178: Entering the Storm Kingdom

Entering the Storm Kingdom

Author's Note: Thank you everyone who have continued to read the book, and have been leaving comments, votes, gifts. It is very much appreciated and helps encouraging me. To answer a few questions asked by some, yes there will be babies, karma along with Emily's story. Next month, as usual we are celebrating the yearly 'Knightober' and hope you look forward to it. Much love to you all <3

Music Recommendation: Ladies at the Court- Johannes Lehniger 

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Migdre materialised aboard the ship, assuming the form of a young earthling to avoid startling the passengers. Its eyes swept across the surroundings before it began to walk to find the first princess, and as it padded its bare feet against the wet floor, its thoughts drifted back to a few minutes ago. 

'It looks like Viktor knows where Niyasa is,' Dante had conveyed to Anastasia and the Mother Queen, who had just arrived in the room. 'If she dies, she will go straight to Hell, and I will know when she does.'

'Was it him who did it?' Anastasia asked him. 

'It is hard to say, considering that navigating sea storms is something one cannot avoid while sailing to the West lands,' Dante answered with a frown before asking, 'Did Niyasa have any interactions with Viktor? The Devil? He said something about a replaced position.' He looked at his grandmother, whose frown deepened even further. 

'Huh,' the Mother Queen let out a soft harrumph as she recollected the Devil's words. 'Niyasa asked me if I was replacing Aziel with him. We need to find her, Dante.'

Dante affirmed with a nod. 

The imp, who had been present in the room, inquired, 'Master, what should I say to Princess Emily?'

'Emily must be anxious,' Anastasia murmured, and the Mother Queen nodded in agreement. 

'It would be wiser to tell her that Niyasa is being retrieved, so that she doesn't needlessly worry throughout her entire stay, especially since we sent her there specifically for a change of atmosphere,' the Mother Queen stated. 'It would be best if this information stays solely between the four of us. If Sophia were to find out, we would never hear the end of it.' 

In the present moment, the imp sniffed the air, detecting the princess' scent, and came to stand before her cabin, where it knocked politely. When Emily opened the door, Migdre entered and extended a bow to her. 

"Princess, I am Migdre, and I have returned with news." 

Emily had spent several anxious minutes pacing back and forth inside her cabin, and the wait for the imp had felt like hours. She asked, "I hope it is good news?" 

The imp nodded and relayed, "Princess Niyasa is alive and well, and has not entered Hell. The troops of the Versailles Kingdom will retrieve her shortly. Master Dante instructed me to tell you that there's nothing for you to worry about."

That was something hard to do, Emily thought to herself. She still couldn't shake the overwhelming emotion she had felt after seeing her sister being tossed into the sea. She asked it, 

"Do you know where exactly she is?" The storm had been strong enough to cast anyone adrift to an unknown land. 

"I—"

"Migdre?" Emily called the imp when it vanished into thin air. However, all she received in response was silence. Where did the imp go? She heard the ship's horn blaring in a series of blasts as they reached a region where the water had noticeably calmed down compared to the turbulence she had experienced a while ago. 

"We'll reach the Storm Kingdom shortly!" someone outside her room yelled out to inform everyone about their imminent arrival. 

"Out of all the places they could have chosen, they had to hold the seasonal gathering here," Emily muttered, finding herself alone without her sister. This was the last place she wanted to be, and her body tensed with each passing second as the ship drew nearer to the shore. 

Before long, the ship's passengers began to gather their belongings, while Emily's luggage, along with that of her sister's, was carried out of their cabins by the guards charged with her safe arrival. The guards were worried; while one princess remained unharmed, the other had tragically drowned in the sea, leaving them apprehensive about their return. 

Like the others, Emily climbed up from below and came to stand on the deck. While some passengers were scared to approach the railing, she took a step forward, as though it would provide her with a closer view of the approaching kingdom. 

Emily's gaze fell upon the dark clouds looming over the vast kingdom, a land filled with lush greenery. Amidst the scenery, one could discern the imposing castle, its tall and regal presence characterised by greyish walls and sharp pointed turrets that reached skyward. 

"How frequently does one see the sun here?" Emily inquired of one of the guards, who had his gaze fixed on her. 

"Not very frequently, milady. Maybe once every two weeks, if one is fortunate? However, when it does make an appearance, it is bright enough for one to see and walk about," the guard promptly replied. 

"Great," Emily breathed with a sigh. She was used to the warmth of the sun, but now that she was here, she would need to remain until the conclusion of the seasonal gathering. "I hope Uncle and Aunt have already arrived," she murmured to herself. 

The ship sounded its horn once more before it came to a stop alongside the dock. The anchor was lowered, and the access door for disembarking onto land was opened, along with a plank set in place to serve as a bridge. 

Before Emily's feet could touch land, her eyes fell on the dark red hair belonging to the man she wasn't particularly looking forward to meeting. He was dressed entirely in black. As if he had come to attend someone's funeral, she thought to herself. 

Prince Raylen stood with his hands in his trouser pockets, watching her even before their eyes had the chance to connect. Women on the dock cast admiring glances at him from a distance while exchanging whispered words and giggles. 

