Stepping through the portal was a strange sensation for Elianna. It was like she walked through a wall of electrified water that made her entire body tingle, but didn't hurt. If anything, it made her a little queasy.

  Elianna stumbled a little as her feet met the ground on the other side. She quickly looked around, trying to study her surroundings. She noticed how they had entered a room similar to the one in Tri-Union City, but it was also different.

  The room was large and dome-like, made of dark gray stone bricks. Like the room they had just left, this one had three arches with an emerald energy buzzing between them. Standing in front of the arches to Elianna's left and right were Duridian and Thearian guards. But in front of the portal they had just exited were Tri-Union City guards.

  The Tri-Union City guards turned to look at the new arrivals and nodded at Freya.

  "Experitor," The mage said. "Welcome."

  Freya returned their nod, but her smile was tight. "Thank you."

  Freya looked forward, and Elianna followed her gaze. At the far end of the room, beside the exit door, was a large rectangular desk where a Gavarian soldier sat, looking at a book. Standing beside him near the exit door were two more knights and a mage.

  Freya sighed, then looked over her shoulder at the others. "Stay close to me."

  Celine, Nicholas, and Elianna nodded and immediately followed her as she began to walk over to the desk.

  As they were walking, Nicholas looked at Elianna and smiled, seeing that she was curiously looking around. He leaned closer to her and whispered, "How are you feeling?"

  Elianna turned and met his gaze. Her smooth-looking lips curved. "I'm feeling okay. Nervous and excited, I guess." She tilted her head slightly. "What about you?"

  Nicholas shrugged. "Nervous." He let out a small chuckle. "But I meant about you going through the portal. I know it can feel weird when you portal for the first time."

  Elianna's brows rose. "Oh." A cute chortle escaped from her. "Yeah, it did feel a little weird. Even made me slightly nauseous, and I lost my balance."

  "Yeah, I did feel you stumble a little." He smiled. "But don't worry, I wasn't going to let you fall."

  Elianna's eyes flicked down, seeing that she and Nicholas were still holding each other's hands. Her smile grew, and her chest filled with warmth. She whispered softly, "Too late for that."

  Nicholas looked confused. "What was that? I didn't hear you."

  Elianna met his gaze, her cheeks feeling warm. "Nothing."

  Elianna looked forward, and Nicholas followed her gaze, seeing Freya approach the desk.

  The guard sitting at the desk looked at Freya as she approached. His brows furrowed, and he looked utterly bewildered. He leaned slightly to the side, looking at the royal portal that led to Tri-Union City, before looking back at Freya.

  Elianna leaned toward Nicholas. "Why does he look so confused? Were they not expecting us?"

  Nicholas grinned. "Nope. You'll see."

  "Uh," The guard stuttered, and closed the book he was reading, pushing it to the side. "Can I help you?"

  Elianna looked to the right and saw the three Gavarian guards near the door, who were also looking at them curiously.

  Freya nodded. "Yes, you may. Could you please annotate our arrival?"

  The guard behind the desk raised a brow. "And who exactly are you?" He grabbed an open book and slid it over to him. Looking at the open page, he shook his head. "We have no arrivals set for today." He looked at Freya, and his face tightened. "And yet, here you are, using the royal portal no less."

  Elianna grew confused and looked at the guards near the door, who now turned and were fully facing them. The mage stepped forward and approached the desk.

  "What seems to be the problem, Private?"

  The guard looked at the mage and gestured to Freya and the others. "Adeptus. These three just came from the Tri-Union royal portal. However, we have no arrivals marked for today."

  The mage's eyes narrowed before she looked at Freya. "Who are you? Identify yourself and state your business."

  Freya looked at the mage calmly. "I'm Freya Argyle, and I'm—"

  The mage gasped, going wide-eyed, and paled. "P-Princess Freya?!"

  The guards near the door stiffened.

  The guard sitting at his seat shot to his feet, looking as pale as a ghost. "W-what?!" He scrambled for the book and turned the pages. His finger landed on a marked section, and he looked at Freya, panicked. "B-but you're not supposed to be here for another three days!" The guard fliched before standing straight to the position of attention. "P-Princess."

  Freya nodded and mentally sighed. "Yes, well, we decided to arrive early. I hope that isn't a problem."

  The mage quickly shook her head. "N-no! Of course not, Princess!" They smiled, but their lips were shaky, and they looked nervous. "It's just that we weren't prepared for your arrival."

  "Wait a minute..." The guard began, and everyone looked at him. His eyes widened to an unnatural size. "If you're here, that means..."

  The mages' brows furrowed before they shot sky high. Their head snapped to the group as they sidestepped, and their eyes fell on Nicholas.

  "P-Prince Nicholas?!"

  The mage didn't hesitate to fall to one knee and bow their head, with the guards following the mage's example.

  Nicholas sighed and looked down as he whispered, "And, it begins."

  "Your Highness," The mage began, speaking loudly and respectfully. "Welcome back to Zasaly."

