Annou If the images do not load, please read the chapter here - Read Ented Paths: Luxana's Rise to Empress :: Chapter 16 | Tapas unity

  Chapter 16 - A Close Friend?

  -In Helia Pace; King's Study Room-

  "WHAT DID YOU SAY?" the King's voied, his eyes widening in shobsp;A knight, standing tall and unwavering, delivered the news with a heavy heart. "Yes, Your Majesty. The Princess burned down Amoria Pad is currently o be found. The pace maids report that 2 of her personal attendants are missing too." The King, utterly stunned, struggled to prehend the gravity of his daughter's as. In a single night, the once-magnifit Amoria Pace had been reduced to ashes by Luxana's hand. He immediately dispatched a search squad, determio locate her atendants without dey. That insufferable wretch! How dare she burn dowire Pace to ashes? Have my words pierced her resilient ego so deeply that she resorts to susable acts of destru? Unfathomable! Her twisted mind eludes my prehension, and I find myself at a loss on how to deal with her. The very thought of her as ignites a burning rage within me, and I am left to grapple with the sm remnants of her chaos. The King thought, his brow furrowed with worry and fusion."Princess! Please slow down a little!" My's voice rang out, her horse struggling to keep up with Luxana and Mylo's pabsp;"We don't have time, DOG!" Mylo replied, turning his head back, his eyes narrowed. My made a pouting face. Who even asked him? she asked herself, her frustration evident. "AH! There it is!" Luxana excimed, her voice filled with a sense of purpose. As they approached the majestic waterfall, My and Mylo were left ihe sheer size ay of the casg water left them speechless. "That's... glorious," My breathed, her eyes wide with wonder."And magnifit," Mylo added, his gaze transfixed ohereal sight before them.. We were now oskirts of Domino, approximately nine hours away from the pace. As I rode, the dragon's words echoed in my mind: "Hear me, child, for I am the a voice that echoes within the chambers of your heart. I am the guiding light that dwells in the depths of your soul, where your true self, Roxana, resides. Seek me there, and thou shalt find dire and enlighte. Embrace thy true nature, and together we shall unlock the power that is rightfully thihe mention of my mother’s irred something deep within me. Acc to the Aome, the owner of the Dragon Fmes needed something precious, something the dragon could reside in. I had brought with me the only thing that ected me to my mother—the Seraphine jeweled keepsake that Cillian had found on my birthday st month. But noressing question loomed in my mind: how would I find the dragon? The caverns ahead were vast and imposing, and it would take a full day just to reach the waterfall. If only I had a clearer sign...*sigh* “Princess!!!!! Look!” My suddenly shouted, pointing toward the waterfall. “Those reddish-e tiny light balls are just like the ohat filled the room on the day you awakened your powers!” “AH! Then the Dragon must be in there! Let’s go!” I excimed, urging my horse forward as My and Mylo followed closely behind. As we reached the waterfall by dusk, the rocks behind the casg water parted, revealing an opening. “My, Mylo. I’ll go in. Don’t e with me,” I requested, my voice firm. “WHAT! No way! What if the Dragon harms you or something????” Mylo protested, his evident. “Don’t worry!” I grinned reassuringly. “I have my fire dagger with me!” “That’s…” My began, but I interrupted her. “It’s okay, don’t worry about me. Just go around and take a good look at this pce; there’s no guarantee we’d be ing baytime soon!” I replied, a smile pying on my lips. My and Mylo exged hesitant gnces but respected my choice, heading off to explore the area. I felt a swell of gratitude that they respected my decisions. But from here on out, it was just me and that dragon. As I walked away, handing my horse to Mylo, the rocks behind me closed, sealing the entrahe sudden moveme a chill down my spine, but I pressed oermio face whatever y ahead.-In the Ented Caverns- Upoering, I felt as if I had stepped into airely different dimension. The air was charged with a majestiergy, and before I k, I was engulfed in blue fmes that seemed to wele. Without hesitation, I allowed myself to be embraced by the warmth of the fire, feeling a surge of power c through my veins.And then, the mighty Dragon, in all his glory, revealed himself before me. And then, the mighty Dragon, in all his glory, revealed himself before me. “Wele, Luminesce,” the dragon spoke, his voice resonating with a wisdom. “Greetings to the Glorified Dragon of the Dragon Fmes. It is with the utmost humility and deferehat I e before you. As the embodiment of power and wisdom, your very presenands my resped awe. I offer my si