"SO YOU BETTER listen to me before I smack your pretty little head, you bad-tempered troublemaker."

This is my bad karma, Tilly thought to herself with an aching heart (just kidding). I kept giving out rude pet names to powerful and ancient beings so the heavens probably punished me. Maybe Saint Forrester woke up just to bully me as retaliation for being mean to the original fossi– I mean to Wixx, and because I kept calling the High Priest a sketchy character.

"Why are you looking like a puppy that was kicked by her master?" Saint Forrester asked with furrowed brows. "Are you offended that I kept calling you names?"

Tilly shook her head, then she placed her hands on her chest. "I fully accept my punishment, Your Holiness."

"You're one strange child, aren't you?"

She smiled "sweetly" at the saint. "I don't want to hear from someone who's old as fossil but looks so young and pretty."

"Don't call me "pretty,"" he warned her with his eyes widened a bit. "Calling me "pretty" makes it sound like I'm a frail young lady."

Her smiled turned even sweeter. "Your Holiness, please don't put gender on a mere word. Being called "pretty" is a compliment."

He glared at her.

Of course, she glared back.

Their mini "staring contest" was interrupted by a knock on the door.

A few moments later, Howard entered the room and announced that their carriage had arrived. After the High Priest said that, Kiho came and told them that he'd be the head of their temporary security team.

Yey! I still miss you even if we're in the same room, Kiho.

Kiho was looking at her with darkened eyes, as if he wanted to grab her and bring her to an empty room, and…

… and do naughty things to me.

Her cheeks burned in embarrassment because of the lewd things in her head.

To think that she was even in the presence of two holy beings.

Gosh, I'm so shameless.

"I don't even want to ask what the two of you are thinking," Saint Forrester said while looking back and forth to her and Kiho. "But can you please stop exchanging those looks?"

Tilly's whole face probably turned red.

Kiho, being the adorable clueless cinnamon roll that he was, didn't get what the saint meant by that so he remained pokerfaced.

Gosh, I still have a lot of things I need to teach my husband, Tilly said to herself. Random thought: I miss his abs.

They hadn't done it in days, okay?

Howard, obviously feeling awkward, cleared his throat loudly. When they all turned to the High Priest, he smiled at them. "We shall get going, everyone."

***

"WHY ARE you pouting, child?" Saint Forrester asked Tilly. "Are you throwing a tantrum?"

Tilly discreetly bit her lower lip to stop herself from pouting.

Right now, she was sitting across from the saint inside the carriage. Only the two of them were using that one because this holy fossil didn't allow Kiho to ride with them. Instead, he asked her husband to just share a ride with Howard who was acting like their convoy.

Also, the elite team of Holy Knights was following them in secret to make sure that His Holiness wouldn't be ambushed. Aside from the Holy Knights, His Majesty also asked the four captains of the Four Orders to lead the way.

In short, they were very much protected.

But I don't feel secured without my Kiho.

"Why did you kick Kiho out, Your Holiness?" Tilly asked, still upset. "His Majesty has given him the permission to ride with us."

"Well, I didn't know how much your husband knows about you," the saint reasoned. "It's not like I could ask that to you with the High Priest around us."

"Kiho knows everything."

"Then, what has he done for you?"

She frowned because she didn't like the tone he used. The saint was making it sound like Kiho was useless. "My Kiho has done a lot of things for me already, thank you very much."

"No, he hasn't done anything for the heart yet," the saint said in a serious tone.

Ah, His Holiness really knows my real identity. He also said something about my flame a while ago.

But that wasn't that thing that got her attention.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean by that, Your Holiness?"

The saint paused for a while as he just caught himself saying stuff he wasn't supposed to say. When he spoke again, his tone was lighter. "I heard from the people at the church earlier that the duke used to be the captain of the Black Serpent Knights. He should have begun training you as a warrior."

"Kiho teaches me how to control my power. Thanks to his teaching, I learned how to use my flame as self-defense," she countered. "I'm not a warrior so my husband doesn't need to train me like one."

"Don't be stupid, little girl," the saint said in a harsh tone. "The heart isn't meant to be used for a mere self-defense. Are you looking down on the heart?"

"It's my heart," she insisted. "I get to decide what I want to do with it."

"It looks like you've been spoiled by your husband," he said disapprovingly, then he raised his fist and motioned like he was pulling something in the air.

She was surprised when she felt a soft push. The next thing she knew, she was already leaning against the backrest while Sentinel, in his human form, was now kneeling in front of the saint with his head hanged low.

Did His Holiness pull Sentinel out of my heart?!

"Greetings, Your Holiness," Sentinel said politely. "My utmost gratitude for lending me and Lord Wixx a safe haven while we were at the temple."

Oh, right.

Wixx and Sentinel had been locked up in the prayer room for many years.

The saint claimed that his consciousness never faded even though his physical body went into a deep slumber. Maybe the three of them got to hang out then when they were all in their spirit forms?

They're like the Ghostly Trio from C*sper, the Friendly Ghost.

"Rise," His Holiness told Sentinel.

Sentinel politely nodded before he stood up and sat beside her.

"Sentinel, don't tell me you waited for the heart for many years just to let that little girl use it for "self-defense?"" Saint Forrester scolded the spirit guardian in a harsh tone. "Are you trying to trample on Wixx's will?"

Okay, the saint was getting scarier.

Their "banter" a while ago wasn't hostile.

