??Chapter 348: Chapter 347 Princess Anxia Arrives
Chapter 348: Chapter 347 Princess Anxia Arrives
The wind howled with snow.
On the Ice and Snow Great Wall along the warm-season Mountain River Trade Route, a grand caravan arrived, with several bipedal flying dragons hovering above and nurous Phantom Beast Knights escorting the procession.
Among them, a luxurious carriage, drawn by eight splendid horses, traveled steadily upon the Great Wall.
The curtain of the carriage window was drawn.
Blows of warm air gushed from the window as Princess Anxia’s face appeared, taking a cursory glance outside. In fact, there wasn’t much to see, as the Great Wall blocked the view from the carriage, allowing a sight only into the distance and not the imdiate surroundings.
“Mother,” Princess Kunlaya’s voice rang out, “how much longer until we reach the Glowing Valley?”
“Soon, if my mory serves
right, the next Cold Spring Point is the Four Seasons Flower Sea Cold Spring Spot, a place I visited in my youth.” That year, during the Dragon Birth Festival, she had co with the still-alive Marquis Quntro.
The purpose was to accompany a young Kunstan on his inspection tour of the great nobles’ fiefs.
To bolster the great nobles’ recognition of Kunstan.
Now, in the blink of an eye, more than a decade had passed, but the few limited inspection experiences of her youth remained deep in Princess Anxia’s mory. Being a canary, she had grown accustod to the grand and sturdy Red Castle.
But that didn’t an she didn’t yearn for the world outside.
“I think I heard Russell ntion the Four Seasons Flower Sea Cold Spring Spot, Mother. Is this the place with many Quail Dragons?”
“Indeed,” she replied.
“Are Quail Dragons truly descendants of the Pseudo-Dragons?”
“That’s a question for the Grand Scholars, especially those who study fantasy beasts,” Princess Anxia, who had long ceased her magical practice, answered, her interest in such information about fantasy beasts not as keen.
“But Russell said that the Scorching Torrent Kingdom has a Dragon Domain Lord.”
“There is one, but I haven’t seen it,” Princess Anxia shook her head and lowered the carriage curtain, “The ascension of a Dragon Domain Lord is far more stringent than a Flying Dragon Knight, and the lifespan of a Pseudo-Dragon is limited, unlike a bipedal flying dragon that can live many years… it’s fleeting.”
“Oh,” Princess Kunlaya nodded.
“Will Brother Russell ascend to be a Dragon Domain Lord? He’s the youngest Flying Dragon Knight, so he should be able to ascend, right?”
Princess Anxia didn’t imdiately answer.
It wasn’t until a long ti later that she remarked wistfully, “Anything is possible, but… how many possibilities are there in the world? To always fantasize about possibilities, once those potentials are lost, the pain is even greater.”
The carriage rode so smoothly that one could hardly feel any jostling, and the insulation within the carriage was exceptionally well-done, barely letting in any cold.
However, Princess Anxia’s heart was filled with self-resentnt.
Once upon a ti.
She too had believed that everything was possible, that love could bring everything, and that steadfast love would lead to happiness. Just like in the knightly tales where princesses with poor knights, or princes with Cinderellas, all eventually co to a perfect conclusion.
But reality was not so.
All those possibilities were rely that—possibilities. For behind those recorded and celebrated possibilities were countless failed impossibilities.
Creak.
The carriage ca to a halt.
Soon after, Princess Anxia heard the voice of her guardian Lady Knight: “Madam, we have arrived at the Four Seasons Flower Sea Cold Spring Spot. Lord rlin invites you to rest within the Cold Spring Point. We will camp here tonight and set off again early in the morning.”
“Understood,” Princess Anxia nodded, “Let the servants co in and pack our things.”
Shortly after, Princess Anxia and Princess Kunlaya, surrounded by servants from Red Castle and wrapped in thick clothing, entered the confines of the Cold Spring Point.
The knights, servants, including Earl rlin, Chosen Son l, and the accompanying family of Chosen Son Kunsley Xiangrikui, as well as the family of Earl Osclo Willow of the Gravel Domain, all lodged at the periphery of the Cold Spring Point.
Only the camp of Princess Anxia and her daughter was set up in the flower garden at the center of the Cold Spring Point.
The prohibition of the Fluorescent Fungi Family, forbidding anyone from trampling the gardens, was inapplicable to the Flacrest Dragonblood Family.
And it was that night that Princess Kunlaya saw the Quail Dragons that Russell had talked about.
It was a story Russell had told during the al: “Every Cold Spring Point that has a False Dragon Heir must have experienced a battle long ago, where knights and fantasy beasts, at the brink of life and death, unlocked their latent powers.”
In the end.
The knight and fantasy beast both evolved to beco the lord of a Warm Enclave opened within the Dragon Domain.
However, with the withering of the Pseudo-Dragon, following a brief period of prosperity, the Warm Enclave would once again be covered by ice and snow.
Leaving behind only such a Cold Spring Point, perennially in spring.
And so descendants of the Pseudo-Dragon with diminished bloodlines, becoming Primordial Beast heirs of the Pseudo-Dragon, complenting the Cold Spring Point and preserving a sliver of warmth as a legacy.
“The Shadowfla Grand Duchy has never given birth to a Dragon Domain Lord…” Princess Kunlaya pondered, “So what about before? Was there once a powerful nation here that produced many Dragon Domain Lords?”
She shook her head again, “But brother said before, the Shadowfla Grand Duchy was established on a desolate land that had never been trod by humans.”
It was incomprehensible.
The next day.
The caravan departed from the Snowfield and received a warm welco from Fluorescent Castle when passing through Red Bat Grotto.
