The Princess & The Twilight Blade

Lydia

"I'll prepare the necessary materials, please send your staff to pick them up the day after tomorrow." Count Lamal said as he saw us out of the mansion.

"I'll do that," I said, exhausted. The Count had gone on and on about the secrecy of the auction without actually revealing anything of importance, and I was at the end of my rope. After escaping the front hall, I climbed into the carriage with Audrey's help, and she and Cassandra followed.

"That was a good performance," Cassandra said, her usual attitude returning once we were out of sight. "You almost didn't hold out, though."

"I think you did amazing, Lydia!" Audrey's smile was blinding, and I perked right up at her praise.

"We're on the right track, at least," I said. "Still… It's inconvenient to have to wait until we get that package." The Count had invited me to participate in the auction, but he was a cautious man. The actual details and instructions for the event were to be picked up by Audrey or Cassandra from a rendezvous in two days. If anyone else showed up, I'm sure it would not go over well.

"You accomplished the main goal, though. Good job, Dia!" My goddess said excitedly.

"Any number of things could go wrong, please don't jinx us…" I replied.

"Don't be such a downer! You and Audrey should have a date to celebrate!"

"Do you think we have time for that? We need to meet up with Bernard and see what they've gathered." While the idea of having quality time with my girlfriend was very tempting, we had a job to do.

"My guardian is so responsible…" For some reason, that didn't sound like a compliment. I returned my attention to the carriage, leaving my goddess to sulk in the background.

"I'm sure Count Lamal will be surveying us until the drop off, so we'll have to keep the act up," I said, and Audrey looked at me with surprise.

"Do you think he's suspicious?" She asked.

"Of course he is. The daughter of a noble, whom he's never met, suddenly arrives with no warning, and seems to know about the darker side of his business. There's a reason the other nobles haven't taken him down on their own." I explained, folding my arms. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if most of the adventurers on this quest fail to infiltrate the actual event."

"Nobles can certainly be tricky." Cassandra chimed in. "It's better to be cautious."

"I see. But won't he see through us if he investigates House Rendall?" Audrey asked with a cute tilt of her head.

"The Marquess was generous enough to alter his family registry. On paper… I really am his daughter." It was an uncomfortable feeling, because only one man would ever be my father, but it was a measure we had to take. "And as wealthy or clever Count Lamal may be, he can only poke around a Marquess so much without risk."

"Well, I have no complaints about playing your maid for another day or two." My girlfriend said, and I met her smile with my own.

"I do! The way Lydia treats us as attendants is far too unfair!" Cassandra complained, and I glared at her. "See?! Just like that!"

"Audrey holds my heart, while you hold my annoyance. I think it's perfectly fair." I scoffed.

"Tch."

"Did you just click your tongue at me?"

"Ah! Put the fire away, Lydia!"

The rest of the ride was filled with squabbling punctuated by my goddess's laughter. Luckily, the Marquess had planned on lending us his name for a few days, so the amber-eyed young man took us back to the inn, rather than the carriage dealer.

The three of us managed to resume our roles before getting out of the carriage, and I made a show of huffing behind my fan the whole way to our rooms.

"Did you find them, Audrey?" I asked once we were behind closed doors once again.

"I think so. The same three people followed us all the way here… They are currently across the main road."

"You can do all that with shadow magic? I'm impressed." Cassandra said, sitting sloppily on our bed.

"You have your own room," I said curtly.

"Isn't it my job as you're attendant to always be at your side, my lady?" Cassandra said slyly.

"Only if your master wants you to do so."

"Seriously, you two, be nice." My girlfriend chided. And I turned my face away in protest.

"We should send a message to Bernard and the others since we shouldn't meet with them openly for now," I said to change the subject. After retrieving a paper and pen from Audrey's shadows, I sat at the desk to write a report of the day's events, then I handed the paper to my 'attendant'.

"Cassandra, send this to Bernard."

"Lydia..." My girlfriend said in disappointment, so I corrected myself.

