ʟᴏꜱᴛ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇꜱꜱ || Judar x Reader

|ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 36|

|36|

You might as well be considered a master of evasion the way you were able to avoid Judar the entire boat ride. You had somehow managed to stay away from him, despite all his efforts to find you. You often time stayed with the household vessels and for some reason, he never felt the need to check there. It was slightly difficult given how you two were on the same ship, but the ride was shorter than the others. You would not let him take advantage of you the way he did and then boss you around like it was nothing. You had some dignity.

They had given you your iconic clothes back and you graciously took them. You had been told already that your usual clothes would be considered scandalous for an event such as a funeral in Kou so they would give you something else to wear then. That made no sense to you since Seishuu was literally shirtless but there wasn't much you could do about it.

When you finally arrived back in Kou and departing the ship, you couldn't spot the dark magi at all. Perhaps he had flown ahead of everyone, it seemed like something he would do. It didn't matter much. You exited the ship walking along Kouha just like he insisted. When you returned to the familiar walls of the Kou Empire palace, you felt a sense of nostalgia you never thought you would. It almost made you shake your head. 'How can I find this palace to be any type of home?'

"It seems we have arrived early." Kouen made the statement as you all entered the castle. He then turned to his brothers and subordinates, ordering everyone to go prepare themselves and be ready to meet once more for the funeral the next day. You somehow managed to find your way back to your room despite the long amount of time you had been gone. You were hesitant to enter the hall knowing Judar could pop out of nowhere but you decided to just go for it anyway.

When you opened the door everything looked the same. They had kept the place clean for you, but it still felt the same as when you left. A small smile came to your face as you closed the door behind you. You had the night to yourself before maids showed up and demanded you to get ready. You just needed some time to yourself before then.

You fell back onto the bed and for a second you were sure you would sink in. 'How long has it been since I've been here?' While it was nice traveling and all, you enjoyed how it was to just go on short trips and then return. Being away for so long almost gave you homesickness you never thought you would feel. You fell asleep in that same position.

A sudden knock at the door stirred you from your sleep, causing you to rise from your bed with a small frown on your face. It was early in the morning and you had fallen asleep in your clothes. You knew there wasn't all the time in the world but you didn't expect them to come so early. You sat on the edge, staring painfully hard at the door. You could hear floorboards creaking on the other side but it seemed as if they were waiting for you to say something.

"Come in." Almost immediately the door opened and there stood the maid you had grown to love. Erina looked at you, almost as if she was in disbelief that you had returned. That was until she charged at you, wrapping her arms around your torso in a hug. The action caught you off guard and you had to quickly steady yourself. Not knowing what to do, you began to stroke her hair, gently brushing your fingers through long black strands.

"I can't believe you're actually back. It's been so long. I heard so many rumors that you were fighting, moving between countries and that you got kidnapped!" You chuckled at her rush of words, surprised that such things had already managed to be spread around the palace. You shook your head while closing your eyes. You guess it couldn't be helped. Looking towards the open door for anyone else, you finally responded to her.