The Bungsu Princess Inferior

4. Rainforest

"Your Majesty,"

I looked back at the man and smiled at him, "Balin, why are you here? I deserve not to see you since yesterday."

Balin rested with one foot in front of me, like a knight saluting. Balin was the head of my personal bodyguard that my father sent to take care of me. No wonder he recognized me so quickly even though my head was covered in a hood.

"Please Your Majesty, I have the duty of His Majesty the Emperor to control the guard of the Rainforest since yesterday" Balin said with a bow.

"Stand Balin, there is nothing I must forgive."

Balin stood before me, "Thank you Your Majesty."

Balin was a young knight, a disciple of Ezio's uncle. He was not as handsome as Uncle Ezio, but was arguably above average. Unlike Uncle Ezio who looks cold with short silver hair and light brown eyes, Balin looks warm with brown skin, black hair and deep black eyes. Carrying is gallant, can blend easily, but can be very very cruel if needed. I've seen him angry at his subordinates, and not wanting to see him again, it's terrible.

"Balin, so can I go in there?" point me into the rainforest. "Why is there a need for a guard at the entrance of this forest?"

Balin hesitated a little to answer, looking at his slightly irritated eyes. "Even Your Majesty, may I know what is the reason Your Majesty wants to enter the rainforest?"

I smiled again, "Dad told me to drop something off for Nala."

Balin seemed to not believe what I said, he looked around me like he was looking for someone.

"It's Balin's punishment" short but Balin will understand why he didn't find Sarala's foster mother or the bodyguard he always ordered to escort me.

"Isn't going through the rainforest the only way?"

"No Your Majesty, there is another way through the Green Kingdom. People usually choose the path even though it takes longer," Balin explained what I did not know. It turned out that I really did not know about my own empire, another bitter reality that I had to accept, it was worth it that father was angry.

I was thinking for a moment, through the rain forest or through the Green Kingdom huh? But all this time, Nala and her mother only ever said the path through the rainforest, not the Green kingdom. But along the way I heard that many people were afraid to go through the rain forest, from their chatter I concluded that the rain forest was full of wild animals and as the name implies, the rain would fall suddenly, he said, unpredictable.

"Balin, do you think I can survive through the rainforest? You know, with my situation?" I asked for Balin's opinion, at least the answer I could consider making a decision.

"For that please Your Majesty find the answer himself, I cannot give you an answer," Balin replied making me full of question marks. Balin never played puzzles like this. If the answer is like this, maybe the rain forest is not as scary as people talk about. Balin is not the one who will endanger my life, even on the contrary, he will be ready to stand at the very front to protect me.

"Well, I'm going into the rainforest. Thank you Balin, see you again."

"Be careful, Your Majesty," I nodded and smiled at him as I passed through the rain forest gate.

Cool and humid, that's how I feel. Trees and plants flourished as if nothing was in the way. I even saw a lot of big trees that might be decades old. I kept walking into the forest, alert but calm, my hands ready to reach the dagger in my pants pocket when there was an urgent situation.

The more I entered the more astonished, I heard nothing at all, was very quiet and increasingly humid. My steps stopped, my eyes exploring the forest only with the help of sunlight that penetrated through the cracks of the trees. The wind blew making my hood fall apart on my shoulder.

"Welcome, Your Majesty, forgive me for being so late in saluting."

I was shocked, spontaneously my body moved towards the source of the sound. I could have sworn there was no one at all, but why did it suddenly just appear.

There was a pair of men and women in front of me, like a husband and wife. They are very beautiful with crystal crowns attached beautifully on their heads. The change happened in an instant, the silent forest was now beginning to show its beauty, flowers were blooming, the fragrance of flowers and fruit seemed to dance on my nose. Some animals started to appear, as if greeting me. They started to gather, more precisely marching.

"Sorry, may I know who you two are? Do you guys know me?" I did not find them in my memory at all, I was sure I had never known them, but why did they seem to know me?

"Include Your Majesty, I am Edward and this is my wife, Vivian. Welcome to our kingdom, Your Majesty." They saluted me, even the animals bowed their heads towards me.

"Kingdom? Is the rainforest a kingdom?" I was confused, I just found out.

Vivian was seen smiling towards me, "really Your Majesty. But only the imperial family and its elders knew about it. The rain forest was specially made by His Majesty the Emperor and His Majesty the Empress, and we were given the confidence to look after it."

So they were kings and queens, as soon as I realized I was saluting them, "Pardon my presumptuousness His Majesty King Edward and Her Majesty Queen Vivian."

"Your Majesty," suddenly they gathered before me. "We don't deserve Your Majesty's respect."

What the hell, why do they feel guilty when I salute them? I am only the princess of the emperor, not the crown princess. Shouldn't I be paying my respects?

"I beg you to stand up, I will feel guilty if you continue like this." I felt clumsy, I was sure they were not human but somehow I felt they had no malicious intentions towards me. They were still unmoved and still rested before me. "Please stand up, I promise I won't do it again."

