Lezlie's Past: Part 3

My father beckoned us to bring the strangers to him, and without hesitation, we obliged. Together, we made our way to meet him, and as soon as he saw me, he rushed forward and wrapped his arms around me.

"Oh, my dear child! Are you alright? Did anything happen to you?" he asked, his voice trembling with concern.

"I'm fine, father," I reassured him. "These strangers saved me."

My father turned to the two brothers, extending his hand in gratitude. "I am eternally grateful to you both. Please join us in today's celebration. Though it may not be much, I would like to express my gratitude. May I know your names?"

"My name is Kaika, and this is my brother Jiro Okami," the older brother responded, placing his hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "They call him, Alpha Prime."

My father's expression changed instantly, as though he had just recognized something. "Do we have to do this everywhere we go?" Alpha Prime grumbled.

"Wait, are you Alpha Prime?" my father asked in amazement.

"Yes, I am. We were on our way to the dragon clan, but we had to stop here on the way," Alpha Prime said.

"I see, then I'm glad you stopped by. My name is Kyoshiro, and I am honored to meet you both," my father replied.

As My father turned to Seinch, his face twisted with anger. "And where were you?" he demanded.

Seinch stammered anxiously. "I...I was helping others too, sir. There was nothing I could do. I was doing my best."

"He was doing his best to save others in need, father. He couldn't have defended me. I asked him to do it, Dad," I added.

"Very well. Since we have guests today and you are unharmed, I will not pursue this matter further. For now, I welcome you all to my room until the celebration begins," My father said, gesturing for us to follow him.

My father and Seinch were overly concerned about my pregnancy, and understandably so. They wanted to keep me safe, but I also had responsibilities that I couldn't ignore. As we settled into our room, the conversation continued.

"I heard rumors that you were in the palace. I had no idea you were here," My father said, turning to Alpha Prime.

"For personal reasons, I had to leave the kingdom and head east with my brother," he replied calmly.

My father's surprise was palpable. "Do you know who this man is?" he asked, gesturing towards Alpha Prime.

"This man is the most powerful of his bloodline and of all bloodlines. He is Alpha Prime," my father answered with reverence.

Kaika chimed in, "Looks like your popularity is increasing."

Alpha Prime deflected the praise, "Thank you for your kind words, but I'm not as strong or mighty as they make me out to be. It's just a title that people have bestowed upon me."

Kaika couldn't resist teasing, "What a gentleman."

Jiro rolled his eyes and told Kaika to stop. "We don't want to cause any trouble. We're in a hurry. We'll be grateful for a piece or two of food to take with us as a reward for your kindness," Jiro explained.

At that moment, two other chefs entered the room, demanding to know who the strangers were.

Alpha Prime and Kaika were quick to explain that they had saved me and the people of our village, and my father had invited them to the celebration as a gesture of gratitude.

One of the elder chefs expressed surprise at Alpha Prime's presence. "Your reputation precedes you. They say you do good things," he said calmly.

Jiro started to explain the truth about their past, but was interrupted by the chef's accusation that Alpha Prime's family had caused harm.

Alpha Prime responded calmly, "Without any information about the Wolf Bloodline, it's not logical to make such claims, Chief. The information you have is limited and only in your head. The truth is often more painful.

Jiro's brother Kaika joined the conversation in his defense. "We made great sacrifices so that other people could live. Jiro had to kill our father because he was a dangerous man. He did it just to keep the peace."

Jiro interrupted his brother and continued, "There have been damaging events in the past, but we cannot erase them from people's minds. But we can change our future. I know I can show everyone that the Wolf bloodline is not as bad as it seems."

His words rang true, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of hope for the future.

With a calm and measured voice, my father stepped in between the angry men and spoke up, "That's enough. Even if we are the chiefs of this village, we have no right to treat people who have done us good in such a manner. I kindly request that you stop."

The Chief glanced at them, then conceded, "They can stay until the celebration, but I don't want them here in the war." With that, he left the room with the other chief in tow.

My father turned to Alpha Prime and offered an apology, "I'm sorry for what happened. He lost his family a long time ago, and the person who killed his family was your father. He has held a grudge against you for years, and because of this, he never liked the Wolf bloodline. He didn't do anything to you today because you saved people, but in a normal situation, he wouldn't have mercy on anyone in the Wolf bloodline, regardless of who they are."

Understanding the severity of the situation, Alpha Prime stood up and said, "Thank you for your help, but we'd better go before we cause you any more trouble."

"Our bloodline has a tradition here. A good deed is met only with a good deed. So it would be better if you two stayed a little longer," said my father insistently.

Jiro, feeling defeated, he realized he couldn't break my father's stubbornness, sighed, and replied, "Okay, fine. But we'll leave as soon as this is over."

Before we finished talking, my father spoke one last time, asking for one last favor, "Our village is going through very difficult times, and we want to migrate a small part of our people to the east to expand our land, increase our food, and keep our people away from war. And I hear you're headed east. So I ask you to accompany my people and ensure their safety. The other chefs may not trust you, but I trust you and I would be very grateful if you accept this."

Without hesitation, Alpha Prime responded, "We are honored to help your people, but you need to be prepared for the outside world."

Kaika looked at his brother suspiciously and spoke to him. "Are you sure about this, they may not survive."

"They will leave one way or another, at least if they come with us, I will have no regrets," Alpha Prime said. And he made his decision

My father expressed his gratitude, "I don't know how to thank you two. Your help will be remembered."

Kaika then chimed in, "We'll be on the road again soon. Until then, your people better be prepared."

Kaika had concerns about the celebration putting people's lives in danger during a time of attack. My father responded, "Even though I know it sounds ridiculous, there's nothing I can do. My people are very committed to their traditions and perform this festival no matter what. But don't worry, it's our job to ensure their safety. Our best wizards will stand guard all day long."

As we made our way to the village square, I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. The celebration was a rare opportunity for everyone in the village to come together and enjoy each other's company. People were laughing, having fun, and indulging in the delicious food that was prepared for the occasion.

Suddenly, Seinch appeared in front of me once again. He reached out his hand and asked, "May I have the pleasure of this dance, Miss Pelena?"

I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed at the romantic gesture. "You don't have to do romantic moves like that, you know?" I said.

But Seinch replied with a warm smile, "Even so, I can't be happy unless you're happy. So it's my job to make you happy."

In that moment, I felt a rush of love for him. "I love you," I said.

Seinch's eyes lit up and he replied, "I love you too."

At the time, I thought my life was going to be good. But as fate would have it, our emigration was attacked and my husband lost his life. I was left with only my daughter, Lezlie, to carry on. The memory of that day at the celebration remained bittersweet, a reminder of the happiness we once shared.