They all set out of Westol and headed towards Lewiston until nightfall. They set up camp in a fort shelter. Chloey, Rosette, and the ninja fairy were making dinner, The captain, lieutenant and Gregory were putting up the tents, and Yukimaru, Noir, and Azure were keeping watch for bandits and fairy hunters. "So Azure, are you sure we can trust her? She was one of the fairies that attacked the three of you." Yukimaru asked as he glanced at him.
"It wasn't her fault, she was only obeying her master's orders just as Rosette was. She was also only following his orders with the tournament. I'm not sure how to put it, but I have a strong feeling that we can trust her." He said as he looked down, touching his chest.
"I did overhear that she was born from the same sword you were, though from a different kingdom. It's possible that you and her have some sort of connection to each other because of that." He said.
"Like you, Master Challe, and Lafalle?" He asked as he looked towards Yukimaru. He nodded his head. He looked over as Noir was checking the perimeter. "She did tell me that she and I were born from the same sword." He looked down in thought.
"Most of the royal guard members don't know much about where the sword and shield came from. All we know is that it came from the land that the previous viscount's companion is originally from. I think his name is Salim." Yukimaru said.
"Actually, the shield is from the land that Salim is from. The sword is from the land where Nadir is from." They heard Noir's voice from behind them. Azure looks up to see her sitting on the top of the fort shelter wall. "All three Kingdoms once had fairies that ruled them. Both the sword and the shield were gifts of peace, from the rulers of the lands to King Edmund the first. The one who gave him the sword, was a fairy in disguise."
"A fairy?!" He asked with surprise in his voice. She nodded her head.
"It's always been a fairy that ruled our Kingdom. Most of the humans don't mind having a Fairy for a queen but there were some, like Nadir's family, that didn't and moved here. I am a fairy that was born from the sword sixty years ago, so I always protected it until I was captured by my master. I'm glad that the King received it safely." She explained.
"If you were born from the sword just as Azure was. Does that mean that you are able to change form as well as him?" Yukimaru asked. She nodded her head again.
"I thought that only Lafalle Fenn Lafalle and Yukimaru were the only ones, aside from me." Azure said.
"Who's been teaching you to control your power?" She asked.
"Master Challe has been teaching me, though I try not to use it unless I have to." He said.
"If you want, after the competition I can help you control your power." She offered.
"Really? You would help me?" He asked with surprise in his voice. A nod from her once again.
"It'll take some time but you and I are born from the same sword, so we're what the humans call, siblings. It's only natural." She said.
"The faster I can control this power, the better I can protect Lady Chloey." He said. He looks at Chloey as she stirred the stew.
"You must really love her, don't you, Azure." Noir said.
"It's nothing like that. Her father adopted Rubina and I. If anything I'm her little brother. Nothing more, nothing less." Azure said with a little sadness in his voice, never taking his eyes off of Chloey.
"You can't fool us, kid. I see the way you look at her every day. You're in love with her, no doubt about it." Yukimaru said as he smiled.
"It doesn't matter whether I am or not, I still have to wait three years before I can do something about it." He said.
"So THAT'S why you want complete control over your power within three years." Noir said. "You want to protect your princess without hurting her again. Am I right, Azure?" He nodded his head.
"You still have a long way to go before you can completely control it, but I think with our help, you'll be able to gain complete control in no time." Yukimaru said.
They finally made it to Lewiston two days before the competition. The captain and the lieutenant took the ex-fairy hunter to the castle's dungeon. Noir, Rosette, and the ninja fairy followed them. Chloey, Azure, Yukimaru, and Gregory went to meet with Challe and Anne at the restaurant. Allen and Rubina arrived at the restaurant soon after. Azure explained what happened in the tournament with his power and the other fairies.
"Unfortunately, Lady Chloey and Gregory know about my power, and neither of them are happy about it. My guess is that because of how Lafalle used his power for killing humans, Gregory's afraid that I might use mine the same way he did. We haven't spoken to each other since then." He said as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.
"I'm sure he understands that you won't use your power the way Lafalle did. He's just waiting for you to explain everything to him and reassure him that everything will be alright." Challe explained. He leans against the wall beside Azure. "So, What will you do?"
He looks down in sadness before looking towards Chloey and Allen. "In order for me to control this power without hurting anyone, I'll have to go away for a while." He said.
"The child in black explained to me that you and her are similar to me, Lafalle, and the samurai. The two of you were born from the same sword, yet she was born from the sword when it was in a different Kingdom, Correct?" Challe said as he looked at him with his obsidian colored cat eyes.
