"So my little princess,why are you here,alone in the dark and dangerous Mirkwood forest?"
In Evan's imagination, the scenarios like - sibling rivalry, abandonment, assassination and deception are turning like a lucky wheel...
Poor little thing....he thought...
"I'm doing an assignment... Survival in the wilderness,you know?"
{Survival in the wilderness you say...keep deceiving yourself. Who in their right mind would put a 5 years old child in a dangerous forest to survive? You're clearly abandoned. }
Evan screamed in his mind. He secretly made up his mind... he will never abandon this poor child. Her life is worse than his. At least he has an elder brother who cares about him.
I really didn't know Evan's brainstorming. I made up half truths and half lies on the spot without blinking my eyes.
"I made a small mistake..."
{Translated to : I was framed by my power hungry siblings...The royal father also believed that I was in the wrong...}
"I was punished for doing good deeds like helping the common people from hunger,sickness and injustices.."
{Punished to move away from power center - Put in the dangerous place - Let her live with beasts or commoners so that she learnt nothing useful for the throne - While you're at it, it'll be best if she was dead in the said forest..}
Isn't it the routine of poisonous siblings and concubine's tricks???
Thankfully, you are lucky enough.
You met a good person like me...
He thought again...
Looking at the distressed look on his face,I secretly nod... I don't understand what's in his thoughts but I'll continue...
"It'll take a long time to go back. I'll be in your care for a long time brother...My kingdom is up above so I need to do many many good deeds to fly up..."
"How many years do you estimate.. um...er....you need?"
"About a thousand or two? Maybe.."
Evan has a gentle smile on his face but he is cursing the irresponsible family in his mind.
{Shit! Isn't it what we call "exiled"? Let her die in the foreign land? What is the difference between "exiled for a lifetime "and "living a thousand or two" in foreign land? Fine!!If you don't want this child,I'll take her. Don't let me know who you are....You're dead... }
"What is your kingdom's name?
Which direction? How many siblings do you have?Already have a crown prince? "
" The kingdom er....um... Amaravati ...right...the direction is...er...up there...Sibling...um...four brothers and two sisters...We don't have a crown prince...yet..."
The lies are not very smooth this time as I haven't thought about it before. I shouldn't break the five precepts but I'm breaking the percept...lying. Sorry...I can adhere to the precepts of stealing, intoxication and sexual misconduct but maybe I'll stop killing living beings...
Mama said I need to adhere to the five precepts like how we are wearing clothes,strictly. I'm adhering to them like wearing clothes but I just have to put on the clothes and take off the clothes.
So if I break two and adhere three, does it look like I'm wearing some clothes and taking off some??
Evan is searching for the information of Amaravati kingdom in his memory but found none. He put the information at the back of his head as he doesn't want to think too much...He only thought is...
{ I'll take care of this kid...She doesn't have to go back to her black hearted family...I'll be her family.}
I leaned on his broad shoulder and closed my eyes.We stayed like that quietly for a while... I suddenly remember I still have notifications to read..
I focused my consciousness on the book...
[ You got the revered name 'Avery']
That sentence caught my eyes.
I looked for my status as I want to know what it is about...
There is a name shining on the top of my status...
Gloria Avery Silverleaf
So...Did I just get a middle name?
From who? For what?...
I scratched my head..
It's so itchy,I feel like I'm going to grow a brain.
" Brother....Do you know my name?"
" Gloria? Isn't it? "
" Umhum...My name is Gloria Avery Silverleaf... Remember that my dear brother... "
"Sure...I'll.."
It's about time the boys and Daniel come back..
And there they are...I jumped down from the cheap brother's hug and ran toward them before they're near us...
" Mother...You're awake....we are back.."
Noah greeted me with a happy smile..
"Got a lot of prey?"
"Yes..mother.."
"Shh...we have guest.Call me your highness...We can't let them know our situation, don't we?"
"Yes..mo...Your highness.. "
I want to touch their heads. They are nearly 8' in just two years. They sit down in front of me to let me get better access to their heads..
"Will you feel bad if I tell them you are my guardian knights? I won't do it if you feel bad.."
"No...You are not just our mother. You are our source and faith. You're our Monarch first before you become our mother...We are your subjects. So we will never feel bad...It's just that calling you your highness is grieving you....You you should be called 'Your Majesty'.. "
Their eyes are filled with sincerity.
