CHAPTER 273: Princess Elizabeth is...

Nixon whistled while the others teased the two of them.

Nevertheless, after kissing her on the lips, Hunter smiled widely, his eyes shining brightly.

The complete contrast of his coldness and seriousness in the past.

It seems that it wasn't only Saphira who was able to break free this time, he too was able to do it.

Because Hunter may smile from time to time but this is the most energetic smile he had for a long while.

Then he planted another soft kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you, for coming back to us."

Saphira smiled with the same shine on her eyes, "Thank you for patiently waiting for me."

Another round of teasing from their friends.

"What's wrong with me kissing my fiance?" Saphira asked them jokingly when they didn't stop teasing her.

Nixon raised both hands, "Nope, no problem at all."

"Yeap, no problem," Ridge followed.

"That's right we have no problem about it," Felix added.

Drake simply shook his head with a smile.

"Go on and keep kissing," Stormie teased more.

Willow laughed but she was also happy for the two of them.

Saphira laughed as well.

The scene of the seven of them happily enjoying themselves caused Elizabeth, her parents and two brothers to smile happily.

"Looking at them from here, they all looked like simple young adults. It doesn't seem like they were the fore front of our battle against darkness," the king commented.

He was holding the gem for communication.

"They have grown so much without us knowing about it," Reginald replied.

They were in a video call.

"Your majesty," Elizabeth spoke.

Reginald looked at her.

"I apologize for hurting them, for being the reason that she had broken down."

Her father had told her that Felix seemed to have showed the world Saphira's tears, so their home Empire must have known of it as well.

Reginald shook his head with a gentle smile, "It's fine, they have grown, that is what is most important. You can grow as well, I am sure of it because you had them looking after you."

Elizabeth smiled, she felt that Reginald was talking about the time they spent after they found her.

Reginald, on the other hand, returned his eyes on the group.

In particular, on Saphira.

'I wonder if she realized it already.'

With a sigh, he knew she will call once she realized it because basing it on her reaction on the first day, Saphira had long forgotten about it.

He bid them goodbye and thanked them as well.

The family started chatting on their own with smiles on their faces, they were truly happy that Elizabeth returned alive and well.

"There is one thing I want to say," Saphira said as they watched the royal family enjoying themselves.

The other seven looked at her.

"Princess Elizabeth is... Elise."

They stared at her blankly, what was she suddenly saying.

This was a sudden attack she had given them. It was so sudden and she dropped it like it was nothing.

Hunter and Ridge was the most shock.

They stared at her blankly, gone were the smiles on their faces a while ago.

"But she is a lot younger than we are," Ridge couldn't help but say.

The Elise they knew was of the same age as them.

While Elizabeth was five years younger than them.

How can they suddenly believe what Saphira was saying.

Saphira smiled, "I myself have forgotten about it. I only remembered after all my memories from childhood was returned to me."

Her asking Light to remove her memories, ended with her actually remembering even those from when she was a child.

"Because that time I had caused damaged to myself, that those memories were damaged as well."

"What do you mean?" Hunter asked her.

"Elise was burned but she was burned when they talked about her death but in reality she was burned with the fire of Phoenix. Having already a body attribute that could heal itself, she was capable of being reborn through her ashes. Fifi..."

She smiled sadly, no matter how many times she were to speak her inborn beast's nickname, she will always feel sad.

Fifi gave up his life for her to live, he willingly shielded her and died just so she can survive.

Hunter couldn't help but to reach out and hold her hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze.

Saphira smiled, though there was sadness, there was acceptance.

She had long accepted the death of her inborn beast and had embraced Vermilion Bird as her accompanying beast.

She took a deep breath before continuing, "Was the one who told me on how I can save Elise back then. But that is only a one time thing, after being reborn all of her attributes connected to self healing would be gone. At the same time, the only way for her to be reborn was using phoenix fire."

She sighed, "It was an atonement on my part."

They had long heard from Willow and Stormie about Saphira's connection to Elise that they were unaware of.

And so they understood why she was saying that it was an atonement on her side.

They waited as she revealed to them what exactly happened after Ridge and Hunter were pulled out of that place.

(Flashback)

Saphira was playing by the garden as she waited for her father to come.

She had joined him in coming to the palace to have some chance to read in the library.

But during this time, she haven't met the empress yet.

It was close to night and she was getting bored.

'Hmmm.'

'What's wrong Fifi?' she asked when she heard him react.

'That child...'

'Who? What child?'

'The child you saved, she's close by.'

An obvious happiness appeared on her face, 'Did she come to visit?'

'No, this feeling. She feels like she was losing her vitality.'

Her little face frowned, 'What are you suddenly talking about?'

'I told you she has Phoenix blood in her blood, that is why I can feel her vitality when she is close.'