But the way he scolded Sentinel now was a bit intimidating. No wonder the spirit guardian could only bow in apology.

"I apologize, Your Holiness," Sentinel said with a hint of fear in his voice. "Everything is my fault for lacking in terms of experience and discipline. Lord Wixx asked me to treat you as his replacement and therefore, I will accept any punishment that you see fit for my failure."

That didn't sit well with her.

"Stop scolding Sentinel," Tilly said that earned her a cold stare from the saint. That was a bit scary but she didn't let him intimidate her. "And you can't punish him. It's my choice to not use my power that much because I'm protecting my baby."

"If you don't want me to punish your spirit guardian, then become my disciple."

Tilly's eyes widened in shock. "Your disciple?"

"I won't let you waste the heart that your predecessors gave up their lives for," Saint Forrester said with a "sweet" smile so terrifying that she had goosebumps. "Most of all, it's your duty as the Daughter of the Sun to use your flame properly, you spoiled brat."

***

"YOUR HOLINESS, why do you call me "Daughter of the Sun?"" Tilly asked curiously. "What does it mean?"

She wanted to ask that a while ago but their conversation in the carriage was interrupted when they arrived at the Royal Palace.

Yes, the accommodation that His Majesty mentioned was his own palace.

But she wasn't complaining.

At least His Majesty let him and the saint to have privacy by asking the servants to leave them alone.

That's why all the dishes were served already.

Unfortunately, Sentinel had to go back inside her heart. They didn't want His Majesty to feel his presence.

And so, I'm alone now with the holy fossil.

Anyway, the dining hall that they were using right now was the definition of luxury. Plus, there was a wide variety of breakfast on the table and every single dish looked divine.

She chose the Eggs Benedict that was called as "Eggs Royale" in the empire. And boy, she didn't know how to describe it. All she knew was it was now her favorite breakfast. It was her first time to have "Eggs Royale" with smoked salmon but it was great.

On the other hand, Saint Forrester was already having his second soufflé.

"If the Moonchesters were known as the "children of the moon," then the Fire Mages were called the "children of the sun,"" Saint Forrester said. "But right now, you don't deserve to be called the Daughter of the Sun. You're a disgrace to all Fire Mages."

Ouch.

"That hurts," she complained. "Why are you bullying me?"

"I don't like how useless you are when you are very powerful," he said bluntly.

Ouch again.

She could no longer complain. Whether she would like to admit it or not, she knew deep inside that not using her heart to fight was a waste.

"I know that your heart can't awaken yet," he said. "But there's a way to use your flame properly without endangering your life or the child in your womb. The people around you, and even Sentinel, seem to have spoiled you. But I'm different from them."

"I can tell," she said sarcastically. "Are you on my side, Your Holiness?"

He smirked haughtily at her. "I don't want to associate myself to useless people."

Ouch, for the third time.

Gosh, this holy fossil was brutally honest, huh?

"I get it," she said while holding the bread knife so tight before she lost herself and throw it at the saint. Just kidding. Unless this old fossil roasted her once more. "What do I need to do to prove my worth to you?"

"At least, you're smart," he said, a little bit satisfied with her now. "Heart of the Red Phoenix, I need you to find my stolen Holy Scepter."

Her eyes widened at that. "It was your fault that your scepter was stolen. Why are you asking me to find it for you? You should take responsibility of your own negligence, you know?"

This time, it looked like it was the saint's turn to be roasted.

Hah!

"The person who put me into a deep slumber sealed my powers before stealing my Holy Scepter," the saint explained. "At my current state, if I went a little far away from the temple, I'll turn weak– weaker than an average Holy Knight. That's why I'm asking you to find my Holy Scepter for me."

She raised a brow at that request. "Who made you like that, Your Holiness? Was it Her Royal Highness?"

He chuckled while shaking his head. "I know what you think of Her Royal Highness. But no, it wasn't her. I'll tell you who it is once you bring me the Holy Scepter."

"What will I gain if I help you find your scepter?" she asked, then she sipped her tea.

"You can use my Holy Scepter to find and gather the three Ancient Beasts."

She almost choked on her tea. "Why do I need to find and gather the Ancient Beasts? And why only three of them?"

"I already know where the Black Serpent is so you only need to find the other three," he said casually, then he sipped his tea before he continued. "If you want to fight the royal family, then you have to gather the Ancient Beasts by your side."

"Wow," she said in disbelief. "I'm amazed at how you make it sound so easy. What do you think of the Ancient Beasts– P*kémons that I can easily catch by throwing a P*kéball at them?" She tapped her chest for emphasis. "And most of all, do I look like a P*kémon Master to you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, you little girl," the saint said, obviously confused. "But I'm telling you– you can't defeat your enemies without the Four Ancient Beasts by your side."

She let out a frustrated sigh. She could see his point, but she could also see the tall mountain looming over her– a mountain in the form of His Majesty. "The Ancient Beasts are in the possession of His Majesty, aren't they? He probably hid the bodies of the Blue Dragon and the Golden Tiger, just like what he did to the Red Phoenix."

"Steal them," Saint Forrester said casually. "That's your duty as the Daughter of the Sun, Lady Nystrom."

The look on the saint's face told her that his decision was final.

"Well, I guess I have to be the very best like no one ever was," Tilly said, almost singing those lines. "To catch the Ancient Beasts is my real test, to train them is my cause."

Now she had to travel across the land, huh?

Gotta catch them all!

***

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