Arthur & Aurora

Chapter.4

Aurora took a deep breath, letting the crisp morning air fill her lungs. Her gaze wandered, searching for Xander among the servants and soldiers passing by. Where was he? After arriving in the Dryat Kingdom the night before, Aurora and Xander had been welcomed by the Royal Advisor, as the King himself was away on a visit. Their reception had been warm. Xander explained that Aurora possessed Dryat abilities and had gotten lost, though he carefully avoided mentioning her origins.

Swiftly, the palace prepared rooms for their stay. Their chambers were separated: Xander was placed in the northern wing—where high-ranking guests were housed—while Aurora stayed in the eastern wing with Lady-in-Waiting Mira. Mira insisted on tending to and serving Aurora personally.

Xander negotiated everything with ease; his title as Aethred’s Grand Commander opened every door. Aurora felt lucky to have met Xander before crossing paths with those vampires.

Aurora had thought everything through. If Xander refused to take her to Aethred, then she would go on her own. But before that, she needed to discover the portal that led to the Aethred Kingdom. If she could find even a single clue here in Dryat, it would be a tremendous advantage.

She walked toward a small bridge arching over a pond where koi fish scrambled for food. Her clothes from the night before had been replaced with a white gown and matching shoes. Her hair was tied up, loose strands adorned with delicate floral ornaments.

Her face—usually bare—was brushed with light makeup that didn’t just make her beautiful, but gorgeous enough to draw attention. Several times, she offered warm smiles to the servants passing by.

They’re truly remarkable, Aurora thought. The Dryat people performed almost every task with their powers. Even now, the servants near her dissolved into drifting leaves circling a large tree; moments later, that same tree blossomed with pale pink flowers trimmed so perfectly it looked freshly sculpted.

Aurora realized that immortal beings and humans shared certain similarities—many Dryat structures mirrored the rapid, modern development found in Evandor.

Elsewhere, Xander struggled to keep himself composed; he would soon be leaving Aurora behind.

The King of Dryat had returned earlier that morning. After discussing things thoroughly, the King agreed to let Aurora remain in Dryat.

Though each kingdom governed itself, the laws of the Norelia dimension fell under the authority of Aethred—the upper dimension of the angelic race. Maintaining order in Norelia was Xander’s responsibility as part of Aethred’s command.

“Well then, I shall take my leave. As for the bandits in the West, I’ll send my troops to handle them. Thank you for your hospitality,” Xander said at last. He rose and shook hands with the King.

The Dryat King nodded. “You are welcome, Commander Xander. It was an honor to host you. Do visit Dryat more often.”

“Of course, King Niar.” Xander smiled. “But before I depart, I’d like to see Aurora.”

King Niar returned the smile and nodded.

Xander left the palace and scanned the surroundings for her. He pushed back his silver hair. He had been restless all night, eager to see her again. After questioning several servants in the garden, one of them mentioned that Aurora was at the bridge. Without hesitation, Xander sprinted toward the direction given.

Sure enough, he found her there, feeding the koi.

Xander stepped closer, his heartbeat inexplicably quickening. He was genuinely happy to see her again—especially now, looking so radiant, like a princess straight out of a legend.

“Even the beauty of angelic women is nothing compared to yours, Aurora,” Xander murmured.

“You’re right, Commander. Dryat women are indeed famed for their beauty.”

Xander froze. He turned toward the unexpected voice and found a Dryat Commander standing beside him—gazing at Aurora with adoration in his eyes.

Xander clenched his fists. The two commanders now stood face-to-face, tension thickening the air between them.

Xander smirked. “I guarantee you’ll never have her.”

“We’ll see about that, Xander,” the Dryat Commander shot back—no longer addressing him with any formal title.

Xander brushed past him and called out to Aurora.

But Aurora didn’t hear; her mind was occupied with finding the upper-dimension portal, then drifted further to thoughts of Chessy—back to the events that happened before they attended the prince’s welcome ceremony.

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Chessy handed Aurora a plate of berries. Aurora popped one into her mouth while reading the ancient book Chessy had given her. She lay on the bed, legs propped up against the wall, her calves pale and smooth beneath knee-length pants.

