CHAPTER 6.3: K.I.D.: THE TEMPERING — ADEUILIN

CHAPTER 6.3: K.I.D.: THE TEMPERING — ADEUILIN 

[08:30] 05.01.2090

Central city Enderil,

Airanril Kingdom,

Continent of Elvland,

2100Km to the Southeast of JUSM

"Hey..... you ugly beast...over here...DAMMIT...LOOK HERE YOU STUPID BEAST!!!" A high pitched female voice shouted from one corner of the destroyed hall. Rage and sadness echoed all over her words.

'I want to save at least her. That terrified little girl' Her mind had only one thought. Not pain from her injuries. Not to cover up her torn clothes. Not to run and save herself. Just one. To save a little girl who saw her whole family die in under four minutes. 

Yet the monster didn't care. It didn't react to her voice. Nor to the rocks she threw at it. Even without eyes, nose, and ears it was still attracted to something the little elf possessed. No matter how much the half-elven maid shouted, it was futile.

'Why doesn't that stupid thing turn it's head away!! I just need a moment to grab the princess Adeuilin and run.... Do your damn job and offer yourself to save the princess dammit, you stupid maid! The only heir alive of this kingdom, princess Adeuilin needs to survive... and she needs me so i can't die either...!!!' 

On the other side of the hall, the elven advisor of the royal court thought, yet didn't act. He peeked through the wreck while hidden behind a huge piece of the fallen ceiling. 

Suddenly, a golden radiance illuminated the destroyed palace. A radiance so huge that it extended over the giant monsters silhouette. Like the grace of the unknown. Just a few centimeters away from swallowing little Adeu whole, the monster disappeared. Vanished as if it never existed. 

The giant body, legs, tentacles, turned to a golden dust. Even the sword like teeth turned to golden dust and dispersed into thin air. Instead now, a giant angel like being had appeared in the vast sky. 

Open arms as if inviting each and everyone to join, she got her hands together and prayed. Both the advisor and the maid were too busy trying to get to Adeu as fast as possible, to notice it. 

Meanwhile little Adeu watched in shock as the thing that killed her family just vanished from her sight and something of stories appeared instead. Yet it didn't last long either. The Angel finished it's purpose and just left without saying a word nor doing anything else. 

She left with the same expression she came, which didn't change the whole time. A polite and soft smile. Rest of the face covered with a golden veil flowing down as a waterfall. The sky restored after the Angel left. The golden radiance vanished and the blue morning sky returned.

"PRINCESS!!!" 

"MY PRINCESS..."

Two voices called Adeu from both sides. Yet she didn't react. She was still stunned from what she saw. However just a quick glance below and she started crying again. The monster vanished and the angel left, yet the dead corpses and the crushed bodies didn't vanish. 

As running towards the princess, both the maid and the advisor saw each other. Each running towards little Adeu. Just then a not so distant memory flashed in the maid's mind.

"Princess Adeu, please get off the floor!! You are the third princess, you should behave properly as you're the future of this kingdom!!" The maid was suddenly caught off guard when the princess she was looking after started crawling on the floor. 

"That's okay... there's my father and my mother to take care of those things... and there's my older sister and brother if they need a hand.... and they said i could live freely as long as i wanted too. My father made a face to my mother then but he too agreed. They even said they'll always be with me too.. " The little pampered princess continued to crawl and play on the floor.

Seeing the advisor come rushing to the princess, her expression changed. From the relieved expression of seeing the princess was safe, it changed to a hostile, almost terrifying expression aimed at the royal advisor. The advisor didn't know why but he clearly saw the open hostility directed towards him. 

Through the rubble and wreck of the royal palace, they finally reached the little princess. But Adeu still hadn't noticed either one reaching her. 

"Princess I'm so-" Started the maid, for which the little princess reacted. With tears in her eyes, Adeu looked up. However before the maid could continue, the advisor jumped infront of her and started.