greetings and deepest revereo your most exalted and magnifit being, in the hope that my path may be illuminated by the knowledge and guidahat only you bestow,” I greeted the Dragon, my voice filled with reverenbsp;“O Fated Luminesce, I accept yreeting and revereh the grace befitting of my position. Speak, and I shall sider your request. But know that my wisdom is not to be taken lightly, for my fmes are as a as time itself, and my knowledge burns with an iy that few withstand. Proceed with caution and crity, lest you find yourself ed by the fire of truth.” A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me, as if the very air in the cavern was draining my energy. “You feel so, due to the power this cave is extrag from you. I believe you know how to pce the Dragon into a precious belonging, may I ask?” the Dragon inquired, his voice tinged with . “Of course,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. I raised my haending my mother’s Seraphine keepsake, aed the words to capture the Dragon. As the Dragoered the jewel, a strong beam of blue rays shone from the pendant, as bright as a blue star. I felt my energy returning, and before I k, my eyes gleamed red, and the Seraphine jewel turned crimson as well. My outfit remained unged sihe previous night’s i. As dusk approached, I pced the keepsake around my ned hurried back out of the cave, only to find My and Mylo pying in the river that flowed by the waterfall. I called out to them, and they quickly gathered their belongings, eager to tinue our jouro Domino. Little did we know that another drama was about to unfold, ohat would test the very limits of my identity aimacy.-Midnight; Aomira Pabsp;"HUH?" I excimed, shocked by the presence of so many nobles, knights, media, and God knows who else gathered in front of the burnt pace. The air was thick with the st of smoke and the sound of hushed whispers, as if the very walls of Amoria Pace were weeping over their own demise. "Who're they? And what're they doing in front of that burnt pace?" Mylo whispered, his eyes wide with curiosity. I gnced around nervously, my heart pounding in my chest. "Let's retreat before someone sees us!" I whispered back, trying to escape the se, because...........THE QUEEN WAS RIGHT THERE!! Ah! I'm not in the correct attire to face that demon! AHHH~ But it was too te. "Huh? Isn't that the Princess?" a noble dy shouted, turning back at the sound of our horses' hooves. And before we k, everyone had their eyes fixed on us, the knights yelling "HEY! STOP IMMEDIATELY!"Ah...............we're caught. "Haha.....What an unventional location for an enter?" I said, faking a smile and stuttering, my exhaustion evident in every word. The whispers around us grew louder, the nobles exging gnces and murmurs. "That really is the Princess..." one dy spoke, her voice dripping with disdain. "I 't believe she went out w everyone," said another, her tone ced with judgment. "Look at her attire! So inappropriate!" excimed a third, her eyes narrowing as she took in my disheveled appearanbsp;"I 't believe she would do such a thing," a fourth chimed in, her voice filled with a mixture of shod disgust. Do they think I 't hear them or what? Hah...........I really wish I was dead or something! But is this really a time to gather in front of the burnt pace? It's te midnight! I thought, my exhaustion weighing heavily on my mind. "LUXANA!" the Queen's voice suddenly cut through the air, ced with anger and accusation. Sh*t........I'm dead for real now. What do I do? I panicked internally, my mind rag with possible escape routes. "Your Majesty, please be informed that I have nothing of significe t to your attention at the present moment. Should the need arise for a versatioween a daughter and her mother, I implore you to relinquish such a fantastiotion," I stated calmly, my voice betraying none of the turming within me. The Queen boiled with anger and frustration, her face twisting into an unpleasing expression as I turned a, My and Mylo trailing behind me.-Midnight; Konira Pace; Entranbsp;"Princess Luxana?" the fused guards at the entrance of Konira Pace excimed, their eyes widening at the sight of my disheveled appearanbsp;"I request an audieh Lady Furia," I stated, my voice weary but firm. Without a sed to waste, one of the guards rushed io inform her of my arrival. Around 10 mier, Lily came bursting out, her eyes shining with . "Oh My! Luxana!!! Look at you......you look seous!" she excimed, her voice filled with warmth and affe. "Apologies for disturbing so te at night, but the matter at hand is not currently a point of ," I stated, my exhaustion evident in every word. "If it's agreeable to you, I'd like to remain here for the time being. I will depart at the crack of dawn." "Huh? Oh! I have no issue with