CHAPTER - 196
Narrator: The following day, the clear sky seemed to bless their departure.
Dav, standing with his hands in his pockets, gave a small nod to the King, the Queen, and Stefan.
Selene stood beside him as the cars waited in front of the royal castle doors, ready to take them away.
Edmund, the King, watched in silence, arms crossed.
His stern look was only on the surface in truth, behind that frown was a restrained emotion.
Eleanor, the Queen, stood beside him, holding onto him with affection, chuckling softly, as if she could read his heart.
"Thank you for staying with Selene yesterday,"
said the Queen, addressing Dav with a warm, motherly voice, her gaze fixed on the two young people about to leave the kingdom.
"The King is happy too, but he'll never admit it."
Dav nodded, lifting just the corner of his mouth.
Then the King's voice broke the silence, strong and hoarse.
"I want to see Arthur at the tournament"
he said, looking elsewhere as if speaking to the wind.
Then, after a brief pause, his tone shifted, becoming calmer, more sincere.
He looked at him.
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"We'll see each other there, at the tournament."
Dav slightly inclined his head, for once without irony.
"Alright, King. We’ll see each other at the tournament with Arthur."
That simple sentence, spoken in a gentle tone, surprised everyone.
No jokes, no sharp nicknames. No "old man." Just respect.
The King smiled, as if he had won an invisible battle, and turning with regal grace, let his cloak wave as he re-entered the castle.
He seemed a proud man, reinvigorated, almost younger.
The Queen stepped closer to Dav, taking his hands in hers.
Her touch was warm, sincere.
She looked at him with teary eyes, as if speaking to a son.
"Protect my little girl. And always stay together.
No matter where, when, or how.. protect her,"
she whispered.
"And protect Arthur. I can't wait to see him again at the tournament."
Then she took a step back and gave Dav a slight bow, a solemn gesture.
Dav scratched his neck, a little taken aback, and gave a small smile.
"If the Queen herself asks me.. how could I say no?"
With that, he turned and walked toward the car.
Selene was beside him, her eyes full of emotion.
They got in and left.
The car slowly pulled away, leaving the royal palace behind.
Eleanor remained there, watching them go.
She waved her hand as the car grew smaller in the distance.
Her fingers trembled slightly, but the smile never left her face.
During the ride, Selene leaned on Dav's shoulder.
The two sat close, in silence.
She took his hands and caressed them, comparing them with hers.
Larger, marked by deep scars, from battles not all told, but waiting to be told.
Her fingers traced those wounds gently, with an almost sacred tenderness.
Dav, curious, looked at the sword and asked calmly:
"Myry, how was it to witness all that?"
he asked, addressing Selene’s sword, resting on the seat beside them.
The sword trembled slightly. A crystalline sound was heard, like a small chime.
Then Myrrhya’s voice echoed clearly in their minds.
"Good morning, papa.
Good morning, mama"
she said with a tender tone, followed by a long yawn.
"It was pleasant to see.
I was able to enrich my mind: all those people, portraits, objects.. gave me much to reflect on."
She paused, as if pondering, then continued.
"I’ll make sure to observe more once we arrive at the academy.
For now, I’m going back to sleep. I don’t have much crystal energy left, and I want to save it..
in case something happens."
Then silence returned. Myrrhya was at rest once more.
Selene closed her eyes, gently caressing the back of Dav’s hand with her thumb, and he relaxed beside her.
The world outside rushed on, but for the two of them, in that car, time seemed to stand still.
END OF CHAPTER - 196
