Chapter 35: A Breath of Respite.
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Meanwhile, as her mother and Esla returned to the demon-castle.

Time: Midday.
Place: Castle Halls: Gate Portal.

// Small Lies and Lurking Threat. //

"Mom, was everything you told them true?"

"It's very unlikely you can get past 5 nations in just two months.
It took us at least a whole month to get here on a flying dragon."

She giggled while she feinted concern.

"Ah... looks like I was exposed by my own daughter.
Uhu~"  giving her a playful smile she then said.

"But despite all that
You never said a single word, back there."

Esla exhaled with an annoyed look.
"So... was it true?
Everything you said back there."

She replied with a curious gaze.

"Part of it was true,
Though I did once tell you about it when you were a child.
Did you somehow forget?"

She then impatiently cried out.
"Just tell me the reason, already!"

"Well... alright.
Only a portion of it was true.
I think... I did fib a bit too much.

But the reason I told them that.
Was simply because...
I want them to become aware of us."

Esla once again exhaled as she then asked.
"So...
The rumor of him destroying that country on his own whim?"

"Is true," Rue replied.

She winked at her while giving her a playful smile once more as they walked through the corridors.
Esla, on the other hand, was disturbed by her expression.
But she replied regardless.

"I never told him to do such a thing and yet he did it anyway.
That man despite how he looks, earnestly cares you know?

After all, I wouldn't have fallen for him.
If he was just a tyrant with a scary looking visage to him."

She made a brightly happy face to her while saying such words.
Esla could only retort.
"But still, weren't you at least afraid of him?
He's the king of all demons, you know?"

Rue simply laughed while telling her.
"That's true, I was terrified when we first met.
I thought, I was going to experience a heart attack.
 
But, It was a desperate time for me.
I was simply surprised when he offered me fruits and a meal along with a warm bed while he swiftly left me alone in my room without saying a single word.

I puzzled at first, but later on, I simply realized.
He was just being careful for me.
Eventually, we began talking to one another and it somehow ended up like this."

Esla curiously then asked.
"So... he didn't technically buy you?"

She shook her head in reply.
"I remembered, being hunted down by a vicious monster.
Only to see a glimpse of him, put it down the moment I was cornered.

Sadly, I was managed to carve a part of my torso.
So I was badly wounded at the time.

I'm supposed to have a large scar on my back, you know?
But when we got close enough...
That man personally used the mender's spell on me."

"What was father doing out there!?" she retorts.

"He was watching the borders, between his nation and Astoria.
It was only by sheer luck that we encountered that day."

She gives her a wry smile once again.
As Rue then said.

"Unfortunately, humans here.
Are either sent back to the human domain or treated here as slaves.
I chose the latter since there was nothing left for me to return to...

My family was already gone the moment I returned, after a long journey home.
And things did not particularly end well when my own nation soldiers chased me down forcing me to enter the territory of the demons.

Although while being his servant,
He surprisingly never touched me or forcefully did anything to me.
What earned my respect and loyalty was the fact he focused on developing his own country without pause.

Despite how the other concubines constantly seek his attention."

Esla then said.
"You could have just told them that.
Why did you need to lie to them?"

Rue replied with.
"I couldn't help but enjoy a moment with an old friend.
A coincidence like that only happens in a blue moon you know?"

She scratches her head in confusion while asking.
"But why on earth were you studying, five countries away from your home?"

She replied with one eye open.
"My parents insisted I learn from that place, as they were once adventurer, merchants, and travelers who became powerful nobles when they settled in.

They often praised that place for being so properly maintained."

Esla then groaned a bit as she said with complaint.
"Even so!
Why did you request the queen so Estel can study there?
Our knowledge with magic and weapon techniques surpasses humans by many folds!"

She retorted to her with a frown.
"Do you really think Estel can study here once again?"

Esla staggered the moment she said those words.

"I can understand your wish for Estel to become a more capable person.
But after speaking with grandfather, I highly doubt they will simply leave her be.
She is currently now, more at risk here than anywhere else.

And besides...
Your grandfather is capable of teaching her both without relying on others."

Esla could only gaze at her with an exhausted expression.
As she then said.

"Now that you mention grandfather,
It's quite ridiculous how he just tried to make Estel a mother of our own grandmother."

Esla replied while holding her head in confusion.
"The fact he wanted Estel to hatch that egg,
Was probably the most shocking thing I ever heard in my life.
That I had no idea how to react!"

Rue, on the other hand, giggled as she playfully said.

"At that moment, Estel had beaten you with having a grandchild."

Esla retorts with a tired look.
"Please don't make this a joke."

"Fu~fu~fu~
I could only wonder, what your father would say.
Concerning that strange situation between them."