He nodded his head. "The one who gave the first King the sword was her Kingdom's fairy queen in disguise, so what she told us." He said. Challe's eyes widened. "I've decided that after this year's sugar confection competition, I'll be traveling to her Kingdom to train for three years. There, they don't treat fairies like slaves or property. But as equals. Highland could learn a thing or two from them."
He smirked and closed his obsidian eyes. "Good luck talking to the King about this. Knowing him he'll let you go, but not without a few rules to follow." He said when he opened them again.
"To which I will obey." He said.
"But I also have a rule for you to follow…Come back to us safe but you had better come back to her, alive. Understand?" He said as he looked at him with a sharp serious gaze.
He smiles as he watches Chloey and Allen talking to each other. "I plan on coming back to her, no matter what. In case you've forgotten, I too was born from obsidian." He said when he turned to Challe. "It'll take a lot to make me disappear." He smiles and nods his head.
A couple days later it was the start of the Sugar Confection competition. All of the contestants were gathering at their places, gently putting their covered confections on the tables in front of them. They glared at Rubina, whispering to themselves. "Don't pay attention to any of them Rubi, you've got this! Just stay calm!" Allen said from the audience.
"Show everyone what you can do Rubina Tan Ian!" Mithril said from Gregory's shoulder.
She looks over to see Gregory, Mithril Lid Pod, Allen, Chloey, and Azure cheering her on in the ways they know how. Challe and Clifford stood on each side of the judges table. She smiles and takes a deep breath. "LET THE SUGAR CONFECTION COMPETITION BEGIN." Called out the new Earl, the son of the previous Earl.
Every contestant removed the cloth from their pieces, showing them to the King and Queen. Rubina's piece was a pair of fairy wings with red roses designed in them, spiraling upwards around a glass like broken egg shell, with statues of the King and Challe, facing one another shaking hands. Standing back to back with the statue of the King, stood the first king, holding a familiar sword in front of him. Standing back to back with the statue of Challe, was the previous fairy king holding a familiar shield in front of him. Their eyes were closed, yet they were both smiling.
Everyone was amazed with Rubina's piece. The audience whispered amongst themselves. Most of the audience members and the other contestants glared at her. Some were saying that she didn't make the piece on her own, while others were saying that a free fairy should never take part in the King raised his hand as he stood up. Everyone went silent. "It seems that we all have forgotten a piece that is most important to our history. It was not us humans who first created the sugar confections, but the fairies themselves well over five hundred years ago. So it is her right just as it is ours to compete." He said.
"Which is EXACTLY WHY we shouldn't allow a free fairy to compete! She is a NATURAL BORN silver sugar artesian! ALL fairies are NATURALLY BORN with the ability to create sugar confections WITHOUT the need to practice!" Said a man from the audience.
"THAT'S A LIE! The fairies aren't naturally born with this gift! It takes just as much TIME AND PRACTICE for fairies to make sugar confections like we humans can!" Chloey called out in an angered tone.
"SAYS THE WOMAN WHO WAS NEVER A HUMAN TO BEGIN WITH! Of course you would align yourself with the fairies! I'll bet that she didn't make her competition piece on her own. I'll bet that one of you HALF BRED MONSTER helped her!" Yelled the man.
Chloey growled and tried to go after the man but Azure wrapped his arm around her shoulders, holding her back. "Easy, Milady. Calm down. He isn't worth it." He gently said.
The man laughed. "Awwww, the poor little monster has to be held back by her companion fairy from attacking a defenseless human! What would you have done if you had attacked me, kid!" He continued to laugh.
Jonas and the Earl tried to call the royal guards to arrest the man but the King held up his hand. "Wait a moment, gentlemen. Let us see what he does." He said.
"But, Sire! What if he attacks the human!" The Earl asked.
"He would never attack a human! He's a good fairy." Anne said.
"Unfortunately, I agree with Anne. As you know, your majesty, I've known these two fairies since their birth. So, I can vouch for him. He would never attack a human with this big of a crowd around. He'll only attack when the family is in danger, but only to protect them. He would never kill a human." Jonas said. He looks at Challe. "I can't say the same for Challe though."
"He's still young and inexperienced, yet he still knows the laws of this Kingdom." Challe said as he closed his eyes.
