The Crown's Entrapment

Eferia’s Tribunal, Realm of Eferia aka Element Forest

“I thought you said you’d kill her?” Polo remarked at Saha, who was still busy inspecting the gifts Cordon sent them.

“Well, I tried, but she didn’t die…” Saha snorted. “Usually, humans die easily in my traps, but this Princess seems well prepared than usual.”

“That’s why I told you to let her enter your territory first,” Polo nonchalantly commented. “I saw this coming ages ago…”

“Are you mocking me?!” Saha hissed, her face reddening as she let her tongue out to attack her fellow guardian.

At the attacks, Polo simply chuckled and said, “Why would I mock you? I’m just saying that you should improve your traps some more.”

“I’m just following the rules of the Heavens, Polo…” Saha retorted in annoyance. “Must I remind you that we cannot set traps that won’t give fair enough treatment and judgment to anyone entering this realm?”

“What I’m saying is that you should set harder traps in the future,” Polo reiterated.

“Hah, tell me that once the Princess falls under your trap then, Polo. Maybe then I will listen…” Saha scoffed. “Besides, I really fancy those vibrant emerald eyes of hers…” Her expression then changed as she drooled over the thought of something she wanted. Then her gaze sharpened as she glared at Devas and Polo. “You two better make sure not to mess with her eyes… I want to have them if she dies.”

The two guardians only shrugged their shoulders at their fellow guardian’s words. From there, they each returned to their own thing, Devas was still busy instructing his servants to get all the alcoholic drinks from the caravan.

“Don’t you already have enough alcohol in your cellar?” Saha questioned. As usual, almost all alcoholic drinks went to Devas.

“Fine, get what you want then,” Devas snorted.

It had been a while since Cordon offered them many gifts like this. All Guardians were ecstatic with the influx of goods, seeing as they’d been confined inside their realm for so long that they were feeling giddy to receive things unavailable to them from the outside realm.

“Aren’t you going to start with her trial?” Polo suddenly questioned Devas.

“Tomorrow.” Devas lazily mumbled. “For now, let me have a feast. And give the Princess a break. She just went through Saha’s fire…” He then looked at Saha and asked, “Tell me… What did you see in her? Knowing you, you could’ve given her one more test if you felt like it…”

Instead of replying, Saha looked at Helena, the two men following her gaze.

“You….!” Devas exclaimed, staring at Helena in disbelief. Meanwhile, the Fairy Queen simply gave them a timid smile.

Saha rolled her eyes and mumbled, “Yes. This fool here traded a few years of her life for another human. I guess I’ll get to live the longest among the three of us.”

“How many years?” Devas curiously asked.

“It’s shorter when compared to that male human she last saved, at least,” Saha replied. “I only got five years this time.”

Saha took a small breath as she paused from skimming through their offerings. She frowned as she commented, “Still, the Princess is remarkable. I mean, no other human has surpassed the traps I made. Maybe because she’s no ordinary human, but I noticed a while ago that her eyes glowed when she passed through that small opening I gave her to save herself from being eaten alive by my flames.”

She then looked at Devas and Polo as she added, “Right at that moment, I had a feeling that it should be more than enough to let her through. As such, I suggest that you don’t act harshly against her. She still has angel blood in her veins, and it still has divine powers I think, even if they’re not as powerful as any normal angel should have…”

Hearing Saha’s words, Polo held a dim expression as he looked at Helena and said, “I still don’t like how you’ll often trade away your lifespan like that. If it’s in their fate to die and fumbled through our realm, then let it be! How can you brazenly act like that and make us look bad compared to you when we’re simply doing our duty as guardians of this realm?!”

“I’m sorry,” Helena weakly whispered. “I just don’t want to see anyone dying again…”

“This is their choice!” Polo snapped. “They willingly enter our realm knowing death will come to them, and yet they still to choose to enter!” He then looked at Saha and scolded, “And you shouldn’t trade with her life so easily like that. Even if Helena begs you, you shouldn’t accept it. That’s just irresponsible!”

Saha raised her eyebrows as she annoyingly scoffed, “Why shouldn’t I when it will give me more life to live? Why are you even so worked up when it’s not your lifespan that’s at stake here?”

Devas suddenly coughed as he diverted the topic. “Hmm… That’s enough. Maybe I should just proceed with the Princess’s trials in my territory today and end this as quickly as I can once and for all. I hate witnessing quarrels like this, so I’ll be off to get this over with.”

And with that, Devas disappeared along with his servants, together with all of the things he picked up amongst the offerings and gifts from Cordon.

Seeing her fellow guardian leave, Helena bit her inner cheek as she looked at Polo and Saha and said, “I’ll be taking my leave then.”

Seeing yet another guardian leave, Saha clicked her tongue as she shook her head at Polo. “Your temper is terrible.”

Polo’s frown deepened as he hissed, “And your greed in extending your own life is disgusting!”

“YOU!!!”

Saha moved for an attack, but Polo was quite fast in jumping into the water. Saha let out a heavy breath of annoyance as she mumbled, “If I don’t heed Helena’s begging, I’ll look heartless, but if I grant her request, I look greedy?”

Absently, Saha looked at the beautiful mirror that was amongst the gifts that they recieved. Staring at her own reflection, she murmured, “I just need some beautiful eyes at this point for a perfect human look. Maybe Devas is right… I should’ve given her one more hard trial.”

But even so, she chose not to, knowing that what she did was enough for her to let the Princess go. She honestly admired the determination in the Princess’s eyes. Instead of taking the easy way out, she didn’t, and proceeded to move forward to face the hardship coming her way. The others before her simply accepted her offer way once things got a little tough for them, leaving her unsatisfied.