Sakura waved her father goodbye and turn to Gabriel with her arms outstretched. He raises and eyebrow and chuckles a bit but lean down to carry her in his arms.
"It seems that our dear princess became quite the sloth."
"I did not! I just fig-fi....fi.gur.ed that you carry.ing me there is much quicker than me walking."
She puffed up her cheeks and tried to justify her lazy ass from not walking.
'My pronunciation is definitely better, but still some words get me. Oh well, in a few months more it'll get better.'
While thinking about her speech, Sakura leans her head over Gabriel's shoulder and watches Hedwig and Uriel talking pleasantly and Phelan staring up at her being carried by Gabriel.
'Why he frowning? Does he want to be carried too?"
Phelan pouted when he saw Sakura hugging Gabriel and resting her head on his shoulder.
'If I was a bit taller, I would be the one carrying her.'
Phelan was a bit vexed that he was just 6 years old and was just at the height of reaching Gabriel's knees.
While both thought of diffrent things, they were finally able to reach the throne room. Sakura waved at the two royal knights that where guarding the doors.
'It seems that they are usually the ones guarding the door. Each time I came here, it was always them.'
Sakura smiled even more when they lightly nodded a hello when the opened the doors.
The moment the doors were open, Sakura felt a guest of air pass by and then a small yelp from behind her.
'What the hell was that?'
Blinking absentmindedly, she turns and catches Azrael hugging Uriel tightly, burying his head in Uriel's neck. Uriel was a bit startled but gently smiled while hugging Azrael back.
He whispered something in Azrael's ears which in return he got a nod as a response. For a while it seemed that they forgot they were surrounded by other people, only to remember when Seraph did a light cought.
Uriel finally took notice and his pale porcelain skin was colored a rosy pink when he felt the stares. He quickly and softly shook Azrael to let him go. Azrael reluctantly did so and had the image of an abandoned puppy, which for Sakura, struck her right in the chest by how adorable it was.
'This adorable couple will be the death of me.'
Sakura smiled at the lovable couple and noticed she wasn't the only one who found them quite endearing.
Gabriel had the look of a proud and happy parent, while Ariel grinned from ear to ear at his friends joyful interaction.
"Looking at you two make me miss my wife."
He lightly teased them and laughed when Uriel went up to him and smacked his shoulder.
"You saw your wife less than half an hour ago, how whipped are you that you already miss her?"
Seraph looks at his friend in distaste and rolled his eyes at him.
"This is why your wife is always angry at you my friend. You aren't a romantic at all."
Ariel snickered when he saw Seraph scowling at him when he reminded him of his wife's nagging about his blandness in romance.
"You guys really are best friends haha."
Gabriel smiles at the two and chuckles a bit at their interaction.
"Where in this whole conversation do you see I consider this mutt my friend."
Seraph turns away and just kept a frown in his face.
"Hahaha love you too best friend."
Ariel smiled cheekily at Seraph's back and winked when he saw Sakura was staring at them.
"Well hello dear princess, it has been a long time that we last seen each other hasn't it?"
He walks toward her and gently ruffles her hair, which earned an annoyed glare from her.
"Hahaha! You really look like your uncle Seraph when you make that face, you guys really are related."
He pokes her puffed up cheeks and found it fun to play with Sakura that always shows her reactions.
"You should stop, I can already sense she might bite your finger in retaliation."
Gabriel a wry smile at their interaction and can see Sakura narrowing her eyes with each poke on her left cheek.
"Ok ok~"
Ariel moves away with his hands up and walks behind them to say hello to Hedwig.
"Hedwig! It's been so long, you don't look the age over 400!"
Both men clasp each other hand and almost seemed to arm wrestle in the air with how their arm muscle can be seen tightening under their clothes.
It lasted for a while until Hedwig let's out a bellowing guffaw and then went for a manly hug.
"You have grown much from the last time I saw you boy. I remember the last time you weren't even able to keep up with my strength."
Hedwig pulls up his sleeve and reveals his muscular arm, one that doesn't seem to belong to a man who looked to be in his 50s.
Sakura did a low whistle in admiration in her mind and even more so for Ariel, since normally a beastman have higher physical abilities than a human, so it is quite the feat to be in par with one in strength without the use of magic.
"Of course, I've been training even more since that time just to beat you."
