Chapter 16: Star Castle Starbloom City — the heart of the Valen region and the pride of the empire. Unlike the backwater chaos of Kraken Town, Starbloom was polished, clean, and breathtakingly majestic. Tall marble towers shimmered beneath the sunlight, and endless banners depicting the imperial crest danced along the wind. It was a city of order, prosperity, and tradition. This place didn’t just look like the capital — it felt like it. And at the very center of it all stood the Star Castle, the home of the Starbloom Imperial Family, rulers of the entire region. Though Azel didn’t know the Emperor personally, he did know this much from the game’s lore: before the calamities began, the Emperor was a wise and benevolent ruler. Under his leadership, Valen had thrived. He had two wives. The First Empress bore him two sons — Aegon Starbloom, the prodigious first prince, and Varen Starbloom, the quiet second. Aegon, only around fourteen now, had already nearly mastered Royal Swordsmanship and was widely considered a genius in both politics and combat. A textbook arrogant prodigy. Meanwhile, Varen was his brother’s shadow. Talented, yes — but not enough to escape comparison. The Second Empress, however, had gifted the Emperor with two daughters: Naelia Starbloom, the recently rescued princess, and her younger sister, Elizabeth Starbloom. In the game’s original story, after Naelia died, the Second Empress took her own life from the grief — leaving Elizabeth abandoned and emotionally starved. That trauma planted the seed for betrayal later in her storyline. She was a sub-heroine, one that had walked a path of pain to the point where she turned her back on the empire. But now... with Naelia saved early, maybe that timeline could be avoided. Maybe the story didn’t have to be a tragedy. The carriage rolled through the castle gates as royal guards stood at full attention. Once inside the courtyard, the carriage finally stopped. Azel sat stiffly in his seat. One hand rested on his lap, the other was... occupied. Naelia hadn’t let go of his arm since they boarded the carriage. Neither had Ira. To his left, Naelia’s small frame pressed into him. Her head rested gently on his shoulder, long lashes fluttering over her pale cheeks. On the other side, Ira, having "accidentally" fallen asleep, leaned against him too. Together, they formed a sleeping princess sandwich — with Azel as the extremely nervous filling. He was not used to this. Not emotionally. Not physically. Not spiritually. Steven, meanwhile, was reading a book across from them like nothing was happening. Every so often, he’d glance up and smirk like a smug uncle watching his nephew drown in attention. When the carriage came to a stop, maids immediately swarmed toward the door like a tidal wave of silks and gasps. "Your Highness!" "Has she been fed?" "Are you hurt anywhere?" "Where is the physician?!" The maids rushed in and gently pulled Naelia away, tending to her as if she were made of glass. She resisted at first — her grip on Azel’s sleeve lingering for just a second longer than necessary. Her eyes met his one last time. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖 A soft, unreadable expression passed between them before she was guided away, Ira trailing behind at her side. Azel took a breath and stepped away, finally feeling his shoulder relax. He moved to stand beside Steven, who closed his book with a satisfied thud. "You’re awfully popular these days," Steven muttered, barely hiding the grin on his face. Azel groaned. "Don’t start." "I mean, two beautiful girls refusing to let you go? One’s a princess. Hehe... I might just marry you off to the Empire." "Old man..." "Alright, alright. Jokes aside..." He glanced around the palace with a subtle awe. "You really did great. We wrapped this whole mission up earlier than expected. The Emperor will certainly be pleased." As if on cue, a royal butler in pristine blue robes approached with a low bow. "Sir Sword Saint. Young master. His Majesty extends his gratitude. You are to be provided with chambers for rest. The Emperor will receive you personally at dinner this evening." Steven stretched his back and smiled. "Now that’s the kind of royal treatment I can get behind." As the griffin lifted off into the sky, sent to explore and wait nearby, Azel looked up at the towering castle with a quiet sigh. The vast halls, golden trim, marble floors... all of it made him feel small again. Still, this wasn’t a bad feeling. For once, he had made a real difference. He had changed the game. They followed the butler deeper into the palace, walking through the heart of a political powerhouse now bursting with life and relief. Everyone was in motion — the princess’s safe return had sparked joy through the whole place. Butlers rushed. Maids gossiped. Guards stood taller. The palace felt like it was breathing again. -Elsewhere in the palace- Naelia Starbloom sat comfortably on a velvet chaise in her personal chambers. She wore a soft blue robe now, her hair still damp from the bath that the maids had forced her into and her cheeks held a light rosy tint. Across from her sat the Second Empress, her mother, whose tear-stained face had only just begun to smile again. "My little star... you’re home," the Empress whispered, brushing her fingers over Naelia’s cheek like she couldn’t believe it. Naelia smiled gently. "It’s still hard to believe. But... I’m safe now. Thanks to him." The Empress tilted her head. "Steven?" "No. My savior... his name is Azel." That name rolled off her lips like a secret. "Azel," the Empress repeated with interest. "The young man that came with your uncle?" Naelia’s fingers fidgeted with the hem of her robe. "Yes. And Ira too. He saved us both." "Was he... impressive?" Naelia’s face went red. "Mother!" "I’m just asking," she chuckled. "You’re not usually so flustered." "I just... I want him and Uncle Steven to stay for a while." The Empress blinked. "Oh?" "I want to talk to him more. I want to thank him properly. Get to know him." She looked away, embarrassed. "He... looked at me like I was just a person. Not a princess. Not a tool." The Empress’s expression softened, all teasing vanishing from her voice. "Alright," she said gently. "I’ll speak to your father. I’m sure we can extend their stay." "Thank you." The Empress rose from her seat, placing a kiss on her daughter’s forehead. "You’ve changed, Naelia." Naelia looked up, confused. "I have?" Her mother smiled knowingly. "Yes. And I think it’s for the better."