“Tell me the truth; why would you two pretend to be in love? What could be the reason other than that?”
Shia heard a familiar, seductive voice say these words. Sure enough, as she peeked inside the dressing room, she saw her – Lady Edelfina Nanris. Her arms were lovingly tangled around Prince Langrion’s neck, and she was caressing the back of his head.
Shia had half-expected Langrion to act hostile towards her, but he was not pushing her away. In fact, it seemed like he was looking intently up to her, focusing his attention to the playful way she said her words against his ears and the way her long, beautiful lashes brushed against each other whenever she blinked. Shia watched as Langrion moved closer to her face and said his words in a half whisper.
“It’s because of you, Edelfina. You are the reason, the one and only reason why we needed to pretend...”
Shia wished she had just turned around at that point, but she stood there seemingly frozen, and as
After hearing the trumpet signalling the start of the debutant ball, Shia went back arm in arm with Prince Danterion to the pavilion’s backstage. “So what do you say? Would you like to change partners for the night so that we can show the two of them how dashing we would positively look as a couple?” Shia smiled softy and nodded. Prince Danterion was indeed an excellent tactician as Langrion had told her in the past. Who else could come up with a revenge plan that quickly right after getting hurt? “Great! I’m going to show you how this game should be played,” he said, kissing her hand. The prince quickly went to the masters of ceremony to inform them of the change in partnership. Shia looked over to him and realized that Prince Danterion did not seem like a bad person at all - except for the fact that he might be the real Demon King based on what Danry had revealed to her in the library. Earlier, when Danterion had proposed the plan of switchi
Shia’s face turned deadly white as she called the name of the Ancient Evil. “Si-Sirion?...” As if by cue, the sounds of the debutant waltz began, and Prince Danterion - no, Sirion de Luca, the arch nemesis of the gods of Teotroly and the love of Freya’s life – started to twirl her around on the dance floor. She called his name once more as she landed in his arms and moved her closer towards his left side, embracing her tightly. “Sirion!” “Who is Sirion?” the prince began to ask. Shia peered at Danterion’s face, only to be greeted back by the sight of his worried-looking ocean-blue irises. She began to look back at her left wrist, and nothing was there; there were no tattoos, no swirling marks, and no burning sensation of any kind. Did she just imagine all of those things? “I-It’s nothing...” Shia replied back, faking a smile in her lips. Her heart raced. What did that vision mean? “Are you sure, Lady Shia? Are you sure you are
It was difficult enough to face Langrion, but it was equally difficult to say the words that had loomed all along at the back of Shia’s mind. “You can’t get hurt by someone you don’t love, right? And I agree...” she began to say. The prince blinked back at her. Perhaps he remembered that he was the one who spoke these words to her at the halls of the Rubiyah Manor. At any rate, Shia did not want to hear him speak. She began to fill in the silence for the two of them. “I saw you and Lady Edelfina at the dressing room. You looked good together. It looked as if she still had some feelings for you. It seems like you still like her a lot too. I’m sure you’d make a great couple, if you choose each other now.” She began to turn her back away from him, but Langrion held on her shoulders fast. He was still unable to speak. His silence felt like hot steel rubbing against her bare skin. Shia couldn’t bear to look back at his eyes lest she starts to cry.
Sweat poured down generously at Caldwell’s body when he reached the Rubiyah Manor. In a feverish haste to get away, he had forgotten that his presence was still badly needed at the pavilion and that it would look suspicious if he did not go back and showed himself again. However, after what had happened back there, he could not possibly bring himself back to face the crowd, especially Shia Hyanessa Andry, Tristal’s granddaughter and Langrion’s fiancé, who most certainly will be there. He was supposed to give his blessings to her and his nephew during their formal engagement ceremony, and he simply did not have the guts to do it. As soon as he reached his residence, Gascone’s present king and Imperial Ruler, Caldwell Nanris, collapsed on the floor of his room and nervously cupped his head in his palms. ‘Why?! Why?! Why?!’ he screamed at himself. Out of all people, why must it be Tristal?! Why must it be his Tristal who should come and face him to reveal what he had tr
Caldwell’s face went as pale as a ghost. Did he really hear Tristal’s words correctly? “I know you must be Langrion and Danterion’s real father. It’s because of you that the prophecy of the Demon King might be fulfilled…” Utterly surprised, he let go of her trembling form. She started to stagger away from him, but she caught one of her arms once more. “Tristal… No… You must have been mistaken…” “I am not mistaken, Cal. We both know it… And Cashmere knows it too…” Her beloved Tristal said, weeping openly now in exasperation. “H-How?... How did you know?...” “Cashmere sent me letters before she took her own life, Cal… I thought they were letters that reflected the flimsy state of her sanity after what happened during the princes’ baptismal, but they weren’t… On her final letter, she included something else… An official manuscript of the oracle of the divine…” “Your crimes against her were detailed in there, Cal… Cashmere could ne
