Orion nodded in response and offered a slight bow. "Thank you," he said with gratitude evident in his voice.
Crystalia mirrored his gesture. "Thank you," she added.
Aegis of the Arctic Deity nodded silently at them before he controlled the stream of floating water again. The floating stream of water began to retreat as the Crimson blood cocoon slowly cracked. The golden threads loosened their grip on the collar.
Observing this, Orion dashed forward, swiftly positioning himself beneath Queen Selene to catch her securely before she could touch the ground. As the Crimson blood cocoon disintegrated into fine dust, it vanished entirely from the air.
Orion scrutinized Queen Selene's condition. Apart from her attire vanishing, leaving her naked in the open, he noticed a slightly dark, burnt-like scar where the collar had previously been and the bright milky mark of two wings on her forehead, one wing larger than the other, similar to Iris's other Divine Apostles.
He stretched his hand and grabbed the collar that had landed beside her, securely storing it in the pocket of his tulga.
"How is she doing?" Crystalia asked, her voice filled with concern as she arrived beside Orion.
"Don't worry, she is fine. Just as Aegis of the Arctic Deity said, she is only temporarily paralyzed and will return to herself after a good rest," Orion responded.
Upon hearing Orion's words, Crystalia exhaled in relief and activated her clan's unique ability to create a blanket, quickly draping it over her mother.
After properly covering Queen Selene's body, Orion summoned the Crimson Great Sword alongside Aerialia before rising to his feet, carrying Queen Selene in his arms.
As they prepared to leave through the passage that had emerged, Orion thanked Aegis of the Arctic Deity once more for his assistance, and Crystalia sincerely did the same.
"As I've said before, you don't need to worry. I'll solve whatever problems you have and protect Orion's cities, the Village, and everyone in them to the best of my abilities," Aegis of the Arctic Deity said, his golden-slitted eyes staring down at them.
As they both nodded in response, Orion couldn't help but ponder if his assumptions about Aegis of the Arctic Deity were wrong and whether White Flame was the one being untruthful about his words.
Nonetheless, he shook his head internally and walked through the passage with Queen Selene in his arms while Crystalia followed him.
….....
The Princess of the Garden patiently awaited near the Divine Essence lake for Orion and the others to return, exhaling in relief when she saw the passage appear on the ground. She stood up and observed as Orion emerged from the passage, holding Queen Selene wrapped in a blanket, with Crystalia trailing behind.
"How did it go?" The Princess of the Garden asked, her voice solemn as she noticed Queen Selene's condition.
Witnessing Orion's smile and nod, the Princess of the Garden's expression softened as she exhaled in relief.
"We need to return to the Palace manor to ensure she gets proper rest, but first, I'd like to hear the good news you mentioned," Orion said.
The Princess of the Garden gestured for Orion to follow her so
they could speak privately as she turned around and left.
"Don't worry, I'll carry her," Crystalia immediately offered as she
lifted her mother into her arms.
Crystalia sensed that whatever The Princess of the Garden had
to share with Orion was meant for his ears alone. Considering
that The Princess of the Garden is a being not even her mother
dared to confront, Crystalia discreetly withdrew, pretending
she hadn't overheard anything.
While Crystalia wasn't fearful, she couldn't deny feeling
intimidated by the Princess of the Garden's presence. However,
if the situation involved anyone from their household, she
would have approached it differently.
Unaware of Crystalia's inner thoughts, Orion passed Queen
Selene to her before heading toward the Princess of the Garden
to join her.
The Princess of the Garden observed as Orion approached her.
"The good news I have for you is that the Guardians of the
Garden have finally agreed to grant you an audience and hear
your request," she said.
Orion was momentarily stunned by the Princess of the Garden's
words before a joyful smile spread across his face. "It seems all
my hard work has finally paid off," he replied.
If the Pixies had resisted meeting him despite his numerous
attempts, then it was safe to say that even a divine being
couldn't reconcile their relationship.
"Yes, your efforts have paid off," the Princess of the Garden
acknowledged, smiling as she observed Orion's jubilant
expression. "However, I don't think you should be celebrating
just yet," she warned.
"What do you mean?" Orion asked, his brows furrowing in
confusion.
"You see, the pixies are a race very attuned and responsive to
their emotions. If they love you, they'll go to any lengths for
you, but if they hate you, they'll do the opposite—attack you or
ensure you feel the full force of their anger. The only reason
they haven't acted against you is because of our relationship
and the divine energy they sense around you, along with your
connection to the god beneath the Garden, which makes your
situation somewhat unique," the Princess of the Garden
explained.
"However, now that they've agreed to meet with you, you have
to be careful because I suspect they're still planning
something," she added.
Orion nodded solemnly. "You don't have to worry, I'll be careful,"
he assured.
Even without the Princess of the Garden's warning, Orion had
every intention of proceeding cautiously, having witnessed the
Pixies' personalities firsthand.
"Okay. I'll inform them you're busy today, but be sure to arrive
before sunset tomorrow," the Princess of the Garden
instructed.
"Alright, I won't be late," Orion affirmed.
The Princess of the Garden nodded before they returned to
Crystalia and Queen Selene. Orion bid the Princess goodbye
with a kiss before taking hold of Queen Selene and making their
way out of the Garden.
........
Palace manor
"Alright, you can come in and put her on the bed," Crystalia said,
holding her mother's bedroom door open as maids exited the
room, having finished cleaning it for Orion to enter.
