Royce and Laura look at each other in disbelief.
"What about our fight then? I haven't even gotten a chance and I'm ready to show my stuff out there."
"I'm sorry Royce but I can't disobey an order from the royal family."
"But..."
"I know it sucks but there's nothing I can do."
"How about you fight me then?"
Standing in the corner The Harbinger offers to go and fight Royce.
"I didn't get a satisfactory match so I'm fresh and ready to fight you Royce."
"You sure you can handle him?"
"Heh, I got this."
Roderick nods his head.
"I guess it's decided then. We'll announce a change in plans for the final match, but before that I need to escort Laura to the royal family."
"Sure thing Roderick. We'll wait."
Laura looks at Royce.
"Sorry we couldn't have a match together at least once."
"Well If I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you Laura I don't think it would have been much of a match."
"That's fair, but I could have given the audience a good show at least."
"Listen Laura, I don't know what the royals have planned for you but I wish you all the best."
With that Laura and Roderick exit the room.
As the two walk down the corridor toward the royal family a tense atmosphere hangs over the two of them.
"Hey Roderick, where'd Eleonora go?"
"I don't know."
"I'd like to say goodbye before I leave."
"That isn't possible, keeping the royal family waiting is very rude."
"So I'm not even gonna be able to say goodbye to Eleonora or Avery?"
"I'm afraid not. This was apparently decided last minute by the princess since she figured your fight with Eleonora was the best she would see today. Or so I was told. It wasn't my decision."
"What about my clothes that I bought together with Eleonora?"
"Those will be delivered later. I'm sorry Laura but you're just going to have to deal with this."
Laura hangs her head at the revelation that she won't be able to say goodbye to her two closest friends.
"Are you okay?" Royce asks after noticing Laura's despondent demeanor.
"Of course I'm not okay! I at least wanted to say goodbye to them!"
Roderick looks at her sympathetically but continues to walk.
"Come on Laura, let's go."
Laura reluctantly follows.
Back in the audience seats for the fighters Eleonora sits down to watch the match between Laura and Royce but is surprised to see Royce and the Harbinger walking to the center of the arena.
"Hm? Where's Laura?"
Eleonora glances around confused. The rest of the audience seems to be just as confused as her before a substitute announcer fills them in on the situation.
"Ladies and gentlemen due to a last minute change Laura will not be participating in this final match, instead Royce will face the Harbinger."
"Last minute change? What do they mean by last minute change? Where's Laura?"
Eleonora sprints out of the fighters audience seats, run out into the center of the arena and grabs the substitute announcer by the collar.
"What happened to Laura?!"
The Harbinger and Royce seeing that try to calm her down and get her off the announcer.
"Calm down Eleonora, let us explain."
Eleonora releases the substitute announcer and glares at the two.
"So apparently the royal family wanted to leave early so Roderick took Laura to them without delay."
"So nobody wanted to tell me about it?"
"He said he couldn't keep the royal family waiting so he took Laura to them right away," Royce explains.
"Where'd they go?"
Laura and Roderick continue to walk until they come upon a gathering of the nobles with the royal family among them. Roderick quickly bows.
"Ah there you are Roderick." The king calls out to Roderick.
"Yes your majesty I have brought Laura with me posthaste so that you all may depart as quickly as possible."
"Splendid, to be quite honest I have no idea why my daughter wanted a demon of all thing for her birthday present. Perhaps she likes rare things?"
"I wouldn't know your majesty, but Laura is indeed half human and half demon."
The surrounding nobles are having hushed conversations but Laura can tell they're all talking about her. The king approaches Laura and looks at her.
"Hm? Two different colored eyes, horns growing from the head and a powerful aura."
The king nods in satisfaction.
"Vivian your present is here."
The king calls over to his daughter who appears a few seconds later, her face is covered by a veil. She performs an elegant curtsy.
"Hello there my name is Vivian Dawn, first princess of the Kingdom of Dawn. Your name is Laura correct?"
Laura hesitates for a second.
"Hm? Your name is Laura correct?"
The princess tilts her head in confusion.
"Please do not act like I want to be here princess."
Immediately all the whispers stop and turn into shocked gasps. The kings eyes go wide and all the guards put their hands on their swords. Roderick's mouth sputters open and closed like a fish out of water.
The atmosphere grows even more tense and awkward by the second before Vivian speaks again.
"It's fine everyone. Laura I understand why you'd be angry with me so I'll give you some time to cool your head before I introduce myself again. Father we may now depart."
With those words everyone starts to head toward their carriages.
"Laura you'll be riding in the carriage behind us, come along now."
Laura looks back and Roderick with a forlorn expression before telling Roderick.
"Tell Eleonora and Avery I said goodbye okay Roderick?"
"I'll pass it along."
"Thanks, see you Roderick."
As Laura walks away she waves at Roderick who waves back with a depressed atmosphere. As Laura is about to board the carriage she hears something.
"LAURAAAAAAAA!"
When Laura turns back she see Eleonora and Avery waving at her. The sight of that alone causes tears to well up in her eyes."
"LAURA TAKE CARE!"
"WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN SOME DAY!"
The two of them shout their goodbyes to Laura and Laura waves back at them and shouts."
"IT'S A PROMISE OKAY?!"
Both girls wave one last time at Laura before she boards the carriage. Once inside Laura leans her head out of the window and continues to wave at Eleonora and Avery. After the two are out of sight Laura sit down and sighs. She's inside her carriage alone heading toward the castle, her emotions and feelings are all jumbled up.
"I wonder what comes next."