Ariel smiled quite lazily and seemed to be proud at his achievement. But then he noticed Phelan who looked up at him in admiration.
"Well who is this kid?"
Ariel squats down and made himself to be in eye level to Phelan.
"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you, my name is Phelan."
The boy was dazed and held a gaze of adoration, as if he found an idol.
"Haha well hello Phelan, you must be Hedwig's grandson right?"
"Yeah! Your really cool, not many people can win against grandpa without using enhancement magic!"
"Well that's from hard work and dedication. But if you really wanna meet a person who is really strong, my friend Azrael is actually stronger that me."
Ariel turns and points at Azrael who looks down at their interaction, watching how the boys eyes seem to sparkle at meeting someone even stronger.
Uriel lightly chortled when he saw Azrael stiffen at the attention of the child on him. He knew Azrael wasn't good with children because he didn't know how to interact much with one. The only children he was able to get close to were their friends kids and even then it took a while because they cried when first meeting his serious and expressionless face.
Uriel lightly glances at Sakura and sees her leaning her head on Gabriel, and seems to just watch everything as if watching a play.
'The only child who ever got close to him and didn't cry from the very beginning was her highness, Sakura. Maybe that is why she has such a special place in Azrael's heart.'
Uriel unconsciously smiled warmly at the thought and can't wait to have his own children.
"Really!?"
He turns to see Phelan has ran toward Azrael and was looking up at him in pure admiration.
Azrael just stood there looking down at the boy and did a curt nod.
"Wow! I wanna be strong too! Tell me how you got so strong!"
Phelan grabs Azrael's hand and notices how much callous it has from intense training. And grew to find Azrael even more amazing.
"Wah~ Azrael stole my fan, how mean of you."
Ariel laughed in mirth and rested an elbow in his friends shoulder while watching his friends stiff reaction.
"Stop teasing Azrael so much Ariel, he seems to be panicking a bit from the attention."
Seraph rolls his eyes again and then turns to Gabriel.
"Where is his Majesty anyway? He seems to be quite late, even Raphael hasn't showed up."
"Ah."
Gabriel grimace at the memory of their guests.
"People from the Divine kingdom decided to visit unannounced."
"Again!?"
The usual scowl in Seraph's face deepen with a hint of contempt.
'Didn't think his face will show even more dislike that it already does.'
Sakura giggles a bit in her mind when she saw his face.
"Who did they send this time? Those fools from last time?"
"No, worse. They sent high priest Nicolas and-"
"Azrael calm down!"
Uriel held Azrael's arm to stop him from leaving the room to head to where they might be.
"I'm fine, he wasn't able to get too close. I actually have to thank her highness for that."
They all look surprised at his words and turn to Sakura in wonder of what he meant.
"I'm sorry, but I don't get what she did that stopped him from trying to have any contact with you?"
Seraph didn't really mean to look down at Sakura, he knew she is a smart child, but he doubts she knew who the man was and his disgusting taste.
"He tried to touch me- Azrael he didn't though! So don't get so mad please."
Uriel held his arm with one hand, while the other gently strokes Azrael's cheek to calm him.
"But before he could, Sakura slapped his hand away. But I worry that his attention may have turn to her because she helped me."
Everyone were a bit startled to hear Sakura slapping the hand away of someone, they only knew she did it once, but didn't think she'd do it again with another complete stranger.
"I'm quite curious, why did she do that? Knowing that low life, he wouldn't reveal his dirty personality outside of his domain?"
Seraph looked at Sakura with keen eyes and wonder what made her react that way to the priest.
Sakura grimaces in her mind and thinks she should really control her actions more.
'Shit. I get the feeling of perplexity from my actions. But I can't say it's because I knew what the man has done and what he wanted to do with Uriel either. I as a child who is sheltered from everything shouldn't know the dark side of society.'
"Well your highness? Why did you slap the man's hand away?"
Seraph smiled at her, but his gaze wasn't and everyone there actually wanted to know too, because even they know it shouldn't be for just no reason.
'Damn fine! Bulshit skills, Activate!'
She blinks her eyes a few times as if processing what he was asking and then tilts her head in confusion.
"Why I didn't want him near Uriel? Well... he had a strange feel."
"A strange feel?"
"Yeah. He was smiling and seemed nice, but the way he was getting close to Uriel didn't feel good. It felt bad, and I felt uncle Uriel didn't like him ei-thur. So that's why I slapped the man's hand. Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry."
