68. The Book Worm & Diving Deep. [Bonus]
A girl with purple hair was sitting comfortably in a chair in the library, swinging her legs back and forth while reading a book.
Her emerald green eyes were focused on the pages, and just as she was getting to the good part, she was interrupted by Vega, her mother's personal maid.
Vega had brown hair, and brown eyes, and was very dedicated to her role as the empress's personal maid.
"Princess Leira, the Empress wants to see you in the garden," the maid said.
Leira's cat ears twitched as she heard the woman's voice.
She looked up from her book and smiled at the newcomer.
Leaving the library, Leira made her way to the garden where her mother liked to relax.
It didn't take her long to get there.
After knocking on the door, Leira waited patiently for a minute until a maid opened it and motioned for her to come inside.
"Come inside, Princess. The Empress is in her usual place. Please follow me," Vega said.
As Leira followed the maid into the garden, her eyes widened in amazement at the breathtaking sight before her.
The imperial garden was a true masterpiece, with every tree, shrub, and flower perfectly placed and tended to.
Her mother had complete control over the garden, and it showed in every detail.
Leira couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and wonder as she took in the beauty around her.
The colors were vibrant, and the scents were intoxicating.
She always loved to come here because it was so peaceful.
Entering the room, her eyes fell upon her mother, Chloe, the Empress of the Avalon Empire, who was seated at a table sipping on some tea.
She couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance between herself and her mother, who appeared to be an older version of her.
Like Leira, she had vibrant purple hair that caught the eye of everyone around her.
However, instead of emerald green eyes, Chloe's eyes were a captivating shade of purple that seemed to draw people in.
As Leira took in Chloe's curvy figure and ample chest, she couldn't help but wonder if she would take after her or her grandmother in that regard.
Shaking her head at such silly thoughts, she approached her mother.
"Hello, Buttercup. You look really pretty in that dress," her mother said.
Leira was wearing a mostly green princess dress, with the top part in white.
She smiled at her mother before replying.
"Thank you, Mama," Leira said. "Vega said you wanted to see me?"
Chloe motioned for Leira to sit down, and she made her way over to the chair and took a seat as her mother spoke.
"My child, you know that women in the imperial family have a duty to the Empire, and we must conduct our duty without complaint," Chloe said.
Leira nodded, unsure of where her mother was going with this.
The empress continued, knowing her daughter wouldn't like what she had to say.
"Recently, I witnessed a storm that was predicted in a family tome. It predicts the coming of the White Dragon King. Do you know the legend?" Chloe asked.
Leira nodded her head. All children had been told the stories of the Dragon King.
"Yes, Mama, I know of it," Leira replied.
"Well, my little buttercup, I have discovered who he is and where he is from," Chloe said.
Her eyes widened in shock as she heard her mother's words.
"Who is he?" Leira asked.
Chloe smiled before speaking.
"He was the former son of Duke Leonard Ashguard from the western province. He was thrown out of the Duke's house for being inept at magic and sword skills, so he became an adventurer. And by what my spies have told me, he's rather good at it," Chloe said.
Leira was confused as to why her mother was telling her all this, so she asked.
"Sorry for being rude, Mama, but why are you telling me all this?"
Chloe got a glint in her eyes, she took a mouthful of her tea before informing her strong-headed daughter of her future.
"Leira, my Buttercup, I have some news for you," the Empress said, her voice tinged with excitement.
"What is it, Mother?"
Leira asked, looking up from the teacup as she took a sip.
"You are going to be marrying the recently emerged white dragon when you come of age," the Empress said, a smile spreading across her face.
Leira's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
"What? I'm going to marry a dragon? That's ridiculous!"
"It's not ridiculous, Leira. It's tradition. And besides, the white dragon will become a powerful ally to our kingdom."
Chloe said, trying to reason with her daughter.
"But I don't want to marry a dragon! I want to marry someone I love, someone I choose!" Leira protested, her voice rising in frustration.
"I understand how you feel, my dear, but this is our duty as members of the royal family. We must put the needs of our kingdom above our
[Minoa City, on the Coast of The Sea of Bones]
''Teuila hurry up before we miss them!''
A girl with short light blue hair and ocean blue eyes, with beautiful light-brown skin, ran after the older boy while calling out.
''I'm coming, wait for me Triton!''
Teuila went running after him as he jumped into the ocean and followed him.
She jumped in and sped off after him, speeding through the water like a certain superhero from Earth.
But as she descended further, she noticed that the usual sounds of the ocean were absent.
There were no schools of fish darting around her, no sea beasts leaping out of the water, and no whales singing in the distance. It was too quiet.
Her heart began to race as she realized that something was wrong.
Looking over at her brother, who seemed to sense her unease.
He gestured for her to follow him, and they swam towards a rocky outcropping on the sea floor.
As they approached, the girl saw a glimmering crystal embedded in the rock.
It was the rare sea crystal they had been searching for.
But as she reached out to touch it, she felt a sudden pressure in her ears and a sharp pain in her chest.
She looked around frantically, trying to figure out what was happening.
And then she saw it. A massive shadow of a Sea Behemoth loomed in the distance, as it was swimming straight at them.
Teuila stood her ground as the massive beast charged towards her, its razor-sharp teeth bared and its eyes glowing with a fierce intensity.
She knew that this was the moment she had been training for, the moment when she would put her magic to the test.
With a calm and collected demeanor, she began to chant the spell she had been practicing for months.
Her voice was steady and strong, and the words flowed effortlessly from her lips.
''From the depths of the ocean blue,
I summon power, strong and true.
With this spell, I call upon the blast,
To vanquish foes and make them last.
Deep sea blast, now heed my call,
Unleash your power!''
As the deep sea blast spell reached its climax, a brilliant blue light erupted from the girl's hands.
The light grew brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding, and then it shot toward the Sea-behemoth with incredible force.
The blast hit the creature with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves through the water.
The beast was thrown backward, its massive body writhing in pain as it struggled to regain its balance.
It seemed to have a powerful effect on the creature, causing it to thrash about wildly and emit a series of guttural roars.
The Sea Behemoth had clearly been dealt a serious blow, and now it was in a weakened state.
Teuila watched as the creature retreated further into the depths of the ocean, its movements slow and unsteady.
She knew that she had succeeded and her Deep-Sea Blast spell had proven to be a powerful weapon against even the most fearsome of foes.
Her older brother watched the scene with wide eyes he didn't know his little sister knew such a spell.
Triton swam up to her and tapped her on the back.
''Good job sis, now let's grab that crystal and get back to the shore, Auntie will be waiting for us.''
She nodded as both of them sped towards the surface, launching themselves out of the water and landing with heavy thuds.
A group of soldiers ran towards them as the commander spoke.
"It is not safe for you, Prince and Princess, to venture into the Sea of Bones like that, it's to dangerous."
The two children looked at each other and laughed before Triton replied.
"It's okay, Dyno. We were fine."
The commander didn't look convinced but gave up.
Teuila walked towards the carriage that was waiting by the road.
She took a towel out of her storage ring and dried herself off before jumping into the carriage where her Auntie was waiting for them.
"Come on, children, we have to head for Sunhaven port city."