Azure closes his eyes. "I would advise you to refrain from calling my family such words as if they are beneath you. Half breeds are just as much humans as they are fairies. It is the same when it comes to this competition. Fairies have just as much a right to enter as humans do. Fairies are not born with the knowledge to create such confections. Silver Sugar Masters from my family had to teach her how to create confections such as hers." He explained. He opened his now glowing blue eyes as he glared at him. "So, sir. I'd advise you to stand down and not test my patience."
"Or what, 'Your royal highness!' What are you gonna do if I don't. Their father is more of a monster than they are! They are the literal SPAWN of evil incarnate!" The man said.
Yukimaru appeared behind the man, twisting his arm behind him. "Say one more word about the second royal family, and I'll make sure you'll be locked up for the rest of your life." He said just low enough for him to hear just before taking him away.
"Wh-Who is that?" Jonas asked.
"That is Yukimaru, He is a high ranking member of my royal guard. And he is Challe's younger brother." Said the King.
"What! How?!" Jonas and the Earl asked with surprise in their voices.
"He is the fairy that was born from the diamond." Challe simply said. "But now is not the time to talk about this."
"Challe's right. Today is the Confectionery exhibition. We must focus on the sugar confections that our competing artisans have brought." Said the Earl.
"Yes, of course. You're right." Said the King. After Jonas and the Earl have examined all the confections, it was clear what Rubina's confection was symbolizing. Thus, she was the winner of this year's exhibition and received the medal, regarding her as a Silver Sugar Master. The first fairy in history to receive such an honor.
Now that the confectionery exhibition has ended, the king offered rooms for the second royal family to stay in until Pulls Souls Day. Both Azure and Rubina stood guard outside Chloey's and Allen's rooms. They quietly talked about the things that had happened on their travels. Azure explained his plan to train in another country for a few years to control his power. "You can count on me and Allen to watch over Chloey while you're gone, though I don't think you're going just to train. You have something else in mind, don't you, Azure." She said as she smiled.
"If at all possible, I'd like to keep it a secret from her. I don't want her to worry." He replied.
"So, where are you going for training?" Rubina asked.
"I'm going with Noir to her homeland, the place where the sword I was born came from. Turns out that she was also born from the sword, but before their leader gave it to the first king of Highland." He said.
"No way, seriously?!" She asked with surprisement in her voice. He shushed her.
"Keep it down. You know that everyone is asleep." He said in a quiet tone, almost a whisper. "But yes, it's true, Noir was born from the same sword I was. So, we're traveling to her homeland in a few days so that I can train, but also…Tomorrow, I'm going to meet with the King and Master Challe both about possibly creating an alliance with them for trading."
"If I remember correctly, the fairies there aren't slaves to humans like they are here, but equals, right?" She asked. He nodded his head. "So you and Noir can walk around freely, without worry of fairy hunters." Another nod from Azure. "And while you're there, you want to act as Highland's representative to hopefully forge an alliance with them. Correct?" Another nod.
"When Noir still lived there, their Queen was actually a fairy in disguise, when she gave the first king the sword as a gift of peace." He explained. "Wasn't the shield a gift of peace as well?" He asked.
"Yes, but the shield came from another land, just as the sword did. But the shield was not only for peace, but also a gift to the human when he was crowned the first king." she replied.
"Same with the sword." He said as he looked down in thought.
"I wonder what stone Noir was born from." She said as she looked up in thought.
"You've met her, haven't you? I thought it was obvious." He said in a teasing tone.
"I've only seen her, I haven't personally met her yet." She said as she looked at him in annoyance. He chuckled.
"She was born from the black diamond that's on the end of the hilt." He said.
She looked at him in a teasing way as she smiled. "So just as Challe has a little brother that's from the diamond, you have an older sister that's from the black diamond. You and him are alike in some ways." She teased him.
"At least I don't have as bad of a mouth as he does, Cupid." He teased back.
"I take my job as your matchmaker rather seriously, thank you very much." She said pridefully before she giggled. He joined in with a chuckle. "But in all seriousness, cousin. Are you ever going to tell Miss Chloey how you feel?"
He looks at her, then looks away towards the sugar confections Chloey was making earlier that day. "She is eighteen years old and in human years, I am only fifteen. I am still too young for her as I am now. Which is why I will be away from home for training for three years max. Once I return, She will be twenty-one, and I will be eighteen. Once I'm eighteen, then I'll be able to tell her how I truly feel. So, don't let her get with anyone else." He explained.
"You can count on Allen and I, as long as you don't get with anyone else but her." She said. He chuckled as she giggled softly.
"I only have eyes for her and no one else." He said as he smiled.