"Cassandra, please send this to Bernard." I could have done it myself, just as I had when exchanging letters with Simon, but using wind magic drastically sped up the travel time.

Only because you asked so nicely, my lady." The sarcasm in her voice made my brow twitch, but she took the letter and made to leave the room. "I'll send it from the other side of the building, just to be safe."

After the older woman left, I slumped on the desk with exhaustion. Audrey came over and stood behind me, her hands massaging my shoulders gently.

"You did a good job today, Lydia... I just wish you would get along with Cass."

"I'm being cordial enough, especially after she hurt you. And..." I paused and bit my lip.

"And?" My girlfriend softly urged.

"Truthfully, she reminds me of Leah, and I don't know how to handle it. I just miss her so much... I miss everyone..." I mumbled. If only I could talk to her...

Suddenly, I shot up with an idea. "Audrey, can I have more paper?"

She looked at me with wide eyes, but a small stack of paper appeared on the desk. "What are you thinking?" She asked.

"It's a long shot, but..." I quickly wrote on the paper, then held my hand over it. I focused on how Leah's mana felt to me, and her appearance. Warm and gentle... like the breeze on a warm spring day. My mana activated, and the paper folded itself into a bird before it floated off the table. The paper bird flapped in a circle before... falling back to the desk and unfolding itself.

"Damn it." I cursed under my breath and slumped into the chair.

"A person's mana signature changes as they grow older, right? I'm sure that's why, and not because she's..." Audrey trailed off, and I felt her hands tremble on my shoulders. I reached out and laid my hands over hers comfortingly.

"Right. It's been three years after all... of course it wouldn't work." Even still, the darker possibility wouldn't leave my mind. It can't find her because she's dead.

In a desperate attempt to find something to go through, I tried to send it to anyone I could think of. Luke, Abel, Leah, Lucia, Simon, Sasha, Captain Heingar, Professor Tressum, Brandon, Yuzuki... I even tried Mother and Father, which only left me hurting more. Other than the one I sent to Audrey to confirm I was casting the magic correctly, every single attempt was a failure.

"Lydia... Everything will be alright. I know we'll find them," my girlfriend whispered into my ear as she wrapped her arms around me from behind, and tears pricked at the edges of my vision.

"I hope you're right..."

***

Cassandra

Once I left the room, I used my wind magic to watch over the girls as I made my way down the hall. There was a window on the other side of the building, and I opened it and held the report Lydia had written in my hand. Once I focused on Bernard and his earth magic, the paper folded into a bird, then took off through the window with a boost from my wind magic.

It was with that same magic that I noticed the girls crying softly together back in the room, so I decided it would be best to leave them be for now. On a whim, I dove through the window, using magic to cushion my fall as I hit the ground and rolled to my feet. Who needs a letter? I'll just go meet up with the boys myself.

It didn't take me long to catch up to the paper bird, and I used my wind magic to sprint across the rooftops, silencing any noise in the process.

As we drew closer to the center of Grunde, the bird suddenly dove into an alleyway, and I paused on the edge of the roof to check the surroundings. My magic canvased the area, and a conversation came into focus.

"Like I said, we don't want any trouble," Bernard said. I peeked over the edge and could just barely see two hooded figures standing in front of the 'Shining Wind' party.

"If that's true, then you'll cease to infiltrate this auction." A woman's voice replied. "These criminals will be taken care of without the adventurer guild's interference."

At that moment, the paper bird I had temporarily forgotten about collided with Bernard's temple and fell to the ground. Everyone in the alley fell silent as they stared at it. Then, I felt a burst of wind. Damn!

"Are you going to read that?" The same woman said, folding her arms. "Your friend can also come down."

At that, everyone looked up at me, and I cursed under my breath again before plastering a smile on my face and jumping off the roof. I landed gracefully between the two groups.

"I'm impressed, it's not every day someone overpowers me with wind magic," I said, addressing the mysterious woman in the robe. Her companion hadn't said anything during this whole exchange, and it made me nervous.