These beautiful childs....
I touched their heads tenderly just like how a mother does.
"Now..now. It's not the time for this. Daniel... come here.."
" What?"
"Veronica nearly died today .."
All the furs on his body exploded ...
He desperately ran towards Veronica like his butt was on fire.
When he saw her motionless body, he collapsed on the ground..
"Who? Who did it? Which bastard touched my Veronica? These humans..? I'll let you all die in my hand.."
He roared and dashed out to fight the knight... I held my forehead.... His roar woke Veronica up..
"Calm the hell down Daniel!!! She is awake now. Come back here.."
This sentence calmed him down...
He walked back with his tail drooping behind..
"Are you really a wild beast? Your vigilantism is very bad,you know? There are smells of unfamiliar orcs,humans and blood...and you found nothing wrong. Are you even a wolf or what?"
I decided to scold him first. I was also at fault for not being able to help her when she needed it the most. These bastard skills are not up to par...He didn't even put his guard up in her territory ...
Veronica stopped my scolding by touching me with her paw...
"Don't scold him...It's my territory. Defending is my responsibility. It's just that I'm not strong enough. As a beast,losing and dying is not strange. Cub..we beasts will die sooner or later if we lose only one round. We can't live until old age. You have to prepare for that..."
Yes...I know. How could I not know? The fate of the prey today may be the fate of her tomorrow. But still, I don't want to understand this harsh truth.
"I'm sorry Veronica.I shouldn't let my guard down. I nearly lost my fighting spirit and became more and more like a domesticated dog. These days we live in peace and it makes me corrupt..."
Daniel was feeling guilty and painful at the same time. He nearly lost his sweetheart.
"Cub,Daniel....I have something to talk about. Just the three of us.."
"Okay..."
I nodded my head,then poked my head out of the cave and yelled at the cheap brother and the boys.
"Umm...We have a private meeting. So can you please do your own things in the meantime? I will introduce you guys after....okay?"
I turned around after yelling and sat in front of the two...
"Okay...we can start now.."
" I should apologize to Daniel first. Sorry, for using her body to live...I'm not the real Veronica. She was dead when you came to rescue her. This is the reason I couldn't accept your love. I'm afraid to let you know I'm not her.....still...I don't want to lie.."
"Was it you or her that I saved that night? That night the Silverline pack was attacked?"
Her gaze on him was very deep when she apologized. She wanted to know his feelings. But he remained unfazed under her eyes.
"It's me. She couldn't survive that night."
"Then...you don't need to worry. I started loving you when you were healing in my pack. I hadn't seen Veronica before. Saving you that night was only a coincidence.."
"You said Veronica was your fiancèe .."
"I lied. I wouldn't do it if I had known it was the source of your rejection. I fell in love with you and I don't want you to leave me....So I lied to you.. I'm sorry. Please ,forgive me..okay!"
Veronica nodded with tears in her eyes. This is the first time I saw her look so soft.
"Don't cry... It hurts to see your tears.."
Daniel coaxed her softly and licked her tears. Geez...Is it something I can see? There is a minor here...
Even if I'm not a minor, I still look like a minor..okay!!!
"My name was Luminous. I was the daughter of a wolf orc tribe chief. I got this name because I'm luminous.I meant it literally. I was the most beautiful female of my tribe...."
"You were,you are and you will always be.."
That bastard doesn't miss to put in sweet words..
" I glowed in the darkness. Everyone who had seen me loved to praise me as a 'doll made with gold'. As my fame got higher and higher, the ministers from the beast king city noticed me...."
"The eldest son of the beast king refused to get married because he thought the females he met were ugly and not up to his standard. To avoid the constant urging of the old ministers, he crafted the exquisite gold statue himself and announced 'I will only marry when you old guys find the exact same female that looks like this statue '. Unfortunately, I was that unlucky female.."
"My fame attracted the old ministers and they reported the eldest prince to me. After being verified,he was satisfied and asked for my hand from my chief father. My father was very excited. He didn't even ask my opinion when he sent me to the beast king city..."
"I got married. However, the strange thing is I couldn't see my husband's face. He came to me when it was completely dark. No lighting was allowed....not even candles. I did glow but not to the point of seeing things around. It just beautifies me in the dark....."