The city of Shambala was bustling with activities.
Aurora, who was wearing a hooded robe, looked around her like a country bumpkin who had only seen the city for the first time.
She had lived most of her life in isolation, so being around many people after several years gave her the urge to do things she had never done before.
Lux, who understood what she felt, didn't rush to go to the castle. Instead, she took Aurora around to let her see what the city had to offer.
They went to some of the popular attractions of Shambhala like the Bazaar, the Food Market, the Great Fountain, as well as the Adventurer's Guild.
After their exploration ended, they rested at a tavern to have dinner. The Half-Elf could tell that Aurora was feeling anxious about meeting her family, so he decided to give it until morning to prepare her heart and feelings for their reunion.
Lilian, who deemed that she had already fulfilled her role, took Eiko and returned to Lux's Guild Headquarters.
She had no intention of babysitting the teenagers now that they had returned to the city.
Cethus and Gerhart also felt that they were no longer needed, so they also went back to the Guild Headquarters, leaving only Lux and Aurora in Agartha.
"How many rooms?" the Innkeeper asked as he looked at Lux and Aurora who had decided to stay in their inn for the night.
"Two," Lux said.
"One," Aurora stated.
Lux scratched his head when Aurora stated that they only needed one room. However, since that was what she wanted, he decided to go with the flow.
When they arrived at their room, Aurora removed her robe and sat on the bed. Zane took her robe from her, while Zeke carefully took off her shoes.
The Half-Elf could only smile at this scene because the two little skeletons acted similar to butlers, who were taking good care of their Young Miss.
After the two skeletons had set aside Aurora's things, Zane walked behind Lux and gave the Half-Elf a push towards Aurora.
Only when he was seated beside her on the bed did the two Little Skeletons move to the side of the room and laid down, with their backs facing the two.
Zane and Zeke even had their hands clasped over their ears, as if telling Lux that they wouldn't see, or hear anything, so he could do whatever they wanted.
Aurora looked at her two best friends with confusion because she didn't understand why they were acting this way.
She had been isolated for most of her life, so she wasn't aware of the things that were shared between men and women.
Although she wasn't as gullible, and ignorant as Young Aurora, she still didn't understand the "funny thing" that Lux and his fiances did whenever they slept at night.
All of this information was only narrated to her by the two Little Skeletons who were playing Lux's Wingmen, for the sake of their lonely Princess.
The Half-Elf was very aware of what Zane and Zeke were hinting at, which gave him the strong urge to kick the two skeletons out of the room.
He wasn't some kind of Harem Protagonist who would make love to every beauty that he saw!
(A/N: *Gasps!*)
(E/N: *Glances at Author, rolls eyes, shakes head, exit stage right*)
(E/N: Weh? Sure ka?)
"Lux, stay beside me tonight," Aurora said as she held Lux's hands in her own. "I don't want to be alone."
The Half-Elf stared at her pleading gaze before nodding his head.
"Understood," Lux replied. "I'll be with you tonight."
Hearing that, Aurora felt her face suddenly heat up, so she decided to take a bath before going to sleep in order to cool herself.
When she was done, Lux did the same and washed the dirt and grime from his body.
An hour later, the two laid on the bed, with Aurora clinging onto Lux's arm. Since she had no nightwear, Lux decided to lend her Cai's nightgown, which fit her perfectly.
The Half-Elf's resistance to beautiful women was quite high, especially after spending intimate moments with his two beautiful fiances.
Also, meeting peerless beauties like Hereswith and Queen Rhiannon raised his already high standards, making him nearly immune to any kind of honey trap.
Aurora was extremely beautiful. More beautiful than Iris and Cai.
Even so, Lux's feelings for her weren't as deep as they were for his two fiances, and the only reason why he had gone to the Pantheon of Exile to save her was because he felt sorry for her.
Aurora understood this as well, and she was very grateful that Lux had gone above and beyond his means to meet her.
But after being with him, she felt for the first time since she was born that she had found a safe refuge where she could just be herself, and not worry about the storm that was hovering above her head.
She was Misfortune's Beloved, and bad luck always followed her wherever she went.
But the Heavens had shown her a bit of mercy and gave her a bit of good luck that allowed her to meet someone like Lux, who accepted her for who she was.
Aurora looked at the face of the sleeping Half-Elf beside her and smiled. She remembered what her mother had told her back in the Dreamworld about Lux, and she felt that this was her way of giving her blessings to her.