"A maid?" The woman said in amusement. "No... you're just playing a part, I assume? You lack the presence of a real attendant."

My brow twitched at her insult. That was an insult, right? "I overheard a bit of the conversation. I'm not sure who you're working for, but this is an official quest from the guild. We can't just walk away." I paused, then extended my hand out in a friendly gesture. "If we have a common goal, wouldn't it be best to work together, rather than drive us away?"

"No." The woman said immediately. "Your mission is driven by reward and glory. Such a fleeting reason can't be trusted."

"Are you questioning the integrity of the adventurer's guild?" I asked dangerously.

"Of course not. I'm questioning the individuals." She scoffed. We all bristled at that.

"I'll have you know that we're all A-rank," I said threateningly. "We took this quest to help the people, and we will not stand for our morals being questioned by someone hiding their face." Even being at eye level with them, their features were hidden by the deep hoods they wore

The silent one nudged her companion with an elbow, and the motion revealed a sword at their hip, which caused all of us to tense. The two seemed to be whispering to each other, but the wind magic user was quite strong, and I couldn't eavesdrop at all. Finally, they turned back to us, and I felt the men behind me move into defensive stances.

That was... Until the other figure finally spoke, also revealing themselves to be a woman.

"Let me apologize for our rudeness," she began, but made no move to remove her hood. "Our mission requires a certain amount of... secrecy. I trust you understand my meaning?" She asked. Her tone may have been gentle, but the way her hand rested on her weapon made her intention clear.

"I understand that you two have some personal investments in destroying the 'resistance'," I said wryly, but they both froze at the name.

"Don't call them that." The taller woman said menacingly. The one with the sword quickly held her arm in front of her companion.

"What she means to say is they are simply criminals, nothing more." They were both suddenly on edge, and I deliberated for a moment whether it was worth pushing them, but decided against it. There's no point in starting a fight here...

"Look. Whether you want us there or not won't change anything. If you don't interfere with us, we won't with you, deal?" I said, trying to come to a compromise.

"We can't guarantee the safety of anyone but the hostages." The swordswoman said. "We aim to eradicate this organization, including its leaders. As far as we're concerned, anyone else present is complicit, and it will be too difficult for our people to determine who our true enemy is in the chaos."

"Chaos? What do—!" I started, but a strong gust of wind blew through the alley and lifted the two hooded women into the air. "Hey!"

"We're only after the corrupt, but this will be your only warning." The taller one said as they turned away. The only thing I saw was a glimpse of brown and sky-blue hair as they flew over the buildings and out of sight.

"Should we go after them?" Bernard asked, and I let out a heavy sigh.

"No, it's not worth it. Whoever they are, they clearly intend to do more than just arrest Count Lamal and the other nobles in charge." I rubbed my temple, thinking of the headache this had just turned into. "The girls and I are under surveillance at the moment, so will you take care of the report to the guild?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"You just don't want to do it yourself..." The man mumbled, and I turned to plant a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Of course I don't!"

"Whatever. That maid uniform doesn't suit you at all." He said grumpily..

"Watch it, I'll tell your wife you hit on me."

"Ha. She knows I only have eyes for her."

We fought all the way back to the hotel, and I did remember to fill them in on everything before sneaking around the back and through the window I left open. I checked in on the girls with my magic and found them fast asleep, so I quietly snuck into my room, ready to strip off this stuffy maid uniform and hit the sack.

My mind drifted back to those mysterious women, but I eventually decided to let it go for now.

This is going to be a long quest, isn't it?

***

Audrey

"You won't get it past me that easily!" I said with a laugh as the apple fell into my shadow. It quickly reappeared from a shadow on the wall and flew across the room, only to be intercepted by a shimmering square of gold magic.

"We'll see about that!" Lydia replied energetically as the apple teleported and fell from the ceiling, making me move my shadows to catch it again to repeat the cycle. After yesterday, my girlfriend said she just wanted to laze about today. To keep ourselves busy, we came up with this game that doubled as magic practice.

