Chương 33: Chapter 33: The Old You

Sin-Vira's POV

"My father!?" Sibylla shouted. Her eyes were wide with shock, she looked terrified.

"It wasn't that bad. Please don't worry about it." He waved his hand dismissively. It was a terrible lie, but he couldn't sit by and watch her upset.

Sibylla got up from her seat and placed her hands on his cheeks. "Did you touch you? Were you hurt? How do you feel?" she asked while checking his face.

It would've been a cute act, but being hit in the face with a silly hat ruined it.

"Besides getting my head slammed onto a table and passing out from it, I'm fine," he assured her. "Now please sit down, it's not safe standing up in a moving carriage."

"Your head!? Gods, why did he even do such a thing?" She tilted his head and checked on every angle of it. He went along with it in the hopes it would calm her down.

Sin-Vira sighed. "You're making a bigger deal out of then you need to. I'm clearly fine. Now sit your ass down."

Sibylla glared at him. "Stop acting like it's nothing! He could've killed you just because he felt like it!" She shouted at him. There was such aggression in her face and tone, Sin-Vira expected her to hit him as his mother did. But all he felt was a tight embrace. "I'm glad you're not dead…"

He was left speechless from her sudden action and sat still. Unable to reciprocate the action, he simply sat her back. "Same…" he mumbled as Sibylla released him.

There was a sudden bump in the road that caused the carriage to shake. Unsurprisingly, she stumbled back and threw her arms trying to catch herself, knocking her obnoxious hat off with ease.

Sin-Vira stared at her with a gasp escaping his lips.

Sibylla's beautifully long hair was hacked, barely reaching her shoulders. Her ends were jagged, and parts of her hair were sticking up wildly. It looked like they were cut with a dull blade.

"Your hair…?" He asked while helping her sit beside him.

Sibylla placed her hat on her lap. She was red in the face and looked close to crying. "Awe shucks! You ruined the surprise. I cut it myself to impress you. But you're gonna make fun of it, huh?" She sheepishly chuckled.

Vira felt his claws dig into his legs as a sense of anger burned in his chest. "Who did this to you?" he asked.

Sibylla looked surprised before smiling. "Uh me? Who else?"

"…" Sin-Vira sat with a stern expression, waiting for the truth to finally leave her mouth.

"D-don't look at me like that. It'll… grow back…" Sibylla promised as tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "I'm… sorry… please don't hate me for this…" she pleaded in a small voice. Shrinking in her seat.

Sin-Vira gently pats her head with a comforting smile. "I'm pissed at whoever did this. You're a reckless idiot, but I know you wouldn't do this to yourself willingly." Her hair was unbelievably silky and light. He was careful not to touch her scalp since his claws could easily harm her. "I'll ask Ivy to trim it for you. I cut foes down but hair isn't something I'm good with."

Sibylla looked up at him with glistening red eyes. "I would like that…" she smiled a bit.

"Speaking of cutting down foes, do you like dueling?" Vira asked with a smile. Hoping to direct the conversation to a lighter subject.

"On occasion, I do like swinging a sword or two. Why? Don't tell me that's your idea of a romantic outing!" She laughed.

"Far from romantic, but more thrilling than sipping tea. I'll go easy on you out of politeness." He removed his hand from her head. Only for Sibylla to lean against his shoulder.

"Don't bother. Even at your best, I'll make you eat dirt!" she cheered. "Beka's nothing compared to what I can do!"

"Ah speaking of him, did you ever see him again?" Sin-Vira asked.

"Oh now that you mention it, no. Ever since that duel, I've never seen his smug face here or even at the festival. I'm surprised he's given up with how desperate he's been. Maybe he needed to be humiliated into giving up?" Sibylla shrugged.

"I can't believe even though with high standards can be desperate." Sin-Vira felt himself cringe when he thought about Beka. He was a vile trash talker who wasted his breath saying uncomfortable things about Sibylla. "It must be annoying having to deal with it."

"It's a bit of a pain when they're persistent. With your looks I'm surprised you aren't swarmed by royals during the event," Sibylla giggled at her remark.

Though it was easy for her to say, Sin-Vira felt flushed with the idea. "I've been told I looked too intimidating to approach. Features like mine aren't quite common." He pointed to himself.

"Your teeth, eyes, claws, and ears are all pointy, but that just makes you look cool! I have seen unique features, but yours remind me of a dragon! They missed their chance getting to see you up close!"

Sin-Vira felt his mouth curl into a smile as his face grew warmer. Compliments weren't always given to him, which only made her words more meaningful to him.

"You're too kind! I'm always surprised when you say nice things. It's so unlike the old you."

While he did have fond memories of them as kids, he was aware of the rude things she would say to others to the point they would cry. The only compliments she gave were to herself.

Sibylla sighed. "The old me seriously sucked, huh? Sorry about that. I've done what I can to improve so I'm glad you can see it."

"I'm hoping my mother sees it as well. You'll be seeing her likely alone, is that okay?" he asked.

"Hm… Depends on how terrible she is!"

"She's kinds towards those she likes. Otherwise, she's quite intimidating. I'm sure you'll be fine. Ivy said she might interrogate you, but it's only natural. She's probably suspicious of anyone related to your father."

Sibylla groaned and looked at her seat where her flowers were. "I know I can't sweet-talk her with saying how I'm madly in love with you."

"What if she asks what you like about me?" Sin-Vira smirked.

"Easy!" She looked up at him. "I'll be honest with her! I'll remain oblivious to our plan and be genuine the best I can!"

