KANİTA - Wingless princess-Shattered I

chapter 3

Andres thought for a moment as he soared through the sky. He was unsure where they should go. But a light flashed through his mind: the underground place he'd heard about, hidden in the forest by supernatural creatures. Fairies, goblins, and other creatures hid there. It might be a safe place.

“We must go to the forest,” Andres said suddenly,

His voice was firm. “To the underground place. We can be safe there.”

Silitsia lifted her head from Andres's chest and looked at him, a faint hint of hope in her eyes. She seemed to have found an answer, but her body, exhausted from crying, still trembled.

After flying for a while longer, they reached the depths of the forest. Andres gracefully folded his wings and glided to the ground, carefully setting Silitsia down. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. Andres still had questions, but now wasn't the time to ask her them.

When they arrived at the entrance, they opened the door to the underground space. As soon as they stepped inside, they were met with an unexpected welcome. There was a moment of silence as the fairies wandering around noticed them. The goblins and other creatures gathered

gathered around, as if trying to figure out who this unusual couple was.

But it was Silitsia's beauty that captured everyone's attention. Her powder-white yet slightly blond hair, her deep blue eyes, and her smooth, pale skin captivated everyone present. The fairies gazed at her in awe, and whispers began to mingle among themselves. Even the goblins, usually rude and indifferent, couldn't remain indifferent to her beauty.

Andres had never seen Silitsia up close before. Being in the presence of the princess he had always known only from afar, seeing her so graceful and unique, captivated even himself. He couldn't take his eyes off her for a moment. While he should have been focused solely on his duty, Silitsia's beauty astonished him.

“Silitsia…” Andres whispered, his eyes locked with hers. This close, it was as if he could see more deeply into Silitsia’s pain and fragility. But now they both needed a safe place.

Under the astonished gazes of the creatures in the underground space, Andres and Silitsia advanced to confront the leading figures there.

The woman serving at the bar looked them over carefully and spoke in a sarcastic tone, narrowing her eyes: "What are you doing here? A princess and a prince... Did you hit your heads?" she said, half sarcastically, half curiously.

Andres frowned and replied, "I'm not actually a prince," he admitted honestly. "I have no wings."

At that moment, everyone inside burst out laughing. A few people shouted at him from across the bar, laughing. “Wingless! Did you hear that? And what are those things behind you, lace? Hahaha!”

As laughter filled the room, the woman at the bar spoke up again. "Look, guys," she said, this time with a more serious tone in her voice. "With that kind of brilliance, you either come from a noble family or you're running away from one."

Silitsia spoke without hesitation, her voice still trembling but firm. “We are trying to go to the Temple of Orni.”

The woman was silent for a moment and looked at Silitsia carefully.

She looked at him, then rolled her eyes. “Honey, it’s a place where spirits have meditated for centuries. So, are you sure you want to go there?” she asked, her voice turning serious but not completely losing its sarcasm.

Andres looked at Silitsia and nodded. “Yes,” he said, his voice clear and firm.

At that moment, a man's voice was heard from behind them. He had approached them silently and listened to their conversation. He wore a long, black cloak, and his eyes glittered with cunning. "I will show you the way," he said, as if he knew the secret. "But I want a lot of money in return."

Andres and Silitsia looked at each other. The man opened his hand and curled his fingers. "Jewels, gold, diamonds, emeralds… Anything."

Andres thought for a moment, wondering if he could trust someone so greedy. However, their time was limited, and finding the temple themselves seemed unlikely. Silitsia looked silently into his eyes, suspicious yet also helpless. It was certain he wouldn't offer this information for free, but her options were limited.

Andres gritted his teeth, making up his mind, and took a step forward. “If you lead the way and get us there safely, you will be rewarded,” he said. “But if you set a trap or try to harm us, I will leave you there. Even if you don’t have wings, I will take you where they will never find you.”

A faint smile appeared on the man's face, but the greed in his eyes remained. "Agreed," he said. "But first, let me get a payment. An advance..."

Silitsia reached into her bag and pulled out a small jewelry box. Inside was a delicate emerald ring. She placed it in his hand.

The man's eyes sparkled as he looked at the emerald. "This will do the trick," he said. "Now, let's get going."

The others in the room watched the exchange silently, all eyes still fixed on Silitsia and Andres. The man began to walk ahead, and Andres and Silitsia followed. As they left the room and stepped into the cool breeze of the dark forest, Rodrigo turned back with a faint smile and introduced himself.

“By the way, my name is Rodrigo,” he said in a casual tone. “What about you?”