The fruit flew all over the room from impossible angles as we sat on the edge of the bed, pointing dramatically to form our spells. The person who missed the apple first was the loser and had to do one thing that the winner said without complaint.

"This does help with precision, but neither of you is lacking in magical talent. This first round has been going on for nearly twenty minutes...." Aurora sighed.

"Well, this is more for Lydia's practice than mine anyway... But maybe it's time for a new round." I said, then a slow grin appeared as I had an idea. On my next turn, I held the apple for a second in my shadow, then leaned over and draped myself over my girlfriend. I ran one of my hands through the back of her hair, and the other one slid beneath her nightgown and across the smooth expanse of her collarbone.

"I want you, Lydia," I whispered seductively against her ear. Her body flushed immediately, and she met my eyes with a heated look. Yet, as she leaned in to kiss me, I released the apple from the shadows.

"Ah! That's cheating, Audrey!" She said, scrambling to refocus on the game. She managed to intercept it in time, but the door opened right at that moment, and Cassandra stepped into the room.

"Are you two really planning to hide—" Her words cut off as a pile of apple mush landed on her head. All three of us sat in dumbfounded silence before the older woman spoke again. "What the fu—"

"Audrey! That was your fault! You made me lose focus!" Lydia hit my arm in playful anger, and I did my best to stifle my giggles as Cass stood in the doorway with apple pulp dripping down her face.

"D-Does this mean I win?" I asked between breaths, which only made my girlfriend paw at me more.

"Stop flirting and clean me up already!" Cassandra fumed, and I turned to face her with a teasing smile.

"I got it~" I raised my head, and water formed around her head before gliding through her dirtied hair. The mashed apple came away with my magic, and I even cleaned the bits that had dripped down her face or onto her shoulders. A tendril of shadow opened the window, and I sent the water carrying the mess outside.

"There, all better. I hope you'll forgive my girlfriend for making a mess." I said, putting my palms together in a gesture of forgiveness.

"Don't blame it on me!" Lydia huffed but stood up and crossed the room to Cass anyway. She held her hands over the woman's wet hair, and I sensed an aura of warm mana engulfing and drying the area. Even though she doesn't like Cass... I love how responsible she is.

"Do I even want to ask what you two were doing?" The adventurer sighed.

"Uh... We were playing catch?" I tried.

"Well, I hope you'll spare the innocent fruit next time." She didn't pry at all, which I was grateful for, considering Lydia's light magic was still a secret.

"I wonder how long that will last?" I ignored my goddess's mumbling and refocused on Cass.

"Did you need something?" I asked.

"I'm bored out of my mind." She stated bluntly. "Are you two really planning on lying around all day?"

"Why not?" It was Lydia who spoke next. "We've been moving nonstop since this quest started... Even before that, Audrey and I haven't had a real day off." That was true, even in Oylutz, we spent our days training if we weren't working on a quest.

"Still... There's only so much you can do in this little room." Cass sighed before a mischievous smile graced her lips. "Unless you two were planning on rolling around together all day... In which case, don't let me bother you."

"You are insufferable!" Lydia cried out, sitting beside me once again with her face flushed bright red.

"I wouldn't mind going out…" I murmured, thoughts of a cute date strolling through the colorful markets filling my mind.

"We're still being monitored, right? Getting all dressed up as Marquess Rendall's daughter sounds like a hassle…" My girlfriend said, and I looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"You just don't usually say things like that…"

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me."

"Ha. I'm sure—" Cass started, but stopped as white fire flickered to life in Lydia's hand. She has no sense of self-preservation. I thought as the older woman cleared her throat awkwardly. "What I meant was that you don't have to get all fancy. Just go out the back."

"Wouldn't they notice if we weren't here?" Lydia asked.

"I doubt it. They do have some wind magic, but it isn't strong enough to sense us in the rooms… I'm sure they're just watching the carriage."

"Then let's go out! I want to go on a date!" I said, raising my hand excitedly. "It will be my prize for winning!"