He wanted to know what she would say, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. It would either embarrass him or hurt to hear what she'd say. At times he forgot about the deal, but he knew he couldn't let himself get carried away. Sibylla simply played the part and he followed along without questioning too much. If it weren't for Sibylla's offer, he'd have an innocent girl's blood on his hands and a war outbreak.

Serving his kingdom came before his feelings, though he wouldn't take the bloodied path like his mother if he didn't have to.

SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
Scourgie

Any support for the story is appreciated! Thank you for reading!

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Chương 34: Chapter 34: Snapdragon Kingdom

~Arika's POV~

As she stared out the window, she noticed concerning details as they approached the mountains. The trees lacked any leaves and were bent in odd shapes, the road was filled with hazards like holes and rotten tree logs. Though they lived in the mountains, it seemed far more dreary than Arika could've expected.

While she knew the kingdom wasn't in its best state, the land seemed deprived of more resources than what Sin-Vira described. Dead trees still standing meant within recent years, they weren't receiving any source of water.

Arika was tasked to lead a team of forest management. A seasonal task to ensure crops, trees, and shared rivers were in good conditions. To fix the Snapdragon's landscape would take half a year just to remove the dead trees.

"Geez…" she mumbled and looked over to see Sin-Vira, who kept his hands folded on his lap and staring down at the floor. He was visibly tensed and occasionally the corner of his lips twitched.

Arika smiled and pat his shoulder. "You're pretty quiet for once. What's go you so tense?" she asked with a giggle. He tensed his body up more and raised his head.

Once he relaxed, Sin-Vira lowered his arm before releasing a heavy sigh.

"Sorry. It's just a few things about this visit that worry me. Dealing with your father was a bit intimidating but all he did was threaten me. But my mother isn't very fond of you in the slightest. I'm worried about leaving you alone with her. She can act civil one moment and be your worst nightmare the next. I'm also unsure about how the public will respond to your arrival." He exhaled a sigh and leaned back into his seat. "Everything about this trip will just be stressful and I don't think either of us could be ready for it…"

Arika tilted her head to the side with confusion. "Will they even know who I am? I don't recall ever making an appearance in your kingdom." Though she would have to take responsibility if her sister had visited. Given Sibylla's taste, she'd have a list of excuses to never make the effort to see this kingdom.

Sin-Vira scoffed as he crossed his arms. "Mother dearest made an announcement earlier today. Though she made it sound more like a warning than just a simple heads-up. They'll likely associate you as a threat before you can introduce yourself."

Arika frowned deeply at his response. This mother of his seemed much more spiteful than she imagined. She likely made the announcement just to make things more difficult.

"I won't be intimidated by her. Even if it takes up a large chunk of our time, I'll work hard to gain their trust." She removed her hand and held her hat tightly. "Though I'm sure I'll be needing your help. Can I rely on you to assist me with conversing with them?" she smiled sweetly at him.

Sin-Vira stared at her before laughing. "You can drop the dialect to start! We aren't very formal around here, so you doing that will only intimidate them!" He then grinned. "Besides, I like it more when you're being yourself, darling!" he teased while leaning close to her.

Arika could tell her face was getting red and felt a sudden knot where her soul was. It didn't feel bad, but it made her nervous. She assumed seeing his face was the cause, she plopped her hat on Vira's head which covered his face.

"Well thank you kindly, beloved. I'll just be myself then!" She laughed when he lifted his head and saw his frown. Something so bright and colorful contrasting his dark clothes made him look silly. She tried speaking, but all she did was laugh in her little hit.

Sin-Vira kept the hat and slightly adjusted it so he could see. Seeing him in it made her feel a bit less anxious as they passed through the gate.

Besides the gloomy villages, all she could see was dirt, dry grass, and large rocks. The few residences she saw were slumped over and were covered in black markings and bandages. The only vibrant colors she saw were lanterns leading up to a hole in the mountains.

"Welcome to the Snapdragon Kingdom. Try not to get too depressed," Sin-Vira spoke with a sigh. When the carriage slowed to a crawl, Arika noticed Ivy standing outside with a book held tightly in her arms. "She'll be with the whole time and make sure we stay on task."

He opened the door and exited it while keeping it open for Arika. She noticed him still wearing the hat and giggled. Ivy simply shook her head in disappointment.

"Vira, beloved? I didn't know clashing colors were your style!" Arika pointed to her head as she exited the carriage and patted down her dress. Though she didn't feel pain, the ride was quite… rickety. Arika could only hope none of her joints loosened.

Sin-Vira yanked the hat off of his head and cleared his throat. "I-Ivy, I know we have a schedule, but do you think you could help with this?" he asked while ruffling Arika's hair.

"Hey! Doing that isn't gonna make it look any better!" Arika pushed his hand away before turning to Ivy. "I can wear this for the time being. I rather not ruin your schedule for my own mistakes."

Ivy stared between the two of them before sighing. "This is why you always plan for something to ruin your planning. There's time to fix this mess, I rather you look presentable when you have tea with our queen." She flipped open the book and scribbled something down before slamming it shut. "We'll take you to the dressing room to fix this. It'll be a bit of a walk if you don't mind?"

Arika shook her head. "I could walk for hours! But if it'll take a while, could you inform me of these mines on the way there? Please try not to leave anything out, the more I know, the more I can do to help!"

Sin-Vira turned to face the trail of lights Arika saw before. "There's a lot to say about that hell hole…"

SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
Scourgie

Sorry for the sudden hiatus! I've been busy with other things going on! I will make sure to continue posting and give you all heads up whenever I'm on break!

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