The night prior to the investigative tribunal, Shia tossed in bed uneasily, unable to sleep as a thousand and one thoughts raced in her head. Did she really hear the king say it correctly? He is proposing marriage to her, but why?
She couldn’t think of a single, sane answer to her question. She knew that the king might have had disgusting thoughts about her inside his head, but she didn’t think he would be doing such an elaborate plan if his only end goal was to sleep with her. There was also the matter about the oracle and the letters that Langrion’s mother made to her grandma. From the looks of it, King Caldwell had every motive to hurt her grandmother, and he knew that Shia was aware of this. But to propose marriage just so she wouldn’t talk about this secret – this was utterly insane!
She buried her head into a pillow. She missed Langrion so much. Her thoughts were all over the place, and she missed having him to discuss these confusing ideas with. She missed his
Mage Silas assisted Shia all the way until they were able to get out of the court house successfully. He propped her to a seat in the open garden of the court house, which was thankfully deserted, to ebb her light-headedness away. As soon as she was seated, she cupped her face in her hands and began to cry uncontrollably. It was all her fault that Prince Langrion and Khailis had to accept the false accusations thrown against them! If she had not gone to the court room that day, Langrion would never have to fear for her safety and Khailis would never have to cover for her. If she had just exposed the king’s letters while she was there, the king would have been thrown in jail too, and who knows? The claim against the prince and Khailis would have possibly been overturned. If she had never met the prince at Ylann in the first place and he never rescued her, he would never have had to face this predicament of being exposed as a cursed one at all! She was the sole root ca
At noontime, Shia entered the library of the Rubiyah Manor. She has an appointment with King Caldwell at dinner time, but she wanted to come to talk to Danterion first so that she could make a clearer decision as to what she must do in order to free Langrey and Khailis. She actually hated the idea of talking to Danterion, but she hated to blindly trust the king to keep his promise even more. She knew that Sirion would become privy to her plans, but she also knew that he could only know what she chooses to reveal, so there was no need to become too anxious. Shia only half-expected Langrion’s brother to be at the library, but she did not expect that Lady Edelfina would be there as well. The golden-haired maiden eyed her smugly from across a cushioned seat while Prince Danterion looked up to her from a book he was reading as she came closer towards them. “Lady Shia, I can’t say that it’s a surprise to see you, but it certainly is a surprise that you would send m
Exhausted to the brim, Shia’s body collapsed to the floor. She closed her eyes as she tried to regain her strength. She needed to focus. She needed to keep her wits with her and focus. “You can’t lose consciousness now. We haven’t even covered half of what you should be learning.” Mage Silas – or Galahad - sighed. “I-I know. I won’t lose focus,” Shia said, picking her heavy body up from the ground, standing up again in her trembling, wobbling feet. She was wearing clothes that resembled her garments back in the desserts of Soccora where she had spent most of her childhood. She liked the thick but light fabric that covered only the upper half of body, exposing her waist, but on the lower part, she donned riding pants, similar to what Lady Khailis used to wear when she fulfilled her functions as part of the Imperial Guards. Her dress was part of her preparation for her new lessons – magic lessons with Mage Silas and sword fighting lessons with Prince Danterion.
“I kept my promise to you; now, you must keep yours,” King Caldwell muttered to Shia when she was just about to go down from the carriage that they shared. Shia painfully gulped down the tears and the uncertainties that were stuck in her throat. She recalled the promises he had asked her to keep the night before when they were discussing at the dining hall of the Rubiyah Manor. “This wedding has its own terms, love. If you expect me to keep my end of the bargain, you have to fulfil your end as well,” the king declared as he drank his wine from a fancy chalice. “What are these terms then?” she asked dryly. “I will release your dear prince and his guard if you fulfil all my wishes. I will release the guard first, but your prince will be kept locked up for a month until after our wedding. I have to ensure that the wedding has been fully consummated before I release him.” The term ‘consummate,’ made Shia’s blood boil and shiver at the same time. “
The afternoon whiled away with Khailis and Shia discussing the events that had transpired during the days of their separation. “I’m sure I can go to Prince Langrey in jail and inform him of what is happening outside,” Khailis said, feeling quite disturbed after hearing the king’s propositions to Shia. “No, you couldn’t! You are relieved of your duties as an Imperial Guard, and I cannot communicate with Langrion for now. But don’t worry; I shall make you my lady-in-waiting for my upcoming wedding so that you can stay in the palace with me.” “So, you mean you shall really proceed with the wedding?” “I… I have no choice for now…” Shia replied, downcast. Khailis moved closer to hug her again. “Oh, Shia, we must come up with a plan soon! People might petition for Langrey’s execution once the news of his curse spreads in the Capitol. If that happens, even the king himself would never be able to save Langrion!” “I –I know.” Shia choked back t
As soon as Shia and Khailis were shown to their rooms at the Imperial Palace, Shia locked the door and sat herself right in the middle of the hard, marbled floor. “A-are you alright?” Khailis asked, patting the top of her head gently. Shia did not speak. Her eyes were set downcast, and she felt so rotten to her core. She really didn’t want Khailis or anyone else to ever see her in this state. She hated that she needed comforting from her, and she hated herself that she let someone as vile as the old king make her feel so powerless and so defeated. She tried to act as nonchalant as she could when she was at the balcony earlier and even afterwards when she was escorted down from it, holding the king’s arm like they were really engaged. In truth, her insides were churning rapidly, trembling in nervousness and repulse of what had just taken place between her and the king. “Shia, we need to inform Langrey as soon as we can of what might happen to him.”
Shia took a final sip of the aromatic cup of tea that Lady Edelfina had served. She had never been a tea drinker, but this tea tasted like heaven. It had actually helped quell the headache she had been suffering due to the amount of guiding stones in the Capitol. She reminded herself that she should ask Lady Nanris for the supplier’s contact before she leaves. Out of all the people in Gaulane, Shia had been so surprised to get an invitation from Edelfina. It was no secret that they do not get along. The way that her beautiful emerald-green eyes flashed sharply at her and the number of times she would twirl her curls violently whenever Shia was around showed the deep animosity that ran between them. She actually thought that Edelfina would be the first person to laugh at her fate. After all, she was present at the library when she sought Prince Danterion’s help to escape the king. However, this lady from a well known noble house sent out a letter asking for her presen
The world shifted dangerously under Shia’s gaze. Perhaps this served her right. She had been so flustered when she cornered Lady Edelfina earlier that she had failed to determine the actual amount of poison that her own body could handle. The truth was that she had half-wanted to die back there. Lady Edelfina’s proposition seemed reasonable. Death would have been the best route for her. By the gods of Teotroly, she will wed the king in two days! What can she do to stop it if not just die? She and Khailis had already thought of a plan, and although Khailis had assured her that it will work, she was still doubtful. She wanted to see Langrion so badly and tell him that help was on the way. She had tried talking to the king about it, but he was pensive about this and did not give her any answers yet. It looked like he was half-expecting her to propose something indecent, but even out of desperation, she couldn’t bring herself to do so, so she simply walked out of him at
“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