"That does sound nice." Lydia agreed, then paused in thought. Finally, stood up and began to usher Cass out of the room. "We need to change, then we'll sneak out. Don't look for us, we'll be back before the sun goes down."

"Huh? Wait, I want to go too! Don't leave me with all the guys!" She pleaded, but Lydia just smiled through it.

"Sorry, we don't need a third wheel. I'm sure you'll have fun!" With that ice-cold declaration, my girlfriend closed the door and locked it. She sighed and wiped at her brow dramatically before turning toward me with a beautiful grin. "Shall we go, my love?"

I nodded happily and pushed our adventuring outfits from the shadows. After changing, I wrapped my arm around Lydia's waist and pulled her close. "Where to first, darling?"

"Anywhere, if it's with you."

We entered the shadows and flew through the empty space until I found a discreet alley near the main square. We had seen all kinds of shops on our first day in Grunde, but hadn't gotten the chance actually to look inside.

"What do you want to do first?" Lydia asked as we left the alley and entered the crowded street.

"Ah, well…" I trailed off bashfully before pulling myself together. "Dates mean cute outfits, right? I was thinking we could go pick something out for each other?" We both looked down at our current clothes. I was wearing my armor, and Lydia was in her hunting gear. It had its own charms… but we'd been wearing this since we arrived.

"That's a great idea! I saw a promising storefront the other day!" She took my hand, and I let her take the lead as we filtered through the busy crowds. A few minutes later, we stood in front of a boutique. It didn't look nearly as high-class as the one Auntie had taken us to for the gala, but the clothes in the window all looked cute.

When we stepped through the door, we realized the inside was separated by men's and women's pre-fab clothing, and a staff member quickly greeted us.

"Welcome in! Are you ladies looking for anything in particular?" The man said with a friendly smile.

"Oh, um…" I stuttered, a little embarrassed to ask for cute date outfits. Luckily, my girlfriend took over with a laugh.

"We're on a date. Can you show us some cute dresses? Preferably something light?" She said.

"Of course, please follow me." The man led us into the women's section and stopped in front of a large rack of fabric. "These are our most popular ones, since the weather is a bit hotter than usual this time of year." Grunde was further south than Oylutz, so it actually experienced all four seasons.

"These are perfect, thank you," Lydia said, and the man pointed us to the changing rooms in the back before taking his leave. We thumbed through opposite ends of the selection, and my hand paused on a light yellow one-piece with small white flowers embroidered just above the waistline.

"It's definitely to your preference." Aurora teased lightly. A blush rose to my cheeks because I'd always preferred Lydia in lighter colors.

"It's that obvious?" I asked as I removed the dress from its hanger. Before she could respond, I turned to show my girlfriend, who was also holding a similar dress, but hers was a light blue with white lines that formed diamonds on the blouse.

"You really like me in lighter colors, huh?" Lydia said with a smirk, answering the question I'd asked my goddess. My blush deepened, and I tried to defend myself.

"That's not the only thing! I love it when you wear dark green the most!" The words tumbled out before I could think about it, so I began to backpedal. "I mean, lighter tones embrace the colors of your hair and eyes incredibly well! But dark green makes you seem so cool and mature!"

A moment of silence stretched between us before Lydia began to laugh. She clutched the blue dress to her chest with one hand as she wiped at her eyes with the other. I was even more embarrassed now and tried to hide my face behind the yellow dress.

"I-I'll remember that for future reference!" She walked toward me, turning me around with her hands on my shoulders as we made our way to the changing rooms. We also traded dresses, but she leaned in as we did.

"I think you look best in dark blue, just so you know." She whispered. Her breath was hot against my ear, and I just barely managed to keep my composure as she shot me a wink and disappeared behind one of the changing room curtains.

My mind went blank, and I stepped into the one beside her, but once the curtain was closed, I hunched down and groaned quietly from the overstimulation, my face burning red. The image reflected in the mirror made me avert my eyes.