"Oh Princess Adeuilin, thank the gods you're alive. I was really not sure what to do if even you died. I'm really sorry for the loss of your family princess. Don't worry, we'll give them the proper royal send off as deserved. For now, come with me. Before anyone has any funny ideas we need to-"

The advisor extended his arm to help the princess get up. However the maid rushed to the princess's side and extended her arm too. 'What does this maid think she's doing... she didn't even greet me yet... only the royal family is above me in status so how dare she cut me off!!'

"Princess... I'm so relieved you're alive... Please come with me... let the adults do their jobs... I'll keep you safe until you're grown enough to make your decisions... please forget you're a princess and live freely as you always wanted..." She smiled softly and waited for little Adeu to take her hand. Yet it didn't happen.

She looked upon the two hands reaching her and looked down. Then she looked forward to see the disaster which the monster left. The lives it took. The pain it caused. She didn't understand what happened completely. But she understood one thing. 

Hey family wasn't coming back. Her mother wasn't going to read her bedtime stories or comb her hair every morning anymore. Her father wasn't going to scold everyone but her about pampering her but ultimately giving in after a glance at her face anymore. Her brother wasn't going to give her piggyback rides while her sister chased them anymore. She understood that she was all alone now. It was the price she had to pay for being alive. For being a naive little girl despite being a princess. 

A flash of memories flooded her mind. The morning breakfasts, the evening tea parties, which her father was always late, the dinners in silence which her siblings always found a way to make her laugh and get scolded by their father later. It was all gone. Yet she was still Adeuilin. Enderil and Airanril still existed. She was still the third princess of Airanril. 

Adeuilin raised her hand. Both the maid and the advisor awaited with complete confidence that the little princess would take their hands. The advisor was sure as he was right. Even with all her family gone, she had a duty to fulfill. While the maid was sure as not long ago, the princess herself declared she didn't want anything to do with politics. But the light brown haired maid ignored one thing. The princess rejected politics, not herself nor her country. 

Adeuilin grabbed the advisors hand. With his help she got up. The maid's face changed. The soft smile vanished. Her mouth opened slightly and her eyes changed as if she heard terrible news. 

The maid was shocked, not because Adeuilin grabbed the other hand. Someone's hand which she didn't even talk to properly. When a hand which played with her, looked after her, cared about her and loved her, perfectly existed right infront of her. 

But because of how the princess's expression changed. The tears in her eyes dried. As if no more tears were left. Her crying mouth closed. As if her reason for crying died infront of her. From a little girl crying, to a never looking back women. Adeuilin's expression changed, forever.

"Well then, let's go my princess..." The advisor grabbed her hand as a parent grabbing a child's hand while choosing items in a supermarket so they wouldn't get lost, and continued forward. 

Yet Adeuilin didn't move. She shook off the advisor's hand got infront of him. Without looking back at the two adults behind her, she declared. "Let's go!...Oh... also gather everyone alive in a safe open space... very fas- i mean the sooner the better!!"

"Yes, princess!" The advisor's shocked face soon brightened up with hope. It was clear from the tone of his voice. The three of them started waking. Adeuilin in front and the advisor and the Adeuilin's maid behind her. 

"What are you doing?? Where are you going?? We'll call when you're needed... you're nothing more than a maid.." The advisor suddenly stopped as he saw the maid was also following them and confronted her. 

"Yes... but I'm princess Adeuilin's maid!!" She said glaring at the advisor. Both of them stopped. The advisor didn't like a lowly maid, and a half- elf for that, talking to him with such arrogance. While the maid didn't like his relentless attitude towards the little princess. Both of them haven't even spoken to each other before now, yet they were already at each other's throats.

"Don't shou- I mean, stop that bickering both of you!! She can come... Now, let's go before this place falls down..." Adeuilin sighed and gave her first command. Without even looking back, she made the petty bickering stop with a few words. 

They left the destroyed royal hall and reached the emergency tower. A tall tower with a manual bell used in case of emergencies. Situated near the palace walls surrounded by a vast green garden. However the garden wasn't green anymore. 