Royce and Laura look at each other in disbelief.
"What about our fight then? I haven't even gotten a chance and I'm ready to show my stuff out there."
"I'm sorry Royce but I can't disobey an order from the royal family."
"But..."
"I know it sucks but there's nothing I can do."
"How about you fight me then?"
Standing in the corner The Harbinger offers to go and fight Royce.
"I didn't get a satisfactory match so I'm fresh and ready to fight you Royce."
"You sure you can handle him?"
"Heh, I got this."
Roderick nods his head.
"I guess it's decided then. We'll announce a change in plans for the final match, but before that I need to escort Laura to the royal family."
"Sure thing Roderick. We'll wait."
Laura looks at Royce.
"Sorry we couldn't have a match together at least once."
"Well If I'm gonna be perfectly honest with you Laura I don't think it would have been much of a match."
"That's fair, but I could have given the audience a good show at least."
"Listen Laura, I don't know what the royals have planned for you but I wish you all the best."
With that Laura and Roderick exit the room.
As the two walk down the corridor toward the royal family a tense atmosphere hangs over the two of them.
"Hey Roderick, where'd Eleonora go?"
"I don't know."
"I'd like to say goodbye before I leave."
"That isn't possible, keeping the royal family waiting is very rude."
"So I'm not even gonna be able to say goodbye to Eleonora or Avery?"
"I'm afraid not. This was apparently decided last minute by the princess since she figured your fight with Eleonora was the best she would see today. Or so I was told. It wasn't my decision."
"What about my clothes that I bought together with Eleonora?"
"Those will be delivered later. I'm sorry Laura but you're just going to have to deal with this."
Laura hangs her head at the revelation that she won't be able to say goodbye to her two closest friends.
"Are you okay?" Royce asks after noticing Laura's despondent demeanor.
"Of course I'm not okay! I at least wanted to say goodbye to them!"
Roderick looks at her sympathetically but continues to walk.
"Come on Laura, let's go."
Laura reluctantly follows.
Back in the audience seats for the fighters Eleonora sits down to watch the match between Laura and Royce but is surprised to see Royce and the Harbinger walking to the center of the arena.
"Hm? Where's Laura?"
Eleonora glances around confused. The rest of the audience seems to be just as confused as her before a substitute announcer fills them in on the situation.
"Ladies and gentlemen due to a last minute change Laura will not be participating in this final match, instead Royce will face the Harbinger."
"Last minute change? What do they mean by last minute change? Where's Laura?"
Eleonora sprints out of the fighters audience seats, run out into the center of the arena and grabs the substitute announcer by the collar.
"What happened to Laura?!"
The Harbinger and Royce seeing that try to calm her down and get her off the announcer.
"Calm down Eleonora, let us explain."
Eleonora releases the substitute announcer and glares at the two.
"So apparently the royal family wanted to leave early so Roderick took Laura to them without delay."
"So nobody wanted to tell me about it?"
"He said he couldn't keep the royal family waiting so he took Laura to them right away," Royce explains.
"Where'd they go?"
Laura and Roderick continue to walk until they come upon a gathering of the nobles with the royal family among them. Roderick quickly bows.
"Ah there you are Roderick." The king calls out to Roderick.
"Yes your majesty I have brought Laura with me posthaste so that you all may depart as quickly as possible."
"Splendid, to be quite honest I have no idea why my daughter wanted a demon of all thing for her birthday present. Perhaps she likes rare things?"
"I wouldn't know your majesty, but Laura is indeed half human and half demon."
The surrounding nobles are having hushed conversations but Laura can tell they're all talking about her. The king approaches Laura and looks at her.
"Hm? Two different colored eyes, horns growing from the head and a powerful aura."
The king nods in satisfaction.
"Vivian your present is here."
The king calls over to his daughter who appears a few seconds later, her face is covered by a veil. She performs an elegant curtsy.
"Hello there my name is Vivian Dawn, first princess of the Kingdom of Dawn. Your name is Laura correct?"
Laura hesitates for a second.
"Hm? Your name is Laura correct?"
The princess tilts her head in confusion.
"Please do not act like I want to be here princess."
Immediately all the whispers stop and turn into shocked gasps. The kings eyes go wide and all the guards put their hands on their swords. Roderick's mouth sputters open and closed like a fish out of water.
The atmosphere grows even more tense and awkward by the second before Vivian speaks again.
"It's fine everyone. Laura I understand why you'd be angry with me so I'll give you some time to cool your head before I introduce myself again. Father we may now depart."
With those words everyone starts to head toward their carriages.
"Laura you'll be riding in the carriage behind us, come along now."
Laura looks back and Roderick with a forlorn expression before telling Roderick.
"Tell Eleonora and Avery I said goodbye okay Roderick?"
"I'll pass it along."
"Thanks, see you Roderick."
As Laura walks away she waves at Roderick who waves back with a depressed atmosphere. As Laura is about to board the carriage she hears something.
"LAURAAAAAAAA!"
When Laura turns back she see Eleonora and Avery waving at her. The sight of that alone causes tears to well up in her eyes."
"LAURA TAKE CARE!"
"WE'LL SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN SOME DAY!"
The two of them shout their goodbyes to Laura and Laura waves back at them and shouts."
"IT'S A PROMISE OKAY?!"
Both girls wave one last time at Laura before she boards the carriage. Once inside Laura leans her head out of the window and continues to wave at Eleonora and Avery. After the two are out of sight Laura sit down and sighs. She's inside her carriage alone heading toward the castle, her emotions and feelings are all jumbled up.
"I wonder what comes next."