Miraculously, my promise made them stand up straight away, although respect was still clearly visible on their faces. "So how should I call you?"

"Just call by our names Your Majesty" Edward replied to me.

"It is with Your Majesty's pleasure" the two of them replied simultaneously.

"How did you recognize me?"

They were seen smiling meaningfully, "Everyone in this forest recognized His Majesty. Her Majesty's aura emanated so beautifully, how could we not recognize Her Highness Princess Aira."

'Yourself?' my question is in my heart. I don't even have talent, how could I possibly have an aura. Even a beautiful aura? What the fuck? There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but I tried to hold it.

"Your Majesty, will Your Majesty stop by our palace?" vivian's words felt more like a plea. I tried to look through both pairs of Erdward and Vivian's eyes, and I only found sincerity.

"Sure, sorry for the trouble."

"Thank you, what a great honor for us, Your Majesty," the two replied simultaneously.

They lead the way, I walk beside them. Every step we took was accompanied by flowers blooming, as if welcoming me happily. A white unicorn walked beside my right, and a dashing white tiger walked beside my left. The chirping of birds sounded very melodious like a beautiful choir. I'm constantly smiling, what a beautiful place.

Shortly thereafter, a beautiful and magnificent crystal palace was seen. In front of him stood dozens of people dressed the same as Edward and Vivian but more modestly, this time I was transfixed. Only then did I realize both of their ears were tapered, a typical Elf mark. They're Elves? Elves are known as immortal beings, and to my surprise, I found the Elf kingdom in father's empire? Whatisthis? I really just found out.

"Our respect Your Highness Princess Aira," they gathered in unison. More animals are paying their respects. My heart felt tight, as if it did not deserve such sincere respect. I'm just a talentless princess, how could the immortal Elves pay me respects?

"Thank you, stand. May you always be filled with happiness," I said sincerely. For a moment I saw the light as gold powder raining down on them.

"Thank you, Your Majesty" they said as they stood up, and I saw a smile on their faces. But what was that gold powder?

"Please Your Majesty", Vivian invited me to sit on a chair with a round crystal table in the middle. A servant shifted my chair politely, letting me sit down.

"Thank you" my smile can't go away. Now I sit in a gazebo in the middle of a flower that blooms beautifully. Edward and Vivian sat around the table. "What a beautiful kingdom you have, I'm so glad to see it."

"They insist on welcoming Your Majesty" Vivian said as she served tea for me.

I looked at the rows of animals still lined up around the gazebo, and my eyes were fixed on a nine-tailed white fox. Beautiful, I really want to touch her.

"I'm sorry, can I touch it?" tanyaku.

Edward and Vivian replied with a nod.

"Come here" I said to the fox. I saw the fox approaching with a smile and a happy look. I patted my thigh, as if understanding what I meant, the big white fox now shrunk to the size of a rabbit and jumped into my lap. "Geez, funny thing," I stroked her very soft white fur, and she looked comfortable and happy, so that she fell asleep in my lap.

"Your Majesty, please forgive my servant, may I know where His Majesty is headed?" Edward asked carefully.

"To where Sister Nala is," I answered, lifting the cup and sipping the most fragrant tea, smiling with satisfaction.

"Can you tell me what you said to me? Please tell me about the origin of father's empire, I'm sure you know it all."

Edward began to open his mouth, "His Majesty the Emperor and His Majesty the Empress are the inheritors of the two great empires on another continent, they love each other."

Edward took a sip of his tea, and looked at me with a faint look. "Unfortunately they were surrounded by greedy people who wanted their position as heirs, until finally His Majesty both agreed to marry and relinquish their position as heirs."

"Some people who are loyal to His Majesty, take an oath to remain faithful to protect His Majesty and follow wherever His Majesty goes. We were one of them, until His Majesty found this land and built the Sun Empire. His Majesty even made us a kingdom with their abilities, His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness the Empress are the real Sovereigns, the Sovereigns we acknowledge and protect at all times."

I caught some loopholes from Edward's words, "How can you immortals acknowledge us humans as leaders?"

I can't believe Edward and Vivian smiled at my question, "How can Your Majesty call yourself a human being?"

My eyes were glaring, "What do you mean? Am I not human?"

But both of them only gave me answers with a smile. "Your Majesty Princess Aira, please know that as long as Your Majesty is in the imperial territory of the Sun, Star and Moon, no one will dare to make Your Majesty hurt."

I haven't had time to ask, now Vivian is starting to continue Edward's words. "The three empires were protected by a layer of protective magic, impenetrable to even enter by a single being who had malicious intentions towards the core members of the empire. All were made to protect His Majesty the Emperor along with all of His Majesty's descendants."

What's more, protective magic? Why is it that my mother's father even sister Nala and sister Prisa no one has ever told me. Oh my goodness what I really know.

"But why did I just learn this story from you?"

Edward fused his right hand with Vivian's left, "i think His Majesty the Emperor, would like to introduce Her Highness Princess Aira to us."