A TALE OF FIRE AND ICE

Nostalgia

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***

Taeyeon let out a loud sigh when he walked past the courtyard in front of his palace.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?" Sir Gregory, who was walking behind him, asked worriedly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm fine, Sir Gregory," Taeyeon assured the old knight. "I just missed the days where the captains of the Four Orders would train together in front of my palace. I miss watching them play together."

""Play?"" the knight asked in surprise. "The four captains would always try to kill each other during their "sparring," Your Majesty. Unfortunately, they don't know what "practice" means. They also destroyed the front porch of your palace several times. That was the reason why your advisors begged you to stop letting the captains use your palace as a training ground."

He laughed at the memory. "I want to go back to those peaceful days."

"Your Majesty, do you regret sharing what you know with Captain Sherwood?"

Sir Gregory had a point.

Lisa The thing was...

... he didn't regret it.

"I've always known that the Sherwood's "loyalty" to me is just all for show. They just want the knowledge and dark secrets that I hold," Taeyeon said softly. "I knew that Captain Sherwood would turn his back on me for Lisa because Lisa is the living legend that they seek. But still, I did what I had to do to know where the heart is. Losing Captain Sherwood is just a small price to pay compared to what I gained." He let out another sigh while shaking his head. "And it was good riddance anyway. A year from now, a war would begin. I need to get rid of people who can't be loyal to me. And at the same time, gain new allies that I know I can depend more on."

"I don't trust Captain Sherwood so getting rid of him is a relief for me," Sir Gregory said. "But Your Majesty, do you believe that Captain Ainsworth would accept the deal that you offered to his clan?"

"He would," Taeyeon said confidently. "If the Sherwoods sought knowledge, then the Ainsworths longed for the Golden Tiger all this time."

***

"FOOLISH little girl."

Irene raised a brow at that. Gosh, she almost pitied him when he suddenly cried. But his tears suddenly disappeared when he spoke so now, she wasn't sure if he really cried or was it just her hallucination. "You talk like you know my husband more than I do. Have you met him personally, huh?"

"I don't need to meet him to know that he's no good for you," the Red Phoenix said. "His name alone is enough to tell me that you married a trash."

"Don't you dare speak of my husband that way," she warned him. "I don't care if you're a god. I'll throw these hands on you if you insult Lisa again."

"How hot-headed," the god complained. "You really got Soleil's bad temper."

Her brows furrowed at the name that he called her a while ago. "And who's this Soleil?"

"Soleil Rosenberg– the first Supreme Fire Mage," the Red Phoenix said proudly. "She's your... ancestor."

"What's with the pause?"

"Nothing."

Okay, this red bird dude is suspicious.

But she was more curious about something else.