The One after my Heart

It was nearly the time of twilight by the time they'd reached their destination. Kyra soon found out that this Dartwood city was extremely vast in area as they got closer to it. She estimated it was at least five times bigger than that of the city she lived in.

The current Dartwood family governed the current area that spanned for more than seven hundred miles. It was a fairly well-populated city with roughly a million citizens who resided.

According to what Fredrick had told them, though the borders of Dartwood city was just a few miles away, the actual heart of the city was at least more than a hundred miles within.

The entire city was bordered by extremely huge walls that were hundreds of meters tall, at least. The walls were swarmed with guards at the top with weapons as they stood vigilant. A small crowd of people who wanted to get into the city stood in a queue outside the gates as their identity and intentions were verified by the guards.

As the carriage approached the gates, the enormous iron gates opened without obstructing the latter. Hundreds of soldiers stood in formation on either side as they saluted Mayor Dartwood with banners and horns.

Fireworks shot up in the air bursting in all colours in the sky. On any other day, there wouldn't be so much fanfare since the mayor often kept travelling constantly. Clearly, he had set them up as a show to impress Nisa and Kyra, showcasing the family's power and might. He'd hoped the sisters and the woman would accidentally mention to their mother how well the city was being governed currently.

Kyra saw small buildings on either side, with various small shops, stalls and houses. She also did notice as it got darker, there weren't any of those street lights along the road here. Instead, there were replaced by huge wooden bamboo-like columns that lit up the area. It was like tube lights placed at an equal distance from each other on either side of the road at a distance.

Nisa had to patiently explain to the pretty amnesiac lady that these were ordinary spirit trees that thrived on the light in the day and then expend the energy at night. Kyra couldn't help but think of those radium star stickers she'd seen people have on their ceilings in the bedrooms. Kyra marvelled at the sight of these glowing trees.

'Don't they have electricity here?', wondered Kyra to herself with an odd expression. Though the light that shone out from these trees were far more powerful than the usual street light, she'd to admit.

As the enormous grey stags pulled the carriage on the wide road that led into the heart of the city, citizens craned their necks on the sides in curiosity. They were curious to see who it was that was so important that the mayor himself took upon himself to drive the carriage like an ordinary coachman. The Dartwood city themselves were no less than kings here, but now the middle-aged nobleman sat there with a proud expression as he led the coach inside the city.

Maya was now sitting inside next to Kyra as she pouted with her hands folded. Her elder sister wouldn't have her sit outside on the coachman's seat anymore since she said it wasn't appropriate to their status. Frederick agreed with her this time. Besides, what if someone had planned to assassinate the Alliance-Head's daughter? Nihaiya Greenwood had enough enemies inside and outside to deal with, after all. Though Nisa was bratty and high-headed, she was wise enough to know when to show propriety and act according to proper decorum.

The girl's looked in curiosity as they opened the curtains on either side and tried to see the fireworks in the sky. But after a while, they had to close it back since they felt self-conscious as the locals stared at them and pointed towards them.

"How come there's only two Kitthale fruits here? Did the other two drop somewhere accidentally?" asked Nisa in a panicked voice as she checked the red jacket and then started searching around within the carriage when she didn't find them.

Maya's eyes went wide all of a sudden, and she put her face behind the curtains and looked outside as though she was curious about what was happening outside.

"Well, I used one on you to save your life. So there has to be three more left, not just two. Kyra was puzzled as well.

Upon Nisa's questioning look, Kyra recounted the details of what had happened while she was unconscious, although she left out the last part about her mother's interaction with her.

Nisa thanked the pretty woman sitting across her over and over again, giving her a hug and swearing to call her as her big sister henceforth in gratitude.

"Don't worry sister Kyra. We'll fix your memory and heal you. I'll personally have my mother do it. You can count on the word of this princess", swore Nisa as she patted her young blossoming chest.

"But if you fed me just one of the spirit fruits, where's the other one? Did it fall off somwhere?" asked Nisa worriedly with a bitter expression. The thought of accidentally dropping something so precious had her white face twisted in frustration.

It was then that the two heard muffled giggles coming from their side. Maya's shoulders were shaking up and down as she controlled her laughter. It didn't take Kyra and Nisa long to figure out where the missing fruit had gone as they looked at each other.

"Maya!! How could you!? I told you it wasn't to be eaten!", growled Nisa and she pulled her younger sister from behind the curtains and started pinching and pulling her tender cheeks apart.

"Ow awowow-"

The little blonde-haired girl brushed off her sister's hands and rubbed at her red cheeks as she glared at her older sibling.

"You eat first, so I eat tasty fruit too! No cheating!", said the little girl pointing at her sister as she let out a harrumph and justified her actions as she put her hands on her small hips.

"Y-you...you--" said Nisa in shock, as she repeatedly pointed at Maya, speechless by her younger sister's logic. That was a spirit fruit that was nothing compared to millions of gold, at least. Families would massacre each other, and bloodbath would spread at the news of a single fruit out in the local blackmarket.

"Did you really eat it?" Nisa questioned Maya in a low voice.

"Uhuh, it was wavy yummy."

A moment of silence passed in the air before a shriek echoed in the carriage.

"Arrgghh you drive me crazy! Move aside, sister Kyra! This princess will teach this brat a lesson today", bellowed Nisa as she clutched her hair in exasperation.

"Hmmph, if you... pveencess. Me also pveencess! You eat. I also... EAT!" Maya replied cooly in a plain tone as she stared back at her sister, not backing down.

Nisa's breathing got heavier and heavier and the nerves on her forehead seemed to pop any moment now. Before Nisa looked like she would jump on her younger sibling, Kyra intervened as she put her hands out and pulled Maya behind her.

"What's done can't be undone. Besides there are still two more aren't they? It looks like we're about to stop soon", said Kyra in a pacifying tone as she realised the galloping stags had slowed down to a brisk walk now.

"Hmph. I'll take care of you later. That was a spirit fruit for heaven's sake!" threatened Nisa as she gave her younger sister a deathly glare.

She parted the curtain with her nimble fingers and peeked outside as she, too, realised that the carriage was about to stop soon.

Through the gaps, Kyra and Nisa soon found themselves moving towards a huge manor in the distance that had a huge flag with the letter D on it. The Dartwoods manor.

Maya put her tongue out as she hid behind Kyra. Big sister Nisa was truly crazy. Weren't tasty things meant to be eaten? Her cute face scrunched up in worry as she wondered what would happen if Nisa would find out that she'd consumed two more fruits as well while they were asleep.

Little Maya couldn't help but shudder at the outcome as she sneakily glanced at her distracted sister.

'Best to not tell or let anybody know then hehehe.'

_____

Just a few miles behind, through where the Dartwood carriage had just passed through just few moments ago, now stood two cloaked figures there on the the road next to each other as their eyes looked towards in the direction where the carriage had gone.

"Are you sure it was her? But, what's she doing here!?", asked one of the figure to another with a confused expression.

"It was definitely her! I would recognise her anywhere!"

"In that case, pursue them immediately!", hastily replied the other and took off sprinting towards the Dartwood manor with the former in tow as they vanished into the darkening night.