"Critical damage…" Aurora murmured.

After I eventually pulled myself together, I heard the whoosh of a curtain, and Lydia called out to me from the other side of my own.

"Audrey? Do you need help?"

"N-No! I'm almost ready!" I called back, realizing I still hadn't changed. I quickly stripped off my armor, letting it sink into my shadow storage as I slipped into the one-piece. The skirt fell just below my knees, and the fabric was lovely and breathable against my skin. I did a quick twirl in front of the mirror and smiled in satisfaction. The pattern is adorable.

"You look pretty, my guardian." I beamed at my goddess's compliment, and turned to open the curtain with confidence… Which immediately melted away as I laid eyes upon the absolute vision Lydia was in that yellow dress.

Unlike mine, her dress was sleeveless and only had thick straps over the shoulders. The white-print flower pattern flowed beautifully around her waist, and I just now noticed it even went down the knee-length skirt a little. It was different from the other Lydias I'd seen. She wasn't a student, nor a royal, nor an adventurer. Right now, she just looked like a normal girl enjoying life. And she's enjoying it with me!

"You look amazing, Lydia," I said once all my thoughts had settled.

"And you're captivating," she replied, her gaze looking me over. "Darker shades usually do you justice, but I knew the light blue would look great." After we admired one another for another minute, I took her hands in mine.

"I think we look completely…"

"Ordinary?" my girlfriend finished with a grin, and I nodded excitedly. "Then let's enjoy today, just being normal." After that, we began to take turns trying on various outfits. We were going to buy the first dresses, but also decided it would be nice to have a few more casual options. The staff came around a few times to bag up our purchases and put the rest away.

After trying on my last one, I noticed an extra bag in Lydia's hand.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing to it.

"Oh? This?" She held it up, but looked a bit nervous. "I saw some hair ribbons I thought were cute… Do you want to put them in storage?" We had been paying as we went, so I assumed she had already done so.

"Sure." A shadow opened at her feet, and she dropped the bag into it, looking relieved. It couldn't have been that heavy…

"I have one more to try, right? I'll be fast." She said, taking the final outfit of hers behind the curtain. I hummed as I waited, but decided to take a look around as well since she mentioned the ribbons. Eventually, I stumbled across a section that caught my attention immediately. Women's underwear lined the racks in various sizes, and an embarrassing thought crossed my mind. She said dark blue, right? Luckily, it was designed the same as the underwear I had from the castle and wasn't just simple bindings.

Despite my reservations, I still selected a set I thought Lydia would like and flagged down a female staff member. After paying for it, I slipped the bag into my shadows and hurried back to wait for Lydia. Her final outfit was a fashionable blouse with a skirt that made my heart race.

"I-Isn't this a bit too short?" Lydia asked as she held the skirt down in embarrassment. It only went halfway down her thighs, and I couldn't look away from the sight.

"It's perfect…" I mumbled.

"No, it isn't! I can't believe you picked this!" She cried out, then pulled the curtain shut. It took some time to console her, but she eventually came back out after we decided to wear the first set of dresses out of the store. After leaving, we began to walk and talked about where to go next. The debate was decided when my stomach growled, and I held it in embarrassment. We had slept in and didn't leave the room until well after lunchtime.

"What sounds good?" Lydia hummed as we joined the moving crowds of people once again.

"We had kebabs before, but I want something else," I said, looking around at the various stalls. All kinds of scents invaded the air, but what caught my attention was a colorfully painted sandwich on a wooden sign. After purchasing two boxes, we walked a bit further along and found a large plaza with a fountain in the middle. All sorts of people sat along the edges of the water, and we soon settled in an empty spot to enjoy our late lunch.

"This is good!" I said as I took a bite of the sandwich. Tasty slices of meat sat between two fluffy pieces of bread, with crisp lettuce and a slice of cheese. A tangy sauce brought the whole flavor together, and I savored every bite.

