KALEL was almost at Auro's palace when a red flaming feather suddenly appeared right in front of his face. He recognized it right away as one of Soleil's feathers. She would sometimes use that method to send him a message.

Thankfully, it appeared when he was on the premise of Auro's residence. Since it was the king's palace, there weren't guards patrolling the area. Not even servants because for some reason, his brothers didn't like many people entering his place.

​​

Anyway…

"Soleil, how are you?" Kalel talked to the red flaming feather as if it was his wife. He hid behind a tree while hiding his presence as well. Since he and Soleil decided to keep her pregnancy a secret, he didn't want anyone else to hear his conversation with his wife. Not even Auro. "Have you arrived at Solarium?"

"Black Serpent."

He got agitated as soon as he heard the unfamiliar voice of a male. "Who are you?" he snarled. "Where's my wife?"

"Lady Rosenberg was attacked by the Blue Dragon," the stranger informed him in a blunt and cold voice. "I brought her to Solarium. She's being treated by the people here."

He felt gutted when he heard what happened to Soleil.

That damned Elis Ripperton attacked my wife?!

He was confused. After all, he thought that the Blue Dragon ascended back to the heavens with the Golden Tiger. And as a fellow Beast God, he should have felt it when that blasted man returned to earth.

Does it mean Elis Ripperton hid his descent from us?

To be honest, he had no reason to easily believe a man he didn't know. But he had Soleil's feather. And he would risk anything if it was for his wife.

Thus, the identity of the man talking to him right now wasn't that important.

His top priority was to hurry back to Soleil.

"I'll be there," Kalel said in a hurried voice. "You better be there and explain everything to me, whoever you are."

***

WHEN Soleil woke up, she was relieved to be greeted by a familiar face.

Solenn…

Now she was confused.

The last thing she remembered was being attacked by the cursed Blue Dragon. Then, a strange fellow who kept calling her "master" appeared. That was the last thing she could remember.

"My baby," Soleil said in a croaked voice. She tried to get up but her whole body hurt like hell. She couldn't even lift her hand to put it over her belly. "Is my baby safe, Solenn?"

Solenn nodded, worry written all over her face. "Thankfully, your baby is safe since its Mana served as its shield. If your baby is an ordinary human, it wouldn't have survived the Blue Dragon's attack."

She was relieved to hear that.

To be honest, when she was on her way to Solarium, she was thinking about apologizing to Solenn for getting pregnant right away. But after she almost lost her baby, she realized that she had nothing to be sorry about.

Despite the risks, she knew in her heart that she would never regret carrying her child in her womb.

"How did I get here?" she asked in a weak voice. "I just got out of our territory when I was attacked by Elis Ripperton."

"A man called Wong brought you here," the Sun Priestess explained to her. "He has almost the same flame as Lord Winchell. He even used the same teleportation spell that our lord uses."

The teleportation spell that her brother uses was renowned in the continent.

After all, the Red Phoenix could bring himself to any part of the continent that he had already stepped foot on. The downside was the spell consumed a large portion of his Mana.

She also got the same ability.

If she wasn't attacked by Elis Ripperton, she would have used her teleportation spell to return to her country. Kalel knew about her ability. Thus, he allowed her to travel alone despite her being pregnant. After all, she couldn't bring more people with her if she was going to use her teleportation spell.

"How's Wong?" she asked. "Using the same teleportation spell as my brother must have drained his energy. Especially since he brought me along."

Solenn nodded in agreement. "Wong fell unconscious as soon as he was assured that we will treat you. He's sleeping in the next room. Are you really acquainted with him?"

"To be honest, this is the first time that we met," she said. "But apparently, he's the Keeper that my brother created for me. I wouldn't be surprised if my brother shared his memories with Wong. That guy seems to know me very well."

"He also calls you master, Lady Soleil."

"Yeah, I remember him calling me 'master,'" she said. "He must really be my brother's creation."

"Let's set that matter aside first," the Sun Priestess said. "Lady Soleil, the child in your womb is the Moon Serpent. But I'm afraid that his heartbeat is too faint."

She bit her lower lip before she nodded. "The doctor who checked on me the other day said the same thing. My baby is in danger, isn't he?"

Solenn nodded thoughtfully. "I don't want to say this but it seems like the Moon Serpent's life force is getting weaker every minute. We have to be careful for your pregnancy to be successful, my lady."

"I know that," she said seriously. "The enemies already know that I'm pregnant. Elis Ripperton attacked me to kill my child."

The Sun Priestess looked even more worried now. "My lady, should you just stay here at Solarium for the duration of your pregnancy? We can protect you better if you're here." Her eyes suddenly glowed menacingly. "Our country has been quiet all this time but it doesn't mean that we can't fight the Kale Kingdom. If Auro Moonchester sends assassins after you, we will take it as a declaration of war."