Upon hearing her speak of her husband, she then asked.
"Why weren't you with father?" Esla asks with a worried expression.

She calmly replied while pausing her movement showing unease.
"He was busy, interrogating a few prisoners they managed to hunt down."

"The one related to the mad sorcerer?"

Rue nods as she said with frustration.
"Being caught in a trap like that was something I didn't expect to happen in my own home.
While watching you get pierced during that moment while being helpless on the ground like...

Made me faint, you know?."

As she touched Esla's chest where she was pierced.
"Are you sure you're still alright?
Your heart won't suddenly stop beating, right?"

Esla then said with a bored expression on her face.
"Mom... I'm fine,
This is like the fourth time you asked me this."

She then worriedly said.
"Truthfully, I was skeptical about Estel's miraculous tale from your father.
When we met again I expected her to remain the same.
Though, after seeing those silver hair,
It became quite obvious to me, that he wasn't lying."

As she turned away from her to walk forward again as Esla followed.
She then professionally spoke seriously with her concerning the incident.

"Your father right now is hunting the monsters that allowed that monster to slip inside this place.
After you left this place, a variety of spies began to plot in the shadows.
Thinking the knight captain had disappeared, they were easily captured when they decided to come together and plot against the king.

But even though we had such an opportunity,
The oddest thing about it was..." her eyes then grew serious with concern

"The fact.
Someone within the palace triggered a spell, killing them all instantly in one move.
While it eradicated the traitors within our castle, the mastermind is still lurking in the shadow.

It was a large mess, among the total of five-hundred servants.
A hundred were suddenly dead.

This man held no concern for the living just to keep inside the shadows of this place.
I couldn't help but worry for both of you.
So I went there first to see how you two were doing."

Esla paled when she was told of this news.

"Which is why your father cannot leave his throne until that bastard is caught."

She then curiously asked.
"What about the Knights?
Were they harmed?"

Esla shook her head.
"Only a fraction of them suddenly died."

She then bit her lips at the terrible news.
"Being attacked on the inside like this, all of a sudden."

Rue then embraced her daughter to calm her.
"We haven't lost yet, the whole castle is in high alert now.
Estel gave you this second chance, we simply need to hunt down that snake.
and everything should return to normal."

Esla nods to her in response to her words.
while they continued to move onwards towards the throne room.
Where the demon-king resided in.

________________________________________________________________________________

// Free time with grandpa. //

After she had left, their room.
Estel returned to her own room only to see her grandfather sitting on a chair with the scent of coffee on the table, relaxing quietly by the window.

He turned to Estel as he said.
"They should have returned by now.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
After all, you should be the most confused person here."
As his draconic eyes gleamed with a dark color.

Estel simply replied.
"I don't really care," She calmly said.

while she walked towards the table, she grabbed a cup on the tray while walking towards the table.
She then sat in front of him as he gazed at her in surprise.

While complaining.
"I just feel so drained by so many things happening around me.
All in a few days, my peaceful days suddenly turned into one trouble into another."

As she pushed her cup to her grandfather, he then poured a bit of coffee on the cup.

"That's extremely bitter," he said.

Closing with one eye she replied.

"Nothing but a bit of sugar to ease the flavor."

As she drinks the cup, tasting the bitterness as her mind calmed and eases her mind.
Her grandfather simply looked at the window, as he gazed at the blue sky in front of him.
The stone floor and scratched walls by the undead remained, with the sound of a bird chirping.
He then calmly asked her.

"How exactly are you doing these few days?"

She simply gave him a bored and tired expression but using the opportunity she finally had a chance to complain to someone.

With a deep breath as she then began to talk.

"Aside from being attacked by bandits in the road, two days ago saving my friends and myself from becoming slaves while pushing myself to the limit.

Then after that on the next day,
Freeing a queens curse for a close friend of mine, Who required my help.

Of course with my ability to break the magic, nothing could go wrong!
That is Until I was suddenly hunted down by undead just yesterday.
Until I finally collapsed from exhaustion.

Then upon waking up, the first thing I met was my sister in the middle of the night.
I was baffled, on why on earth is my sister doing in a human nation away from home?

And then...
My own grandfather who want me to hatch an egg and become the mother of a white dragon egg who was supposedly my own grandmother!?"

She then took a deep breath as her grandfather were stiff frozen from her words.
As he was about to speak she continued her complaint.

"Ah finally,
With my own mother suddenly appearing from out of nowhere in the middle of that chaos,
I can simply say.
My life suddenly turned into one crazy surprise into another.

You can already tell how my I'm doing these past few days!
Because I feel like throwing up, from so many things happening.
I can't even follow!"

As Estel placed both hands on her face.
She massages her face in frustration.

Her grandfather could only give her a wry smile as he understood how ridiculous her few days were. He swiftly turned away as he felt a bit guilty being a part of that shocking situation.

