Triumph

“...I’m a princess myself.”

A wolf from an enemy nation or not, I do need to remember that most races have a heart made of flesh and thus could actually suffer from too many surprises.

“Our schedules have to be very similar for us to meet, my new dear tailed friend.”

Speaking of, not only his clothes but his fluffy tail too was stained with the forest’s dirt. I thought a wolf would be naturally suited to this environment.

“Your name is… Zayobi?”

“Yes.”

“...Princess of Ashraha?”

“I don’t find worth in long royal titles, but yes, I’m the heir princess.” She stared deep into his ocean eyes as they held hands. “I tried to bestow it to any of my three younger sisters, regretfully to no avail.”

“And you sneaked out here before sunrise, for those strawberries?”

“Not only is this not my first trip, but as someone who walked the ground here more times than you I can confidently theorize that you too read of the fruits and decided to forsake the risks of coming here.”

She winked and added: “You too had everything you ever wanted so long as it was inside your kingdom’s borders, and I hope that I too am one of the things your servants couldn’t offer.”

“I would never wish for the head of someone I know nothing about, that includes royalty from what my parents perceive as enemies too.”

I could totally drag out so many puns on him, yet my morality weighs more than my privileges, at least for now.

“Also, Agmon. As tremendous of a coincidence that this is, I am not a decoy or a puppet in the shape of the princess. And I bet killing you would’ve been a strategic move my parents would’ve screamed in my ears had they saw this, so do remember I had the opportunity.”

She gave him a thumps-up with her free hand.

“That does bring to mind, if I did kill you or allowed you to die by that spiny, my parents might’ve lied saying we took you hostage alive. Either way your body would’ve come with us so Mizrakah couldn’t know.”

“Is this what your family brings up in tea parties and dinners?!” His roar was not followed by a retreat.

It was Zayobi who returned her hand, after all.

“Our most elegant of tea parties and exquisite of dinners aren’t filled with such nonsensical chatter. Instead I have to sit through the daily reports of my sisters’ training. Even though they share it directly with my mother, it’s as if me sitting through it is my own training for when I’ll be forced to hear hourly reports as a queen.”

She crossed her arms. “However it’s my biggest source of intelligence for unwritten changes in the castle’s schedule.” She clicked her tongue before adding: “Speaking of my sisters…”

She turned to what could be seen of the risen sun through the leaves of the deep forest.

“I reached the forest faster than ever today, though I must return before six in the morning.”

She walked over to the baskets she put down and absorbed them.

“If you’re aware of the youngest princess’ Creation of Dream, you might know of her telepathic awareness. She specifically trains in sensing the minds of others through a lucid dreaming state around six every day, so I must be inside the castle by that time.”

She held out her chakram. “I would’ve asked you to throw it for me, but it seems your physical capabilities are equal to mine.”

The kind of directional throw I used against the spiny is not as effective when the goal is purely long distance.

“Instead I will ask you to charge it for me before I throw it.”

She handed the round metal to Agmon.

“I read more books than even my sister who can read them in her dreams, and this is the kind of scene where the princess finds out the true nature of the knight she sought throughout the book.”

She beamed a smile. “So will you use this powerful weapon to strike this defenseless girl down, or will you help her use it to guarantee her safe return home?”

“Ehm, I just need to store Energy inside it?”

“It already regenerated itself a bit, not that it was close to being empty. Even so, the speed will be increased if it were to be brimming with Energy.”

“...Alright.”

The red disk gained a blue hue in the wolf’s hand, and a second later transformed completely purple.

“Wow! I never saw purple Spiritual Energy not inside a book.”

The color faded back into the metallic red as Agmon handed it back.

Ah right… It’s not an actual metal that simply stores Energy, it was made with the Form Divine Creation, and thus can devour Energy directly as fuel.

“It was successful even if the color went back to how it was, thank you very much.”

She turned around and began spinning it on her fingers.

The maps might not be used anymore if I could always refill this thing on the way back.

“My next harvest trip would be around the same time and at minimum once a week.” She smiled at him. “So ideally if you want to alert your soldiers and ambush me then, you have my word.”

His decision then will be how I’ll know if I can actually trust him.

“See you then, Agmon!”

Zayobi hurled the chakram and vanished as it left her fingers.

She gained distance too quick for her to hear his “see you...”

***

Zayobi flew over the castle town to lend on an inner wall as the chakram lost momentum, from which she continued inside.

Being spotted this deep inside wasn’t a worry, as the guards wouldn’t dare to question the heir princess’ routine, even if they didn’t remember her walking down the stairs or leaving the castle.

And obviously they’re sensing the proof I’m the real me from my Spiritual Energy.

She began climbing the faintly lit stairs, when…

“Now what are you doing at this hour?”

The sharp voice asked from below.

“Good morning, Hedyla.” She turned around with a grin. “You’re quick on doing your hair, you know? Yours being the shortest out of us four doesn’t mean it doesn’t qualify-”

“Not only is this the first time I heard you say ‘good morning’ before six, since when do you have opinions on such trivial things?” She walked up. “For example, I could ask why you’d be wearing your formal attire if your hair doesn’t seem to be washed yet?”

Damn it! Now that I think about it, even if I completely took care of it, hiding inside a bush and jumping to a tree could’ve ruined it without me noticing.

“And why would you be holding the gift Kamiko made you?”

Hedyla neared reaching Zayobi.

“Obviously I woke up super early to sneak out and use it, little sis. Do you not trust the words of the future queen?”

“Might you be too sleepy to remember that, alike Sgura’s Dream, my Hope is continuously activated. So despite the mass of Energy Kamiko and the soldiers unleashed, I would still sense something as small as you throwing the chakram.”

She reached one stair below her.

“Do tell me, what was the heir princess doing outside the castle before six in the morning?”

She reached the same stair, when-

“Wait.”

-she furrowed her brows and scanned the still-as-a-statue Zayobi.

“I couldn’t feel it from afar… Not just the blade, I can sense Kamiko’s Energy on your whole body.”

Oh right.

The tense darkness remained, yet Zayobi’s grin shone with a smug.

I didn’t take a bath, however I did literally encompass my whole being with the Energy the chakram is made of.

“Don’t tell me you went out with Kamiko to train? I could guess your body absorbed her Energy as it streamed through the air, even so, does that mean she covered you with it before you two left the private chamber’s hallway?”

Hedyla, your Hope gives you such superior Energy perception that you neglect going through the small details from up close. You should learn from Sgura.

“Dear little sis, as I said, I did sneak out and I did utilize my birthday gift.”

For example, Sgura’s love for literature did not deteriorate her actual eyesight. While I can reshape my body to clean off evidence such as dirt, at least she would’ve scanned me directly before throwing accusations.

“Maybe I went on a solo expedition to the Hallowed Forest to collect extraordinary fruits, maybe I met and spared the life of Mizrakah’s prince in exchange for territory.” She put her hands on her hips.

Hedyla sighed. “I’m getting tired myself here, so I’ll let you go rest after whatever training you made up. Just don’t act as if practicing with that blade enough will absolve you of a queen’s responsibilities.”

At that, Hedyla turned down the stairs before adding: “I’m starting my own training alone with father, so excuse us both in advance for missing breakfast.”

I suppose I shouldn’t eat the strawberries now. At least they’re permanently safe inside my virtuous spirit where no interrogator could unearth them.

And thus Zayobi returned to her room.