9. Aftermath
Ester
Breathing became difficult. None of my hits were affecting the demon. At this rate, I just might black out before Chester rescues me. But who's to say I won't die first.
I focused all my energy into the palm of my hand. I needed to do something, create anything.
Something solid was formed. I used it to slice directly into its skin. It created a blood churning scream as it dropped me.
I looked at the item that I had created. A sword with a silver blade and a golden hilt. Only well-trained knights could summon a weapon. I wasn't able to do this even in my past life. My childhood self would watch established knights show off their weapons on TV all the time.
The battle wasn't over. Chester came behind and made an attempt to cut off the creature's head. But the demon could sense his motives. His sword only managed to lodge halfway into its neck before he had to dodge to avoid an attack. That was my opening.
My legs pierced through the air like a sharp knife. The demon spotted me but it was too late.
I cut its head right off.
Its headless body dropped to the ground and gradually faded into a heap of black ash. Dark energy dissolved and ceased to exist altogether. The forest felt like a normal forest again.
The wind blew. Wisteria petals broke off the branches and danced around Chester. His eyes looked at me in shock. I was sure that he wouldn't be able to recognise me like that, so why did he look like that?
The sword ceased to exist as well. Tiredness overwhelmed me. The last thing I remembered happening that night was falling against something soft yet firm. I held onto its warmth for dear life.
The next morning came.
I woke up in a bed that wasn't mine. The curtains surrounding it blocked out most of the sunlight from the window.
Panic set in, causing me to check my face mask and cap. All my clothes were in order. Thank goodness.
I sat up. I must have fainted due to the over-exhaustion from using my abilities without enough practice. I should remember that this isn't the same timeline as before. And neither are the abilities that I inherited from my grandmother.
Trolls are heavily underestimated and misunderstood. Not only that but it seemed we were also erased from history. When my grandmother lived in the city, she was often mistaken for a witch that made a contract with a powerful demon in order to gain a new form.
The tales they tell now of trolls painted them out to be hideous creatures that were obsessed with money and stealing women. So when she tried to exclaim what she was, people took one look at her appearance and didn't believe her.
The truth was, trolls had a lot of money because people paid handsomely for their services. Naturally, young women were drawn to trolls of noble prestige.
That's how the Hermonia house came to be what it is. And that's how I, a daughter of House Hermonia, came to inherit this sacred power.
The door opened. I immediately fell into the cushion, pretending to still be asleep.
A maid entered alone. She carried a trolley to the middle of the room and left. I waited until she was gone before I got up and parted the curtains.
The room was modestly decorated with new age furniture and perfect lighting. This must be one of the guest rooms at the palace. I checked the clock on the wall. It was still early enough to slip back into my room before Claire came to check in on me.
After waiting for a few more minutes, I put my shoes back on and headed for the window. Then I stopped. I turned around. The smell of freshly made pancakes and meat hit me like a tornado. A small bite couldn't hurt, right?
Chester
"Your Majesty, please!" My secretary ran to catch up with me. "We need to prepare the yard for your future daughter-in-law's arrival!"
"Why? Are you incapable of taking care of that yourselves?" I didn't slow down for him. The maid that I had sent to give them food walked down the hall towards the direction we just came from.
I motioned for her to stand still. "Shirley, are they awake?" I asked her.
Shirley bowed her head slightly. "It doesn't seem that way, Your Majesty. I left the food inside, just in case."
"Hm, good." I allowed her to carry on and continued heading to my destination. My secretary didn't seem to have much social skills since he still trailed after me.
"That's not the only thing, King Chester. Forgive me for saying this but, your appearance might be slightly off-putting for your guest."
I took in my white t-shirt and gray joggers that were under my velvet bathrobe. However, I doubted that whoever they were cared about my attire.
"Doesn't matter. It's my house and I can wear a potato sack if I so choose," I stated firmly.
The image of that person couldn't stay out of my mind.
After the demon was destroyed and the portal closed, they passed out in my arms. The ethereal armor they wore faded into golden dust, exposing their all black getup. Who were they and where did they come from? Those questions flooded my mind but I couldn't ask them to the person who fought by my side.
They hid themselves well. I couldn't tell whether they had the body of a woman or a man. I was certain that no one in my military had this kind of armor. Also, no one I know would come here alone after hearing what happened to the others.
So who were they and why did they risk coming here?
Regardless, this person was depending on me now to keep them safe. That's why I had to ensure that they would be able to recover in comfort.
I knocked on the door. "I'm coming in, so prepare yourself."
I opened it and stepped inside. There was no one in sight. Not in the bed or in one of the sofas.
I checked the bathroom after knocking again. Nothing.
The only evidence that someone used to be here was the hurried way they attempted to cover the tray of food. With a tilt of my head, my secretary removed the metal cover.
The plates were practically licked clean.
"Well," he said. "They surely won't go hungry."
A laugh erupted from my chest. Loud, boisterous, and uncontrollable. He stepped back. "Your Majesty?"
"They left through the windows." I wiped away a tear, still smiling. I turned and headed towards the front door. "Come on, Elvis. Didn't you say I had a new member of our family I needed to get ready for?"
Even if they managed to slip through my grasp now I would find them sooner or later. A mysterious stranger in golden armor was sure to get someone's attention. And when the rumors eventually travel to the palace, that's when I'll pounce.
Ester
The meal with the king went as smoothly as could be. Chester didn’t seem to recognize that I was there last night. Just like the calm king he was known to be, he spoke to me and his son with grace and care. He approved our engagement and gave us his blessings.
After a week, I was standing in front of the palace as the servants brought in my luggage.
“Can you believe it, babe?” Sirius appeared by my side. “This is just the first step. I can’t wait for the future.”
I took him in, then smiled and nudged him. “Come on, let’s take our time and enjoy the here and now.”
Sirius smiled then jokes, “Where’s the enthusiasm? It’s almost like you don’t want to become married to me.”
You’re right about that.
I chuckled and hugged him from behind. “Sirius, stop playing around! Like you said, we have a future together now. Of course I’m happy.”
He turned around and held me. “Out of everyone else, I’m glad that it’s you.”
Sirius kissed me, and I kissed him back with enthusiasm. This much I can bear. I’ve gotten used to his touches again in the last few days. Besides, It’s not like I have a choice. So Sirius could French kiss me all he wanted. This was just the beginning.