Chapter 64: We have many questions to ask and answered.

Kein's POV

A whole afternoon passed traveling towards the kingdom passing near villages and small cities but now- we've arrived at the capital city including my home which we've passed because we need to safely bring the princess back first before anything else.

We've also passed the school that has finished its construction merely the few weeks that we were away. I'm impressed with Peter, Veronica's husband and so I need to remind myself to give him some more further raise.

"Look Vivienne that's a school." I pointed at the building that everyone around me seemed to be fairly impressed by it as well. I can't wait to show Rose one of my proudest promises I originally built for her. "Scwool?" she turns her head to me and I nod.

"Yes you're right it's school, a place where you'll be able to learn magic and make lots of friends when you're a little bit older in the future." I tell the small blonde girl and she giggles happily into her seat clapping her hands together and I made sure that she doesn't fall. "Scwool! Scwool!"

Commoners having education would really be a game changer for the kingdom and I'm glad the king has approved of my request and I have my family hire every staff I needed with the funding.

Vivienne looks around and sets her eyes on the royal carriage Rose was in. "Mama... Mommy?" she asks with a pleading look and I shake my head telling the little one that her other mother won't be hanging out with us for a while.

"Um..." I look around and see that the other knights were busy, including the adventurers behind me. "Y-Your mommy will meet us later so behave. Okay Vivienne?" I asked the little girl who nodded in understanding and I breathed a sigh of relief feeling a little embarrassed accepting the role I was given.

I stopped correcting Vivienne with the whole Mama calling and I'm actually starting to like it.

"Oh. Okie Mama." (Vivienne) faces her attention forward and continues to pat Vanilla's mane.

Ah... maybe I'm starting to like it a bit too much because I've decided that I'll kill anyone who messes with my little mini me and then bury their bodies twelve feet into the ground.

"Hehehehe! Mama! Mama! Pwetty!" (Vivienne) tugs onto my hand pointing at the people placing several candles and flowers out in the streets. I turned to look at them and remembered we just probably came at the right time.

I smiled widely explaining to Vivienne, "I can't believe it's already Lumineria festival already. It's a festival to celebrate the coming of the light goddess and its where your mommy might've impressed me with her dancing back when we were younger."

I remembered the times where she still wore her red shawl onto the streets and I didn't know the fact that she was vegetarian. I gave her some skewered meat- that will forever be remembered as a lesson that I kept to heart. "Don't tell mommy about this but now that I look back then she was pretty... amazing."

Vivienne gave an excited face with her mouth open. .O.

It was similar to that and I couldn't help myself from chuckling. I'm not even sure if she understood half of what I said but I'll take that cute reaction any day. "So we shhh okay?" I raised a finger up to my lips doing a shushing sound and she imitated me.

"Shhhh Mama shhhh." (Vivienne) gave me a crooked grin and I patted the top of her blonde hair ever so gently.

"For now after we escort mommy back to her home, we'll go to ours and I'll have Veronica make you some new fancy clothes." I tell the little girl and she giggles.

"Okie Mama."

.-.-.-.-.-.

Now we're in front of the castle gates. The adventurers were dismissed and some of the knights as well. Two big front wooden gates were opened and I almost left as well but Vincent stopped me with the sound of his black winged Pegasus' hooves trotting.

"Hey, Commander Hills. Accompany the crown princess now will you? General's orders." (Lord Vincent) walks towards me with a serious look but I can spot a faint smile under all that strict facade.

"I can bring this little one as well right?" I motion towards Vivienne who tilts her head in confusion and Vincent chuckles waving his hand. "Can't separate the whole family now can I?" he teases and I couldn't help but blush a little.

"R-Right... Ahem. Yes, General I will escort the crown princess like my life depended on it." I gave him a salute putting one of my hands to the chest of my armor and the other to my side.

"Oh!" (Vivienne) mutters out loudly looking at my pose and decides to imitate as well. "Hnff! Sawute!" she yelled out loudly and I saw the carriage windows opening, seeing a curious Rose leaning into the window staring at us longingly.

"Ah... hahaha." I suppose Rose didn't miss the cute salute Vivienne did but I doubt she heard her say it like 'Sawute' adorably so it sucks for her!

"Your little offspring is an adorable one." (Lord Vincent) continued on with the teasing but I just ignored him and decided to hold Vanilla by the leash and motioned for her to park next to the carriage.

Several servants were already outside welcoming her and I could see two silver haired figures not too far away. I went down from Vanilla's saddle and held Vivienne by her waist carefully carrying her around my arms. "There we go."

I could feel everyone's eyes on me and it was mostly looking curiously over Vivienne who was leaning over the carriage all excitedly. "Remember Vivienne, behave." I told her and followed my order.

I held the carriage door handle before I opened it. Stepping out a regal princess with perfect poise, if I didn't know Rose any better I would've guessed the woman in front of me was a stranger.

Her long silver hair flowed behind her, her pale cheeks had a faint blush of red most likely from makeup and is that eyeliner she's wearing?

