Hated by her lineage, Iliya Dalaminai dwells in self isolation, awaiting the day her cousin marries so she might escape the Throne.
Feared by the Gods, Sorein Chakrine's crown is mainly a relic put on display at royal ceremonies to ward off evil.
Wh...
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Sorein didn't know what to expect as he entered the Estate for the first time in two years.
Much of the designs were the same, from the beautiful glass murals in the windows and the more simple furnishings in every room. The entryway was always deceptively fancy considering the polished marble transitioned into glossy maple flooring in the general living spaces.
Unlike every other royal residence he'd ever been in, the most important rooms felt like a home. There was a fancy dining hall and the main floor had been converted into a event pavilion of sorts, but if explored any further, Sorein realized there was Nynoli technology.
Appliances and machines that used electricity as well as those powered by the crystals of Taeori Rainne.
He found himself wondering if there were Fae influences scattered throughout as well or if they'd all been removed since Iliya's father fled Chiori Faire.
Sorein often tried not to think of the defecting King, of the damage he'd done to his family. The Fae might not be well regarded on these shores, but their morals were always sound. They weren't overly loving or kind, they didn't socialize in the same manners with one foot always stretching out for the wild.
But they treasured their familial bonds, protecting their families.
He knew Destry and Seinen never completed the Mating Bond, as the King wasn't ever willing to Sire an heir with another race. It had been done before, rarely and in quiet, but never in royalty.
Soul ties were a tricky enough thing without the complexities of two separate ancestral trees, not to mention entirely separate Godly ties.
He shook the thought away, hoping the young Princess would find a reason to stay alive one day, no matter how long that took.
Jeremy and Noah followed behind him slowly, the latter enchanted by the decor. Noah continued to gasp over every small statue and reach out to touch things as if he were some naive child.
Sorein had never considered Noah might not have ever entered the Estate, not even entirely sure how old the immortal was.
Before meeting Sorein, Noah had only spent time in the eastern continent and the lands he called home.
They followed a Priestess through the halls, her lengthy white robes caressing the floor in a weightless breath, rippling like white wings. Her blonde hair was braided in two strands, wrapping her head like a crown with golden bands woven inside.
Knowing Destry's reputation, Sorein imagined there would be no servants in this home. Only the Queen's Ceire and Eite, their families, and a few scattered Priestesses whose family trees wove in and out of the court.
As if reading his mind, Jeremy spoke out loud. "I thought Destry didn't keep servants."
Sorein noted how their escorts' shoulders tightened, almost in frustration, before relaxing again.
