The journey to the palace seemed to stretch on endlessly, but it wasn’t the looming meeting with the king that occupied my thoughts. No, my mind kept returning to the two women at my side — Lyria, the calm healer who had saved me countless times, and Nocthyss, the proud Void Dragon who had joined my party after a seemingly casual declaration.

Something about both of them felt… off. Not in a bad way, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to their stories than they had let on. They were both far more than they appeared, and perhaps it was time to uncover the truth.

As we entered the grand palace gates, I found myself reflecting on Lyria's quiet demeanor. She’d always been by my side, offering support when I needed it most. But there had been moments, subtle ones, where I caught glimpses of something… different. Her quiet strength, the way she always seemed to know just what to do, her mysterious aura — it was clear she was hiding something.

One evening, when we were camping just outside the capital, I finally decided to ask her. “Lyria,” I began, my voice careful. “You’ve always been there for me, but... you’re not just a simple healer, are you?”

She looked at me with those gentle eyes, as if she were trying to decide how much of the truth she should reveal. Finally, she sighed, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “Kiwi, I’ve been meaning to tell you. I’m not just a healer. My true name is Lyria Sylvanna, and I am the princess of the Sylvanna Clan, the protectors of the Elder Forest.”

I stared at her, speechless. The Sylvanna Clan? The protectors of the Elder Forest? The legends spoke of them — powerful beings who had disappeared centuries ago. But Lyria, my quiet companion, was one of them?

“The Elder Forest is home to creatures and magic that predate the kingdoms themselves,” she continued, her gaze distant as she relived old memories. “My people were sworn to protect that land, but I... I left everything behind to pursue peace. I didn’t expect this journey to pull me back into my past.”

I didn’t expect Nocthyss to be so forthcoming with her truth, but as we ventured deeper into the royal palace, her prideful aura seemed to falter. I had sensed something beneath the surface of her noble appearance — her confidence, her formality — it was all part of a carefully constructed façade. And when she finally spoke of her true self, I wasn’t entirely surprised.

“My name is Nocthyss Dracalis, and I am the rightful heir to the Void Dragon Throne,” she began, her voice carrying an air of nobility mixed with an unmistakable weight. “The Void Dragon clan, for all their power, are scattered and divided. I once led a rebellion to unite them... but it ended in failure.”

I blinked, taking in her words. The Void Dragon Throne was a name that was whispered in fear and awe — a title not easily given up. But Nocthyss was claiming it as her birthright.

“I seek to rebuild my people, Kiwi,” she continued, her voice softening. “And I believe you may be the one to help me do so.”

Upon our arrival at the palace, the king stood from his seat to greet us. His presence was overwhelming, yet there was a calm and humble demeanor that spoke of both power and restraint.

“Princess Lyria of the Sylvanna Clan, and Nocthyss Dracalis, the strongest dragon warrior,” he said, his voice carrying both respect and authority.

His words carried a weight that immediately made me nervous. I’d never expected such high titles to be associated with my companions.

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The king's gaze turned to me, and in that moment, I realized just how intimidating his calm and prideful nature was. “You must be Kiwi,” he said, his eyes assessing me with an almost unsettling calmness.

Then he invited all three of us to a grand feast at the royal palace and to spend a night there.

The grand feast was more than I had expected. The food was plentiful, and the atmosphere was filled with laughter and music. But what really caught me off guard was the king's behavior. Despite his regal stature and commanding presence, he acted almost… childishly.

As we sat down, the king raised a goblet, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Ah, my dear Princess Lyr-Lyr," he said, an exaggerated smile stretching across his face. “It has been far too long since I’ve seen you in such fine company. How's your royal health?”

Lyria’s face flushed bright red. “Father,” she started, clearly trying to hold back a laugh, “You know I prefer you don’t call me that.”

“Lyr-Lyr, it is! The dear little princess who can't get through a single meal without looking at her food like it's a rare gem!” The king chuckled, obviously delighted with his teasing.

Lyria, though a bit flustered, rolled her eyes. "Please, stop, you're embarrassing me in front of Kiwi."

I wasn’t sure what was more surprising — the king’s teasing or how effortlessly Lyria seemed to brush it off.

Then the king turned his attention to Nocthyss, whose poised demeanor remained largely unshaken. But even she couldn’t escape his antics. “Ah, and here’s Nocthyss the Brave, or should I say, Nocthyss the Big Scary Dragon!” he quipped, winking at her. "Such a noble warrior, yet still afraid of a little feathered pillow."

Nocthyss gave him an unamused stare, though I could see a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth as if she was holding back a smile. "Father," she replied, voice cold but hinting at amusement, "I’ve never been afraid of a pillow, and you know it."

“Sure you aren’t, my mighty dragon,” he said with a dramatic pause. “But I must say, you sure do look comfy sitting on that throne of soft pillows.”

The whole table burst into laughter at Nocthyss’s expense, and I couldn't help but chuckle as well. It was a side of the king I hadn’t expected — one that, despite his intimidating presence, was full of playful teasing.

As the meal continued, the king’s light-hearted jabs only grew more frequent. By the end of the night, both Lyria and Nocthyss were blushing furiously, but they took it all in stride. The king, of course, was as delighted as ever.

The king turned to me and apologies for this behavior, he started with the relationship to Lyria and Nocthyss with him, actually Lyria is the nephew of the king spent most of the time living in the palace during vacation in the magic academy while Nocthyss was daughter of his brother like friend, who is also the king of void dragons "KING OF ABYSS Vornak Dracalis" that's why both of them call him father as a sign of their respect.

After confirming about the information from the guild we just chat normally. But when we were leaving for the room to sleep something grabbed me from behind, surely it was the king, his eyes were filled with murderous intent while asking "di you do something till now" my life dependent on my one answer, "NOOO!" I exclaimed, how could I a do anything we just met, "So you are planning to do it in the future hnaaa" the king grumpily asked, "No that's not what I mean!" I exclaimed, it's more like we are not ready for that type of things, "I trust you boy, that's why I am allowing you to travel with both of them, don' be foolish enough to break my trust".

After that long and exhausting talk i reached the room.

I couldn’t believe it when I walked into the room. Three beds, all close together, and my name apparently written in invisible ink on the middle one.

Lyria turned to me with a sheepish grin. “Kiwi, could you sleep in my bed? I... I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”

Before I could protest, Nocthyss, ever the serious one, spoke up. “Kiwi, I also feel uneasy at the palace. Would you mind sleeping in my bed as well?”

I stood there, utterly flabbergasted. Between Lyria’s gentle insistence and Nocthyss’s confident gaze, I had no choice but to agree.

“Well... this is my life now,” I muttered as I squeezed between two powerful women, the reality of my situation settling in. “What have I gotten myself into?”

"Where it feels like heaven, I can feel the king wanting to kill me if he get to know this.A"