Tessa's eyes lit up the moment she heard her reply. suddenly she thought about asking her mother permission for this. Thinking this, she parted her lips but before words could come out, she heard deep voice, , "The event is very far from here. By the time we arrive, it will have already begun." The voice belonged to Neon.
Looking into Neon's eyes, she said, "Then let's go."
Millie began walking toward her mother's room, passing between the jade walls. She had asked Tessa and Neon to wait at the palace gates with the woman in white.
She was walking slowly toward the golden chamber when a rough voice reached her, "If you are going to Miss Maryland's room, she is not here."Hearing the voice, Millie immediately recognized who it was. He was her mother's most loyal, high-ranking servant.
Millie spoke in low voice, "She went with those two wielders?"
The servant smiled and nodded in agreement. Millie noticed his broad shoulders, wide chest, and narrow waist. Looking into the servant's dark eyes, she said," I'm going to watch the event with my friends. Please inform Mother. "The servant smiled again and nodded.
Millie felt a slight sense of relief that she hadn't met her mother. After the bell that had rung some time ago, she didn't want to look into her mother's eyes. before wasting time, she reached the large white gates where Tessa and Neon were standing for her. Gesturing to them, Millie said, "Let's leave from here now."
Millie sensed Tessa's movement filled with excitement while felt a gloomy presence beside her, Neon. Leaving the woman in white clothes behind, they stepped out through the gates.
As they walked, Millie heard Tessa voice, "Your life is exactly like that of storybook queens—dignified and elegant." The smile that Millie had been on her face remained unchanged. She wanted to say that This was not the world of storybook queens, but of wielders.
Changing the topic, she said while keeping her smile intact, "How did you manage to get inside? I mean… the barriers Mother created around Swan Palace don't allow anyone to enter."
At her question, Neon's lips twitched this time. Frowning slightly, she replied, "The guards at the first gate let us in."
Hearing this, Millie understood that her mother had already given them permission to come. She maybe knew the two of them. They crossed the two gates and came out of Swan Palace. The place where Swan Palace stood was a little distance away from the city.
Tessa said in a slightly hoarse voice, "We have to walk all the way to the city from here!" Millie's home was far from the city because wielders generally built their homes away from common people. Then another whining voice reached Milli's ears, "We have to walk to the city on foot!" The voice was of Tessa whining about her situation.
To Tessa words, Neon said in a cold voice, "You're talking as if you flew here before!" Millie looked toward Tessa, but her face suggested she doesn't want to give her attention to Neon's words. Millie relaxed.
After walking for a while, they reached the city. Millie noticed that now voices of people were coming from around. People were crossing each other on the streets, heading to their destinations. Many shops were built there. Millie was observing this, when she heard Tessa's voice, "Now we should take some ride there!" Her face showed fatigue, and she was saying this with a relieved sigh and a smile.
Millie was standing at the edge of a large platform. Various horse carriages were passing around them, quickly taking some people to their destinations. Most people were also placing their loads on energy-powered carts.
Millie's gaze fell on an empty spot by the roadside where a blue bird stood. It was of a different color, sturdy and even larger than a horse's length. Millie's eyes settled on this distinct blue bird from the flock of birds, whose blue eyes were also looking right at them. Millie said to Tessa, "Would you like to ride on Ignite?" Tessa, who until now was exhausted and staggering around, suddenly felt energized hearing this. Looking toward Millie, she said in a loud voice, "Really? But these are very expensive." Understanding Tessa's emotions, Milli calmly replied, "Don't worry about that."
A cold voice reached Millie's ears, "How can you say that when Millie is right here, Tessa!" Milli noticed Tessa's eyes fixed on her with a slight smirk on her lips. Millie understood that Neon was taunting her. But moving forward, she said in low voice, "You both stay here, I'll call Ignite right now."
As she was walking ahead, Millie felt someone's hand on her shoulder. Tessa's words reached her ears, "Can I call Ignite! I've always wanted to ride a creature like Ignite." Smiling, Millie nodded at Tessa's hopeful face. Millie's eyes went to Neon, whose face was made up in a pout.
Within moments, the Ignite bird flew toward them. Tessa was sitting on top of it. Millie noticed that Ignite's entire body was covered with long, silky deep blue feathers. Then an extremely thin voice reached her ears. "Hurry and sit! I'm not a pillow." the thin voice was of bird. Hearing this, Tessa burst out laughing. Millie smiled faintly and sat on top of the bird. Neon was in front of her. Tessa was at the very front.
Before taking off, the bird's voice rang in Millie's ears again: "Where will you three go!" Hearing about the competition, the bird chirped excitedly. Flapping its wings rapidly, it let out a loud cry and spread its wings into the air, soaring upward. Millie grabbed its long blue feathers. They began flying high in the sky. The sunlight was soft and falling on Millie's face. The wind was strong, cold. The city looked very small from up here, far below.