The letter sat on the table between them, still sealed with the royal crest.
Kenzo watched Akina in the quiet light of morning, her red hair falling over her shoulders as she ran her fingers along the parchment. Her green eyes flicked up to his.
"So…" she said softly. "Are you going?"
He nodded. "I have to. This isn't just some quest anymore. The princess… future queen… she summoned me by name."
Akina bit her lip, staring down again. "I figured."
A silence lingered between them, stretched thin by the weight of unspoken fear.
Kenzo stepped around the table and knelt beside her chair, taking her hand in both of his. "Come with me."
Her eyes widened.
"Akina, I don't know what's waiting for me in the capital or what the princess wants but I do know this: I want you with me. Every step."
She hesitated. "What if they… don't want me there?"
"I don't care," he said, squeezing her hand. "Let them try to say something. I'll make them understand."
Akina closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. "…You're really not going to leave me behind?"
"Never."
A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, and she exhaled. "Then I'll come."
The royal carriage arrived just after noon.
It gleamed silver and white, pulled by six horned stallions clad in polished armor. The royal seal as a golden phoenix with outstretched wings was embroidered into the curtains and etched into the glass.
A knight in green and gold stepped forward as they approached. "Sir Kenzo. Lady Akina. The Crown Princess Lysaria sends her regards. You are to be escorted to Elvaria under full royal protection."
Akina blinked. "Lady?"
Kenzo grinned. "Better get used to it."
The interior of the carriage was lush, padded with velvet and filled with gentle warmth. Kenzo sat beside Akina as the horses set off at a steady, powerful pace. She leaned against his shoulder, watching the trees blur by through the glass.
"I never imagined I'd leave the village like this," she murmured. "Let alone in a royal carriage."
"You're not dreaming," he said, pressing a kiss to her hair. "You're here because you matter. To me."
She tilted her head to meet his gaze. "Even with what the princess might want from you?"
"I don't care if she wants me to slay a dragon or marry into the throne," he said. "My answer won't change. I'm going where this path leads but I'm choosing who walks beside me."
Akina flushed. "…You always say the perfect thing."
They shared a long, quiet look before she nestled back against him. Kenzo looked out the window as the path curved ahead, revealing rolling hills and a distant shimmer of white stone towers in the horizon is the capital, Elvaria.
[New Quest: Royal Audience Initiated]
Objective: Appear before Princess Lysaria. Learn the reason behind the summon. Unknown opportunities await.
Just before the carriage disappeared around the bend, a gust of wind passed through the trees.
From far off, the towers of Elvaria seemed to hum with magic.
And somewhere deep inside, Kenzo felt it:
A new chapter was about to begin.