Mila quickly rushed inside and shut the doors of her room balcony since she felt very embarrassed with the action that she had just done. "Mila?! Mila?! What does this mean?! Is there something you're not telling me now?!" ZH was calling out from her bedroom balcony, but she quickly pulled the curtains blocking anyone from seeing inside of her room and from seeing her.
[Mama, you finally kissed papa!] Kate said, which Mila just hopped onto the bed hugging one of her pillows to hide her flushed red face. She blushed before going ahead to sleep for the rest of the night since she had to leave soon.
***
"She is a strange woman no matter how I think of it. Making my mind confused all at once from just that small peck." ZH said, going through the balcony doors like a ghost. "She completely forgot that I could just go through things like a ghost." He went over to see Mila's sleeping face, she laid in her bed fully at ease.
Kate had sensed someone in the room that was not the beasts or Mila's people, she woke up wagging her tail and looking at ZH. [Pa-]
"Shh..." ZH didn't want Kate to wake up Mila who had just fallen asleep not too long ago. Once again, he kissed Mila's head and petted Kate's head, seeing how their 'first' child was bringing them both closer together.
***
Mila yawned seeing how they were finally going back and she barely had much sleep since she felt like her thoughts of ZH were getting more and more different from friends. They had gotten up early while Kayla had handed them a lot of supplies for their journey. She even went as far as to help them with a different route to make the trip quicker to reach their destination. 'I didn't think that she would give us a route that takes at least a year. It took two years for us to make it here.' She then recalled what Kayla told her before they left.
"When we meet again, then I'll give you a surprise of your life. I'm sure that you will love it." Kayla smirked, making Mila think Kayla just wanted them to meet again since she was almost like Kayla's very first friend.
Mila had Skye and Vivian called back to hide away to avoid any Mana Hunters from sensing them while Kate stuck around her since she still held little mana that needed to build up during the time. [Mama, how come you are not with papa?] Kate started to ask, seeing how ZH and Mila were not traveling together.
Mila sighed, feeling as though this was going to scar Kate for her entire life if she said that they were not her real parents. "Let's just say that we will meet him later." She didn't want Kate to keep thinking that ZH was her father while she was her mother so she was hoping Kate would soon grow out of it. Yet, Mila did not know that it was not going to happen anytime soon in the future.
***
Duke Reynard had just finished the meeting with the emperor that was about the upcoming war that they were not prepared for. It seems as though the emperor was getting more and more anxious about the war now that the time is running out for us. Not only that, the emperor had been getting sick causing him to be bedridden for days without much cure or help in it.
Duke Reynard waited for his carriage and then met Duke Garrick once again. "What brings you here?" Duke Reynard didn't know why Duke Garrick always met up with him after certain meetings.
"Just for casual talk. I heard that your youngest daughter will be returning next year. I'll be hoping for her return and good results for the cure for her scar." Duke Garrick left in his carriage with Duke Reynard looking at him.
'What goes through that man's head? He makes it seem as though our families are already in-laws.' Duke Reynard had then walked forth to his carriage where he sat down inside, waiting for his son to sit in the same carriage as him. Leo had then entered inside of the carriage after a discussion with the emperor of theirs. "What did that emperor want this time?" Duke Reynard still didn't like the emperor since he wasn't one known well for war but only for taking women from any marriageable age.
"It's nothing. He only wanted me to remain by the crown prince's side, but...." Leo sighed, seeing how he was chosen to stay as one of the Duke by the crown prince. However, he did not wish to work by the Crown Prince's side since it seemed rather troublesome to be involved in such royal affairs. Duke Reynard understood what Leo was going through, he was forced into marriage with multiple women just to spare his most cherished family from death's door by their emperor. There was a long silence until Leo decided to bring up the topic rather than wait on it. "Father, won't Mila be sad."
"Why do you say that?" Duke Reynard didn't understand why Mila would be sad when she returned to the Mireraweth Kingdom.
"Her friend is Ambrose and how he is being sent off to war makes it seem like a joke to the soldiers, but to Mila, he is her friend." Leo knew that Mila would likely get upset and depressed about it. He worried about how Mila would handle it since she had a very soft spot when it came to those that she truly kept in her heart.