  "That's not necessary," Freya said. "You can stand."

  None of the guards even twitched.

  Elianna looked at Freya, confused, wondering why they weren't following her orders.

  Freya sighed and looked at Nicholas apologetically. Elianna followed her gaze, looking at Nicholas curiously.

  Nicholas eyed the guards, seeming slightly uncomfortable. "You may rise."

  The guards snapped to their feet, standing at the position of attention.

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  "Your Highness," The guard behind the desk began, sounding far more official now than earlier. "I'm more than happy to annotate your names."

  The guard quickly sat down and began writing. Once he had written down two names, he looked at Celine.

  "She's my daughter," Freya said before the guard could ask. "Celine Argyle."

  The guard swallowed hard and nodded to Celine. "P-Princess." He quickly wrote down her name before he looked back up. His gaze landed on Elianna, and he looked at her curiously.

  "She is Elianna Vail," Freya said.

  The guard nodded and wrote down Elianna's name. Once he was done writing, he stood up and looked at Nicholas. "You've all been marked down, Your Highness."

  Freya sighed and looked at Nicholas.

  Nicholas' jaw clenched, and he nodded. "Thank you."

  Freya looked forward. "We will be heading into the palace now."

  "Yes, Your Highness." The mage said, stepping to the side. He looked at the two knights at the entrance. "Corporal!"

  The taller of the guards snapped to attention. "Yes, Adeptus!"

  "I'll be escorting the royal family until I can find them proper protection. You will remain here and take charge."

  The corporal nodded, "Yes, Adeptus!"

  Celine raised a brow. "Is that really necessary? We will be fine. You don't need to escort us."

  The mage looked at Celine and bowed. "Forgive me, Your Highness. However, the protection of the royal family is the duty of the royal guard unit. I cannot in good faith leave you unguarded. Not even in the palace."

  Celine rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

  Freya jerked her chin toward the entrance. "Come on."

  Celine, Nicholas, and Elianna nodded and followed Freya as she headed toward the entrance.

  The female mage quickly moved in front of them and stepped through the entrance first. As they followed the mage, Elianna noticed how they came to a dead end. However, that quickly changed when the mage placed her hand on the wall.

  The bricks began to glow an emerald green before they slowly began to separate, creating an exit.

  "Huh, similar to the one in Tri-Union City," Elianna commented.

  Nicholas nodded, "A little bit, yeah."

  They all stepped through the entrance, and Elianna curiously looked around. She noticed how they entered a long hallway that was opulently decorated with a beautiful red rug and paintings that covered the clean, gray-bricked walls. To her left, she saw the beginning of a spiral staircase. The hallway seemed just as lovely as the one in the palace at Tri-Union City, but also different.

  The mage stepped to the side, letting Freya and the others pass by as they walked toward a door at the end of the hall.

  As they walked, Elianna leaned toward Nicholas. "So, we arrived early?"

  Nicholas chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. Aunt Freya sent a notification saying that we would arrive three days from now. We wanted to arrive early to catch them off guard."

  Elianna tilted her head slightly to the right. "Why?"

  Freya approached the door, and when she opened it, a chorus of voices could be heard. When the group stepped through the entrance, they noticed how palace staff were quickly moving around, placing decor around the palace.

  Nicholas let out a deep sigh. "This is why."

  Elianna quickly looked around, seeing they had entered another hallway, but this one was far grander. The same opulent red and gold carpet ran along the floor, with paintings hanging on the gray stone walls. Beautiful golden fixtures with lumous stones were protruding from the walls. Sunlight entered the hallway from the large arch-shaped windows built into the walls.

  Elianna raised a brow. "Are they preparing for your brother's celebration?"

  "If only," Celine grumbled and looked at Elianna. "My mom predicted this."

  Elianna raised a brow. "Predicted what?"

  "That my dad would make a big deal of my return," Nicholas sighed.

  Elianna looked at Nicholas and smiled slightly. "And you didn't want to be the center of attention."

  Nicholas shook his head. "Nope. I'd rather just come back quietly and not make a big deal."

  Freya looked over her shoulder. "Hence, why I told my brother that we would be here three days from now."

  Elianna chuckled, "Clever." She looked at Freya worriedly. "But do you think Nick's dad will be mad?"

  The mage cleared his throat, and when Elianna looked at her, she noticed that the mage was looking sternly at her. The mage seemed like she was about to say something, but her eyes flicked to the side, and they flinched. They immediately looked away, seeming to change their mind about speaking.

  Elianna curiously looked to the side, seeing Nicholas glaring at the mage. "Nick?"

  Nick looked at Elianna and smiled softly. "No." He tilted his head slightly. "Well, maybe. I don't know."

  "I can handle my little brother," Freya chuckled. "Don't worry." She looked around, seeing the palace staff still scrambling around. "Now, let's fix this." She looked at a young maid walking by. "Excuse me."

