III. The Bishop

"Greetings, Princess Tamara; my name is Asuka, and this is Ashna; we are your personal servants, and we have come to deliver your dinner and help you take a bath."

 

I faced the two women, and I was surprised by what I saw. "Clara? Leah? I thought I would never see you again!" I exclaimed happily as I ran towards them and hugged them both tightly.

 

"I’m so happy to see you!" I added and pulled away from them.

 

They exchanged glances. Both were taken aback by my behavior in front of them, and it was only then that I realized they might not be the people I thought they were.

 

"I'm sorry, princess, but I believe you are mistaken."

 

"I'm sorry, I was just too happy to see you." I had been devastated by what I had discovered earlier, and I hadn't expected to see the faces of my friends in the portraits of Asuka and Ashna, who had been assigned as my personal servants as well. Who would have thought that something like this could happen?

 

"We're here to deliver your dinner, princess," Ashna said as she pushed the food chart toward my room's small receiving area. They placed the food on the round table one by one while I stood behind them. "We've prepaid Shakshuka for you, princess."

 

"Sha-what?" 

 

"Shakshuka, my princess, is one of Kahol's most famous dishes; it was made with fresh tomatoes, herbs, and peppers; add in spiced lamb meatballs," Asuka graciously explained.

 

"I see... That's why it's unfamiliar to me; it's food that is often prepared in Kahol." I nodded. Kahol is one of the four kingdoms that is located in the northern part of Yerech; if I remember correctly, they are the kingdom with the blue flag and silver dragon as a symbol of their reign.

 

"Are you two from Kahol?"

 

"It's just me, princess; Ashna comes from the kingdom of Zahov," Asuka politely replied as she led me to my seat at the dinner table, where she immediately spooned me Shakshuka and placed it on my plate, while Ashna placed a white napkin on my lap and poured me fresh milk into a glass.

 

"Thank you," I said. They both bow to me and take a step back as a polite gesture, signaling me to eat. I immediately tasted the food they had prepared and liked it.

 

"It's delicious!" I exclaimed happily.

 

They both giggled. "We're glad to hear that, princess."

 

Because I liked the food, I ate more. While I was eating, Asuka and Ashna were talking to me about many things, including the current situation in Yerech, the fall of the four kingdoms, and the extinction of the omegas, which was also caused by the epidemic. I discovered that the omegas were the most affected of all the werewolves and that when they became ill, they only had 24 hours before their lives were taken away. My two servants couldn't tell me what kind of disease had spread throughout Yerech because they had not yet been born when the epidemic took place.

 

After I finished eating, Asuka and Ashna prepared my bath. As usual, they lay a large carpet on the floor and place the wooden bathtub on it. After preparing the water for my bath, they helped me remove my heavy, layer-by-layer dress. I was completely naked when the massive door to my room suddenly opened.

 

"Kyaaaa!!" I yelled in shame, hiding behind my servants.

 

"I-I'm sorry, princess," the blond-haired man apologized as he turned away. "I didn't know you were taking a bath," he explained. "I-I'm used to not knocking on your door because you were always asleep. Ugh! Why am I even explaining? I-I'll be back later, princess," he added and immediately left the room.

 

My two servants laughed. "That was an epic fail."

 

I stood up straight and quietly walked away from them. "You're right," I concurred.

 

"It was the first time I saw Father Nahas' face turn red," Ashna stated.

 

"Yes, it's like he saw a ghost," Asuka agreed, and they laughed again.

 

"Father?" I asked, frowning.

 

They exchanged glances before nodding at the same time. "Father Nahas is the eldest of the four alpha god brothers, but apart from being the prince of Magenta, he is also the bishop of our kingdom, and that's where everyone knows and respects him the most."

 

What they said shocked me. He's a bishop? Is that why he's dressed in a cassock? Wait, does this also mean that I should have a child with a bishop? No way! My situation has gotten even more complicated now.

 

"Are you all right, princess?" I looked up at Ashna and nodded. "Well, then, we'll give you a bath now," she said with a smile.

 

I sat down in the bathtub and let my servants bathe me. They applied fragrance oil to a white towel and gently rubbed it on my skin; they also washed my white hair. I had taken my bath for an hour. So I was surprised when Sir Nahas entered my room after I had finished. After all, my maids were aware that he was standing outside my door, waiting for me.

 

"I'm sorry for what happened earlier, princess," he apologized again, awkwardly looking away.

I cleared my throat. "Why did you come to see me?"

 

He sighed deeply. "It's about what we talked about this morning. I know we were too aggressive when we told you about your duty, but I'm asking you to understand the situation in Yerech right now. The truth is, we don't want to force you to do this for us, but I want you to understand that you are the only one who can help our race."

 

"The truth is that I carefully considered what you said; I understand your desire to bring back and raise the four kingdoms, but is it really necessary? Yerech seems to be doing well under Megenta's leadership." I think Magenta can manage the entire content of Yerech. Why don't they make Yerech into an empire so they don't need four kingdoms to rule?

 

"Of course, you’ll think that way; that’s why I visited you tonight. To tell you the reason why our ancestors have been trying to raise the four kingdoms...