Aegeon couldn't help but take in the sights around him, he looked around in awe. He was reminded of the time he visited this location in the game, the only thing left from it was ruins, but now, it was flourishing no it was downright prosperous, the people around them happily laughing and talking with each other, markets and stands at every corner with no shortage of customers.
How? He felt a tinge of emptiness in his stomach, the smiles on people's faces that were absent in all of the games making him feel a certain way.
It was times like these that made him want to be a hero, he wanted to swear that he would make sure that those smiles remained, but at the end of the day he was only human.
He clenched his jaw and tightened his fist. Those damned demon bastards ruining every world they visit.
It wasn't the time to feel anger, it was time to enjoy the novel sights around him, he relaxed looking around.
"Must be your first time in a real city" Isabella nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, she successfully knocked him out of his stupor, her lips curving upwards, a twinkle in her eyes as they sparkled like the stars in the sky.
Her words shouldn't have made sense, they clearly had been through multiple villages and baronies to get here, but in a weird way what she said DID make sense, none of the other locations could compare to this one's sense of grandeur and beauty, he could only imagine how the capital looked like.
"See? You are a barbarian." She took his silence as a yes, her hand covering her mouth as she laughed, her brown hair swaying with the wind, her laughter sounding like a delightful melody.
The frown forming on his face stiffened unconsciously curving upwards, her eyes meeting his before she turned away in a rush hiding her bright blue eyes that sparkled like the stars, the red blush fitting her skin perfectly as it rised to her ears. The soft snow falling right behind her, he wanted to snap a picture, but he couldn't, his heart started beating rapidly, and in that moment, he understood what it meant to admire a piece of art, his breath catching in his throat before he turned away, he could feel the lightning rushing on his face.
His right hand unconsciously touched his chest.
Badump! Badump!
And in that moment, all he could think about was the way her eyes crinkled, the way her eyes closed, the corners of her lips curving upwards, the way she laughed, talked, her behavior, the way her nose scrunched up when she smiled.
What the fuck is wrong with me
He shook his head snaping out of his feverish dream.
"I'm not a barbarian" He managed to say, almost scared to talk to her, the weird unfamiliar feelings not disappearing no matter how hard he tried to think of something else.
"What's wrong did you catch a fever?" She looked at him, her face tilted slightly, a look of concern on her face.
Am I insane? I don't even know her.
He looked away and closed his eyes gripping the bridge of his nose.
"What's wrong?" She touched his back; her cold hands made him shiver even if he wasn't meant to feel the cold.
"No-Nothing"
"Geez" He stole a glance, her lips pursed as she held a finger to her lips, "I won't call you a barbarian again" Her cheeks puffed out as if she was the one that was wronged.
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"No seriously it was nothing" Her reassured her, they got closer to the castle, two guards standing in the front with halberds drawn.
They wore bronze armor, with slits as visors, blue feathers of a cockatrice on the top. Their surcoat was half green and half red, the sigils were a wolf howling towards the moon.
"Princess." They both repeated as if they rehearsed their lines "Please right this way, his grace is expecting you" Their weapons raised as they opened the door, the bottom gate scraping against the floor.
"I told father to fix that" She muttered softly her words almost getting lost in the wind, she glanced at Aegeon, before stepping forward, Aegeon tried to follow but the knights lowered their halberds and blocked Aegeon from following. "Just the princess, and Sir Matthews" Their voice emotionless, neither arrogant nor humble.
"He's with me" She glared at them, before turning back. They lifted their halberds letting him pass. Sir Matthews turned around and instructed his knight order to help settle the captives before stepping inside.
The outside of the 'palace' was magnificent, but the interior made his jaw drop, portraits adorned each side of the walls, presumably members of the Boreas family, in one portrait there stood a man with a blade fighting against the very night itself, in another there is a wolf taking a bite out of the moon. The 'palace' was busy inside with maids and butlers at almost every corner either cleaning or doing something.
His eyes wandered around, spotting Jewlery that would make the wealthiest people on Terra jealous, suits of Golden armor on display, the standard armor for members of the Silver Order. Aegeon assumed that they had it in display as pride for founding the order.
Just their entrance was bigger than his apartment. the corner of his lips tugged downward. Was this a class divide? The thought of having to address her father suddenly drove him into a panic, in many ways a grand duke was like a sovereign of a nation, it was like being thrust into a meeting with the leader of the union.
And that didn't go as well as he wanted either, he didn't want a repeat of that situation. Was it your grace? Should he mimic the way the guards addressed the duke?
He felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to look. "Don't be nervous" she tucked some hair behind her ear "He doesn't bite" Her lips parted in a beautiful motion, a teasing smile adorning her face which seemed sculpted out of marble.
He slapped himself.
"Hey, what was that?" her eyes widened, an incredulous look in her eye.
"Nothing" he cleared his throat, making his way to the duke's office, the two guards that were guiding them stopped, another two stood at the duke's door.
"Leave us" His voice came out of the room, a gruff rouged voice, one you'd expect from an S- Class Adventurer.
They entered the room, he bowed his head.
"Dad" Her cheery voice resonated in the room.
"It's good to see you safe" His voice tinged with a hint of concern; he could feel his face turning towards him. "Is this who I have to thank?"
"Greetings your grace" His head started ringing as his eyes were drawn to a glass case containing a rock, he couldn't help but stare, a sensation in his mind demanded he worshipped it.
He shook his head, bringing his eyes back to the floor.
"Good instincts" The grand duke spoke, his words were devoid of emotion "Look up kid" He cleared his throat "No one in the north bows their heads, not even the peasants." He looked up meeting the eyes of the duke. He was a middle-aged man, a very handsome he had raven black hair, olive skin, and a full beard, blue eyes that embodied winter itself. he had a small scar above his right eye, his face barely showing any signs of his age.
He instinctively stepped back,
Strong.
The signals in his brain demanding he ran away, he felt like a deer caught in front of a Lion, his skin tingled as goosebumps erupted all over his skin.
His face broke into a grin, "You can feel that?" A sense of deja vu washed over Aegeon. He turned and touched his crest the wolf howling at the moon. "We bow our heads to no one, no king, no god, nothing."
Was this a northerner's pride? It made sense that Julian was so troubled that he had to apologize.
He stretched his fingers, even from that distance Aegeon felt the power contained in just a small part of him.
"Dad, you're scaring him"
That was a lie, Aegeon wasn't scared, he was terrified, the implications of his strength, meant things had to go VERY wrong for the north to be defeated.
When Aegeon meant ruins, he meant ruins, it was like thousands of years passed.
"I'm fine"
"See? The lad says he's fine" His eyes twinkled with mirth.
Aegeons eyes were drawn to the glass case, the motion so abrupt it called the dukes attention, his hand gently resting on top of the display he patted it once before speaking.
"Your a priest right?"
He didn't wait for a response before continuing.
"You have the same reaction that all priest who enter my office have"
He laughed a boisterous laugh
"This right here are spoils form a bygone era.
No
"From a war that established our lineage.
Theres no fucking way
"This here is a piece of the moon that our founding ancestor tore out.
It fucking was