I don't like that foreshadowing. Is she saying that there may be a possibility that Damien might overthrow the king in the future? It didn't sound like a lie when he said that he didn't want to be king. I definitely don't want to be queen of this kingdom. Or any kingdom for that matter.
“I don't know,” I answered. “Kings leave an awful taste in my mouth.”
“So it's a matter of if the boy will leave a bad taste in your mouth later on,” she sighed. “How could I ever accept this marriage if you're so indecisive?”
I kept my mouth shut. I didn't really have anything to say in that regard. She is right though. I don't really know Damien's true intentions. No matter how good he makes me feel, it won't matter if he isn't honest with me in the end. I won't hesitate to let him go if he plans on hurting me. My feelings are a little too buckwild to be played with.
Diana sighed again, “My dearest daughter, what do you want right now?”
I blinked, “What do you mean?”
Diana softly lifted my head so she could get up. As she trekked through the flowers, I sat up pretzel-style to watch her. She placed her hand on the tree and the leaves shifted from green to blue.
“There are three feelings that a marriage ends in,” Diana began. “Love, hate, and indifference. You're leaning on hate in your current marriage.”
She turned to me, “If I accept your marriage with this adorable boy, it could end in either hate or indifference.”
Then, she walked closer to me, “You've suffered enough. I won't allow a marriage where you're unhappy. If it were up to me, you would be trapped here in this space where no one could hurt you.”
Diana closed her eyes and sighed, “But that's no different than a loveless marriage. I don't want my own daughter to hate me.”
I sat there and took it all in. My mother is really holding back when it comes to me. I almost want to cry but tears aren't going to solve the current problem.
What do I want?
I crossed my arms, closed my eyes and contemplated it. I really don't know. I like Damien. He's cute, fun to tease, and treats me as if I'm the only woman he sees. I know this marriage we want is more contractual than anything, but I don't mind his presence.
The image of him kissing my forehead entered my mind. I gasped as I hid my face in embarrassment.
Of all things to think about, it had to be this one?!
Not even the bold words he said to the maids or the sudden tackle tonight make me blush hard like this. Why am I so flustered over something like this? I got touched all the time by men who went crazy over me. Now you're telling me that Damien's touch is what sends me to the clouds?
Hello, Diana! Please touch the grass! Stop being so high up right now!
I heard my mother trying to hold in her cackling. I took my hands away from my face all flustered and gave her a glare.
“Don't tease me!” I shouted. “It's not like that!”
Goddess Diana slowly regained her composure, “I'm sorry, deary. I just couldn't…”
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Diana howled in laughter at my embarrassment. I went back into hiding and buried myself in the flowers. Is it too late to float in the sea of nothingness? I'd rather do that than deal with this right now.
Mother finally stopped laughing, “Oh my goodness. Your face is such a sight, my dearest daughter. I've never seen anything like it.”
I got back up after she stopped laughing and took my hands from my face. I still couldn't bring myself to look at her though. That's when she kneeled in front of me and cupped my chin, bringing it to her eye level.
“In all my years, I guess you still learn something new,” she said, smiling. “So, how about this…”
She cupped my cheek, massaging her thumb on it, “I'll accept your marriage on the surface. I'll play my part.”
My eyes widened, “Really?”
She stopped cupping my cheek and placed a hand in front of my face in one swift motion, as if to shush me.
“On one condition,” she continued. “Tell me how you really feel once the third prophecy is announced.”
I blinked. Contrary to Damien's statement this morning, no one truly knows what the third prophecy is. When mother relayed it to me, it felt like a different language altogether. So in theory, yes, the High Priest, Donna, and I know the third prophecy.
But, we can't decipher it until after some time has passed.
So truly, we really only have two prophecies. The third one is a surprise. I just hope it doesn't interrupt our plans later.
I nodded. It's not like it's going to be a hassle telling Goddess Diana how I feel. If anything, this all works out in my favor. She's not forcing me to do anything.
Diana put her hand down and smiled warmly, “Good. I hope that everything falls into place for you, my dear.”
She turned around and looked at the blue leaves on the tree, “Just like those leaves, things change. I want you to remember that.”
Everything went silent. I decided to lay in the bed of flowers and stare at the blue sky. Goddess Diana laid right next to me and ruffled my hair, maneuvering my head to lay onto her shoulder. It was an unconscious decision to just exist at the moment.
—
Damien found himself on top of the same building like last time. The same rustling and bustling of the city echoed to the skies. The same beeps and honks came from the four-wheeled vehicles. The same revving engines came from the two-wheeled ones. The same everything.
Why am I back here?
His thoughts were whipped back to reality when the same woman from before opened the door to the roof.
Wait… It's her again…
That same woman wore the same expression. Her movements were the same. Her ambition to end it all, still the same. Damien walked up to her, hoping to stop her this time.
Hoping for a different outcome.
“Why are you doing this?” He asked.
The woman didn't respond. She began walking to the edge of the building.
“Wait, stop!” Damien yelled.
She kept walking. He decided to keep pace with her this time. She was halfway to the edge.
“At least tell me why you would end it all. Why are you giving up?” He asked.
She stopped.
Wait, that's different. This didn't happen last time.
The black haired beauty turned her head slowly to meet Damien's eyes. He flinched a little but kept his composure.
“That damned waste of space of a man,” she whispered. “I'll never forgive him… I'll never forgive myself for loving him…”
Tears of blood were falling down her cheeks, “I'll never forgive. I'll never forget.”
She turned her gaze away from him and continued walking. Damien, who was a little surprised by the hint, got himself together and continued to keep pace with her. Now that something different happened, he was determined for another outcome.
“You don't have to do this!” Damien shouted to her. “Who cares about that man?”
She didn't listen. She just kept walking until she went towards the edge.
“This is it,” she said once more. “I'll leave it all behind tonight.”
“Stop!” Damien shouted.
But she didn't listen. She still fell. The same old splatter echoed throughout the skies. The same old cries. The same red and blue lights illuminating the area.
And the same old Damien, eyes widened at the top of the building.
—
Donna stationed herself outside of Fantasia's bedroom. It was a dull night until she flinched a few times at two presences, Damien and Bryant. She allowed Damien inside her radiance's bedchambers and stayed outside with Bryant.
He gave her a smile, “You're working really hard today, Sword.”
She nodded, “If I don't, then who will?”
“You really did become haughty after receiving a title. Going through puberty?”
“I wish it was puberty…”
Donna knew full well that once the sacred oath was made, her feelings and mannerisms would match that of her title. It's not like she expected to become a Sword, which has possibly one of the highest responsibilities regarding the Saintess.
Donna just wanted to stay by Fantasia's side, who she now knows as Diana.
To think that the Goddess Diana passed her name down to her daughter…
For some reason, it didn't bode well with Donna that the goddess passed down her name like that. When Saintesses die, their souls return back in the arms of the goddess. What happens to them afterwards is a mystery. All that is known is that they reappear fifty years after the death of the previous Saintess.
But there hasn't been a Saintess in two hundred years until now.
Comments (2)
See all