The owl shook his head and turned its head in different directions.
Scott smiled.
The owl then squealed in Scott's ears.
Scott made sound in the same way as the owl.
The ring above his head shone with bright yellow.
Tory asked, "What's it saying?"
Scott said, "It's happy to see us.
They are waiting for us. We should go now. It has come to guide us in this foggy weather."
Scott stood up.
The fog became even thicker.
The owl turned his head and Scott also changed his direction accordingly.
They all followed Scott and the owl.
The sunlight appeared purple due to the growing fog.
After a journey of two minutes. The owl flew from Scott's hands and flew forward.
Scott ran.
They both disappeared in the dense fog.
They also ran.
They were shocked to discover the village of the Aetherios and the castle about half a mile away from them.
They spotted an elder Aetherio talking to Scott and the owl sitting above a shop.
The Aetherios paused their work and stepped aside the road making the way for them.
Scott bid goodbye to the elder Aetherio and the owl sat on Scott's shoulders.
They started walking by the path.
The Aetherios beside the path bowed before all of them.
Larrith felt uncomfortable and his legs trembled in fear of making a bad impression.
They advanced towards the castle.
After five minutes, a girl came and hugged Larrith.
Scott turned back.
The girl said, "Larrith.. After so many days.. I am seeing you. Have you come here to attend the ceremony?"
Larrith replied, "Yes.. Wow.. Never expected that I would meet you here.. Have you also come in this kingdom to attend the ceremony?"
The girl said, "Not at all.. So, I heard that you are the new king.. I couldn't attend the ceremony as I came here to take care of my friend who is an Aetherio.. She's seriously ill."
Irene whispered to William, "Won't Elaris show any expression of jealousy?"
William whispered back, "Who knows?"
Irene, William and Scott finally saw Elaris clenching her fist and rolling her eyes.
The three smiled at Elaris's reaction secretly.
The girl said, "Ok bye, Larrith.. I will meet you at the ceremony.." and went away.
Scott turned towards the castle again.
Irene and William found Elaris saying something secretly almost like mocking the girl..
They two laughed secretly.
They started walking again.
"so who was she?" asked William.
"oh, she was my childhood friend.. She's really caring.. She lives in our kingdom only." Said Larrith.
Irene, William and Scott replied together, "oh!"
The three noticed Elaris's silence.
After five minutes of more journey. They finally reached the castle.
There wasn't much place at the front of the castle.
It was also made of golden bricks.
An elder Aetherio came to them and said, "Oh.. Larrith.. And Scott.. You all have come!
Guards, take them to the back.."
Two guards came and bowed before them. The guards went towards the back.
The guards wore armours and there was a hole at the back from which their tails came out. They didn't wear head guards to show their rings.
They followed the guards while Scott left them and started talking to the elder Aetherio.
They opened their mouths after seeing a ten feet statue of Tirian at the back of the castle.
The back was decorated by roses, lotuses and lilies.
The fragrance filled the back.
A raised stage was prepared at the exact back of the castle.
The space was huge at the back and there were hundreds of chairs at the back beside the stage. Most of the chairs were filled by other Aetherios and people.
They all stood up and bowed before them
They bowed back.
They then sat on the chairs.
Larrith hesitated to sit and said, "Should I sit as the king or should I explore?"
William laughed and said, "I think, explore?"
Larrith laughed back.
Chlin stood up and took Larrith to a side and said, "Larrith.. I just learnt about you and Elaris.. And I can tell that you are hurt.. I thought I must tell you.. We might face a war very soon.. So it's either you stop thinking about her for the time being or jus face you fear and tell her.. You have to choose between these two options.. Otherwise, you will feel weak in battles. It will be a disadvantage for all of us and even worse, you will doubt your worth.. So, don't let it happen"
Tory said, "Exactly!" from their side.
Larrith nodded and said, "I will choose the first option.." and he went at the front to visit Scott.
Tory said to Chlin, "I thought he would choose the second option- of confessing his feelings to her."
Chlin said, "I thought the same.."
Tory and Chlin then sat again on the chairs.
Larrith thought while going to the front, "They don't know what happened last night..
I already decided to distant myself from her and I will do it.."
He then spotted Scott talking with the king.
Larrith advanced forward and bowed before their king.
Their king bowed back.
Scott stepped aside.
The king then advanced forward and shook his hands with Larrith.
Larrith had to bend to shake his hands.
Their King's ring shone with bright yellow light.
Their king was wearing a golden robe.
Their king said to Larrith, "Scott already told a lot about you. I was really excited to meet you."
Larrith replied, "Oh, I was also excited.."
Scott then went at the back.
William called Scott and Scott sat next to William.
William then said to Scott, "You turned back very quickly then.. When that girl hugged Larrith.. After she said that the would meet again. Elaris rolled her eyes further. Elaris was also saying something almost like mocking the girl."
William, Scott and Irene laughed while Elaris, Tory and Chlin sat unaware of the conversation going on.
A guard appeared in front of them with two huge golden plates on his both hands.
The guard then offered each of them a golden plate.
The plate contained two violet berries and a blue juice.
They started having them.
A black, one feet insect appeared came flying and was revolving around Irene.
It had transparent wings along with fluffy ears. Its body was covered by black fur and it had green eyes.
Its wings were creating a buzzing sound.
Irene already had one berry.
She offered the other to the insect.
It halted in mid air while still flapping its wings and ate the berry.
Irene smiled.
It flied back.
Irene said, "Are these magical berries.. I am almost full after having one."
Scott replied, "Yes.. When they are had with this dreamy water, this blue juice, it almost fills your stomach."
They nodded in wonder.
Elaris eyes dropped as she had the berries while looking at the statue of Tirian.