  The maid stopped and looked at Freya while holding a white and golden vase. "Yes, My Lady?"

  "This is Princess Freya!" The female mage quickly yelled at the maid, and the maid flinched, going pale. "Address her appropriately!"

  The maid looked at Freya shakily.

  Freya quickly waved her hands and smiled. "No, no, don't worry." She shot a quick glare at the mage before smiling back at the maid. "Could you tell me where the head butler is, please?"

  The maid quickly nodded, still looking a little pale. "Yes, Your Highness. He is currently in the south wing on the first floor. I was actually heading that way." She smiled shakily. "I-I can take you to him if you'd like."

  Freya nodded kindly. "That would be nice, thank you."

  The maid nodded before quickly turning, and Freya and the others followed her.

  As they were walking, Celine looked at the mage. "You didn't need to talk to her like that."

  The mage looked at Celine. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I will watch my tone next time. However, I will still correct the staff when they fail to address you properly."

  Nicholas sighed, "Of course you will."

  Nicholas looked at Elianna and smiled slightly, seeing how she was curiously looking around.

  "You two!"

  Nicholas and the others looked back, seeing the mage call over two knights who were down the hallway behind them. Nicholas sighed and looked forward as the mage directed them to assist in escorting the royal family. The knights quickly followed the mage's orders and ran over to the group, walking behind the mage in an orderly fashion.

  Elianna leaned close to Nicholas. "So, are guards always supposed to follow you?"

  Nicholas sighed and nodded. "Yep. We're almost never alone."

  Elianna looked at the three guards now walking behind them, then looked forward. "Feels a little weird."

  "Unfortunately," Freya began as she looked at Elianna over her shoulder. "You get used to it."

  The group of them looked forward as they turned at the end of the L-shaped hallway. Looking forward, Freya noticed several maids standing around an older male who was dressed nicely. He was speaking with the maids and giving them directions.

  "Excuse me," Freya called out loudly to the butler.

  The butler continued to speak to one of the maids, giving her directions.

  Freya cleared her throat. "Excuse me!"

  The butler looked in Freya's direction. His brows were furrowed as he curiously looked Freya up and down. Slowly, their eyes widened. "P-Princess Freya?"

  Freya smiled, "Hello, Victor."

  Victor's face paled. "But y-you're early." His eyes widened. "Wait... if you're here..." His eyes immediately snapped to Nicholas. "Prince Nicholas!"

  Victor immediately kneeled, and the maids curtsied deeply.

  Nicholas sighed. "Please rise."

  Victor and the others stood, and he clasped his wrists in front of him, while the maids held different decor items.

  Elianna noticed how several of the maids were looking at Nicholas and whispering to each other.

  "Your Highness," Victor began, looking directly at Nicholas. "Forgive the state of the palace. We were actually decorating for your return."

  "That's why we came to find you," Freya smiled. "We are here already, so you can instruct the others to stop decorating. It is not necessary."

  Victor looked unsure, "But his Majesty..."

  "Won't mind," Freya reassured with a smile.

  Victor hesitated before he looked at Nicholas. "Your Highness, is that your order?"

  Celine rolled her eyes, and Freya looked at Nicholas.

  Nicholas sighed and nodded. "It is."

  Victor nodded. "Very well." He looked at the maids, "Go, instruct the others to stop decorating and take down the decor that is already up."

  The maids nodded before scrambling away.

  Elianna watched the maids walk away, seeing all the beautiful white and gold decor they were carrying. She looked at Nicholas with a comical smile, "It seems like your dad wanted to go all out with decoration."

  Victor's eyes snapped to Elianna and narrowed. "My Lady. Please refrain from speaking of the king so casually and use his proper title."

  "Do not speak to her like that!" Nicholas snapped harshly, glaring at Victor.

  Victor flinched and immediately looked down. "Yes, Your Highness."

  Celine looked at Nicholas, seeing his protectiveness, and grinned.

  Elianna's brows raised, looking at Nicholas, surprised. She didn't expect to hear Nicholas snap like that. But seeing him come to her defense, it made her stomach flutter slightly, and she smiled.

  Freya smiled softly at Victor, "Lady Elianna was invited personally by my brother. She is an esteemed guest."

  Victor looked up at Freya and then at Elianna. But when his eyes fell on her and Nicholas' intertwined hands, his brows raised. "Ah, I see. That also explains the four rooms." He smiled at Elianna, "Please, forgive me, My Lady." He looked at Nicholas, "I meant no disrespect toward her, Your Highness."

  Nicholas relaxed and smiled, "No, I'm sorry for snapping."

  Victor chuckled and shook his head. "It's quite all right."

  Freya looked at Victor curiously. "Victor, speaking of our rooms, are they ready yet? I know we showed up early."

  Victor nodded, "They are, Your Highness. We've been preparing for your arrival." He smiled and bowed, "I would love to escort you there, if that's okay."

  Freya smiled. "That's fine."

  Victor stood straight and turned. "Splendid, then please, follow me."