chapter 2.2
684 Words
Nyra opened her eyes to see King Lynford standing beside her, his gaze fixed on the river below. He leaned on the stone railing, the weight of his crown momentarily forgotten.
“It really is,” she replied, a faint smile touching her lips.
They stood in companionable silence, watching the ducks swim and play. The king’s presence was steady, a quiet comfort in the night.
Nyra turned to him, gratitude shining in her eyes. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for welcoming me here. Your strength and wisdom are remarkable for one so young.”
Lynford chuckled softly. “I am a king, yes, but sometimes I wish I could set the crown aside and be a teenager again. Not that I complain, but it would be nice to do a bit of ‘kid stuff’ before I have to be a full adult.”
Nyra stared at him for a few seconds as her curiosity sparked. “How old are you, truly?”
“Just nineteen,” Lynford answered.
Nyra’s eyes widened in surprise. “Nineteen? Wow.... that's.......you might be surprised but I'm one hundred and ninety years old.”
The king blinked. “There’s no way!”
Nyra laughed softly. “In my world, one hundred and ninety years is the equivalent of nineteen here. I am half human, half Seraph—the only half-breed of my kind. I age differently. I grew up like a human child but stopped aging at eighteen. I can grow older, but not as humans do."
She paused.
" I'm only half- immortal, I can still die, but only if pierced by a special blade, the Seraph’s sword. But that weapon is lost.”
Lynford eyes widened but in shock at the sudden revelation of the weapon strong enough to kill a winged creature.
"Why would you give me such information? Aren't you scared i might use it against you?"
Nyra chuckled softly and turned to face him with her head tilted slightly.
"You can't. And you won't!"
Lynford was shocked by her confidence.
"Really? I might!"
He remarked sarcastically.
"I'm telling you this because I trust you.....and because I want you to trust me too. And know you won't use a helpless person's weakness against them. I might not know you at all but from what I've seen so far, your soul is pure. The Halo confirms that."
Nyra remained calm as she uttered those words, looking on at the dying sun. She was confident and fearless in her declaration and this made Lynford's heart flip. His stomach tightened and he couldn't help but wonder what it meant. What the feelings he felt referred to.
Lynford’s eyes gleamed with fascination as he smiled tenderly. “You carry centuries of history within you....and yet you still say the cheesiest things."
He teased.
Nyra brow furrowed in a slight annoyance and she didn't realise it but her lips pouted a bit and her teenage self slipped through for a second and the king noticed.
"Really? I wasn't intending to make it awkward or anything. At least I'm being honest."
Lynford chuckled softly.
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As the night deepened, Lynford spoke of a special event held in the kingdom’s main hall—a gathering where kings and dukes from across Eldoria came to offer aid and resources to those in need. It was a day of exchange, where valuable assets were traded and alliances forged.
“It’s like a market day, but for the whole kingdom,” Lynford explained. "I thought it was a good way to let you see the kingdom. Would you come with me? You can bring Hannah.”
Nyra hesitated but nodded. “I would like that.”
Together, they walked back toward the palace, side by side, their conversation weaving through stories of their worlds and hopes for the future.
The night wrapped the city in a velvet cloak, stars twinkling softly above. Within the palace walls, a fragile alliance had been forged—one that might yet save two worlds from the shadows that threatened to consume them.
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end of Chapter 2.
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