Hana appeared confused as she encountered Nefertiti's intimidating gaze. Instinctively, she backed away, raising her arms as she spoke. "Of course not, Princess. I was just informing the prince consort."
Nefertiti locked her gaze on Hana, her smile sending shivers down Archer's and the twins' spines. "That's good. You two are my friends and should know better."
She then turned her attention to Archer, her smile now filled with love. The abrupt transformation left the twins in shock.
"My love, I'll be in the domain by sunset once my classes finish," Nefertiti spoke affectionately.
Archer nodded, returning the smile, as the girl tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek before departing with the twins, who smiled at him.
Upon hearing the students' gossip, Archer left the academy and headed towards Alexandria's northern gate to continue his journey.
[Nefertiti's POV]
As she ascended the stairs towards her classroom, she glanced out the window and caught sight of Archer leaving the entrance, heading north.
She halted her steps, watching him disappear into the crowd. Nefertiti shook her head and then resumed her journey.
Upon entering the room, all eyes turned toward her, filled with curiosity. She made her way to her seat and settled down, just as her classmate Yasmin's voice rang out.
"Who was that fair-skinned boy, Nef?"
Nefertiti turned her head to her green-haired friend and smiled before answering, "He's my fiancé, Archer. My father arranged it when he was in the Aquarian Kingdom."
Her eyes widened when she heard Nefertiti's answer. She didn't know what to think. She had always known her to not be interested in love.
As Yasmin stared at her but didn't get any reaction, the murmurs grew louder, and whispers spread throughout the room.
They were talking about her—about her engagement. However, Nefertiti paid no attention to the gossip swirling around her.
Her mind was solely occupied by thoughts of Archer. The memory of his departure earlier that day lingered, and her heart ached with longing for his presence.
The whispers continued to fill the air, while Nefertiti remained lost in her own world. She gazed absentmindedly at her desk, her fingers tracing invisible patterns on its surface.
The voices around her faded into the background, mere echoes in the distance. Her thoughts intertwined with memories of Archer and his infectious smile, the way he made her feel alive, and the connection they shared.
Lost in the depths of her emotions, she yearned for his return, unaware of the discussions taking place around her.
Classmates exchanged curious glances, stealing cautious looks at Nefertiti. They wondered why she seemed so distant, detached from the conversations buzzing around the room.
Yet, no one dared to disturb her, sensing the depth of her contemplation. Minutes turned into an eternity, and the classroom gradually fell silent.
Nefertiti finally emerged from her reverie, her eyes refocusing on the reality before her. She blinked, realizing she had missed the entire discussion about her own engagement.
A slight pang of disappointment washed over her, but her mind quickly returned to the longing for Archer.
[Back to Archer]
He exited the northern gate and began his walk when he felt a familiar sensation. Suddenly, three girls appeared in front of him, wearing smiles on their faces.
Upon seeing them, he became happy, a massive smile spreading across his face as he stepped forward and kissed each girl.
His actions caught them off guard, as they were usually the first to greet him, but this time he took the initiative.
After exchanging greetings, they continued their journey towards the Greenland Passage, which would lead them into the Land of Mediterra.
They traveled through the Zenian countryside for a couple of months. Archer often met up with Nefertiti in the evenings.
One night, after reaching the Osiris Mountain Range that served as an entrance to Mediterra, Archer immersed himself in reading about the land's history.
He came to the conclusion that Mediterra bore a resemblance to Earth's Mediterranean region, both in terms of its physical features and its people.
The two kingdoms and the Republic were located on the eastern side of the land, while the Lunaris and Solari Empires dominated the vast western portion.
The Lunaris Empire, inhabited by the Moon Elves, bore similarities to Rome, while the Solari Empire was home to the Sun Elves, reminiscent of the Greeks.
Archer sat on the balcony, engrossed in reading a spellbook. However, before he could fully grasp the spell, his concentration was shattered by Nefertiti's arrival on the balcony.
She approached him and uttered, "Arch, come to the dining room. We need to talk."
He looked at her with curiosity, but she had a neutral expression, making him unsure. Nevertheless, he got up and followed her to the dining room.
The treehouse was quiet as they walked, and the lights were dimmed. Archer wondered what they were up to.
When they entered the dining room, the lights turned on, revealing Ella, Teuila, and Sera standing there and shouting, "Happy 16th birthday, Arch!"
Archer was shocked to see a beautifully decorated cake sitting on the table, alongside bottles of ale.
He looked at the cake, then at the girls, and back to the cake. He didn't know what to say. He had never received anything like this in his old life as Archer, but he had experienced similar celebrations with Alexa back on Earth.
With a smile, he looked at the cake while starting to get hungry and spoke, "Thank you, girls. It looks delicious."
Archer sat down, and each girl pecked him on the cheek as they took their seats, with Sera and Nefertiti fighting for the chair next to him.
Sera won the race and got to the chair first before Nefertiti. Then, they all ate the cake that Ella had cut.
While enjoying the cake, they talked about their current plans. Teuila would go back to the Aquarian Kingdom for a few days to see her mother.
Nefertiti had to stay in the Zenian Capital for her Arcane tests, and Ella wanted to spend a few days with her mother.
This meant that Archer and Sera would be traveling through the Osiris Mountains until the girls let him know they were ready to return.
After eating and chatting for a while, Nefertiti hugged Archer goodbye and went to the palace, while Ella left the treehouse to see her mother after giving him a long kiss.
Teuila walked up to Archer and requested, "Arch, could you please open a Gate to the palace? I'll only be gone for a few days. It's my mother's birthday, and I want to spend some quality time with her. Oh, and happy birthday, my tama!"
After the girls left, Sera sat quietly in her chair, lost in her thoughts. Archer glanced over at her and asked, "Are you okay, Sera?"
She snapped back to reality, a wide grin spreading across her face as she replied, "Well, it'll just be the two of us. Will you make love to me? Since Teuila hasn't made her move yet."
Archer was taken aback by her straightforwardness but smiled in response. "We'll see, my cheeky dragon."
Sera smiled back, confident that she would get what she wanted from him. The two of them stood up and made their way to check on the dragon-kin city.
Upon discovering that everything was fine except for the need for more places for children to play, Archer created several play parks for them.
Afterward, they left the domain together, stepping onto the road and noticing a rainstorm brewing overhead.
Despite the storm, Archer wanted to continue on with their journey. He summoned his wings and used them as an umbrella, and Sera followed suit, mirroring his actions.
They walked along the road as the rain finally ceased. It was then that they noticed a group of thugs blocking the path ahead.
As Archer and Sera approached, they spotted a grey-skinned man seated atop a lone carriage. His expression was one of sheer terror. Sensing the danger, Archer cast one of his new spells, Frost Nove, freezing all the bandits in their tracks.
The bandits became motionless ice statues as Sera swiftly transformed into her dragon form and tore into them with her tail, claws, and flames, annihilating the group.
Once Sera finished, she began looting the bodies after changing back into her humanoid form.
After completing her search, she walked up to Archer and tossed a large pouch at him. He caught it but was puzzled by her actions.
Sensing his confusion, she explained, "My horde is your horde, husband. You'll take care of me, so I don't need gold."
Archer looked at the spirited redhead, a smile spreading across his face as he stowed the pouch in his Item Box. He then turned his attention to the carriage and the man atop it.
Recognizing the man's features as those of a Moon Elf, Archer approached them and spoke. "You should be cautious on the road, even during the day it can be dangerous."
He glanced down the road and continued, "We will clear the way, but stay alert. Have a pleasant day."
Leaving the carriage and the bodies of the bandits behind, they resumed their journey down the road.
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