Chapter 3: No Worries

That night, Aria's thoughts are clouded by uncertainties. Conri's words has been bothering her since the announcement of their wedding. She rolled over the round bed and look at the enchanting half-moon glowing in the balcony. 

Conri told her to stay in his lair so that she can be safe without him at nights. There is a legion of hell soldiers guarding her behind the twin dragons’ door and servants that will take care of her while the king and her soon to be husband is away for his duties as the ruler of the nether world.

She can't stop thinking about the warning her about to be husband has said before he depart for an odyssey in the south borders. "My queen, my journey will take long. These soldiers and servants will be with you while I'm still away. Take your time and explore my realm but- don't you dare enter the west woods..." What is in that place that I am not allowed to enter; her thought listening to what he said. This has bother her since Conri has gone until she lost consciousness and fell to the glimmering night of deep sleep.

The next morning, she wake up from the nuances around her. She catches a sight of herself half-sleep in front of a mirror, getting dressed in a simple contracted thin green veil covered arm long dress, beautiful pigmentations in her face, and a lovely braid of her shiny black hair with colorful mini roses as decoration and a blue ribbon as a clip. Her eyes widens from the view.

"W-what are y-you doing?" Aria shrieks in shock. The servants immediately halt what they are doing and move to side to bow for respect to the now awake queen.

"Our, queen...Today is a great day! We are ordered by our liege to bring you to the different chambers of the castle." The first servant utter in a wary voice with sneak glances at Aria.

"Y-yes...ou-our quee-en! Vis-visitors fro-from d-different ro-races will b-bbb-be greeting y-y-you and-" Aria stops the other one from talking. She then stares at herself in front of the mirror and smiles a little...

"Thank you..."she turns around and faces them both. She holds their hands and smile at them with ease, "Your names are?"-

"I'm Lucia..."

"A-and-d-d... I a-a-am An-nnni-e-e--"

"Annie and Lucia..." Aria pulls them up to let them stand with her equally. She then apologizes and smiles at them to bring ease in the intense air they are having. "Th-things are just so new to me. What happened really freaked me out, so--"

"No, our queen.. It is our mistake for not asking a permission from you!"Lucia insisted and then bows down to her knees. Annie follows...

"No, no, no. Don't do that. It's on me." She lets them stand and holds each of the servants’ hands, "Please take care of me..." Aria bows in elegance and grace. The two servants seems to lift off their fears and smile with each other and, "Welcome to your new home, our queen."

They immediately grab her hand and go out of the room. They bring her to the first chamber of the castle, the rose garden. There, she sees thousands of different colors of the flower and it mesmerizes her eyes completely...

While the two servants are picking up some to decorate in Aria's room, the about to be queen asks something to them. "Lucia, what...what brought you here?" It seems sudden for the two because upper darkens don't usually engage in conversations with servants and slaves.

"Oh...We came from the Abyss village. King Conri bought us there." Annie said as she picks up the last blue rose in her area.

"We are once slaves..." Lucia added.

"You are young mortals, right? How long have you been here?"

“It’s not that long… Time runs differently in every realm. We were sold a long time ago, but when it comes here it is just like months ago.” Lucia exclaims. Aria doesn’t know about the passage of time in Neitheria and haven’t notice the count of days when she took on a journey before ending up as a slave in the Abyss village. She doesn’t know what to say, or how to comfort the young maidens.

Her life is also a mess and she can’t tell them she’s a crossbreed. Just like how Conri hides her identity to his people when they doubted her during the announcement. He made it clear that she’s a Darken despite her appearance. He even tries to convince his people with her control of shadows and darkness.

Aria sits between them and without any thoughts, she finds herself hugging the two children. The two servants tries to resist and look around them if there’s others watching or looking at them. “Oh our queen…We slaves don’t deserve such treatment. Forgive us!”-

“NO… I- I just want to make you feel better.” Aria sadly muttered. Deep in her mind, she feels dreadful and unhappy. She is too confident of herself. She knows about her origin and she can’t stand the current situation these young ones are suffering.

“Alright, then… Let’s just explore the whole castle! And, I want you two to just paint a smile on your faces…” she pulls their cheeks and giggles on the idea, giving them relief and relaxation at the moment. She grabs them out of the rose garden and runs through the hallways.

“But, m-my queen—you shouldn’t be running. This is---“

“With me, I’ll make sure the two of you will always be happy!” Aria smiles at them with determination on her face. She has decided. She will change her fate –the fate of crossbreeds and the system of the new Utopia. Just like what she has read about the archaeon book, she has decided to bring things back to where it all begins…

“This is the outside of the castle. Beautiful, isn’t it?” Annie who gets comfortable now with Aria’s presence. After exploring the inside chambers, their feet brings them outside. The castle kissing the daylight is covered with shining emeralds. The alexandrite stones forms a castle-like shape thorns that stands out in the world with nothing but emptiness.

Aria roams her eyes around and sees the peaceful forests of Neitheria. She seems still worried about the west woods but she knows Conri wouldn’t put her in such danger unless she obeys his orders. “Where is the west woods by the way?”-

“…West woods?” The two servants curiously ask with awe. “West woods is the most exciting place in the nether world!” Annie claims while Lucia is hissing at her. Aria’s forehead frowns…

“Wh-why…are you acting like that, Lucia?”

“But, slaves are not allow to enter the west woods…”Annie says in a dejected voice. Lucia on the other hand keeps jeering at Annie. Aria looks at them. She can tell in their faces the urge to go while her mind is making arguments about what Conri said. How dangerous is the west woods if these kids says it’s not a threat but fun and exciting? She questions his words.

“N-no worries… No worries. I’m a Darken remember? I c-can bring you there…”

“Really?” The young servants excitedly exclaims, jumping together with their hands holding each other. Aria can’t resists their excitement, blinded by her determination to change the young mortals’ fates.

“Now then, shall we?”

The three maidens hold each other’s hand hopping in overjoy. The two servants pick up their basket of roses and follow Aria out of the garden—

“Our lady…” A hell soldier has welcome them in the entrance. He bows his head with his knees to Aria. “A visitor of yours has arrived. He wants to have a meet with you, m’lady.” The hell soldier said. Aria frowns her forehead in curiosity. Who in the world will meet a stranger like her?

She thinks of some who were chasing her ever since. “There is no way that they’ll find me here easily.” , she told herself while looking at the hell soldier. But, somehow, she feels confident and relieved. There is nothing to worry. “I know, there’s nothing to worry about…”

Meanwhile, in the southern borders of the nether world…

A battle has begun.