As he then said.
"That's... quite an adventure."

As Estel deeply exhaled, while replying.
"Enough!, I just want to relax for today.
Grandpa please..." as she begged him, he couldn't help but giggled a bit as he saw her bitter face.
He then nodded at her as they spend the rest of the evening eating treats while drinking tea.

...

...

...

Time: Midday -> Afternoon.

As time passed by, Tyr gazed at her as he noticed her calm down.
Giving her the quiet moment she wished for, he calmly drank coffee with her while smiling.

He then recalled a gift he was supposed to give to her before her mother left.
Underneath the table, he then pulled out a small and long purple box it's dark-purple ribbon sealed like a present, he then said.

"Your mother brought a gift for you,
She told me, to give it to you.
The moment she left."

Estel suspiciously gazed at it, while she slowly pulled the ribbon and opened the box.
Inside it was a hair ornament, riddled with a dark-blue color with a blue butterfly design attached to it. There was a note inside it.
As she opened it.

"For my two daughters whose hair had forgotten, It's own original color.
Let this ornament remind you of your mother who loves you very much."

Her grandfather then asked.
"Do you want to try it on?"

Estel was puzzled by the words on the letter, as she then said.
"Why not."

With her grandfather aid, she drank her tea in peace while he fixes her hair a bit.
"It's done."

As he saw a large mirror on the corner of the room,
fortunate of its fate and still in one piece after the chaos that had occurred.
He took the opportunity to pull it closer to Estel, as she gazed at herself.

Fair skinned and wearing a dark-blue dress with a dark rose on the side of her chest that matches with her dark-blue hair tied with the ornament in a cute bun, the only color that clashes were her silver eyes. As she then closed her eyes to change its color to a darker color to match its original color before the day her white dragon blood had awakened.

Her grandfather then said.
"You look just like your mother."

As he then complained.
"But, is it really necessary to change your eyes like that.
Your silver eyes are similar to your grandmother, you know?"

With those words alone, Estel groaned at his words.
As she intently stared him while humming.
*Stare*~

"Hhmmmm..."

Her grandfather could only smile at her expression.
As they continued their daily peace.

...

...

...

Time: Afternoon to Dusk.

Time once again passed by, as Estel and her grandfather shared their time together.
She then asked him a question.
"What does Aisha meant by contract?"

With her words, he then coughed a bit.

*Cough* *Cough*
"Did you not tell her?" he complained not to Estel, but to Aisha who is on her arm.

As Aisha replied.
"There is no need for her to know of such troublesome things.
All that contract has brought is nothing but trouble."

Her grandpa then grinned.
"Want me to tell her then?"

He retorts with a slap of its tail on the table.
"Since it has come to this, allow me to tell it to her."

Aisha turned to Estel as it explained.

"I once told you that we white dragons are similar to spirits.
And just like spirits who are bound to our own contracts.

The contract is similar akin to marriage in human terms.
But towards dragons like us, it is like imprisoning ourselves with our own will."

Estel paled at his word as Tyr then complained about an annoyed gaze toward Aisha.
"You're scaring her you know?"

Aisha replied with a snarl.
"That is the point."

"A contract should not be made recklessly!
Like how the spirit is bound to their host,
So shall you."

Aisha expression showed signs of fury in it.

"The contract grants the contractor a powerful blessing.
The ultimate form of protection against any kind of magic.
Capable of rendering all magic null and void as well as sharing magic power with each other.
It also allows one another to find each other.

There are only two conditions to break such a contract.

The first is the contractor perishes.
The second is when the spirit bound to the contractor perishes.

But the real problem in forging a contract is the fact that...
You cannot harm the person you have made a contract with.
If you were to break the will of the contract, the one to perish will be you. "

Estel then retorts.
"Isn't that similar to a curse?"

Her grandfather replied.
"It will become a blessing if the person,
you have forged a contract withheld the same desire as you."

Aisha then replied.
"It will become a curse if the person,
You have forged a contract withheld sinister intent of merely using you."

With her grandfather saying.
"Only forge a contract to a person you know and trust the most."

Aisha replied by.
"Or never forge a contract at all.
You shouldn't rely on foolish guardians that will just get you killed."

The two are at odds once again as they both spoke in opposing side.
Estel anxiety only grew upon discovering it.
She exhaled while drinking a bit of tea.

-Meanwhile-

Leanne and her family had encountered an unexpected problem.
"What are they doing here?" The King said.

An army has arrived from the church has appeared.
What is their purpose? ( ಠ ͜ʖಠ)

Sweet, I'm getting down-votes.
o3o My story is so predictable...
Riiight?

Why the heck am I on trending!?
Oh no spooky scary, angry grammar police incoming.

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