Langrion opened his heavy eyes. It felt like they wanted to remain shut against the midday sun, but he forced them to stay awake. His body ached all over, and his muscles felt too heavy and too weak to even roll over. He had to inch himself several times just to be able to do this. After some time, when the sleepiness that had taken over his mortal form had ebbed a little, he found himself sprawled amidst a haystack. He felt around his face too and was relieved to see that his mask was still on him. ‘Why am I here?’ Langrion asked himself, dumbfounded. The last thing that he remembered was being at the maze garden of Sensala’s Grand Pavilion, and he was running around looking for Shia. ‘My Shia,’ he remembered quickly. Rogue cursed ones had made a sudden attack at the grand pavilion. He, Khailis, and Shia were in the middle of chasing one particular rogue when he was taken over by an outpour of emotions as he clutched Shia firmly in his arms when he had sense
Langrion looked at Shia’s shaking form against the pale glow of the moonlight. He stroked her face that was wet from tears after crying her eyes out at the funeral pyre. He moved closer towards her and whispered, “Sleep well, Shia...” He stood up to leave, but she clutched his hand gently with her long, beautiful fingers that were still cold from being outside for too long. “Please don’t leave,” she breathed into him, “Stay here, Langrey... Don’t leave me...” She did not need to say it. His heart and body would give in to her wishes anytime. Perhaps sensing this, Shia moved slowly but deliberately towards him. She unclasped his mask, exposing his cursed eye. She caressed his cheeks with her lovely fingers, and lifting her face closer into his lips, she kissed him. He stroked her beautiful, silver locks that tangled themselves in his hands as they kissed. She moved his soft lips upon him, teasing him, stirring heat into him. Without a thought,
As Langrion bid his goodbye to Shia that morning, she said something to him that had started to bother him a bit. “Mage Silas is not just a mere magician. He is actually a god himself. His real name is Galahad.” He opened up the discussion on what to do now that Nana has passed away. Langrion remembered that the duchess’ last instruction for him was to oversee their wedding immediately, but they did not get to have their engagement announcement yet at the debutant ball. It could become harder now for them to make haste, especially since they are still in the period of mourning. He had asked Shia what she would like to do about their engagement. She did not speak for a while, and instead of answering him directly, she revealed this information about Mage Silas. He remembered the age-old myth between the Goddess of Light and the God of Reversals. He vaguely remembered the name of the god that had loved Freya based on the myths, but upon hearing her say
“Ugh, I absolutely hate boys,” Khailis said in disgust as she threw her sweaty gauntlet onto the floor.Shortly after, Khalis heard a shriek. She gasped as she realized who it was she had just injured.“Gavil, Gavil, I’m so sorry! Were you hurt?”A black furry cat sat by the floor, rubbing his bum with his tail due to the accident she had just caused.Khalis has often gone home in sulky moods before, but this was the first time he was ever hit by him, and as a result, his feelings were deeply hurt.Khalis picked him up like a baby and put him at her lap, stroking his sleek, black fur and patting his behind apologetically. “Was my Gavil hurt? Were you injured?”Gavil whimpered some more, not because he was hurt but because he was sad and lonely. Even before Khailis went out today, Gavil had stayed in this spot because it was the most comforting place in her room. Every day, Khailis went
“Are you coming tonight?”Danterion placed his arms around my waist as I tied the last few knots of my dress. He repeated his words when I did not speak.“Are you coming again tonight, Fina?”I did not answer because I didn’t know what to tell him. This was the third night that I had come here on my own and sought him. I had been feeling rather sad and empty lately, but Langrey came back in town today, and I agreed to meet him at the same, old place. True, I had been deliberating in my mind if today would be a good time to call everything off between us, but how could I possibly know how things will turn out? How would I know if I needed solace and comfort again after I break up with my childhood sweetheart and his own twin brother today?I shook the thought away from my head. I am a bad, bad person, I know; I had been seeing Danterion for half a year now behind his brother’s back. Although Langrey and I had a long hist
Silver roses bloom only for a week once every five years – their life spans are too short and too far apart but also far too sweet to be fully ignored. These flowers are like one’s childhood love – a memory that came too soon but rarely leaves. Tristal Mariana Andry, the Grand Duchess of the Noble House of Andry, sighed deeply. At age sixty and mostly bedridden, she had become more and more prone to melancholic spells, especially when it came to remembering her past. Today, she had been in reverie once more as she faced a seemingly daunting task. It was the first time she had been out of her room and in a party. It was also the first time in decades that she had chosen to speak to Caldwell again – the present king of Gaulane and her past lover. The details of her last communication with Cal, as she would lovingly call him ages ago, had already slipped away from her mind, but the memories of their first encounter loomed as fresh as yesterday for her. It all started fr