you staying here with me! You're more than wele to stay as long as you like, Luxana! Mi casa es su casa. After all, you're practically family to me, so make yourself right at home! Because even I sider you my daughter so it's a good thing..." I interrupted Lily as she went on with her chitter chatter, which I was absolutely in no mood to listen to. "Okay, thank you. Good Night," I said, cutting her off as I walked in, My and Mylo following closely behind. "Oh! Luxana," Lily excimed, trying to catch up to me. I know she won't mind me doing this, but really, I'm beyond exhausted right now. "Lemme guess, it's because of the Dragon in your neckce that your appearance has ged, right?" she whispered, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. "Yeah," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. Lily giggled and asked the servants to guide us to our rooms. "Luxana, Thank You," she said with a smile. But I was too tired to interpret the reasoning behind it, and I let it slide as I followed the servants to my room, my body ag with exhaustion. As I sank into the soft mattress, the events of the night repyed in my mind, a whirlwind of chaos and drama that had left me utterly drained.-Early M; Konira Pace; Dinning Hall- As I stepped into the dining hall, the warm glow of the m sun poured through the tall windows, illuminating the elegant space. But despite the beauty surrounding me, I felt a heavy weight in my chest. "So, did the three of you have a restful night's sleep?" Lily asked, her radiant smile lighting up the room as she took her seat at the dining table. "Yeah..." I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, still feeliless and sleepy from the chaos of the previous night. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, and the exhaustion g to me like a thick fog. As we settled down to eat breakfast, the atmosphere was tense, charged with unspoken worries. Just as I reached for a piece of toast, a knight burst into the room, his armor g loudly against the polished floor. "My Lady, the Imperial Knights are here!" he excimed, urgency g his words. "Your presence, along with Her Highness Princess Luxana's, has been urgently summoned." "What?" Lily excimed, her face t in disgust. "Your father's maniputive and self-serving as are beyond abhorrent. After sixteen years of , his sudden desire to bee a true father figure seems nothing more than a sham. This is a man who has repeatedly demonstrated his willio utilize those around him, including his own flesh and blood, as mere tools to further his insatiable lust for power and trol. His test scheme is likely no different. With you as his unwitting pawn, he will attempt to solidify his hold ohrone by proving yitimacy, thrusting you into the political arena, and garnering increased support from his sycophantic followers. This is a dangerous game, and you would do well to distance yourself from this toxidividual, no matter the biological bond you share. But if you choose to eh him, be prepared for betrayal, for the sting of his true nature will surely rear its ugly head once again. He is no loving father, but rather a master maniputor who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals." Ah... she’s also aware... seems like she isn’t brainless after all. *Sigh* I thought to myself, feeling a mix of appreciation and frustration at her insight. "Father... I mean... His Majesty... asked me to...purses lips... never mind," I stammered. "Hmm?" Lily asked, her brow furrowing with . She let out a sigh and moved to my side, taking a chair beside me. She grasped my left haween both of hers, her grip warm and reassuring. "Luxana, I uand that you may find it hard to trust me. As your stepmother, I know that our retionship is plicated, but please believe me when I say that my care for you is genuine. Yes, I may have my own selfish desires at times, but that does not e the love and I have for you. I know I may not have earned your trust yet, but I plead with you to see that I mean you no harm. My iions are pure, and all I want is for you to be safe and happy. I really hope you see me as your mother and... perhaps... a close friend?" I ched the fabriy dress with my right hand, my heart rag as I processed her words. I looked down, overwhelmed by flig emotions. "I'm...sorry...but...I don't know how to respond to you," I finally said, standing up, my right hand still gripping my dress. I turo Lily, tears in my eyes. Lily's expression shifted, a hint of disappoi flickering across her face. With a gentle sigh, she smiled softly, rising to hold both my hands and wipe my tears. "I uand; it's okay. Don't cry," she said soothingly, patting my head as I closed my eyes. Once my tears subsided, I took a deep breath and managed a small smile.To be tinued...