"She'll have to learn to accept it. The choices that the emperor or rather the council makes are something we cannot change. They must have a motive for choosing him which I still cannot seem to fit together the puzzles in it." Duke Reynard knew that Mila had to accept the truth behind it. "When she returns then she'll have to accept the truth sooner or later. Just like..."
Leo didn't want to see Mila sad, but with how things were right now. "Father, you were going to include anything else." Leo did not know what else his father was going to say or tell him.
"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Duke Reynard decided to not mention it again since he knew Leo would likely be more upset than he already was. Leo pondered knowing that nothing could be changed at this point. They didn't even know the reason behind the whole war, to begin with, which had the Mireraweth citizens and emperor confused. 'I'm sorry, Mila.' Leo felt as though he failed once again as her older brother.
***
"What do you plan to do?" A man walked into a room where Ambrose sat down near the window, looking down to the servants and maids below. He sat there keeping his calm posture and ignoring the man who was his father, showing concern for him. "You should be thinking about something or else you won't get another chance." Duke Garrick left Ambrose be who did not care about such matters since he already thought ahead of everything.
***
Mila woke up again from her nightmares with her mother tormenting her with her ex-husband and Vita in the picture of her endless nightmares. 'Strange, it feels like these nightmares have been coming more and more frequently for some unknown reason.' Mila held her head massaging, her temple that was aching tremendously. The end of winter had ended with the beginning of a new spring-like every other year that passed by. She had to be sure to make it before her birthday at least to celebrate it with her father and Leo. Truthfully, their trip was quicker with Kayla's route which surprised them all to think that such a route existed.
[Mama, are you feeling okay?] Kate asked, looking at Mila who was looking a bit pale once she woke up. 'Mama has been struggling throughout this journey. I wonder if the entire trip was too much this time.' Kate pondered in her head, wanting to be able to help Mila somehow, but there was nothing that she could think of.
"I'm okay. Just a little tired, that's all." Mila had Kate settle back down from waking up everyone who was still asleep since they needed to get up and travel soon. They were sleeping in the forest again since they were still a bit further away from home but not too far.
Stopping at Hollowglen, they had woken up early to make the trip and spend time in that town and get a few things. "Oh, you're all finally back." The elder man who had begged them to help get their daughters back and get rid of the governor looked far better.
"It's been a long time." Mila smiled, holding his hand as he smiled back. "You've finally gained some weight. The last time that we met, you were very frail and thin. I'm glad that you and your people are much better." Mila smiled, looking to see how well everyone in the town had been improving while she was gone.
"It's good that you came to check on us and pay a visit. Please come and join us. We'll be happy to help you all during your travels. It's the best we can give since you saved us all." He had them all follow him to the tavern before where they ate some fresh food that they had freshly grown with the help of Vivian's element that was very nutritious for their land. "I'm glad that you were able to help more people who were suffering. Those towns had nothing but corrupted governors controlling them. We've heard of the illegal slaves that you saved and led away. How did you manage that?"
They continued to eat while Mila listened to the old man. "That is a secret to be told one day. Still, it's good that you all are doing well. The slaves were never meant to exist and work for such brutes. They were meant to be people like you all. Live their lives the same as you all." Mila looked to Thelma who smiled back at her, understanding that Thelma had been through that experience of being a slave.
They had all hidden their faces with a mask with their cloaks hiding their figure. They still needed to keep their identities hidden to avoid any secret from slipping out. "The Mireraweth kingdom needs someone like you who can take care of the people." The old man said, making Mila shake her head since she did not wish to be involved with such kingdom or palace affairs that held nothing but power to get rid of the weak.
"I can only do something this little with how much power I have. With how things are, the emperor would punish those who try to fix something he planned by himself. The governors and people that he placed were his people and now that I've messed with them. He will surely find a way to capture me and my comrades and get rid of us before we ruin his 'hard work'." Mila knew that the emperor would be enraged and try to kill them when he had the chance.
Cotton and Net were playing with the children that had never seen such beasts before. The children saw Net's polka dots glowing brightly while Cotton's tail grew longer with flowers growing onto it. Emmett, Sara, Thelma, Kate, and Tim were all hanging close to Mila since they would still prefer to watch over their young lady. "You have far more comrades and friends than before. These people are the ones who will always be by your side and choose to be with you. You do not know how lucky you are with having them around." The old man said, making Mila smile at his words than looking at them all who held a smile under their masks.
"I know. I am very lucky to have them." Mila said after.