Sakura lowered her head as if she was being scolded and seemed to feel like her actions were wrong.
But she felt a light pat in the head from the back and turns to see Azrael patting her head. She looks up to make eye contact with him and saw his gaze holding warmth.
"You did good."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Sakura smiles happily and reaches out to Azrael, which in turn he took her from Gabriel's arms and held her.
"Well your right. She did do the right thing."
Seraph sighs but didn't really care in the high priest complains about it of not, he'll just write a superficial letter of apology and be done with it.
"Your highness. I do thank you very much for helping me there, you are truly a kind and loving child."
Uriel strokes Sakura's left cheek and smiles kindly to her, which made her smile back at him.
'Hehe. How can I let such a pretty man like you suffer from the hands of a sleazebag like that priest.'
Sakura was gloating proudly when she recieved praise from her actions.
"Haha looking from an outside prospective. Seeing Azrael carrying her and Uriel beside, it seems like a family of three. Especially with Sakura's near identical hair to that of Uriel.'
Ariel looks at the three and really feels like he is seeing a family of three, the child, the mother and the father having a precious moment.
"Hmm. It does seem like it doesn't it."
Seraph agrees with Ariel with no sense of sarcasm like usually and had a rare smile in his face when he sees this.
"I really hope they can have their own family soon after their marrage."
"Mihkael already had me find papers and files needed for when someone needs to adopt, they just have to choose the child and hand those papers and just like that, they can adopt with ease. But don't tell those two yet, it is a marriage gift Mihkael prepared for them."
Seraph quietly told Ariel.
"They would be happy to receive that gift."
Ariel felt joy for his friends happiness but then his expression got a bit serious.
"But it seems we have to add another worry to add to our problems."
"You mean about how Sakura got that bastards attention?"
"So you both are discussing that issue too I see."
Gabriel walks toward them and heard them bring that up.
"Who would have thought the guy had enough balls to even think about the future heir of this empire."
"Ariel, pleased watch your words."
"Hey, Seraph called him a bastard."
He points at Seraph which earned him a slap of the hand.
"Don't point at me, it's childish an idiotic."
All three watch how Hedwig and Phelan talk with the couple and Sakura.
"As long as she isn't close to that specific man, I think it should be fine."
"I don't know about that."
"What do you mean?"
Gabriel glances at Seraph and was confused of what he meant.
"The Divine kingdom top knight took an interest in her too, not in that perverse way, but in amusement and curiosity. He might have caught on in how different she is to other normal children, and might try to probe her to see how different she is."
"Haaahhhh~ it's never a good sign for us when the holy empire takes interest in someone, and I speak from experience."
Gabriel sighs in exasperation at the thought.
"Well for now, we can only keep her away from anyone from the Divine kingdom, hopefully they get bored of waiting and forget her."
Ariel shrugs his shoulder and find the situation bothersome, and thinks the best course of action is to keep them away from her till they give up.
"Hopefully."
Seraph narrows his eyes and a sharp glint is reflected off from his monocle glasses.
"But anyway, her highness has her own guests to meet today, I bet they have been waiting a little too long."
Seraph walks toward the other people to explain that there are some people here to see Sakura. While Gabriel stands in wonder of what Seraph means.
"Guest for her highness? Who might they be?"
He turns to Ariel from information, but just receives a mischievous smile.
"Let's go and see."
He walks to follow behind the group that is leaving, while Gabriel follows along in pure confusion.
Sakura is watching Seraph's back in confusion, while being carried by Azrael and following behind Seraph.
'Guests? When did the three year old me know so many people that I can actually have guest meet me?'
Even when she asked, she was told it was a suprise and was even more curious of the guests identity.
Seraph finally stops in front of a door and turns to them.
"Well your highness, let's meet your guests."
He opens he door himself and what she saw when she entered behind him made her eye twitch in silence.
'This.... you gotta be kidding me.'
What she sees is a a group of eyes staring back at her, there was 4 boys and a girl staring back at her. Sakura can automatically tell two of the boys were Seraph children and the two boys and the girl was Gabriel's kids.
'Why the hell is another 3 capture targets doing here. Fuck! I just recently got over one, I don't need this now too.'
"Damn."
That was the only think Sakura can say at this point.