"Alright, let's go to my room to consummate the relationship," Orion said, his eyes fixed on the silently stunned Merida. Realizing that arguing here would only prolong the situation, he reached out, took Merida's hand, and pulled her gently towards the door.
His voice sounded behind him as he said, "Let's go."
Maya observed her sister being led away and couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy.
She had willingly come here to honour their agreement, yet she wasn't the one being led by Orion. She gritted her teeth gently and pushed the feeling aside.
Even though her sister had excelled in many aspects, both of them were new to this experience, and Maya saw it as a chance to finally come out on top.
Determined to be an even better and more amazing partner than her sister, she took a step forward, silently making her resolution.
"Always wear pretty panties, be obedient, offer advice when needed..." Maya remembered the tidbits she'd overheard servants in her clan's manor gossip about regarding marriage and its upkeep.
A smile slowly spread across her face as her confidence grew with each step she took forward.
Unbeknownst to Maya's intentions, which would have earned her Orion's approval, he continued to lead the way. After a few minutes, they reached their destination, and Orion immediately noticed several individuals near his door.
Upon closer inspection, he identified them as the Queen, Princess Crystalia, and Flintor.
'Why are they here?' Orion pondered with a serious expression.
It seemed unusual for all three of them to be there at the same time, as he would have expected Queen Selene to come alone and the others separately. Their presence together indicated that something significant might have occurred.
The two Luminaris clan heiresses also observed the royal family's presence and quickly adopted a more dignified posture.
Queen Selene's gaze swept over the two clan heiresses standing behind Orion before fixing her eyes on him.
"I didn't expect the royal family to be waiting for me outside my room. If I had known, I wouldn't have left," Orion remarked, offering a warm smile. He then turned his attention to Princess Crystalia, who observed him intently, and to Flintor, who stood behind her with a concerned and somewhat defeated expression.
"Ahem! Mr. Orion, please accompany me for a moment. I would like to have a private conversation with you," Queen Selene suggested, subtly gesturing to the small crowd around them.
With that, she turned and walked away, expecting him to follow.
Eager to understand the reason for their presence or if there was a specific message to be conveyed, which he doubted considering the unusual nature of their visit, Orion turned to Merida and Maya and silently motioned for them to wait.
They obediently stayed behind as he pivoted and followed Queen Selene.
After quickly catching up to her, they continued walking down another corridor. Queen Selene eventually slowed her pace, and her gaze subtly fell on Orion.
"Are the clan heiresses of the Luminaris clan here to fulfil their promise, Mr Orion?" she asked.
Orion nodded in response. "Yes," he confirmed.
Queen Selene nodded and said, "Alright. If they both change their minds later on, you can inform me so that the appropriate punishment can be administered." Her expression remained serious.
Orion replied with a wry smile, "Very well, but I believe such a situation won't arise, so there's no need to worry."
The Queen nodded once more. "Understood," she acknowledged. She then stopped and took a deep breath before turning to Orion, who had also come to a halt beside her.
"I presume you're wondering why we were waiting outside your door," Queen Selene asked, fixing her gaze on Orion.
"Yes," Orion responded, his curiosity piqued. "Has something significant happened?"
Queen Selene shook her head in response. "No, nothing significant has happened yet. I came here to inform you that a scout group, composed of the best elites from the Crystalforge Clan, which you'll be leading, will be sent to search for a way out of this mountain."
Orion immediately grasped her message, as Iris had already informed him about the mission. However, he was a bit perplexed about why they needed to wait for two days.
In his view, time was of the essence. "I understand the need for preparation, but wouldn't it be better to start the mission as soon as tomorrow? Every moment we waste counts, and I can't afford to wait around idly," he expressed.
Queen Selene shook her head with a tired sigh, her lips releasing a weary breath. "Originally, I had planned for the mission to start tomorrow, but there's an important event scheduled that would be incredibly useful for the success of the scout mission."
Orion's interest was piqued as Queen Selene began to elaborate.
"The event will be a trial created by the Guardians of the Garden, and it will take place within the garden. Successfully completing this trial will grant the one who conquers it a strange power, which can be a valuable asset in our battle against the White Flame," Queen Selene explained.
Noticing Orion's confused expression, she promptly added, "I'm sure you've been wondering how my daughter and her personal guard managed to rescue you and the tree nymph and bring you down here, right?"
Orion nodded in response. He had indeed been curious about their fearlessness in the upper section of the mountain and their apparent lack of concern in the presence of White Flame.
"It's because they were the first to discover the trail and the only ones to attempt it throughout the whole Kingdom," Queen Selene explained, shaking her head sadly. "Unfortunately, they stumbled upon the trail by accident, so they were unprepared and couldn't complete it."
Orion was immediately stunned by this revelation. He had sensed that Princess Crystalia and her personal guard were unique in some way, but he never expected it to be like this.
'What kind of strange power could the Guardians of the Garden bestow that would enable someone to challenge a god?' Orion pondered, a furrow forming on his brow.
