After hearing Seth's words, Orion immediately snapped back to his senses. He nodded in understanding at Seth and was about to respond, but a loud voice interrupted them from behind.
"Stronghold Leader Seth, could you please get up from my husband?" Fifi's voice was firm as she stood at the doorway, holding a baby in her right arm and glaring at them.
Seth shifted his attention to Fifi, recognizing her as the one who had spoken. He saw the seriousness in her eyes and the protective stance she took. Seth swiftly stood up and extended his hand to help Orion to his feet.
"I assure you, Mrs. Fifi, what happened was an accident. If you don't mind, I'll be on my way. Orion will explain everything to you," Seth responded, addressing Fifi before turning to Orion with a final glance.
With that, he launched into the sky, leaving a trail of dust and disturbed soil behind.
"Go on, don't keep us waiting. Tell us why Stronghold Leader Seth came to find you so early in the morning," Fifi said, her frown deepening.
Crystalia, Fiona, Reena, Gina, and the others emerged and leaned in eagerly, waiting for his response.
Orion gazed at his wives with a heavy sigh before explaining Seth's urgent message. Shock painted their faces as he recounted the imminent threat, and by the time he finished, despair and fear had replaced their initial shock.
"Is all of this true? Are we truly under attack against something so powerful that even Aegis of the Arctic Deity must exert all his power to stand a chance?" Crystalia's voice quivered, her eyes scanning the stormy sky with a mix of horror and disbelief.
It was hard for her to grasp the idea that something could threaten the Orion's Cities to the extent of overpowering all their collective strength.
It was unimaginable!
They were all keenly aware of the collective strength within Orion's Cities, which made the situation just as incredulous to them as it was to Crystalia.
"Unfortunately, it's true. Stronghold Leader Seth wouldn't come here with false news," Orion affirmed, acknowledging Crystalia's initial shock and fear, which she struggled to conceal behind a facade of confidence that eventually crumbled.
"I'll check on the children; everyone else, start gathering your belongings so we can prepare," Orion instructed, addressing the rest of his wives before leading them back into their home.
….............
After they finished packing their valuables, which seemed to encompass everything in the manor, Orion proceeded to store them within the mountain.
With a soft cloth on his chest, Orion cradled Naimh, Reena's second child, while he held Remy, Ursa's son and sixth child, and Maeve, his thirteenth child, in his arms.
"Are you all ready?" Orion asked, looking at his wives, who carried the other children.
Saria's tree floated in a large vase beside Crystalia.
Celeste, Seraphina, Vivian, Reena, and the others all nodded, signalling they were prepared to move. While they were saddened by leaving their home, knowing it would likely be destroyed once they left, they also valued their lives and understood that their only option for survival was to leave quickly and head toward the First Border City.
Orion nodded and said, "Alright, let's go."
However, as he turned around to take a step forward, a blinding light flashed before her eyes.
….......…
Patriarch Rylan Mansion
Leif, Leona, Flintor, and the others sat together for breakfast. However, unlike their usual lively meals, the atmosphere was heavy with silence and a sense of gloom.
Eachof thempicked at their fruits, exchanging glances that spoke volumes without words. Occasionally, their eyes would drift towards Isadora, only to quickly avert when she noticed.
Isadora furrowed her brow as she sensed their scrutiny. "What's on your minds?" she asked.
"Princess, are you absolutely certain about working under him?" Leona inquired, setting her fruit aside to focus on Isadora. "We just want to ensure you won't regret your choice."
Upon hearing Leona's words, Isadora let out a deep exhale, realizing that their suspicion stemmed from theevents of the previous day.Nonetheless, she nodded firmly. "Yes, I'm certain," she replied.
"This is the only way to benefit our race, and Mr. Orion was willing to lift whatever heavy punishment he had imposed because of our actions. Besides, I've heard from the warriors that Mr. Orion is not only the youngest but also one of the kindest key figures inthe Orion'sterritory, so I don't expect any mistreatment."
"Of course, there's a chance I could be wrong, and your concerns are valid, but wewon'tknowuntilI start working with him.Mr. Orion should be arriving shortly, orperhapshe'll postpone until tomorrow after finishing his duties.If you have anything to say, now's the time to speak up. Before he arrives, we need everything to be in order, including our attitudes and demeanour."
Hearing Isadora's determined words, Leona, Leif, and the others lowered their heads in understanding. They understood that Isadora was fighting for the safety of their race, and unless they could guarantee thesafetyof the Four-Eared Elf racethemselves, their only option was to stand by and maintain composed behaviour to prevent any further mishaps.
Leona nodded in agreement. "Alright, Princess. If you need help completing a task thatyou're unable tohandle alone, just let us know. We'll be there to assist. I doubt you'll be able to handle all of Mr Orion's taskson your own," she remarked with a light smile.
Isadora chuckled softly and nodded in return. "That's true. But I'll give it my best shot and do what I can. I don't want him to think I'm pushing all my work onto you. That could cause more problems we don't need right now," she replied, understanding the importance of maintaining balance in her responsibilities.
She couldn't honestly claim to be capable of handling whatever tasks Orion might assign her because it was only after experiencing the attack on their 'Four-Eared Elves' runaway city and their subsequent journey to this territory that she realized she had been living a sheltered life.
