"Father?"

"Son?"

Lief and Darko stare at each other for several minutes before Darko jumps up and hugs Lief!

"Son what happened!? How are you here?!"

"What do you mean? I just came out of my Meditation." Lief answered casually.

Darko hastily stands up, his wide eyes staring at Lief intensely.

"B-But.." Darko stuttered

"But what, Father what's wrong?" Lief asked, worry obvious in his tone.

"Son, after a year passed I decided to come and check on you but you never replied and when I came back later with several elders even with all of our combined attacks... The door stayed standing and the energy coming out of the room hospitalised an elder for an entire year! We all thought you died... I even closed the Cultivation Vaults..." Darko's voice trembled with the slight disbelief of their reunion.

"Closed the meditation vaults, thought I died? Leaking energy? I don't understand?"

Darko sat down with Lief and slowly calmed down before explaining to Lief.

After around an hour of important details and some unnecessary rambling, Lief now knew that he spent a lot longer than he had thought, he had actually missed 5 birthdays, five! He was 15... After finding that out he looked straight down at his clothes.

His clothes clearly showed his growth. He looked like he had been unable to afford new clothes so that he was forced to wear his old ones for years. The only reason he didn't realise that he had outgrown his clothes was because they had ripped to the point of holding together by small threads!

He also found out that his Sister had been able to avoid finding a future husband due to his father's rage and mourning, it seemed as if everyone would be patient and wait for his father to calm down beforehand. After all, no one would dare to push the king too much unless they were completely sure of their plan.

Lief wanted to explain everything that happened but his father pulled him away first telling him that he has to reunite him with his sister because she had locked herself in her room for 2 entire years before she would even think about leaving! She only allowed her father to come inside after the first month passed.

As his father Darko dragged Lief towards the palace the City streets were strangely empty. When Lief enquired about this he didn't get an answer. Perhaps Darko hadn't heard him?

After running through the city streets for several minutes they finally arrived in the castle's courtyard. Darko immediately yelled:

"Kaitlynn, come down! Your brothers returned!"

Several hushed voices appeared around the courtyard before the sound of rushed steps echoed throughout the walls.

You couldn't even count to 20 before you heard her voice.

"Truly?!" a sweet excited voice came from behind one of the wooden doors before it burst open, barely holding onto its hinges.

An energetic young woman burst through the doors, as she laid her eyes on Lief she froze, giving him a great view of her face. She was truly a beauty. No girl in the city could match up to her, she had brown hair, a well-proportioned body with pure eyes and an innocent smile, truly a woman Lief himself would have chased if she was not his sister.

"Brother Lief its truly you!" Kaitlynn jumped into Lief's embrace and stayed without moving for several breaths.

Leading Lief and Kaitlynn into the castle Darko wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, his small action went unnoticed by the large crowd whose attention was all on the young lord.

Several hours later inside the Princesses main room, Lief had finally explained everything to his father and his sister. Their shock was evident on their faces as the conversation dragged on.

"Son, if you see that mysterious young man again doesn't aggravate him. Based on what you told me, he should be a cultivator from another plane and he should even be far stronger than the Emperor!"

Lief was not surprised when he heard that. He had left out the part about eating Angels as he knew that both his father and sister deeply adored angels to the point of having a small carving on each of their bedsides.

How devastated would they be if they knew the truth?

"Lief you must be careful in the future, if people find out what those two markings actually are I'm sure even the emperor would have you surrender them, *Sigh* Anyway enough with being so serious! Let's go set up a feast for the whole city in celebration of your return!"

Later that day a humongous feast was set up inside the throne room and every noble in the city was invited.

Of course, if anyone invited didn't come, they would truly have to be physically unable to as this was probably the most magnificent feast they will ever attend in their entire life. Some of the main courses were even cooked with phoenix feathers, a speciality that was usually only for the royal family once a year!

The room was filled an entire hour before the feast was even set to begin. This showed how important this feast was, not only could they taste phoenix flamed delicacies but they could show concern for Lief earning them points in Kaitlynn's good books!

At exactly 7pm, Lief, Darko and Kaitlynn appeared at the doors immediately drawing all eyes.

Lief wore a Black suit that could only be explained with one word, Expensive. Just looking at it made you feel as if you was looking at gold bars, it was jet black with a single gold crown sewn into the back.

Kaitlynn drew the most attention with her long white dress, beautiful brown eyes and her enchanting smile as she walked beside Lief.

Darko, however, wore his usual Kings attire with a crown and lead the two towards the main seats.

Everyone in the throne room immediately bowed/curtsied"Your majesty's"

"Everyone this is a joyous occasion please sit!" the king laughed.

Many people began to eat, drink, laugh and some even shouted. Clearly having a good time.

After the Darko spoke, various different members of the young nobility greeted Kaitlynn whilst some Elders spoke with the king.

Several young women also attempted to speak with Lief but he politely declined each one as he had a lot on his mind and had no time to talk to a girl right now. The girls all left quietly, some with disappointment and some with slight anger in their eyes.

Abruptly, a loud young voice was heard "Princess, have you considered our engagement any further?"

Upon hearing this many people wanted to teach the kid his place as he was currently attending a feast made for Lief yet this young man was going to bring up something like that?

Everyone knew Lief didn't like the way people tried to force her to marry for the clan, but when they saw the speaker was Dew, the head Elders "chosen" child they all lost their nerve.

Rage exposed itself in the king's face as he slammed the table, instantly making a hole the size of someone's head in the thick solid oak dining table. A loud "bang" shocked everyone in the throne room, but before he could get a word out, faint footsteps begun echoing throughout the throne room...