Athanasia's older daughter Lestari de Alger Obelia who was one year younger than Aeturnus.
"I wonder where Lestari is." Athanasia wondered aloud.
"She must be at the library." Claude spoke as he shifted his eyes to the book he was reading before he was disturbed.
"Ara is going to come home in a week after subduing the situation in the West. She's chosen to make peace, right?"
"Yes, it seems like she ended up befriending the Crown Prince of the kingdom and invited him along." Claude may have retired from his duties but he knew every detail without any delay.
"Are the celebration preparations done?" He asked.
"Almost."
"The invitations of ball have already been given and the menu and everything else has been decided." Athanasia briefed.
"So, what's the problem?"
"It's... I just... miss her..." She admitted and Claude's eyes stared off in the distance as he too missed his daughter.
"I miss her too."
Athanasia smiled as her father admitted it too and then she excused herself as she need to check the preparations again.
Lillian had been with Princess Athanasia ever since Ara had become the Empress, she at first had tried to be of aide to Ara but since it was too much taxing on her Ara had assigned her to Athanasia and the palace exclusively. Lilly knew Ara was always going to put others before her, that's just how she was since the childhood.
Lilly wouldn't voice it but she too missed Ara and hoped she would come back as soon as possible.
***
Athanasia and Amara were both in their forties now, but they didn't look a day older than twenty. It was because of the overwhelming amount of mana that they had. They had gotten married sixteen years ago and their husbands Lucas and Ijekiel lived in the palace with them. Ijekiel often was away because of his Duchy's responsibilities and Lucas was often busy with the national affairs alongside his wife the Empress. And if that wasn't enough he had to take up Ara's duties when she used to go for wars.
"Argh! This is so tiring!" Lucas groaned as he slumped over the large desk with huge amount of paperwork still pending.
"I miss you, Ara. Please come back soon and help me out here!"
He knew he had to drag on for another week before his wife would return to rescue him from the desk work. But he was starting to lose it.
"Why can't I go to the battlefield instead?" He groaned against the papers.
"Your Majesty..." his subordinates looked at the said present Emperor and Lucas sighed sitting up straight.
He had to keep his image for Ara, even if he had to cry tears of blood he had to finish his work.
***
The first Princess Lestari sat in the chair reading a novel, her long wavy white hair danced with the wind occassionally making her look as if she belonged to the world of the fairies instead of the human realm. Her jeweled blue eyes stayed focused on her pages that she didn't even notice the presence of the other entities in the library.
Iliana Robane, aged fourteen was assigned to be the first Princess' personal maid and her friend, eldest daughter of Felix and Lily. Presently, she was taking care of the four mana beasts that belonged to the two Princes and the two Princesses.
A black tiger named Fury of the Crown Prince Aeturnus, the white wolf named Stella of Princess Lestari, the small black panther cub named Jet belonging to the Young Princess Eternity and the small white pup Cloud belonging to Prince Emrys.
The black tiger was usually cold and didn't listen well but he wouldn't create any trouble unless provoked. It was gentle with the other mana beasts and the family but with outsiders it would show its dominance.
There was a knock on the door making the mana beasts along with Iliana turn to look at the door.
"Princess Lestari." A maid walked in.
"Her Highness Princess Athanasia is looking for you." She said as she bowed and Lestari who seemed to be too engrossed in her book sighed.
She let out a groan kicking her feet.
"Ah, Mom, why does she have to call me when I'm at the best part? It was just time when the Princess was about to know the identity of the masked stranger!" Lestari was the dreamy person who loved reading novels.
Iliana smiled as she was used to Lestari's behaviour.
Regardless of the complaints, Lestari left the library followed by Iliana. The beasts were led to their lair, away from the Princes and Princesses.
***
"Another lap!" Aeturnus spoke making the three kids who were running laps around the vast training grounds groan.
"I'm going to die... I'm sorry.... Big brother!" Emrys cried.
"I'm your... blood sister... you psycho!" Eternity shouted.
"If you have energy to shout then you have energy for another twenty rounds!"
"What?!" Elias who had gotten dragged in to the punishment couldn't help the shock.
"Waah!" Emrys cried louder.
"I'm... going to... kill you!" Eternity shouted.
None of them dared to stop as they knew if they did, Aeturnus would make them spar with him and then he'd beat the hell out of them.
"He's... a... demon!"