"Presenting her royal highness, the crown princess! Rosarie Goldheart has come home!" A servant yelled over introductions and the servants bowed in her presence.

Almost what seemed to be a hundred of them were bowing.

If I'm being honest, seeing that whole scene made me feel overwhelmed and it made me remember how we really are from different worlds. The best I could do is about ten servants bowing to welcome me home but Rose-

"Welcome home, your highness!" all the servants greeted in synch that it created an abrupt echo. The crown princess in front of them- was my girlfriend- and oh my lord right- I'm dating a royal.

Rose smiles politely at them giving them a graceful wave, "Please rise. Thank you for welcoming me warmly." she tells her subjects humbly as they stopped bowing to her order.

The crown princess walked forward and I followed behind looking over the sea of servants just standing. Vivienne even seemed to be impressed and wanted to run over to Rose's side.

"Mommy..." She hit my arm a few times and I told her to behave once more, feeling a little hurt that now she's taking Rose's side over mine.

"Vivienne, mommy will meet us later so you'll be sticking with mama." I tried coaxing her but it won't work. She just cried even further and escaped from my hold. "Oh come on! Vivienne!"

How does this child have the energy to run that fast?!

"Oh!" (Rose) covered her mouth feeling someone's hands wrapped around her white dress. "Oh my, hello there." she turned over to me smiling so widely and I facepalmed myself mentally.

"Your highness- she's my erm..." I hurriedly ran over to them both having to remember to call Rose by her esteemed title. "S-She's my responsibility. I apologize deeply for her suddenly holding onto your dress."

I feel like Vincent will make fun of me later for this.

"Is that so?" (Rose) picks up the little blonde girl and carries her by her arms. "She amuses me so why not join us for a cup of tea, commander?"

My ears perked up at her words. She didn't tell me that she planned to invite me for tea. Vivienne giggles, raising her arms at Rose. "And this one will have her filled with sweets. So would you be inclined to join?" she asks and I look around me seeing that everyone was waiting for my answer.

However before I could say yes. I heard a pair of wheels clunking and rolling towards our direction.

"Sister, welcome home. And did I hear that right? Inviting a knight inside our royal home now?" her voice seemed to have changed over the few years, weak and tired but even so it still carried the heavy aura from before.

C-Cecilia?!

She looked so pale with her short silver hair, and silver eyes locked onto me. "Why sister, I'm glad you have the time to welcome me home." (Rose) gives a polite smile, the both of us remembering that she must be behind the ordeal of why I became her personal knight in the first place.

"It's not only me." (Cecilia) turns to her tall maid that has similar features to a Japanese woman. However another silver haired head popped out from behind the maid waving excitedly to Rose. "Catherine is also here to welcome you, of course."

The youngest sister took her hands together and language signed, 'Welcome home, sister.'

Rose seemed to have her eyes softened for her younger sister and smiled genuinely unlike Cecilia. "I'm home."

Catherine however raises her eyebrows and signs with haste, 'W-Who is that child you're carrying- and doesn't she look like a bit-' she turns to me and Rose. The young princess gave me a suspicious glare and it was completely understandable.

She wasn't the only one who accused Vivienne of being the offspring of Rose and I. Vincent made it clear to remind me of it every hour I come across him.

I quickly signed to the third princess, 'It is a misunderstanding, your highness. She is not our secret love child. I swear on my knightly honor.' I hoped I cleared up the air around us and prayed that none of the servants could read sign language.

Catherine looked rather sad afterwards looking at Vivienne adoringly. 'A shame. I thought I was getting my first niece- but it's alright I can wait.' she turned onto me expectantly and I swallowed the lump of my throat that I didn't know I had.

"C-Catherine! Not you too." (Rose) flustered could only calmly scold her sister in public. We could hear Cecilia laughing softly in our direction. "I'm glad that you both seem to have found equal footing once more." (Cecilia)

It made us suspect her more... that she definitely had something to do with blackmailing Vincent's father and me being posted as the princess' personal knight.

She doesn't even look a bit surprised to see us together and my stomach is telling me that my instincts were right.

Cecilia turns to her maid who gets her orders by a mere look, pushing the wheelchair into the direction of the palace.historical

"Come all of you. I have much to tell and discuss." (Cecilia) leads all of us into the palace and the way Rose and I looked at each other towards Cecilia. She's definitely the person behind this mess.

We have a lot of questions that need to be answered and I hope we get them now at this unexpected gathering.

"Commander, shall we?" (Rose) walks by my side holding Vivienne without a care at the servant's stares and hushed whispers.

I can't blame them. With the way we stood together with a child that looked like a mix of us was certainly peculiar, you would think the three of us are a whole other family together.

"Gladly, your highness." I bowed slightly and I could hear Vivienne's laughs and giggles while she was in Rose's arms. After this whole ordeal, I deserve some slight vacationing at my house.

I might even bring Rose and Vivienne to the festival together... I can't wait.

Thank you to my Patreun!

Platymage