Their king said to Larrith, "I heard that something disrupted your coronation ceremony.. Someone called the dark queen.."
Larrith replied, "Yes.. You heard right."
Their king nodded. "was she the reason Tirian died?"
Larrith replied, "Yes.. The executioners were just her pawns.. As much as we know.. She's the one controlling them now."
A guard appeared in front of the two kings and bowed before them and said, "The fog has started to disappear."
Their king nodded.
The Royal guard then went away.
Larrith asked, "Does this fog stay in late morning? "
Their king replied, "Not at all.. Generally it disappears after eight.. Sometimes it doesn't.. And stay till noon.. It's because of its location.. Our kingdom is situated just over the ice.. We could stand out kingdom because of our magic.."
Larrith's eyes widened.
A member of their castle called their king.
Their king said, "Alright, then. I think I have to leave now.. I hope you will like our arrangements for our beloved Tirian."
Larrith bowed and went away to the back of the Castle.
Larrith was also offered the plate as soon as he sat.
He had the food.
Larrith asked Scott, "Did I do anything wrong by bowing before the king.. Because he shook my hands after bowing.. Like should I have shook hands or bowed?"
All of them present laughed along with Elaris.
Scott said, "You did the correct thing."
William said, "Fear of a new king."
Their plates were taken by another guard.
Scott said, "Do you all want to visit the farm of these berries. It's a wonderful place."
Larrith and others said, "Sure."
Scott stood up and said, "Just wait here for a minute"
He then rushed to their king and said, "Can we go to visit the farm now?"
Their king replied, "Oh yes, definitely. Take them to the farm.. They will definitely like it."
Scott ran back to them and asked them to follow him.
They followed Scott.
Scott went towards the back wall of the castle's back.
There's a wooden door.
He opened it and went inside.
They also went inside.
They raised their eyebrows in disbelief.
There was a huge garden with more than fifty rows of trees.
Each tree was full of berries.
The furry black insects roamed the garden.
Irene asked Scott, "Don't they eat those berries?"
Scott replied, "No, they only eat those berries which fall from the tree.. The trees are protected by magic."
They discovered many berries below those trees.
Some insects were having them.
At the middle of the garden, was a narrow stream of water.
"From where does the water come from" Asked Larrith.
Scott replied, "It comes from a mountain.. The mountain can't be seen.. These trees don't need sunlight.. So the entire room has been blocked by wood.. So you can't see the mountain."
They went near the stream.
They found some insects to be drinking from the stream.
As they advanced forward the stream, they shivered due to the cold.
Larrith went deeper into the rows.
The insects gathered around him.
They also went deeper.
The insects also gathered around them and then flew away.
William touched the grass.
He felt coldness.
"Why is it so cold?" Said William.
Scott replied, "Our kingdom is situated over ice.. We were able to establish the kingdom because of our magic.. Otherwise it would have been impossible.."
Irene, Elaris and Larrith also touched the grass.
They all shivered.
A Royal guard opened the wooden door and said, "The ceremony is about to begin very soon."
They all looked at the guard.
The guard then went away.
They also went outside the farm.
"How do you maintain the normal temperature over here? Is it also magic? " Aksed Tory.
Scott replied, "They say that they maintain the temperature by magic.. But I highly doubt that..
I never saw any spell to do that.. So I don't believe it."
Chlin replied, "I never heard of such spell. That's actually strange. I also wouldn't believe it."
Irene said, "our chairs have been taken by others.."
"Look, there are a few empty chairs." Said William.
The elder Aetherio said, "Guard, arrange few chairs for them at the front.
A guard came and arranged them a few chairs.
Larrith asked the elder Aetherio, " hasn't Rafael come yet?"
The elder Aetherio replied, "He has come.. He's talking with our king."
They all sat on the chairs.
The chair on the left side of Larrith was vacant.
The girl whom they met in the road sat on that chair.
Larrith said, "Oh, you. I thought you wouldn't come."
The girl said, "I just got a bit late.. By the way, did you express your feelings for that girl who is sitting at the extreme most chair?"
Larrith said, "You mean Elaris? How did you know?"
The girl said, "Her expressions.. I felt that you both might.."
William and Irene heard this.
They both looked at each other confused.
William said to the girl, "Not actually, a spirit revealed it instead of him.."
The girl replied, "what does that mean?"
Larrith said, "Nothing.. William, stop this."
Irene said, "She said let's see where it goes"
Larrith looked at Elaris with raised eyebrows.
Larrith said, "You all! You all were hearing us yesterday."
William said, "oh, yes.. We were because.."
Larrith interrupted with a calm voice, "This wasn't expected from you all.. I thought you were mature.."
Elaris heard them.
Larrith continued, "How could you all.. Without our permission.. I never expected that you all would destroy our privacy.. I expected you all to be mature.."
William, Irene and Scott looked down.
Scott didn't say anything.
Larrith asked, "And who cast a spell to hear us?"
No response came.
The three felt embarrassed.
Larrith asked, "Scott, you?"
Scott replied, "I am sorry.."
Larrith shook his head and looked at them and said, "you all broke my trust."
He released a deep breath.
Elaris said, "It's ok.. Don't be so moody now.. I forgave them.. It was my request to talk to you alone and I forgave them.. So you should forgive them too.."
Larrith, "Definitely it was your request.. Whatever, Alright.. I forgive you all. But don't repeat it.. Don't break someone's trust like this.."
Irene, William and Scott nodded.
After a few minutes, Scott said
"Why isn't it starting?"
After a few moments, Rafael came at the back and said, "Larrith and you all, come with me now."
They all rushed to him.
The other Aetherios and people looked at them.
They went at the front of the castle.
The aetherian king's ring shone with a white colour.
They understood that something was very wrong.