"It seems like going on a war against Auro Moonchester is inevitable."

"I didn't expect that you'd agree with me, my lady."

"I hate wars," she admitted. "Wars only create pain and sins. Moreover, the poor at the end of the "hierarchy" suffer the most." She clenched her hands when she felt her strength coming back. "But I have a feeling that if I let Auro Moonchester loose, more people would suffer. He might even destroy the whole continent. I can't let that happen. I saved him in the past so it's only natural that I take responsibility by stopping him from his greediness."

Solenn fell silent for a few seconds before she spoke again. "The Moon God is supporting Auro Moonchester in the dark, Lady Soleil," she reminded her gently. "And the Moon God is Lord Kalel's father."

"I know that very well," Soleil said softly, then she closed her eyes tight. "Thus, I decided to reveal everything to my husband."

And ultimately, make Kalel choose between her and Auro Moonchester.

***

SINCE KALEL's teleportation spell wasn't as precise as Soleil's, it took him a whole day before he reached the country of Solarium.

He never felt welcomed in the country of Fire Mages even after he married Soleil.

But this time, the hostility that he felt from the people serving his wife's residence got worse. Since they were working at Soleil's palace, he wouldn't be surprised if they already knew what happened to his wife. They were probably thinking that he failed to protect their Supreme Fire Mage.

And honestly? They were right. He really failed to protect his wife.

I shouldn't have let Soleil leave the territory alone.

"Black Serpent."

He raised his head to find a strange man standing on the branch of a huge fire tree in front of the room where he was asked to wait. There was a huge yard in front of the palace, and he was on the second floor. If the stranger climbed up the tree, that only meant that he specifically looked for him.

"That voice is familiar," Kalel said, then he walked towards the open window and leaned against the windowsill. "You were the one who sent me a message using Soleil's feather. How did you do that?"

He was suspicious of the stranger but he was trying to be polite.

After all, the strange man had the same aura as the Fire Mages. Moreover, he was in his wife's country. He didn't want to offend her people.

"That feather was mine," the stranger said in a cold voice. "I have the same ability as my master and my creator."

"I can't follow what you're saying," he said. "And would it kill you to introduce yourself first?"

"My name is Wong. Lord Winchell created me to serve and protect my master," the Fire Mage man called 'Wong' said. "I will live and die for Lady Soleil Rosenberg, the Supreme Fire Mage and the most precious person in the whole world."

He got goosebumps because he thought he was listening to Winchell.

Ah, this strange guy was really created by that stupid Red Phoenix.

"I don't mind another body protecting my wife," he said, emphasizing the words "my wife" to make a point. "But Wong, know your place. I am Soleil's husband. It's me who's going to protect her and our family."

"Do you know whom you should protect my master from?"

He was surprised by that question. "What do you mean by that?"

"Wong."

He immediately looked down at the direction of where the familiar voice came from, and he found his wife walking in the yard towards the tree where Wong was.

Soleil.

He was relieved to see his wife, but he was also worried as to why she was already walking on her own after she was just attacked.

Wanting to get to his wife as fast as possible, he jumped over the window. He was only on the second floor of the palace so he didn't even break a sweat. As soon as his feet landed on the ground, he walked fast to his wife.

"Soleil, is it fine for you to walk around after what happened to you?" he asked worriedly, then he stood in front of his wife and held her shoulders. "Are you okay…"

He trailed off when he realized that they were surrounded.

Fire Mages?

He could feel the hostility of the Fire Mages around them. But much to his frustration, he couldn't see them except for the one called Wong. It seemed like there was a powerful spell that concealed them from his sight.

"Soleil, did I do something wrong?" he asked when he turned to his wife. "I can feel your people's hostility."

"My people are concealed by Solenn's spell," Soleil said in a serious voice. "You can't see them and on the other hand, they can't hear what we are talking about. But if they see you attack me, they will kill you, Lord Kalel."

Now he was confused.

"Why would I attack you, Soleil?"

"Lord Kalel, I have something important to tell you."

"I can see that."

His wife smiled sadly at him before she spoke. "Lord Kalel, it's not only Elis Ripperton who wants our child dead," she said in a sad and bitter voice. "You have to know that Auro Moonchester and your own father want to kill our child."

To say that he was shocked to hear that would be an understatement.

"Soleil, what's happening to you?" he asked worriedly. "Who fed you the idea that my father and my brother want to kill our child?"

"Lord Kalel, you can read a person's memories using your water technique, can't you?"

He was stunned because he knew what his wife wanted him to do.

And he was afraid to do so.

He didn't want to doubt his own family. But he also knew that Soleil wouldn't lie to him. She wasn't that kind of person.

"Read my memories, Lord Kalel," Soleil said firmly. "Read it and choose between me and Auro Moonchester."

Kalel wasn't ready for what kind of ugly truth had hit him at that moment.

***

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