“I, the new sun of Gascone, swear to dedicate my life into the service of my people. I swear this oath in the name of my father and my forefathers before me and in the name of the holy gods and goddesses of Teotroly!” Everybody cheered as the new king took his oath. They gazed at his ocean blue eyes, and they were taken aback by the honesty of his words and his demeanor. They welcomed him and his new queen with open arms. Shia looked back at the dignified man’s jet-black hair and mesmerizing blue-eyes with awe. She was proud and happy at what he had accomplished so far. It had been four months since the battle between them and Sirion has ended, and in those four months, he had been able to recover by and by. During the battle that left half of the castle in ruins, the last clear vision in Shia’s mind was that of Sirion plunging a sword in Danterion’s body – the body that hosted him – just after claiming that his death will fulfil what he had lon
As soon as Shia cut through the kraken’s tentacle, she found herself falling helplessly down. She screamed. She had forgotten the fact that she could not fly. She was really a useless goddess. Thankfully, the feeling of falling suddenly stopped, and Shia was turned upright by an invisible force. When she craned her neck to see who it was that helped her, she spotted a familiar face. It was Marmie, and she was staying some distance away, manipulating her fall. Almost instantaneously, a cry emerged from up above her, and she saw two flying entities swoop down into the center of the kraken’s head where Sirion was. Finally they came! Gilyan and the Commander were perched at Chibi’s back, and a black winged puma, who could only be Gavil, went into the courtyard to help them. “Sirion,” Shia shouted. “Let Danterion go! It’s over! You are outnumbered!” Sirion simply laughed at her, seemingly unfazed. “Do you think you and your puny friends could kill
Darkness covered the sky as birds from all direction converge towards the courtyard where Gavil, Chibi, and Marmie had seen Langrion go earlier. “Come on, let’s go and help Shia now. She had been taken away by some monster, but I think she’s nearby,” Khailis remarked as she tried to stand, but Gavil held her tightly by the shoulder. “Wife, you stay here with Goddess Eily. The rest of us will go.” “Wait, no! How can I stay here? There’s no action here! Plus, I’m fine, don’t worry too much,” Khailis said, beaming with energy. “You’re not fine. We might lose our babies, and I don’t want to lose you too... Ever!” Khalis looked back at Gavil’s glistening eyes. For the first time since he had met him, he saw him shed tears... Ah, she had almost forgotten! The blood of knighthood runs so strongly in her veins, but first and foremost, she was a mother now and a wife to someone who deemed her precious... She couldn’t possibly be as bold and car
“Just a little bit more, my lady... Please...” Gilyan have not begged anyone saved the God of Darkness for years. He didn’t have to before this. He became a free man because of His Darkness, but now, he found himself in a predicament where he would kneel down and kiss the earth if he could just get his wish. He didn’t know how many hours they had been buried down there. He tried his best since earlier to get help from above. However, he could not sense any living being, or was it perhaps because his magic was weak and limited? Earlier, the goddess who was with them revealed something about him that he felt had some semblance of truth. “All who can wield powers have the imprints of divinity in them, and you, in particular, given that strong sense of power, I’d say you must be a candidate for a god.” He had believed those words. After all, he had seen how his powers had gotten out of bounds even without the God of Darkness’ permission.
Langrion could not believe it! His wife almost died. If he was just a second late, she would have perished! She surely wouldn’t have survived! A heart beat ago, he swopped as fast as he could towards the open fire burning at the castle’s courtyard. He had seen it countless of times before, looking like a candle far-away in his own tower. He heard the pleas of the cursed ones like him, begging, screaming for help, but his uncle never did give his mercy at any of those times. As such, Langrion feared those flames for a long time. He felt like they were the cause of his torment. He should have died with those people accused of being cursed a long time ago. He should have been the first to burn, but because he was a prince, he survived. He lived until his present age of twenty one years old... That’s right. Today is his twenty first birthday, and today, he just turned curseless. The mask on his face fell as he snatched Shia away from the burning flames th
Langrion and Gavil, together with Chibi and Marmie, wasted no time travelling to the place they needed to go: the capital city of Gascone – Gaulane. “I can take us there easily, Prince Langrion,” Marmie said during the dead of the night a few second before they ascended in the air. Marmie was on Chibi’s back while Gavil had already transformed himself into his beast form – an enormous, black feline with wings like an eagle. “How,” Langrion asked. The last time he checked, Marmie’s powers involved controlling things with her mind. Can she also create voids like Galahad? “With this,” Marmie said, pulling away her sleeve from her left hand. There was a tattoo that looked like an eye with feathers reaching on both sides. “This was installed by the Ancient Evil when he controlled me... when he controlled us. We were supposed to use it once we have fulfilled our mission. Although I was not conscious at the time he was controlling my thoughts, I remembered it well i