Aurora had already told Chessy everything that happened that morning. Chessy listened seriously and urged Aurora to read the book from her father’s library.

Yes—Aurora was currently at Chessy’s house.

Chessy then confessed she’d always been curious about the immortal world. Her father never allowed her inside his library, but one day she found the door slightly ajar. Curiosity won. She slipped inside silently.

The room was filled with books—shelves upon shelves. And there, on the table, lay a thick tome with ancient carvings that Chessy found far too interesting to ignore.

She read it carefully.

The book was strange, dense with archaic sentences and unusual symbols. She pointed at a small book resting on the table and decided to test one of the lines.

“Motus obiectum, voluntas mea manifestum!”

Suddenly, the book she pointed at flew violently across the room and crashed into a shelf. Books toppled everywhere. Shocked, Chessy stared at the mess she had accidentally created.

She never imagined she could wield magic. Quickly, she cleaned the chaos and smuggled the ancient book into her room, studying it in secret.

“So, do you know anything about the necklace and that burlap pouch?” Aurora asked after Chessy finished her story.

“Yes. The symbols on the paper in that pouch are similar to the ones in my father’s book. I’ve seen a map about the immortal world—they’re everywhere, Aurora! Living among us. But we can’t see them with the naked eye; they exist in their own dimensions.

I think if we can break through the portal into their dimension, we could uncover the truth behind everything you found in that bread basket!”

Aurora nodded. “You’re right, Chessy. Our people have always drowned us in stories about immortal beings. If we find that portal, the truth will reveal itself. And then…”

“And then you’ll meet your soulmate!” Chessy blurted out with a grin.

Aurora shook her head. “How many times do I have to tell you, I don’t like romantic relationships, Chessy? I’ve said it over and over.” She folded her arms. “Especially not with immortal beings!”

Chessy walked closer. “Fine, fine. I won’t bring it up again. Just don’t sulk.”

Aurora sat up and returned the book to Chessy. Her head felt like it might explode. Everything was overwhelming. Then suddenly—an idea struck her.

Chessy sat beside her.

“Wait… you said you can use magic? How? Do you have some special ability too?” Aurora asked.

Chessy shook her head uncertainly. “I’m not sure, Aurora. But can’t you do it too? Just recite the spell and boom—your magic works!”

Aurora nodded, clearing her throat. “Then do it again, Chessy. I want to see.”

“What kind of magic?” Chessy flipped through the pages. She actually knew quite a few spells already.

“Anything you want. Oh—or maybe something simple like lighting a lamp or creating fire?”

“Good idea, but how about something bigger? Maybe a protective barrier in my room. You know, Aurora—before the prince’s welcome ceremony, I was afraid those immortal beings might sneak around.” Chessy laughed.

Aurora laughed with her. “Do whatever you want, Chessy. I’m ready to beat an immortal with your mom’s frying pan if needed.”

Chessy glared. “Hey! Not my mom’s frying pan! If she finds out, I’m dead.”

Aurora laughed harder.

“All right. Don’t distract me, Aurora. I think I found the spell. Okay… here we go.”

Chessy closed her eyes and inhaled softly.

Her hands lifted, drawing a small circle in the air. A gentle whisper slipped from her lips:

“Lux Custodia.”

Particles of golden light emerged from thin air, drifting and weaving around the room like a warm, protective veil.

Aurora turned, stunned. A strange calm settled over her body. She stared at Chessy in disbelief.

“Now, no one can hear us. Not from any dimension,” Chessy said quietly.

“Wow!” Aurora gasped.

“How is it, Aurora? Am I qualified to be a first-class mage yet?”

“Amazing! And yes, I’m sure your magic could break through the immortal dimension.”

“Stop talking about that, Aurora. I’m not strong enough to do something like that,” Chessy muttered.

Aurora chuckled softly. “Fine, fine. Maybe you should cast a spell to erase your obsession with Prince Edward. I’m afraid you’ll get your heart broken into dust.”

“No, Aurora. Until I find a needle in a haystack, I will continue loving Prince Edward.”

Aurora shuddered at her friend’s dreamy expression. “I think

the ceremony is starting soon, Chessy.” She snapped her back to reality.

Chessy straightened and fixed her makeup. “Let’s go, Aurora.”