Fires had spread to reach everything in the immediate vicinity and more. The grass was burned until it was turned pitch black. The palace walls and everything around them had them destroyed. All except the emergency tower. Due to its use, the making process would have been different. And so would be it's durability. However cracks had started to form on it too. Most likely due to strong impacts. 

*DONGG.....DONGGG....DONGGGG*

Fortunately the manual bell still worked. Three bells echoed throughout so whole palace and the surrounding area. It was the signal for everyone to gather near the tower under royal order. 

Slowly one by one started to gather under it. Injured soldier, injured officers, and injured maids. The public and private sector operators. Scholars and mages. Even some dark elves were mixed in. In a matter of minutes all those who could walk was gathered under the tower. 

Despite the different professions, ages, and sizes, all those gathered shared a connection. All of them were injured. Seeing the damage done even more closely, Adeuilin audibly gulped. Her face became pale, yet she showed little to no emotion. She wanted to. But she resisted.

 A video broadcast was also set up with using what was still usable but the video quality looked rough and a line split the footage due to the Crack in the lense. The crowd below waited anxiously to hear the royal news. 

Eager than ever. After all, they'd was the first time, giant monsters appeared out of nowhere and destroyed everything. What was going to be said that day, that thing was surely going to be a turning point, forgot everyone. It would either reinforce the crown or completely destroy it. And it all depended on one person. 

A little elven girl, who didn't even get to blow two number-shaped candles on her birthday cake yet. 

The advisor stepped forward ready to deliver the tragic news of the royal family. Yet Adeuilin grabbed his hand and spotted him. She dragged a nearby chair near the veranda of the tower and stood on it. Behind her stood the advisor on one side and the maid in the other. A choker shaped device was strapped to her neck. She started talking. Still inexperienced, she did her best to sound professional. Her voice echoed through the gardens, magnified multiple times from the choker. 

"My name is Adeuilin. Some may know me and some may not, however I'm the third princesses of this kingdom. I'm very sorry for calling you over right after the disaster. Right after those monster disappeared. I'm here to tell you very ba- tragic news. My family, the royal family, all died during the monster's attack. My father, mother, brother and sister all died. The king, queen, crown prince and crown princess of Airanril Kingdom died in the disaster which happened a while back!!"

Everybody gasped. Some were shocked while some were sad. Some were in disbelief and some worried. Some even were in denial. They cried, shouted demanding explanations and some stayed silent. Yet Adeuilin's expression didn't change. She countinued.

"I'm sure you all want to go home and rest, sleep, get treated. And I'm sure you all are worried about the future. The near future and the long future. Many lost their homes. Their families. And most importantly parts of themselves. Yet don't worry. I'M HERE!!" She extended her little hands, barely visibly to the those in the back and continued.

"AS PER THE ELVEN ROYAL DECREE, I, SAYRDEUNI AIRUL ADEUILIN, THIRD PRINCESSES OF THE AIRANRIL KINGDOM, ASSUME THE ROLE OF LEADER AND PROTECTOR OF THIS KINGDOM. I DECLARE MYSELF THE 17TH RULER AND QUEEN OF AIRANRIL!!!"

The gathered crowd's shock exceeded many levels and fell into the realm of awe. A little girl proclaiming herself as the ruler of an entire kingdom wasn't unheard of, but Princess Adeuilin was known for actively avoiding anything politically related. Even her first two supporters standing behind her, were taken aback. 

Yet nobody questioned her upfront. The awe turned into respect and admiration. A voice was heard from behind her. Soon the rest joined too. Those present and those who watched the royal broadcast. They all raised their hands in conformation and started chanting, praising the new queen.

"ALL HAIL OUR NEW LEADER!!! ALL HAIL OUR NEW PROTECTOR!!! ALL HAIL QUEEN SAYRDEUNI AIRUL ADEUILIN!!!"

"LONG LIVE QUEEN ADEUILIN!!!"