"Seriously… You and Sasha really are sisters…" Lydia mumbled, reaching over to wipe at the corner of my mouth with a napkin that was conveniently provided in the box.

"I can't imagine her making a mess though…" I said with a sad smile. The mention of her made my heart sting. In fact… I'd been trying to avoid the thought entirely. If it's really been three whole years, that'd make her sixteen now… I missed so much…

Sensing my emotions, my girlfriend laid her hand over mine on the cool marble beneath us. "While you were on the frontline, I did my best to keep her company. Once, Sasha shoved a whole slice of cake in her mouth and claimed it was something you'd do." A smile played at her lips as she recounted the memory, and my face twisted into an offended frown.

"What? I'd never do something like that! You have to enjoy each bite!" I defended, and we both broke into laughter that disappeared into the noisy plaza. After a minute, we fell quiet again as we both finished our meal.

"Do you think—" My words caught in my throat, but I forced them out. "Do you think she hates me?"

"Audrey…"

"I mean, there's only so many times I can come back from the dead, right?" I scoffed bitterly at myself, setting the now-empty food boxes on the ground. "Even after telling her the truth, it's not like I've fulfilled my role as a good older sister."

"Don't say that." Lydia's hand gently turned my face to meet her gaze. "The whole time you were gone… No, even before she knew the truth, you were the only thing she ever talked about." Her thumb glided gently over my cheek, and I desperately fought the tears pricking my vision. "What you two share has transcended not only death, but now time itself. Even if she's angry when we finally see her again, nothing will change that sisterly bond."

I could only nod slowly as she spoke the words I desperately hoped were true. She consoled me for a while after that, but once I felt better, I stood up and tried to recover the date's atmosphere.

"You're right… It's not like I'm the only one who will have some explaining to do." I said with a wink. "I'll do my best to mitigate the damage once we meet our brothers, too."

"We've always been in this together, after all." Lydia agreed with a smile. Then we left the plaza hand-in-hand. We didn't have a particular destination in mind as we roamed the city, stopping at whatever shops caught our attention and just enjoying our time together. Eventually, the sun began to sink, and the sky filled with orange, reflecting off the windows.

"Before we return to the Inn, I want to go somewhere," Lydia said. She led the way for a while before we turned a corner and found ourselves at the harbor, and I was captivated by the sparkling ocean waves. The fading light reflected off the white foam like glittering jewels. The view only improved once we walked down the pier to the end, away from the crowds. I took a step back and framed Lydia within the scene. The salty breeze blew through her golden hair, and she held it with one hand while looking out.

"Beautiful," I whispered. A desperate need to capture this moment overcame me, but I knew it'd be impossible. Instead, I focused on burning this moment in my memory so I would remember it till the day I left this world for real.

"What was that, Audrey?" The love of my life turned around with a quizzical look, and my breath hitched as her emerald eyes seemed to burn with the fading light. She held her hand out to me, and I took it helplessly, because I knew I'd never be able to refuse her.

"I said you're beautiful, Lydia." A bashful smile graced her red lips, but she met my eyes with an unwavering gaze.

"I'd say the same about you…" She whispered, her free hand reached over, and the wind blew my red locks through her fingers. "What a perfect ending to a perfect day."

I giggled at that because I felt the same.

"This is my first time seeing the ocean," I said quietly.

"Mine too… Venyth's ports were quite far away from the capital, after all."

"Then it's another first we've had together."

A comfortable silence stretched between us as we stood and observed the beautiful waves and listened to the seabirds call for each other. After a while, I turned to Lydia with a serious look.

"We'll find the others, I promise."

"I know."

"And we'll take back everything that's been stolen… And avenge what we've lost."

"We will."

We gazed at each other in that setting sun for what felt like an eternity before sharing a deep kiss. It lacked the heat that had permeated our recent embraces, but was no less passionate as we shared our resolve.

Tomorrow, we will finally get the last piece for infiltrating the auction and moving one step closer to our goal. But tonight… We were just two girls who missed our families.

Wait for me, Sasha. I'm coming.