Neryssa knelt facing the mirror in her room. Her hair was neatly braided and packed neatly. She had a white dress on with royal embroidery but it was different from the one she wore the day Nico found her.
Torvald had met with Ylva to help him get the best royal attire she could place her hands on and knowing Ylva, finding important outfits like this was a piece of cake.
Being the daughter of an army general, she was entitled to many things but after the massacre her team went through ten years ago, her parents disowned her for not listening to them when they had earlier told her to quit being a beast hunter.
The only thing she could use was their name.
"You look beautiful." Nico commented, resting on the door post.
She quickly stood up to acknowledge him. His outfit was rather casual and Neryssa raised a brow to show her disgust.
"What?" Nico's nonchalant attitude spilled.
He observed himself for a while and then looked at Neryssa again.
"What?" He said with a shrug.
Neryssa admired him. She smiled and walked past him choosing to say nothing about his dress. The three years she'd spent with Nico, she knew him to be a stubborn headed person.
No matter what anyone tried to tell him, if it was against what he wanted to do, he wouldn't do it.
Nico followed her.
"Look who's all excited to go home now. You weren't this happy two days ago." Nico teased and wrapped his arm around her neck.
Neryssa was flustered and she quickly looked the other way to hide her reddened cheeks.
"I'm not all that excited, you know." She said, almost inaudibly.
"Eh what's that?" Nico still had his teasing gaze all over and she refrained from looking at his face.
"Nothing." She lied.
The two of them walked to join Torvald where he stood. Upon seeing their arrival, a sudden wave of parenthood hit him.
Though he never had children, the company of these two filled a void in his soul– one he could forget in an instant. He wondered how Nico would fare once she was no longer at his side.
Would he also feel okay about her departure? Torvald shook his head slightly. After all, she was someone else's daughter.
A curve engulfed Torvald's lips– a genuine smile.
"Let's go, we don't have all day." A hoarse voice escaped Torvald's throat.
The ride to the city was a bumpy one. Torvald had squeezed another favor out of Ylva– asking her to lend them a caravan.
The kids could tell that this ride came at a dangerous cost, knowing Ylva to be an aggressive one. Even the thought of what Torvald might have gone through made them shudder.
Nico couldn't help but stare at the beauty of the city. The magnificence of the building was unlike anything he'd ever seen. The buildings were taller and weren't made with wood.
The streets were filled with lots of moving vehicles, a number he'd rarely seen during his stay at the mountain and this made him wonder why Torvald chose to live in seclusion.
Nico slowly turned his gaze to observe Torvald. His old age, evident from his long white beards and his wrinkled skin, although he still had his physique intact. Why would such a powerful mage like Torvald choose to hide his talent away from the real world.
Nico averted his gaze and continued to look at the beauty of the city with the conclusion that everyone had their own different battles to deal with.
By the time they arrived at the castle's entrance, it was already dark but the whole place was well illuminated. Guards were on standby in different locations of the castle– most of them, proficient mages.
They were ushered out of the caravan by a guard. The moment Neryssa stepped outside, most of the guards began to whisper amongst themselves.
Nico began to guess they were getting a hint on who she was. Probably the dress or the way her hair was braided or her demeanor.
Torvald walked in front, leading the kids towards the front door. They proceeded in silence while Neryssa avoided the questioning gazes that were thrown at her. She couldn't hide the fact that she was nervous.
She grabbed her gown and tightened her fists on them.
"Princess Neryssa, is that you?"