"I'll... complain Aunt... Ara... about him!"
"I'm... dying..."
The three huffed as they dragged their feet across the training grounds without stopping.
Aeturnus was the Crown Prince of the Obelia and he was known to be stricter than Amara, his mother. He was also exceptionally gifted in academics, combat and magic. It was quite obvious that he would be because he was personally trained by his mother.
Aeturnus did love his siblings but he needed to train them often since they were his responsibility. He knew they all were strong especially his sister who was fiery and but he couldn't let her anger run rampant.
"Make it so that she would control her anger and not the other way around, okay?" His mother had told him which was why he was whipping her into shape.
"Big brother, you're... so dead for this!" He heard his sister Eternity shout and he rolled his eyes.
"Good luck." He spoke, the only person who could defeat him was his mother, father and his grandfather.
Aeturnus watched his siblings running laps and his brain just wandered over to his mother again, she was on the battlefield for almost six months now and he missed her. He longed to have a spar with her, no one could make him want to fight seriously. Just one snap of fingers was enough to make anyone disappear.
He sighed as everything seemed boring.
"Mom, hurry back. I miss you."
***
Two days passed by and almost all of the preparations for welcoming Ara were done.
Ijekiel was hurrying back towards the Imperial palace, he was assigned to bring the four special guests from Mieta.
"I'm so excited to see Ara and Athy." The long brown haired woman said. Her green eyes twinkled with glee.
"She's the Empress, Jeanette." The older man with greying black hair said.
"She's still my sister, Father." Jeanette smiled.
Since they didn't have mana they were growing older according to their age.
"Mom, will I be able to play with Rys and Ety?" The young girl of age ten spoke. She shared the eyes of her father and hair of her mother.
"Of course, El."
"Please address the Royal family with proper titles when you see them, Arielle." The man with deep blue hair said.
He had relaxing blue eyes which made his face look gentle, he was Jeanette's husband Robert Frost, a successful merchant and also a poet.
He and Jeanette had run into each other when he was on a trip to Mieta and instantly fell in love. He didn't care if she was the daughter of Anastacius, who was the banished and supposedly executed person of the Obelian Imperial family.
Robert had to go through one hell of trials of Ara before she allowed him to marry Jeanette. Nevertheless, he loved Jeanette enough to endure it all and now lived happily with his wife, daughter and his father-in-law.
***
Felix had accompanied Ara to the war, he had thought that it would be a complete bloodshed for the other side and to some extent it was but it didn't last long as Empress Ara surprisingly enough made peace with the enemy Empire.
"I can't believe we wasted six months only to realise that this was an instigated thing." He sighed as he rode beside the carriage.
"I know, right? Her Majesty should have just gone ahead and beheaded the Crown Prince though, why would she befriend him?" A fellow knight asked as he rode behind Felix.
Felix could vaguely try to understand why Ara would befriend the Crown Prince of the enemy country. He was tricked into waging this war by the Queen of that Empire, everyone knew how strong Obelia's Empress was so, it was a clear suicide for anyone who tried to take her on. The war was purposely instigated to take the Crown Prince off.
Ara might have thought that he was like her from her past life, he was thrown into the battlefield since a young age for him to be killed but he grew stronger instead.
"Moreover, why is he coming with us?" The knight grumbled.
Eorka Empire was the second strongest Empire after Obelia and that was solely because of their Crown Prince who was given the names like War Hero, The Imperial Ruffian, The Barbarian of the Royal Family, etc.
Felix could only hope that Ara wouldn't get involved in some other Empire's matters just because she wouldn't have anything fun to do. The thought made him sigh, because there were chances.
He once looked at the two figures who were on the horses a few feet ahead of him, their capes blew with the wind and they would occassionally look at each other and laugh or talk.
Felix prayed that this Prince whom they were taking along wouldn't be a mistake. After all, he was a brutal person who though didn't have magic but had the ruthlessness to face Ara in the battlefield and be on par with her with just his sword and combat skills.
"Crown Prince..." Felix muttered his name and then turned his thoughts to his wife and kids whom he hadn't seen for six months.
***
Hello everyone,
Ah! Don't throw stuff at me just yet, Ara is in next chapter and also a surprise. Hehehe...
Anyways, I kinda missed you guys' comments so I decided to write this bonus chapters and also give you guys some more fun moments.
Hope you like this and also read the next chapter.