Part 4

“Ugh!”

Alex flailed around, his arms spread outwards as his back hit the cold ground of the training hall.

Fortunately, just before his head could hit the ground, a foot was put between it and his head, saving him.

“Alex, are you fine?!” A slightly startled Ashlyn hurriedly kneeled before him.

Her usually confident face filled with concern.

“Sorry, I was not expecting the hit to be so strong.” She apologized as she fumbled over him, her hands reaching for him despite her awkward posture with her foot still under his head.

Alex on the other hand, had his vision filled by tiny yellow stars. His chest felt heavy and his back ached like never before.

“Hugh!” He groaned with a dry throat. “This was worse than that time I fell into a ditch and scraped my knees.”

“I’m so sorry, Alex.” Ashlyn ignored his confused state, cradling him gently in her embrace.

In that moment, it felt as if they were in a world of their own, where only the two of them mattered.

However, before the moment could fully unfold, a humming sound broke the atmosphere they had created. 

It was the disturbing noise of Pyra's jetpack.

“It’s not your fault Ash.” Pyra's voice chimed in as she descended to the ground, her jetpack sputtering out its final flame.

Her eyes held a daring glint, and a playful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

“I told you that he needs those braces of him.” She declared, her eyes looking down at her King. “Without them, he can barely walk, much less spar.”

“Oi! I’m not dead!” Alex suddenly managed to sit up, his face indignant despite his dizziness. “I just slipped a bit!”

Ashlyn, without a care, hugged him tighter, her face relieved. “I just don't understand why you won't consider the enhancement operation.”

Alex couldn't help but roll his eyes, fully aware that this conversation was heading down into the usual direction  it did whenever he had an accident because of his legs.

“I've already explained it, Ash. I have a disdain for modifications without justifiable reasons.” He complained, frustration creeping into his tone. “I've seen too many people back home become obsessed with altering themselves.”

Pyra held her index finger up at him and interrupted with a mischievous grin. “Still you should really think about it. At this rate, you won't be able to walk in ten years.”

Ashlyn's grip on him became harsher, her expression growing more serious as she implored. “Alex, you should consider it.”

The weight of their words settled on him, but he couldn't deny the lingering apprehension that clung to him.

He sighed, his gaze drifting away from them. “Fine. I'll consider it once we secure all the resources on this planet.”

Pyra let out a scoff, though she seemed somewhat pleased for the moment.

“You better.” Ashlyn, on the other hand, released her hold on him and rose from their embrace. 

Then, she extended her hand to help him stand, and he accepted it, his legs wobbling as he rose to his feet.

It was then that he remembered the mention of Elysian elemental energy that Aria had shared during their discussions. 

It was something that had been nagging at his mind for the last few hours.

"Ashlyn," Alex began, his voice filled with curiosity. "I want to learn about the elemental energy of the Elysians. Can you teach me?"

Ashlyn had her eyes widened, taken aback by his request.

She briefly grasped her shin, her fingers gripping it tightly as she contemplated his request.  

She didn’t have as much time as she would like with the current problems, like dealing with the ongoing riots of the veterans.

Time was a precious commodity, and the pressures of leadership weighed heavily on her shoulders. 

Yet, she recognized it as an opportunity for Alex to gain insight into her world and, perhaps, a chance for them to connect on a deeper level.

Or better, give him a little warning.

"Very well." Ashlyn responded, her tone softening slightly. "But you must approach this with an open heart and a genuine desire to understand. Elemental energy is a delicate part of our culture, and it carries great responsibility."

Alex scratched the back of his head. “Really, I thought you guys just had a magic core or something like that.” He waved his hand in the air and formed a circle above his navel. “Then, you release the energy and have things explode. Phew!”

His hands opened outward, resembling an explosion, and his lips puckered as he attempted to make explosion sounds.

Ashlyn couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, her cheek twitching slightly as she observed his antics.

“We don’t explode things… most of the time at least…” She clarified, her gaze distant as she regarded him. “Anyway, we don't have a core where we store elemental energy.” 

Alex looked at her weirdly. “You don’t?”

“Of course not.” Ashlyn explained patiently, moving her red hair to the side as she spoke. “This world of ours is filled with elemental energy. Our minds simply call forth the elemental energy most suited for us and use it.”

With that said, she reached for the elegant green longbow strapped to her back and aimed it at a portrait of Alex hanging at the far end of the hallway.

Panic washed over Alex as he desperately tried to halt her.

“Wait, I get it.” Alex tried desperately to stop her. Just imagining her power was enough for a chill to run down his spine.

Ashlyn paid no mind to his warning and focused her concentration on gathering green elemental energy onto her bow.

With a burst of power, she pulled back the string, her face determined, and launched a shining elemental arrow.

“Fushhhhh!”

The arrow impacted the portrait with astonishing force, shattering it into smithereens that rained down onto the ground like a cascade of confetti.

Looking at the huge dent on the solid castle wall, Alex’s eyes trembled like crazy.

‘She definitely spotted the hickey you tried to hide.’ 

Pyra couldn't resist sending Alex a telepathic warning, her message filled with playful sarcasm

“Fuck!”