"Thank you, Lux," Aurora said softly before kissing his right cheek.
After that, she hugged his arm, pressing it close to her body. She locked her hand with his before closing her eyes to sleep.
Truth be told, Aurora was very afraid that everything she had experienced was only a dream.
She was afraid that the moment she woke up, she would find herself in that dark, and lonely place, devoid of light once again.
Although she was feeling anxious, and restless, she still fell into sleep's embrace, while hugging the arm of her savior.
Aurora hoped that the next time she opened her eyes, she would still see Lux beside her, continuing this sweet dream that she was having.
The next day…
Lux and Aurora stood in the throne room. They were looking up at the King of Agartha, who was looking back at them with a calm expression on his face.
Standing at the base of the steps to the throne was the Saintess Cleo, who had escorted Lux on his journey.
Since this meeting was special, the King had ordered everyone to leave the throne room, with the exception of the Saintess.
Aurora was still wearing her hooded robe, and with her head lowered the whole time, no one was able to guess her identity.
"Raise your head, Aurora," King Septimius ordered. "What's wrong? Do you still feel guilty about what happened years ago, so you are unable to look me in the face?"
The King's voice was calm, and Lux was unable to read any underlying tones in his voice. However, that didn't mean that he didn't understand what the King was referring to.
A sigh escaped Aurora's lips before she took off the hood covering her head, allowing her father to see her for the first time in many years.
"I hope you are well, Father," Aurora said softly. "I missed you."
King Septimius' gaze was still calm, but his right hand subconsciously gripped the armrest of his throne for a brief moment before it returned to normal.
Lux was unable to see this because he was looking at Aurora, who had a sad smile on her face. If possible, he wanted to wipe that sadness away, but he held back.
A few minutes of silence passed before King Septimius closed his eyes.
"Leave us alone," King Septimius ordered. "That goes for you too, Half-Elf."
Lux frowned and was about to say no. However, Aurora grabbed onto his arm and shook her head.
"Don't worry," Aurora said. "I'll be fine."
Lux looked at the young lady before shifting his gaze to the hand that was holding his arm.
Aurora's hands were trembling, and clearly, she was afraid to be alone in the throne room with her father. However, she was doing her best to stay strong.
The Half-Elf knew that if he asked that he would stay, Aurora would not reject him. But he also knew that if he did that, she wouldn't gain the strength to stand on her own.
He understood that he couldn't always be with her, and he would not always be able to fight all of her battles for her. Because of this, he decided to trust her and pat her head in encouragement.
"I'll just be outside the door," Lux said. "Call me if something happens, okay?"
Aurora nodded as her face slowly turned red because Lux was treating her like a little girl who was about to play on the playground on her own.
Lux wasn't aware that something stirred within the depths of King Septimius' eyes after seeing the Half-Elf treat his daughter this way. But he didn't do anything and simply stared at the two of them.
A few minutes later, the door of the throne room closed, leaving Aurora and her father alone.
Half a minute later, King Septimius stood up from his throne and descended the steps.
With every step that he took, Aurora's heart beat faster and faster inside her chest.
Although she didn't want to admit it, she was starting to suffer a panic attack, but she endured and stood her ground.
When she was finally feeling faint, she felt two strong arms wrap around her body.
King Septimius pulled his daughter close to him and gave her a firm hug.
He didn't say anything, but this gesture alone made the tears that Aurora was holding back fall from her eyes like rain.
The pitiful girl, who was branded as Misfortune's Beloved, cried in her father's arms like she had always done many years ago whenever she was hurt or feeling afraid.
She wasn't aware that in the corner of the throne room, a hidden passage started to open.
A young lady walked out of it with tears streaming down her eyes. She was biting her lip as if she was doing her best to endure the surge of emotions that were overwhelming her small frame.
In the end, she was no longer able to hold it back. She cried her heart out as she ran towards her big sister who had returned after many years in exile.
On that day, two young ladies cried while holding each other in a firm embrace.
King Septimius looked at his two daughters and wrapped his arms around them, hugging both of them tight.
Unlike the two, he didn't shed a tear and only looked up at the ceiling, while holding his daughters close to him.
Deep inside his heart, he wished that his Queen, Bianca, was there with him to wipe away the tears of their two beloved daughters who had finally been reunited after so many years.
