Furrowed brows, narrowed eyes, tilted head. Nash was confused. Why? Ashleah was now playing with the young boy inside the carriage on the way to the Imperial Palace!
"Lord Nash, stop looking at the young boy like that!" Ashleah scoffed and raised her right eyebrow to Nash, making me chuckle in amusement.
"I am not staring at him like I'm mad, your highness. I am just confused why you brought the child with us. Child, aren't you going home to your family?"
He asked, not even knowing what the young boy's answer was. The young boy smiled, looking down his small and bruised fingers, slowly fidgeting it.
"I.. don't have a family My L-Lord." His voice cracked, Ashleah quickly held the child and making its way to his cheeks, her hands softly caressed it.
It felt like his heart dropped. 'Is that why Ashleah brought him here?' he thought, but still a small smile curved unto his lips when he saw how Ashleah handled the small child.
"Nash, oh my! This young boy's name is pretty!" She excitedly exclaimed, obviously changing the topic. Still holding the boy on her lap, the young boy was hugging Ashleah.
"Aziel. His name is Aziel." She smiled widely and pinched Aziel's cheek, making the boy giggle out loud. "Oh gosh Aziel, you are so cute!"
"Wow! Look at that Gigantic house Princess!" Aziel pointed when his eyes landed on the Imperial Palace. "The lights inside the house are open, Princess! I've never been inside a house like that!"
He said, making Ashleah look at Nash with a sad look on her face. Nash just nodded and gave her a comforting smile. He knew too well how soft the woman is to children.
"Aziel, that gigantic house that you are talking about is the house of her highness." He said, but what made them laugh is Aziel's reaction.
His mouth was wide open, eyes widened, hands slowly covered his mouth and making a small gasp sound. He truly was a child.
Slowly getting down the carriage, the Emperor waiting for her daughter to congratulate her for the successful mission she held.
However, he was surprised when Ashleah helped a young boy jump out of the carriage. He gave Nash a questionable look, but the man just shrugged it off.
"His Majesty, Emperor of Genry. Greetings!" Every one greeted the Emperor, making the young boy gasp. He quickly bowed down making Ashleah chuckle.
"Father.." She said, walking to her Father and kissing his cheek. Making the old man smile, but still his eyes held confusion for who the young boy was.
"May I ask, Princess Izel. Who that boy is?" He tried not to sound cold, but seeing the young boy's reaction. It made him sigh, was he that scary?
"Father, can I please take care of him? He is Aziel. He doesn't have a family, and was getting bid at the auction house. Please Father."
The princess was pouting, making her puppy eyes. She held her Father's hand tightly and continued looking directly at his eyes.
"Fine.. Fine, it seems like I can't say no to you." the Emperor chuckled, making Ashleah shriek in happiness. Quickly holding Aziel's hand, the young boy slowly looked up and met the Emperor's gaze.
"I-I'm Aziel.. Y-Your Maj-Majesty." The young boy was stuttering. Ashleah slowly pats his head and smiled. "Thank you for.. accepting me here even if I-I'm a commoner."
Sniffle, sniffle. Tears dropped one by one, slowly sniffling, and holding his ragged clothes. Aziel was crying because it was too overwhelming for him.
"Ha.. What did they do to you?" Nash was now inside the picture as he slowly picked up Aziel, looking at his face.
The knights and some maids were shocked, Why? Because they look like a family! Now that Lord Nash was holding a child beside the Princess and the Emperor in front of them.
Small giggles escaped the young ladies lips as they imagined how happy the Imperial Palace would be if the Princess ended up with Lord Nash.
"Lord Nash, you startled Aziel! Oh my, get him down!" Ashleah was now panicking, trying to help Aziel get down from Nash's embrace.
"My my, your highness. Calm down! I won't let Aziel fall." Nash said while laughing, making Aziel giggle.
"Aziel, now you're taking sides huh?!" Ashleah tried to sound disappointed but ended up making every one laugh. She scoffed and pouted her lips, admitting defeat.
"Well then, Riley. Please help Aziel, and wash him up. And for the both of you—" the Emperor looked at Nash and Ashleah who was still having a glaring contest at each other and sighed. "—Come to my office, okay?"
"Yes, your Majesty." Both said in sync, Riley quickly held Aziel and pinched his nose lightly.
"Oh my, Aziel. Don't be scared okay? You can call me Nanny Riley." Aziel nodded and waved his small hands to the Princess and Lord Nash.
Sitting down in front of the Emperor, Ashleah took off the large cape. And looked at her Father who had a proud smile plastered on his face.
"For a Princess, and the fact that you are just in your teens. I am proud for your successful mission, Ashleah." Her Father slowly sat down at his golden chair and chuckled.
"I know that his Majesty was quiet shocked when he saw Aziel. For I was too." Nash laughed, making Ashleah sigh.
"I just can't leave him there! Every one had a home to go back too, it was him. Only Aziel who smiled and told me that he doesn't have a home. Of course I can't say no to him!" Ashleah rubbed her forehead, making the two men laugh.
"We always knew how soft hearted you are to kids, Ashleah. It was never new to us. Now then, for you guys successfully finished your mission, do you have any requests?"
The time has come, to finish their mission.
-Flashback-
"Nash, when we finish this. I am sure that Father will ask for requests, then what are we going to ask?" Ashleah tilted her head.
A small smirk curved on his lips, putting the book he was reading down and directly looked at Ashleah's eyes.
-End of Flashback-
"We want to visit the Black Magician's tower." Both said in sync, making the Emperor astonished. He raised both of his brows and gave them a weird smile.
"What is the reason? Why do you want to meet them?" He asked, pursing her lips, thinking of a reason but before Ashleah can open her mouth, Nash answered.
"We just want to know how they work and do stuff. You, yourself your Majesty know that they want to keep it a secret. Almost every single thing they do must be in secret, we don't even know who the Master of the Tower is."
Ashleah, agreeing with Nash's reason nodded. "So Father, please accept our request." Ashleah said without even breaking the long gaze from his Father.
Sighing in defeat, shaking his head slowly with a small smile. "I'll get on to it then, by the way. Lord Nash and Princess Izel—" He gave them a final warm smile. "I am so proud of you."
Tears forming inside her eyes, Ashleah quickly stood up and gave her Father a warm hug. Nash just smiled and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.
Click. After closing the door, Ashleah and Nash laughed. Finally, their slowly getting the pieces connected. One by one.
Slowly but surely. The progress it was getting better. Letting out a sigh of relief while walking, Nash looked at Ashleah with all smiles on her face.
"What are planning when rumors started spreading about you taking care of a commoner?" Nash asked Ashleah, making her stop on her tracks. Looking back at Nash, she giggled.
"No way in hell that I will let them spread rumors about the child. Aziel is too innocent for our world. I am going to protect him." She said, a proud smile slowly appeared on Nash's face.
"You changed." He said, still walking down the long and elegant hallway of the Imperial Palace, Nash wanted to say his goodbye's to Aziel.
"I changed? In what way?"
"You didn't notice? Back then, you don't like talking to other people, you don't even look at them. And, you know I like the new you—" He chuckled "—But I also like the old you."
Nash was looking straight ahead, not even knowing how those words made an impact at Ashleah, her face was now flushed.
Cheeks tinted with that bright red color, it was what they call blush.
'Oh God, why do I feel this?' Ashleah thought, avoiding Nash's confused gaze.