Part 5

“And that way the 150 veterans’ rebellion was peacefully resolved by the timely intervention of Queen Ashlyn and Lady Novel!” The round screen in Ashlyn's private room showed the ongoing news.

It was a popular program of the new Academy City directed by a respected teacher.

Usually, he showed interesting stories about life in Academy City or news from the other five cities.

Today, for example, he was currently covering the ongoing protests against the new government.

However, the presenter suddenly had his eyes widen in surprise, his gaze darting to the side as if searching for an explanation.

Yet, he quickly regained his composure, and a confident smile reappeared on his face as he addressed the audience. 

"Breaking news, folks! It appears that our beloved King Alexander has found himself in a most compromising situation." 

A dramatic pause followed before a photo replaced the scene on the screen. 

There, in stark contrast to the kingdom's traditions, was a disheveled Alex, hugging a cheerful Saint Aria, outside a stone building.

Observing this, Ashlyn's usually confident expression shattered for a fleeting instant as her eyes narrowed at the image unfolding before her. 

Her grip on the crystal glass she had been holding became harsher, her knuckles whitening with tension.

She didn’t need to be a genius to discover who was the one leaving hickeys on her husband's neck with this much information.

A whirlwind of emotions gripped her heart, betrayal, anger, and a burning desire to use Alex’s head like a sparring sack.

The presenter's voice continued. “The nature of this encounter remains a mystery, but speculation is running wild. Is there more to this story than meets the eye?” 

His face remained professional, but it was easy to notice a hint of unease in his eyes.

After all, King Alexander was not just any monarch, he was beloved by the people.

He had spent a lot of resources to rebuild their ruined world instead of continuing the conquering spree the Astraliths wished for.

Then, the screen split, showing a panel of five experts discussing the scandal.

However, Ashlyn couldn’t hear them anymore.

The discussion turned into a distant buzz in her ears, an insignificant noise compared to the turmoil within her heart.

Slowly, she could feel a fire inside her ready to burst out.

Finally, unable to contain her frustration, she slammed her hand onto the table. 

The crystal glass shattered into pieces upon impact, sending shards scattering across the room. 

“Lady Ashlyn!”

Her companion, the former medic Janice, jumped in surprise. The sudden noise and Ashlyn's outburst had caught her off guard.

In all her years of service as a militar, she had never seen her lose control like this.

“You shouldn’t believe it. I’m sure the King will provide a proper explanation!” Janice attempted to console her.

Ashlyn scoffed, her face contorting. “It’s not that.” She paused, trying to restrain her heaving chest. “From the very beginning, I was told that Alex had wild fantasies about women... There were even rumors of him maintaining a harem, although it was fake. I was prepared for that.”

Janice took a cautious step closer, her expression laced with concern as she tried to calm her friend down. “You knew.”

“We all knew!” Ashlyn snapped, her gaze drifting upward. “The Astraliths were honest from the start, but we all, noblewomen, were enticed by the title of Queen…”

With a resigned sigh, Ashlyn ran her fingers through her fiery red hair. 

“Look, I don't regret marrying him. The day of our wedding was, in fact, the happiest day of my life…”

Janice halted in her steps, her extended hand trembling. “Then, why are you so furious?”

Ashlyn heaved, her piercing blue eyes ablaze and her fiery red hair flowing like a proud lion's mane.

“To think he would be caught in public, tarnishing his image of loyalty…” She paused her fists, tightening in anger. “I would have preferred for him to play with a random woman away from my gaze. Instead, he chose one of the most reviled women in all of Mantra!”

Her fists started to glow with a green glow, her wind elemental energy running crazy through the air around her.

Amidst the chaos, Janice desperately shielded her face from the flurry of scattering flowers and papers, struggling to maintain her composure while pleading to her friend.

“Please, my lady, calm yourself!” She pleaded, her purple hair a waving mess that barely allowed her to see and her voice nearly drowned out by the tumultuous winds. “It’s just a fling, I’m sure he'll come crawling back to your feet soon!”

In response, Ashlyn let out a snort, launching a last burst of elemental energy that sent ripples through the room.

This caused some of the elegant couches and the table in the room to flip upside down.

Janice, thanks to her military experience, managed to stand her ground.

Ashlyn just slumped her shoulders, her messed up hair breaking her valiant image.

“You’re right, Janice. In the end, she’s just the outsider that everyone hates.” Ashlyn declared as she fixed her hair. “Soon, the pressure of the world will get upon her.”

And that was not false. 

Everyone and their mother hated the keepers of the Flame for abandoning them in their darkest hours, when they were needed the most.

The leader of such a group getting into the bed of the new king? That was nothing short of unacceptable.

She would face opposition not only from the general populace but also within her own ranks. 

A Saint was supposed to preserve their chastity for their God, and that was a vow she had already broken.

The pressure of the world was bound to bear down on her soon enough.

“Come Janice.” Ashlyn motioned her subordinate and friend to follow her.

Suddenly, an alarm started ringing.

Looking down at her wrist-communicator, she calmly accepted the incoming call.

“Ashlyn, we need to initiate damage control immediately!” Astra's exasperated voice came out of it.

“I'm well aware.”

Ashlyn’s response was concise. Her eyes narrowed as she got hands on action.