The day after next, everyone saw the grey stone gates of the Udava clan in their sight."Young miss, we"re almost there."
"En." Mika revved the engines on her motocyk, seeing the familiar gates.
Even at a slower pace, they were able to get back to the Udava clan in the shortest amount of time.
A guard must have reported about Prince Ailwin army approaching as Lord Tasar was standing outside with his soldiers when they arrived.
Ailwin had his men stay 60 meters away from the Udava estate to show Lord Tasar he means no harm.
Together with Braeden, a few of his soldiers, and Mika"s group traveled the rest of the way to greet Lord Tasar.
"Lord Tasar, I presume..?"
"Yes, Prince Ailwin." Though he has never met the fifth prince of Kaia before, Tasar could never mistake his army"s flag.
"Ah, have we met before?" Ailwin would feel very embarra.s.sed if he has met Lord Tasar before but couldn"t remember.
"Oh,no...we have never met," Ailwin blew out a breath of relief. "but I know of your army, the Shadow Wolves."
Tasar pointed to the flag, floating in the air with the Shadow Wolves crest in the middle.
"Good, that will save me time from explaining who I am...I have come to your clan today to escort some people back to you..." Stepping aside, Ailwin let Mika and Jonas step forward.
"Jonas!....Mikaela!" Lord Tasar ran forward to give each of them a hug before asking a bunch of questions.
"Umm, Lord Tasar might I suggest we talk a different location to speak..." Ailwin interrupted Tasar ramblings.
"Oh, yes!...of course, thank you by the way for bring them back...oh and Mikaela your father is here..." Lord Tasar led everyone inside to the meeting hall as he had Durlan get Lord Mano.
By the time tea and snacks were served, Lord Mano had arrived.
Busting through the doors, Mano looked around before spotting Mika. Not caring for who else was around, Mano ran, scooping up Mika into his arms and held her tight.
After ten minutes and he still didn"t let her go, Mika decided she had to save herself from this awkward situation.
"Daddy, can you let go? People are looking at us?" Mika"s voice broke through Mano"s joy.
Looking around the room, Mano finally notice there were other people in the room, including their kingdom"s prince!
Quickly setting Mika back down on the solid ground, Mano took a moment to regain his dignity before taking the seat beside Lord Tasar.
"Prince Ailwin, I did not greet you early, forgiven me for my rudeness.." Lord Mano saluted Ailwin before retaking his seat.
"Of course..."
Trying to help his friend out, Tasar moved the conversation along.
"Prince Ailwin was just explaining why he is here..." Mano looked at his friend, thanking him for his quick thinking.
"Oh, yes. The King put me in charge of stopping the chaos at the border. Unfortunately, some of the instigators ran away, and we had to hunt them down."
"Ah..." Tasar and Mano nodded their heads.
The King of Kaia spoils his other children but dislikes his fifth son. If a war were to break out, or a riot was to happen; he would send this son out to fight while the others stay safe within their palaces" walls.
"That"s when I met Mikaela..."
Mano and Tasar who were taking sipping of their warm tea, both spat it out covering anything in front of them with the liquid.
"Prince Ailwin..*cough* *cough*...what did you say?" Mano tries to not choke on any of the tea that was still in his mouth, while Tasar was busy ordering people to wipe up the mess they made.
"I met Mikaela when I was hunting down the instigators reasonable for the riots..."
Mano looked at Tasar and saw he heard the same thing he did.
Prince Ailwin just casually called my daughter twice by her first name!
Ailwin thought the reason Lord Mano and Lord Tasar were shocked was because of how close Mika was to the war. Ailwin tried to rea.s.sure them that Mika was out of harm"s way the whole time he escorted her back. Sadly, he failed to realize he kept calling her by her first name every time.
"Don"t worry Lord Mano, Mikaela was safe with me."
Mano grip on the teacup was so tight that there were clear sounds of it about to break at any moment.
Who gave the f***er the audacity to call my baby girl"s name so sweetly? Who!? Mano thought as he stared at Ailwin"s charming face.
"Oh? Thank you so much, prince Ailwin for getting her back to me safe....and sound." Mano was smiling, but everyone in the room could hear the tension in his voice.
"Mikaela?"
"Hmm?"
"...Where is Captian Kaze?" From the time he entered the meeting hall, he only saw Saavi standing beside her.
As soon as her father mention Kaze, Mika and Saavi started crying.
Surprise by the reaction to his question, Mano stood up and went to Mika.
"What happened? Why are you crying?"
"Kaze....he"s....dead!"
"What!?... How can that be!?" Mano was shocked to hear that his former captain of the guards was dead.
"Lord Kendel killed him!" Mika had no problem putting the crimes on a dead man.
"Lord Kendel? Kendel Vlacca? Is that who kidnapped you...?" Mano held Mika away from his arms to get her answer.
Mika had thought Lord Tasar would tell her father everything, but apparently, Lord Tasar only gave him half the story.
However, that"s fine. This leaves more room for me to spin the story.
"Uh-huh, it was Lord Kendel, who kidnapped me to get money from you!" Mika let big fat tears roll down her face as she recounted the story to her father, minus Ash city, the deal with Ailwin, Jonas killing Lord Kendel, oh and Kaze being alive.
When she was done, Mano"s eyes were bloodshot, and his mouth and hands were white from biting and clenching them so hard.
Mano knew there was more to this story, how can there not be! His wife"s brother kidnaps his daughter, but this was not the time nor the place to get the answers he wanted.
Patting Mika"s back, Mano tried his best to soothe her cries.
Ailwin had to applaud Mika for her acting, but he felt a little mischievous. He wanted to give a little payback for her eating his cookies.
"Mikaela, did Kaze die before or after you entered Ash City?" Ailwin abrupt question quiet the whole room.
Mika was so stunned by the question that she immediately stopped crying.
Looking at Ailwin over her father shoulder, she sent him a deadly look.
You trying to rat me out to my father!? Not cool...not cool, man. You"re breaking bro code!
Ailwin read the message in Mika"s eyes and smirked, sending one of his own.
Next time don"t eat all my cookies.
"...!"
Mika could read Ailwin"s eyes loud and clear, but before she could send another look to Ailwin, her father pulls her out of his embrace.
"You went into Ash City...?"