He stepped into the capital of the country he visits every few years to his annoyance to keep the promise he made years ago. 

He wandered his eyes around the capital he stepped in, 

The streets were bustling with men swigging their cigar in dark coats and caps, women fanning themselves with the hand fan in hand for accessories while talking to others in gowns, the children playing around, beggars asking for food or money, while some other adolescents selling newspapers probably for a livelihood. 

The shops were filled with costumers, while some children looked for food in dustbins that was placed outside the running restaurants. He walked forward and saw houses surrounded with garden and a castle standing majestically in between the capital of the continent he’s standing on. 

Another man wearing a black cloak like him came forward and asked in a respectful manner, 

“Lord, a request has come for you from the royal palace.” 

The man tilted his head towards his side and hummed, 

“So?", he asked fixing his gaze on the castle he saw in the middle. 

“The queen has asked for your presence, mi lord.”, the other man answered in a calm manner. 

“Hmm, the castle looks too white, how boring.” 

“Yes, mi lord", he took that as no and was about to return until he was called out. 

“Let’s visit it again", although he just said it as a casual sentence, it still sounded like a threat. 

---------*--------- 

Clemencia’s room was filled with papers, Lia, her maid was standing beside the door of the room and wondered what Clemencia was doing while drowning in the stack of papers. 

Clemencia’s face was covered with ink and her hands was moving constantly with the quill in them on papers. 

Lia picked one of the papers which came flying close to her leg because of the wind and was quite surprised by the beautiful writing and the words which was unfamiliar to her. 

“What language is this, princess?”, Lia couldn't contain her curiosity anymore and asked. 

“A truce.”, Clemencia's answer was short and she kept writing repeatedly. 

“A truce? But this is not the language of our country.”, Lia came forward and tried to peek at what Clemencia was writing currently. 

Clemencia covered the papers with both of her hands when she felt Lia's presence behind her and glared like a rabbit at Lia. 

“No peeking.” 

“Hahahahahaha, okay”, Lia was overwhelmed by her cheeks filled with baby fat and her big hazel eyes. 

‘Cute’ 

She went out of the door prepare snacks for afternoon and Clemencia saw this as a chance to walk around freely at palace to grasp every corner of it. 

She got up and ran out of her room and roamed around the palace. 

Clemencia wanted to observe her surrounding which she didn’t or couldn’t in her past life. 

She ran towards the garden and the palace which was built by her father king atlas for her when she was born. 

Clemencia used to hide there for peace before but now it was the perfect place to plan out her plans to change everything. 

She walked forward and opened the door at the far-left corner which cannot be seen at first glance. 

It was small room with dark curtains and a table and chair. There were some blank papers, lanterns and a dried quill. 

Clemencia’s mood darkened by no light in it and nonetheless pulled the drawers in the table and started arranging the papers which she brought with herself. 

‘If it all started with the mineral bill then it could be the Lykois’ 

She wrote the name ‘Lykois’ on a small paper in the same language she wrote in the previous papers and stuck that piece of paper on her wall. 

‘they do have strength and power but they lack connections and resources.’ 

Clemencia wondered if their economy was not good because of the cold place they live in or there was some kind of corruption going on as the king of Lykois never lacked money and lived lavishly unlike the citizens and some nobles. 

‘or it was because someone else...but who?’, Clemencia's knowledge was limited and she knew it. 

Clemencia needed a person who was knowledgeable in the current affairs and unnoticeable to others at the same time. 

She looked out of her window and saw it was already afternoon and decided to go back for the mean time. 

‘Lia must be looking for me’ 

As she was walking back to her palace through the garden, she saw a peacock. A red peacock with white flecks below its neck. A Pagonis. 

Clemencia’s eyes widened at the sight of a Pagonis and was quite surprised to see one here. 

“Why are you her?", she whispered to no one particular. 

She walked forward hesitantly and tried to pet its head with her hand to not startle the Pagonis. 

She wondered where did it came from as it was not from here but the northern and eastern side. 

Pagonis lived in places where it was hot or extreme hot and rarely migrated from there, not that it was a lot in population as these are different from other normal peacocks. 

They are mysteriously born only for the rulers and people with extreme dark power of the eastern continent and follow them whenever the rulers step out of their continent. 

‘How strange, I don’t think there’s any ruler of the north present here. Maybe it got lost when it was migrating.’, Clemencia picked the Pagonis in her arms when she saw that the Pagonis was not scared of her. 

“Let’s go from here or someone will catch you", Clemencia walked out of her garden and suddenly the Pagonis looked at her with its red eyes, almost resembling a person. 

“Don’t worry, I will not harm you.", she laughed and patted its head again and the Pagonis let out a purr. 

“What should I call you? Can I name you?”, Clemencia asked permission from the Pagonis and it kept staring at her. 

“I'll take that as a yes", she laughed heartedly and thought of a name. 

“Lilith! For your red hair. Lilith", Clemencia was quite proud of her self and didn’t notice that she has stepped into her mother’s office palace. 

Clemencia looked up and saw a large lion drawn on the gate in her front of her. 

“Looks like we came into mother’s office building.” 

Clemencia turned left at the corridor to go back and collided with a wall. 

“Ow”, she hissed at the pain in her head and looked down to see if Lilith was safe or not. 

When she saw she was okay, she looked up to see what she collided with and locked eyes with a cold blue one. 

Danger. Danger. Danger.  

That's all she could feel and think while looking at the man with a height of a giant. 

Clemencia collected her composure and got up with Lilith in her hands. 

“I'm sorry if it was my fault but if it was yours please walk carefully in the future.”, Clemencia was feeling unsettled but she too was cold like Valentina who didn’t liked disturbance. 

She walked past him until she heard a dark and gruff voice. 

“Wait, little girl.”