Herald of Steel

Alexander first made his way to Hellma and Seelima's room, where the mother-daughter duo seemed to have taken the news relatively well.

Though Hellma scowled at Alexander the entire time, the bigger, mature version of her only smiled sweetly and assured Alexnader that they understood the circumstances and neither of them had any problem with the arrangements whatsoever.

How much of that was true and how Alexander actually believed the dangerous women were similar in quantity- minuscule.

But Alexander's next pair, proved a lot more hostile, as Azura and Azira only screamed and hissed at Alexander after he made the proposal.

"Huh, as if we will go anywhere with you, bad man!" Azira screeched.

"That's right. That's right. We are priestesses of the Temple of Ramuh. We will stay and die here," Azura who appeared a bit more mature reasoned with Alexander.

"Heh," Alexander only sneered, "What kind of priestess gives their temple's wealth away?"

"*Hisssss*, that's only because you tricked us, grrrr," Azira stood up on her feet like her tail was stepped on and ground her bare teeth at Alexander.

But instead of being intimidated, Alexander only found the tall girl's reaction cute and endearing.

He then told the girls, "Whether I tricked you or not is upto the king and the people to decide. But let me tell you something your uncle and I have decided. Tomorrow you and the priests will be made to swear in front of all the people how you handed me the riches of the temple and how I stole not a single coin from there."

"That…we will never do that. You threatened to hurt grandpa if we didn't," Azura loudly accused Alexander.

"Haha, did I," Alexander only chuckled and then brushed his hands, "Then tell the people that. Or just lie and say that you never did such things."

"We don't lie." Azira looked even angrier at being accused as such.

"That's right! Mother taught us that lying is a big sin," Azura had a bit of sadness in her voice.

'Ah, so pure,' Alexander was liking these two even more.

Then he informed, "Well, princess, it doesn't really matter what you say. The king wants the billions of roplas in the temple and he's gonna get it."

"And the only way he can take it without suffering immense backlash from the nobles is by saying that I was gifted the wealth by the priests of the temple and then gifted it back to the king."

"To that end, we have made preparations to have the twenty or some priests who told us about your father's escape swear in front of everyone that you gave the temple's treasures away when I demanded them of you."

"That's a lie.." Azira shook her dainty, ebony fists in rage.

"Oh, is that really so? I thought lying was a huge sin?" Alexander taunted with a pointed smirk.

"Well, umm, it's not fully ..true..it," Azira began to dawdle her finger as she found it hard to articulate her thoughts.

But Alexander cut her off, "Whatever the truth is doesn't matter. Not in the face of billions of roplas."

Then he asked a question, "Now, tell me, princesses, what do you think the nobles and people who stored their money in the temple think when they find out that you were the ones that gave away all their hard-earned cash?"

"They…they…will" Azira had a shaky, scared voice as she tried to say what came to her mind.

"They will kill us!" Azura gave sound to her sister's fears.

"Yes. And the king will agree because he will need a scapegoat," Alexander ominously predicted.

"You,,,you are lying," Azira shouted, though the certainty in her voice was distinctly missing.

Alexander picked up on this and chuckled, "Hehe, looks like even the princess doesn't believe herself."

"Father,..father will save," Azira stammered as she tried to grasp at the last straw like a drowning man.

"No, sister, he won't," This was Azura, who said it with a heavy melancholy in her voice.

"Sis, what do you mean?" Azira looked at her other half in shock.

"I mean, what commander Alexander said at the dining table was probably right. Father has probably abandoned us," Azura said with choking sobs.

"That…that…that's not true. Father left us because he respected our wishes." Azira almost screamed at her twin,

And then she pointed her immaculate digits towards Alexander and accused, "You, what did you do to my sister? Your forked tongue killed Uncle Barzan, Brother Fatrak and now it's poisoning Azura!"

'Well she isn't completely stupid,' Alexander chuckled inside that the girl had managed to get sixty-six percent of the answer correct.

Though he didn't do anything to Azura, he certainly had was up to his elbow with the other two.

Alexander responded to the accusations laid before him with a smirk, "Your Highness, your father doesn't love you. The proof is in the fact that he left you under the complete mercy of some ruthless mercenary while he made his getaway. If he truly cared for he would have forced you onto the boat and thus saved you."

Alexander then asked, "Tell me Your Highnesses, if the person you met yesterday was not me but any other person, what would have been your fate?"

"Did you think your status as a priestess would have saved you? We massacred hundreds of priests in the temple before getting to you. And that's not even mentioning that we don't even worship the same god as you."

"Or did you think your status as royalty would have saved you? Surely you can't be blind to what's happening to the nobles in the city, can you?"

Alexander's poignant questions deflated the spunky Azira while the melancholy on Azura's face only darkened.

But Alexander wasn't finished, "And even if you believe that Amenhearft left you here truly respecting your wish, even then the proof that your father cares not for you, is given by the fact that Pasha Farzah rebelled partly due to the unjust death of your mother."

"Why would he have rebelled if Amenhearaft had privately given more compensation for his lost daughter?"

"That,,, that." The twins found it hard to give an answer.

They had always suspected their father had grown cold and distant in recent years, much more preferring to spend his time with their new stepmother and baby brother than them, but the duo never took that into their hearts.

Instead, they were even happy that their father was finally showing a bit of happiness after their mother's death and the pair also particularly liked seeing their father dote on their youngest sibling,

Alexander then finished his argument by saying, "The only one who can protect you is now Pasha Farzah and me. But if Pasha Farzah does shelter you, the religious nobles of his territory will likely revolt."

"So that leaves only me," Alexander thumped his chest proudly.

Though inwardly he lampooned, 'Because the nobles under me are already rebelling.'

Alexander's words made the usually energetic twins visibly downcast and Azura, who appeared to be the maturer of the two, said, "Commander Alexander, please let us think for a while. The date of departure is not until a month and we will give you the answer by then."

Alexander was pleased to see that his efforts were not in vain and that they had managed to produce quite the effect.

The twins' attitude had changed from outright hostility to a poignant, somber reflection of their circumstances.

So Alexander bid his goodbye, "As your wish Your Highness. Please tell me your decision before we leave. If you want to go I will take you. And if you want to stay, I will also respect your wishes."

Then with a bow, Alexander excused himself.

And as he made his way, he could make out the twins screaming and shouting at each other, clearing each having strong opinions about the matter.

"We did steal their money. So, if the people want us dead, then let them kill us," Alexander heard Azira roar out.

While this was countered by Azura yelling, "I will not die that the hands of a mob for a crime I didn't commit."

And then Azira sneered, "Heh, when did you start fearing death sister?"

To which her sister retorted, "The day they burned mother right in front of us."

'Well looks like the girls have a lot to unpack here,' Alexander commented as his cat-fight reached his ears.

Of course, inwardly he had already made up his mind about the duo as their personal choices were just an illusion.

Not mentioning the fact he found the girl fresh and charming, their facial expressions pure and refreshing to his eyes, even without considering that the fact that they were related to all three great powers of Adhania, Amenheraft, Ptolomy, and Farzah, made them a vital chess piece Alexander could never let go.

If the princesses' refused to accompany him, he planned to simply tie them up and kidnap them.

And with these thoughts in mind, Alexander made his way toward his bedroom,