The unassuming flying boat came to a steady halt within the courtyard. The gold engraving of swords crossed resolutely gave the seemingly ordinary artifact a subtle air of nobility.
Meilan was momentarily stunned, but quickly regained her composure, hurriedly directing the maids to prepare to welcome their guests. Kaelira was just a step behind her, directing her generals and commanders to stand at attention and show respect to the occupants of the vehicle.
"Hopefully I am not too late to the greeting."
A handsome older man walked into the courtyard with unhurried steps, his reddish-gold eyes flicking briefly over two overpowering presences—one standing with graceful regality by a large blue chicken (his words), and the other sitting on the ground next to the City Lord, fussing over his crumpled dress.
His steps faltered slightly before his posture relaxed, walking toward the now standing and revitalized Vairon as if he were just returning home from a light stroll.
Vairon didn't even spare the famous city guardian a glance, his gaze locked on the flying boat with excitement. "You're just in time. Prepare to welcome our honored guests."
Rolling his eyes, Veydris walked over to the other members of the City's military force, stepping forward to stand in front of them. He now wore a severe expression, putting on the airs of a seasoned, serious general.
Kaelira, now much more presentable, had regained her noble presence thanks to the dutiful diligence of her five-star maid and stood at the forefront of the group of commanders. Said maid now stood by Chayrith and Nyssara, fully recovering her cold, professional persona.
Nyssara's face was still slightly pale, but her icy exterior exposed nothing.
If not for a slight dip in her posture, it would be impossible to tell that anything was wrong at all. Her breathing was a little labored, a result of being exposed to Vaelor's overbearing aura, making it difficult for her to relax.
At that moment, a small, warm hand clasped her own. The heat and vitality radiating from it purged the tension and fatigue within her that clung to her small frame like poison.
Her cold gaze once again turned downward to the small boy that had anchored her in the face of the previous storm. The bright green eyes staring back at her held worry and a hint of what seemed like reproach.
She blinked, not understanding the look he was giving her, but subconsciously averting her gaze like a scolded child.
Standing a few feet apart from them now, the 'storm' that had barreled into their courtyard was watching the interaction between the two with growing interest. His tempest-like pupils observed them with a calculating light, but the majority of his attention was placed firmly on the infantile boy.
'How very interesting… even now, he shows no response to my presence. It's as if my aura has no effect on him at all. And his attitude toward me…'
The peculiar old man laughed inwardly, his eyes flashing with a hint of hidden approval for this grandchild of his.
'This arrogance is very much to my liking. He has potential.'
As if hearing his grandfather's thoughts, Chayrith turned his head to look at him. The unconcealed pride behind his eyes seemed to clash with the stoic dominance in the pair of green eyes similar to his own.
The two sets of eyes stayed locked in silent confrontation, neither backing down in the slightest. None of the others noticed their heated exchange, as all the attention around them was focused solely on the now-open door on the side of the flying boat.
Together, Kaelira and Vairon stepped forward in unison and bowed deeply toward the boat, their movements followed closely behind by Veydris and the other soldiers and maids, who were a step behind them, kneeling with solemn respect and lowered heads.
In unison, their resonant voices echoed through the courtyard, their tones edged with a thrill of excitement but softened with deference.
"We greet the Grand Mistress of the Aetherion Clan and her entourage!"
"Welcome to Skydorn City, Mother!"
The air seemed to hum with charged energy. The atmosphere of the courtyard filled with a strange anticipation.
Even those from Snow Heart Palace looked at the flying boat with giddy excitement and childlike wonder as they waited with bated breath.
The only sounds coming from them were the low notes of their whispered mutterings.
"Is it really her??"
"No way, I'm not mentally prepared for this."
"To think I would be meeting my idol here. In person. I have no regrets for this life."
Karliah and Aelshira, while not as exaggerated as their companions, held joyful smiles on their nation-toppling features.
"It has been some time since I have seen Big Sister Liraxia! I bet she has gotten even more beautiful in the time we have been apart."
Giggling lightly into her hand, the mysterious older beauty watched her sworn sister, the leader of a peak power of Genara, tremble lightly with excitement like a young girl.
"Aely~ look at you, so childish. Where is your bearing as a Palace Mistress?"
Admonishing her with a playful tone, Karliah pinched her cheeks.
The victim of her humiliating pinching smacked her hand away with an aggrieved expression.
"Tch, Big Sis Karliah, you are just as happy as me. Who are you trying to fool?"
Karliah was speechless, not expecting to be betrayed by her junior in such a way. But she couldn't help but inwardly admit that she was right.
The woman hidden within the flying boat was one of the few people on Genara she respected wholeheartedly.
But she would never give Aelshira the satisfaction of knowing that, so she used a trick she had honed over the long millennia of her life here: she ignored her.
Seeing her comeback land flat, Aelshira pouted, but sensing movement from the flying boat, she threw her stray thoughts aside and rushed to catch up with her, not forgetting to pull the shell-shocked members of their group with her.
—
Standing below the flying boat, Kaelira and Vairon were waiting expectantly for the figure they had been praying to appear since the moment they had sensed the flying boat enter the City's perimeter.
But while both of them were expectant, their expectations of the situation could not be further apart.
'Good! Once mother sees how pitiful I look, she will beat that decrepit old man into an early grave. Hehehe, better count your blessings, old man!'
'Oh gosh, oh gosh! Do I look okay!? What if my hair is messed up from earlier? Or my dress is wrinkled somewhere I couldn't see and Dad missed it?? I bet mother has become even more beautiful in the time we haven't seen her! No, I have to get Meilan to change my outfit! I have to look even better than perfect. I have to be worthy of being mother's daughter-in-law!'
As if seeing through their thoughts, Meilan rolled her eyes at their shifting expressions.
'Big Sister Kaelira, you look fine. I have checked and triple-checked. Not a hair out of place.'
An almost inaudible sigh of relief left Kaelira's bowed frame.
'Master Vairon, if you embarrass our family's name… I'll kill you.'
Hearing the cold, impassive threat of his maid's voice, Vairon's bowed back shivered slightly, secretly deciding to forgo some of his plans… some of them.
Just then, a warm, velvety tone wrapped in grace, yet undeniably commanding, echoed from the artifact floating above them.
"I wonder where my loving husband has gone~? To even forget to escort his beautiful wife and run off. What a… bad man~"
The voice sounded as if it had been dipped in honey, the inviting, alluring tone ghosting past the cusps of everyone's ears. But to one figure in the courtyard, currently having a fierce staring match with a toddler of just one year old, it was like the ringing of a death knell.
Without a millisecond of pause, his body vanished from its position.
Reappearing at the entrance of the open door, his straight, broad back, which had never bent for any living or nonliving being, was already bowed at ninety degrees, his arm held toward the door in a gesture of polite insistence.
The image of the proud conqueror of the Aetherion Clan bowing for another person should have been a jarring sight for anyone who saw it. But to those present who knew who the owner of the voice was, this response was simply a matter of course.
The interior of the flying boat was not visible to those below, but all of them held their breath when a delicate hand—poised and graceful, its slow gestures quietly captivating—appeared from behind the door.
Vaelor's expression was still stiff, but the love and appreciation for the unseen figure could be seen clearly even from the courtyard grounds.
Holding the outstretched hand with impossible gentleness, Vaelor's back straightened as the figure finally came into view.
However, when the figure everyone had been waiting for came into view, the previous cool temperature of the courtyard instantly skyrocketed.