Lady Ingrid, Baron Romand and his wife, Russell, Roland, and the many guests who had arrived earlier all ca forward to greet the caravan. Princess Anxia, Earl rlin, the three Chosen Sons, and many other guests tid their arrival to et the procession.
“Greetings, Regent Lady!” The guests bowed one after another to Princess Anxia as she descended from the carriage.
Even though the Shadowfla Grand Duchy had entered the era of the Chosen Sons, Princess Anxia was still the legitimate blood of the Flacrest Dragonblood Family, and the noble lord over all the nobility.
“Oh, Your Highness, the old woman has finally seen you!” Lady Ingrid was particularly excited, kneeling on one knee, kissing Princess Anxia’s hand, with tears streaming down.
In the eyes of her generation, Princess Anxia held a different significance.
Because Princess Anxia was the first princess in four hundred years of the kingdom to marry down into the Ducal family—more precisely, the son of a Duke, as Marquis Quntro had not yet succeeded to the Ducal title. Her status was extraordinary, and her deanor was awe-inspiring.
“Lady Ingrid, please rise, there is no need for such formality,” said Princess Anxia after the hand-kissing ceremony, quickly helping Lady Ingrid to her feet, “You have raised such excellent offspring for the Grand Duchy, your contributions are imnse.”
When it ca Russell’s turn to greet Princess Anxia.
Princess Anxia was full of praise, “Russell, you are the most outstanding youth in the entire Shadowfla Grand Duchy. You have successfully ridden a dragon and established a Warm Enclave, bringing even greater foundation to the Grand Duchy, His Highness Shadowfla watches over you!”
“Thank you for the comndation, Madam,” Russell responded with a smile, “It will be my motivation to achieve further rits for the Grand Duchy and for His Highness Shadowfla.”
During Earl rlin’s greeting.
This silver-haired Chief Executive only smiled with a frost-covered cigar in his mouth, giving Russell a strong pat on the shoulder, “Kid, well done!”
Then ca cousin l’s turn to offer greetings. Imitating Earl rlin, l also patted Russell on the shoulder, “Kid, well done!”
Russell rolled his eyes, “Please address
as Your Excellency, Phantom Beast Knight l.”
“Ha, Russell, getting a bit full of ourselves, are we?” l punched him hard, then leaned in to whisper, “Don’t forget, the mont grandfather steps down, I’ll be a Manganese Steel Dragon Rider, so don’t get ahead of yourself in front of , kid!”
“As long as grandfather doesn’t step down, you’ll address
as Your Excellency,” Russell teased with a smile.
Straightaway, the two brothers laughed heartily, embracing each other.
Russell actually felt a stronger camaraderie with cousin l, almost closer than with his own brother, Roland.
At this point.
Apart from the essential nobles who stayed behind, almost all nobility of the Shadowfla Grand Duchy had co to Glowing Valley and entered Fluorescent Castle to partake in Russell’s dragon-riding ceremony—Marquis Arno did not co in person, but he sent a congratulatory gift.
The nobility also brought nearly fifteen bipedal flying dragons.
However, none of the dragons could steal the lilight from Black Oil Dragon Rossay, for Rossay was the epito of size among the bipedal flying dragons. With its wings spread, its wingspan reached a whopping forty ters, surpassing any other bipedal flying dragon.
“Old Shadowfla Dragon, how blind you are!” Chosen Son Augustus Water Willow, standing on the castle’s cloister, eyed Black Oil Dragon Rossay with envy surging in his heart.
“Son, there’s no need to be jealous,” Kunli Shadowfla, who bore a resemblance to Lady Kuna, tugged on Augustus’s sleeve, “Our family has three dragons. If you try hard enough, you too can beco a Flying Dragon Knight!”
“Mother, I… I’ve contracted a Fantasy Beast, do you think I still have a chance of gaining the favor of the Three-Headed Dragon?” Augustus was sowhat lacking in confidence.
Ever since Grand Duke Kunstan was killed by a sneak attack from a blue-skinned horse rider.
Those noble youths who were still “virgins” to dragon riding had set aside their obsessions and began contracting Fantasy Beasts to enhance their strength out of fear that they wouldn’t gain the approval of a bipedal flying dragon and et an unfortunate end.
“Of course, Mother believes in you!” Madam Quenly’s eyes were full of her son.
Just then, a young married woman approached quietly. Madam Quenly spotted her instantly and couldn’t help but reprimand, “Davin, where have you been running off to? I told you to stick with Augustus; how could you be so ignorant of the rules and wander about!”
“Ah, Mother, no, it wasn’t that, Lady Robi called
over to talk, and I…” Davin hurriedly explained.
“What does Lady Robi count for, have you forgotten your identity as a daughter-in-law of the Willow Clan! You actually need to be mindful of a woman who can’t even bear a son!” Madam Quenly scolded, “Such a petty household ntality!”
Davin dared not argue with her mother-in-law and could only look to Augustus with a hopeful gaze, wishing he would speak on her behalf.
But Augustus showed no reaction to his mother schooling his wife.
It wasn’t until Madam Quenly was called away to chat by another lady that Davin whispered, “Augustus, can’t you speak up for ?”
“What can I say?” Augustus said with annoyance, “Rember your place, you are of my Willow Clan, and when your brother succeeds to Baron Gold’s title, he must support
as Grand Duke, too!”
“Of course I support you, our whole family supports you!” Davin quickly affird her position.
Her brother was Davis Golden Cap’s nephew Dyson. With Davis having no offspring, he had verbally indicated that he would let Dyson succeed him as Baron Gold and inherit the domain of the Golden Prairie.
But Davin quickly added, “However, relying on
alone won’t convince Uncle Davis; you need to have Father and Mother personally woo him.”
“Of course!”
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