บท 1: Desert Kingdom

The blood red sand sizzled as four guards splashed basins of water upon its surface. The sun had barely risen, and yet the muggy, dust-filled air was already suffocating in the ancient capital city. The burning sun poured its molten golden lavas on the red thick gargantuan gates spreading a resplendence of red flames in its wake.

In the center of the city, among the surrounding stone buildings, there was a crimson palace with towers that stretched higher than the city gates themselves, swarming with people in front of its golden wings, their lofty fiery walls combined with the enthusiasm of the crowd made the atmosphere buzz fervently with energy.

Amidst the crowd stood a tall, lean, dark skinned boy with dark hair and cold, determined eyes. The vibe he gave off was so harsh that the people surrounding him subconsciously maintained three-feet distance from him.

But it was as if the man himself was unaware of the isolation. His sight, like everyone else's, was fixed upon the golden carriage that was making its way slowly and gently like a breeze through the blood-red gates of the palace walls. But unlike everyone else, his dark eyes were not filled with envy and admiration, but rage and unwillingness.

"I can't accept this." He wrathfully hissed through clenched teeth.

The carriage was surrounded by a hundred red-armored guards, with thirty in front, twenty on either side, and thirty more in the back. But even they, with their blood-thirsty aura and severe, sharp eyes, were overshadowed by the four Myifs drawing the golden globe.

As the strongest, largest, and fastest domestic wing-typed beasts closest to the horse species of the desert kingdom, their glistening silver coats and imposing milk-white wings created a sharp contrast with their rough environment, a beautiful and spectacular sight to behold, making the elegant golden carriage as the only thing that came close to matching them in majesty.

Inside the carriage were two young beautiful females seated across from each other.

"Wow, there are so many people!" The excited sound of exclamation resounded in the wide carriage.

Dressed in a bright red dress with long sleeves and golden belt, coupled with long dark brown hair, oval face, and thin lips, the girl could not be called an unparalleled beauty, but still exuded a warmth that attracted others to her, like a bud to the light. Bright large eyes widened even further as she peered out the window at the massive crowd. It seemed as if the whole populace of the Jinn kingdom was gathered in front of the palace gate at that second.

"They must have come to see me off." Sighing emotionally, the girl reclined back in her seat as she drooped the thick curtain. Reminded again of the fact that today would be her last day in her country, the familiar kingdom of Jinn, she could not help getting nervous.

"What do you think the empire of Amaya would be like, cousin?" She turned to the silent girl across from her.

Knee length raven black hair, black long robe with lavender crepe chain dripping white pearls around her waist. At first glance, her cousin's beauty was so stunning with a smooth heart shaped face, snow like white skin, sharp upturned nose, and full cherry lips, that one would be mesmerized to the point of losing their senses. But the detached deep purple pupils and frosty aura surrounding her created a barrier that no one dared to cross.

One so warm and the other so cold, the two cousins were the extreme opposites of each other but still seemed to get along well.

"I don't know. I heard they have a lot of trees and water there." The other girl replied simply and coldly.

Compared to their country of Jinn and Iris Realm with sparse vegetation and toxic black water, the realm of Amaya is said to be surrounded by crystal clear water and evergreens on all sides, active trade networks established with their surrounding neighbors making the dimension practically a utopia.

Every empire and country wanted to form a relationship with them, including their small Jinn kingdom which was located at the southeastern corner of the Zenom continent, in the desert region of the Isles of Eve. The two royal princesses of the Jinn kingdom with the two royal princes of the Amaya Empire. In return, the royal family of Jinn will present the "golden bird" to the Amayan Empire in the form of a dowry.

Unfortunately, even though both were princesses of the Jinn kingdom, Princess Nari's engagement to the crown prince of Amaya was the only one announced to the world. The public had yet to find out that her cousin, Princess Qamari, the orphan of the previous King Ramulas and Queen Sapia of Jinn, was also engaged to the second prince of Amaya, the cousin of the crown prince, marking today as her last day in Jinn as well.

"I heard the palace servants saying that the status of the ordinary servants in Amaya empire could rival those of court ministers in most countries. I wonder if that is true." Princess Nari said wistfully, her previous nervousness momentarily forgotten in her revere.

Princess Qamari let out a slight smile, her expression not changing much as she raised her head and glanced out the window at the cruel bright sunrise. When she stared at the golden light sprays of heat spat out by the sun, her eyes clearly displayed a complex and longing appearance.

'Amaya Empire, huh?

I wonder if it is as beautiful as the books described it. Lots of trees, plants, flowers, and rivers with every color in the world that one could think of. If so, I might just be able to get more herbs to experiment on and greater world to explore.

Maybe even create new…'

Qamari bit her lips. A woman in a black dress with a cold and pretty face, graceful figure, and a medicinal pouch on her waist, flashed through her mind.

As the image of the woman shifted, her black hair that shone like the gems of the black southern sea danced along with the wind.

It was this mystical and cold woman, who made others feel as if she had gone insane once she started treating a patient, that had led and guided her, teaching her everything she knew about the art of healing before perishing. Not because she was her mentor but because she was her mother.

"Princess Nari, future crown princess and empress of Amaya, you are going to bring along some personal guards to serve you, right? You are, after all, going to be the future empress of Amaya."

Just as Qamari was immersed in her own complex feelings, a slightly harsh voice called out. Her calm eyes shifted back to the present as a figure slowly made its way through the crowd towards them, before being blocked by the guards. It was a boy with dark hair and eyes and an arrogant face. He was smiling as he looked straight at Nari.

"Lumos, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the palace?" Princess Nari furrowed her brows in confusion.

Lumos did not become flustered at all as the bustling crowd quieted down and hundreds of eyes focused on him. Instead, he raised his head and lifted the corner of his mouth as he replied swiftly with a grin.

"My duty is to guard and protect you and as such, I shall follow you to Amaya to fulfil my duty to the end. Without you here in Jinn, there would be no meaning to my existence."

There was a subtle double meaning to his words as his eyes darkened, but Princess Nari failed to catch it as she blinked dazedly for a second, before beaming with a bright smile and beckoning to the guards to let him through. With his background as the prime minister's son and outstanding abilities and fame within the royal guards, it was not difficult for the guards to recognize him immediately after the princess called out his name.

But, even as the prime minister's son, he was not significant enough to become a part of the royal procession to the Amaya Empire without proper selection and appointment. However, with the princess's approval as a personal guard, it was a completely different story. Seeing this, he smirked striding forward.

'No one will be able to stop me from being with the princess' Lumos thought darkly as he confidently made his way to the front of the procession.

Seeing this, Princess Qamari frowned slightly before resuming her previous expression of indifference and gazing out the window.

As the blazing sun beat fiercely upon the golden carriage, the Myifs slowly made their way out of the streets of the royal city with the crowd flowing behind it like a wave. Before reaching the city gate, they thrashed their lithe wings evenly, flaunting their velvety regal radiance under the scorching dessert sun and burning gaze of the Jinn citizens. Taking to the sky, they stirred a sudden swirl of wind that created a sandstorm right where four guardians of the gate were splashing water onto the blood red sand.