Emily averted her gaze from Prince Raylen, her eyes scanning the surroundings in search of her uncle and aunt, when she heard the prince greet her. 

"Princess Emily." 

It wasn't as if she could avoid him, Emily thought to herself. After all, he was the prince of this kingdom. She reciprocated with a polite bow and replied, 

"Good afternoon, Prince Raylen."

Raylen's eyes landed on Emily's dishevelled appearance. Her hair had become a mess from exposure to seawater and the wind, which looked as though it would require some effort to untangle. Unlike the other passengers, who had changed into dry attire, the princess had been too preoccupied with worry about her sister to consider her appearance, and her state finally seemed to dawn on her, but by then, it was too late. 

"Good afternoon it is," Raylen replied with a hint of amusement dancing in his blue eyes. He remarked, "It appears you've had quite an eventful journey."

"My sister fell into the sea," Emily replied, her words curt. 

"I was informed that both of you were expected to arrive at the Storm Kingdom. How unfortunate that she can't be with us today. I will pray for her soul," Raylen replied casually, his nonchalant words devoid of any hint of sympathy, which only caused the princess to purse her lips in response. 

Emily's eyes subtly narrowed and she stated, "Niyasa is alive." She then shifted her gaze away from him, her eyes searching for her relatives when she heard him say, 

"We should get going now."

Emily furrowed her brow and replied, "I am waiting for Uncle Keaton and Aunt Cecelia to come and collect me."

She saw the prince stare at her calmly, before a smile slowly crept onto his lips, a sight that internally made her want to stab him. It was probably because their first encounter hadn't gone well, which had left a sour impression and formed an instant distaste towards him. 

"Poor child, you weren't informed, were you?" Raylen's calm and velvety tone contained a subtle hint of mockery. His piercing blue eyes met her hazel eyes as he continued, "Dante and your grandmother entrusted you two princesses to stay in my castle. Or to be more precise, just you now, as your sister never reached land. So, shall we?" 

Emily's personal preference was to live with her uncle, but if her family had decided on her staying in the castle, it must have been to ensure she would be well protected and to prevent a repeat of what happened in the past. Not wanting to childishly refute, she simply nodded in agreement, especially since she was receiving curious glances from onlookers due to her appearance. 

"Westley," Raylen called the man who stood behind them, while his eyes remained fixed on Emily. "Have the princess's trunks brought to the castle and placed in her room."

"Yes, Master Raylen." The servant named Westley bowed and moved silently, walking almost like a ghost gliding across the ground. The servant's expression appeared lifeless and dull, as though he had given up on life itself. 

Emily started to walk alongside Raylen towards the awaiting carriage, which wasn't parked too far away. Along the way, she asked him, "Besides us living in your castle, what did Brother Dante and Grandmother discuss with you about our stay?" 

"That you both will be under my care once you reach our land. To ensure you two stay out of trouble and, more importantly, to keep men's hands off of you, and vice versa," Raylen stated in an indifferent tone. "Who would have imagined I would end up babysitting you one day."

"You don't have to concern yourself with that. I am good at keeping myself out of trouble," Emily replied confidently, her tone serious. She wished to keep her conversation with this man as brief as possible. 

"That remains to be seen, doesn't it, Princess?" Raylen remarked with mirth in his eyes. When they reached the carriage and the door was opened, he politely offered, "After you."

Emily lifted the front of her dress and climbed into the carriage. The prince followed after her, and once they were both inside, the door was closed, and the coachman climbed into the driver's seat. Without delay, the carriage began to move, making its way towards the Storm Palace. 

She gazed outside the oval window, observing how different the place appeared compared to where she came from. She found herself in an entirely new environment and soon would enter the company of unfamiliar people. In an attempt to break the silence, she inquired, 

"Will you be introducing me to people during the upcoming gathering in two days?" 

"And why would I do that?" Raylen asked. "My role is solely to observe, not to actively engage in your affairs, Princess. I am confident you are fairly capable of finding a decent man yourself and don't need me chaperoning you. Unless, of course, you do agree that you are indeed still a child," he added, raising one of his eyebrows at her. 

Emily didn't miss the underlying taunts lacing his words, a trait he often concealed behind his smiles. She heard him remark, "I had expected you would be sulking in the corner of your room, crying your eyes out, but it appears you are handling the rejection of your soulmate fairly well."

Emily's body tensed at the mention of the topic, as she had hoped to avoid discussing or hearing about it. She expressed, "I prefer not to speak about it, and I would appreciate it if you didn't bring it up either. Please." 

Raylen watched Emily's expression with fascination, as he enjoyed taking pleasure in people's discomfort a little bit too much, which fed his demon. He said, "When you say it like that, it is rather difficult to resist the temptation to bring it up again." A playful curl formed at one corner of his lips as his eyes twinkled. 

She definitely did not like this man, Emily silently reflected. Her eyes quietly glared at the prince, who quipped, 

"Stare any longer and it might appear as though you can't resist me."

"You certainly have some wishful thinking, Prince Raylen. I think it would be fair to say that neither of us are each other's type," Emily stated, and she heard him chuckle.  0

"True words," Raylen remarked, observing her gaze return outside the window. Nevertheless, she was exactly his type when it came to poking and enjoying the sight of ruffled feathers. 

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