Flaunting Feathers

When Gideon observed Eros in the distance, Eros, too, looked at the row of people lined up in front of the ship. His blue eyes searched for the familiar figure of the woman, but to his disappointment, she was nowhere in sight. A slight frown settled over his forehead as he looked up at the ship's bow, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. But the deck was empty, with no one in sight.

"Where did she go?" he murmured quietly.

"Pardon, Your Majesty?" Silas asked, bewildered.

Without replying, Eros approached the crew. Gideon's shoulders straightened, and he bowed at a ninety-degree angle, conveying his deep respect.

"Long live the King of Dusthaven!" Gideon proclaimed, followed by his crew, who echoed the praise after their captain.

"Raise."

After receiving the order, Gideon stood straight, greeting Eros. "It's our honor to escort the great king back, Your Majesty."

Eros chuckled. "Does Captain Bib work so hard for my arrival that you ended up with scratch marks all over your face?" he lightly inquired.

Gideon was over the moon when he heard the young king address him as 'Captain Bib,' but his smile faded when the disaster on his face was mentioned. He cursed Pipo in a boundless sea of curse words in his heart, yet his face revealed a proud smile outside.

"Indeed, Your Majesty. I had to present the best for the king," he remarked.

Eros nodded. "Then I leave myself in the care of the Captain."

Gideon bowed again and escorted him aboard the Primrose. The people at the port couldn't help but be awed by Eros's presence. The crew members swiftly assisted the royal guards in loading the trunks onto the ship. Thaddeus carried the trunks to the stateroom, prepared for the king.

Originally, the room belonged to Mirabella, as Gideon always gave the best for her. The room was larger than any other in the galley and had been specially decorated for the king's arrival.

When everything was settled, with a loud honk, the Primrose departed from Everdale's port. Eros stood at the ship's bow, his hands folded behind his back. The wind tousled his flaxen hair, letting it dance freely. The people at the port watched him depart, his luxurious tippet which was draped around his shoulders and arms, swaying in the breeze, enhancing his majestic image.

Unbeknownst to the people on the ship, a sparrow flew straight toward one of the ship's portholes, followed closely by a monkey who leaped onto the chain connected to the anchor and jumped through the same porthole.

"Your Majesty, I think you should get some rest. The arrangements have been made in your room," Silas informed him.

Eros turned to look at him, then his eyes scanned the crew working on the deck. Leaning against the railing, he asked his advisor, "What do you think of this crew?"

Silas glanced at the people on board and commented, "An eagle, a wren, a pair of roadrunners, and a condor, all under the command of a human. Indeed, an odd crew, Your Majesty."

Eros raised his brows. "And who might that lovely human be?" he asked with a hint of amusement.

With confidence, Silas answered, "Of course, it's Captain Gideon, Your Majesty." However, he was still puzzled by how a human could lead such powerful bird folk.

Eros's lips twitched slightly. "He's anything but human," he muttered under his breath. With a sigh, he followed Silas to his assigned room. His brows knitted in confusion as the strong fragrance of the Hall of Void assaulted his nose as he stepped into the cabin.

He paused mid-step. "Whose room was this?" he asked Silas.

Silas, noticing the change in his king's demeanor, answered respectfully, "This room belonged to the captain's daughter."

"And where is she now?" Eros questioned, his voice laced with an urgency Silas couldn't quite place.

He blinked at the question, surprised by his king's interest in an insignificant crew member. Still, as a dutiful advisor, he replied, "The captain mentioned that his daughter was unwell and did not board the ship."

Eros's eyes darkened, a hint of regret settling in. He regretted taking the blanket away from her that day.

"How fragile are you, little birdie?" he mused.

He plopped onto the bed, took his headdress off, and placed it aside. Without minding Silas's presence, he began to undress. Taking it as a cue, Silas bowed and exited the cabin.

Changing into comfortable clothes, Eros lay on the bed with his hands under his head. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing the scent of the woman to stir his senses.

He had yet to discover how she was related to the Hall of Void, and for that, he needed to summon that person, which he was very much against. Right now, getting back to Dusthaven and dealing with that crafty bastard Jamal was more important than going back to Everdale.

"You wasted my efforts of hour-long beautification, little birdie," he whispered, turning to lie flat on his stomach and closing his eyes.

Neatly stacked at the side of the same room were the trunks that had been loaded onto the ship. Kael, the raven, clutched his stomach and rolled around within one of the trunks.

His black plumes flapped against the clothing as if he were drowning. He lay atop the garments with his wings spread wide and breathless. He was unsure whether it was the sea or something else that churned his stomach.

The little raven was drenched in sweat and lay there with his tongue stuck out. On the other hand, Mirabella, who entered through the porthole, didn't expect to end up in the chamber assigned to the king of Dusthaven. Even though it had been her room before, she could hardly recognize it.

The floor was clean and carpeted with a soft mattress. Her bed had been replaced with a wider one, covered in a soft, silky mattress. Red curtains hung at the side of the window, and new, bright hanging lanterns illuminated the room softly.

Her small sparrow self looked at the man sleeping on the bed with his back to her. Since he was in the largest room on the ship, she knew right away that he had to be the king of Dusthaven. She didn't want to get caught by the king and intended to slip out of the room silently. But to her demise, Pipo, who had followed her, perched on the porthole and sneezed suddenly.

Her eyes widened, and she immediately flew toward the side where the trunks were arranged. Pipo, on the other hand, didn't have the leisure time to hide. He simply pulled the curtain and rolled around himself like a dumpling sitting on the porthole.

Mirabella was speechless at Pipo's stupidity. Glancing up, she saw the partially opened trunk and swiftly dove inside. She landed on a soft cushion of clothes and rose to her feet. Kael lightly tilted his bill and looked at the newcomer. His eyes widened at the sparrow, who was a little larger than his figure. Mirabella also noticed the movement behind her and turned to look.

(⊙_⊙)?

They were both dumbfounded by each other's presence.

For an instant, Mirabella was confused because her initial assumption was that he was a thief, but he was too small for that. However, Kael's concern lay elsewhere; he was distressed that his pathetic self had been revealed in front of the lady sparrow.

As soon as Eros heard the sound, he opened his eyes. His gaze was sharp as an arrow as he stood up from the bed and looked in the direction of the noise. His attention was caught by a figure wrapped in the curtains in the porthole, but soon a big grin appeared on his lips when his gaze fell on the tail swaying behind the figure.

He approached and tugged the curtains aside to reveal Pipo, who was hiding his face behind his claws. Eros looked at the ridiculous monkey, noting the single strand of hair on his bald head.

He lifted his hand and caught the hair between his thumb and forefinger. Realizing the person's intention, Pipo put his claws down and looked up at him pitifully, but his eyes widened in surprise at the familiar figure.

"Where is she?" Eros asked maliciously, the pressure of his fingers increasing slightly.

Pipo was forced to choose between saving Mirabella and his majestic hair. Without thinking twice, he pointed his claws in the direction of the trunks where she was hidden.

Eros released his grip on the hair and approached the trunks. Pipo, feeling guilty for selling her master out, jumped from the porthole and exited the room in search of Gideon to save Mirabella.

The dumbfounded birds within the trunks heard an approaching set of footsteps. The half-opened trunk closed with a loud bang, and they both started to sweat in panic, but to their surprise, they felt someone moving the box.

On the deck, the crew members looked at the king with curiosity as they saw him emerging from the lower deck with the big trunk on his shoulder.