Editor: Areth Kyntaul
“Your Highness. You have a letter from humanity.”
Vyvyan took the letter from the messenger. The north should’ve been a field of heavy snow, but after she arrived, all the snow melted overnight, and the northern army returned to their camp. Vyvyan opened the letter and revealed a strange smile on her face. She spoke to herself” “This sheet of paper… it looks like that woman is unsettled. Fakes are fakes in the end. They’re always one step behind no matter what.”
Lucia walked up to the queen and asked, “Your Highness, did the humans send you a letter? What did they say?”
“Hmm…”
Vyvyan fell into a silence for a moment before smiling and replying, “To put it simply, the humans are unsatisfied with your marriage. It looks like they want to find my son a wife so they sent a letter asking to discuss the matter with me.”
Lucia shrugged it off. Vyvyan looked at her, smiled and said, “Aren’t you worried, Lucia? After all, your fiancé is being threatened into marriage by someone.”
“I am not worried because I trust His Highness. I trust His Highness loves only me. And so I am not worried. If there is someone over there who wants to seduce His Highness, I shall personally take her head.”
Lucia looked at Vyvyan determinedly. Vyvyan smiled and then responded, “Humanity’s empress is coming over, so we do have to receive her whatever the case may be. However, Lucia, you don’t have to worry. I will never accept humans.”
“I know. I received a letter from my father a few days ago. My wedding dress is ready. We can get married next month.” Although Lucia’s eyes were still half-shut, her excitement couldn’t be contained and displayed itself in her voice. Two childhood friends could finally tie the knot. That had always been Lucia’s dream until now. She could finally realise it. The future she craved was right in front of her. She just had to reach out to grab it.
“My son is in Galle Village right now. Lucia, don’t you want to go and see him? You can still make it in time if you head there now.”
Vyvyan casually tossed the letter from the empress into the fire and continued, “The matter here has been sorted. The mana deficit here caused the temperature to drop over here and over there. We will soon be able to return to the imperial capital. Lucia, if you miss my son too much, you can leave now.”
Lucia stood still with her eyes full of excitement and hope for a moment. If she couldn’t see him this month, she wouldn’t get to see him for two months. She didn’t know how he was doing or if he was in any danger. She really wanted to be by his side. She wanted to be with him. She wanted to prepare for their wedding together with him.
But Lucia looked at the queen and shook her head. She said, “No, Your Highness. I will stay here with you and resolve this matter. I will soon be able to marry His Highness. Plus, I also trust His Highness. I believe that His Highness is missing me too, so I am in no rush to go and see him. I want to go to see him in my wedding dress. I want to give him a surprise, and guard him by his side one last time.”
Lucia knew that she would lose the wind-elves’ buffs once she got married, reverting her back into an ordinary elven guard. Her frail body and average magical prowess made it hard to take up the post as His Highness’s bodyguard. When the time comes, she will become his wife and lead a peaceful life. Perhaps she would never wear her battle attire again.
Therefore, she wanted to cherish that final moment where she could still protect His Highness. She was soon going to be able to stay by his side forever. She didn’t need to covet that moment right now. His Highness wouldn’t betray her and nor would she betray His Highness.
Lucia didn’t need to worry about anything when their love was so strong.
Vyvyan stood up, stroked Lucia’s small head and said with a smile, “Is that right? I shall leave my son in your hands in the future then. Lucia, I’m really anticipating your child. You and my son are so cute, so I trust that your child will be even cuter.”
“Yes. Thank you, Your Highness.”
“You can call me Mom in the future too.”
Vyvyan held up Lucia’s hands and continued with a smile, “I’m glad to have a girl like you as my daughter, too.”
When speaking of temples, I don’t know of any that comes to mind because I don’t believe in God. China doesn’t have any traditional temple either, so the only temple I had ever seen was the Athena Temple I saw in a movie. The temple of the elves here expressed the same concept wonderfully but in a different way. They were both rectangular-shaped and looked both dignified and holy.
Upon entering we were met with a corridor that was lit up by a ray of light from the sun. Continuing on ahead along the long corridor led us to the room with the statue of God. The statue of God was huge. The path was created like a mirror, so you could get an under-skirt view of the female elves… my foot! The elves devout marble silhouettes. And on two sides were two braziers with intense fires burning.
I was currently sitting on the ground with Luna looking up at the statue. Elves don’t have a custom where you must kneel before the statue of God. Everyone just sat however they want without any particular requirements. They just had to look up at the statue of God while thinking about the thing they wanted most.
I looked up at the statue and slowly began making a wreath with my hands. Honestly speaking, the last time I made a wreath was way back when I was really young, around when I was five or six. I learnt it in crafting classes in kindergarten back then. I never thought I’d remember some of it. But I could only put it together while the people around me had made theirs into a crown.
Buddy, could you do it for me?
What do I want? To be honest, there really isn’t anything that I want because I don’t believe that God would help me with my problems. If complaining to God could give me the answer to the problem that lies before me, then I would thank everyone. But I don’t believe in God. I hold elves in high regard because magic is a miracle. I don’t want God to do something for me, though.
Maybe it was just a form of dignity I always had. We’ve never begged a God for millenniums. We’ve always had to solve our problems with our own hands, whether it was a natural disaster or an accident caused by man. Hence, I don’t believe God will help me.
I just silently thought about Lucia. I hope she’s safe in the north and can safely return to my side, without so much as a scratch. But she should probably be fine with Mom protecting her.
As I drowned in my thoughts, my hands started to slow down. I looked at the wreath I desperately tried to put together and then gently placed it on Luna’s head.
Luna giggled softly and lowered her head with a shy smile on her face. She leaned on me and hugged my arm tightly. I raised my head up to look at God and smiled bitterly. I’m supposed to make a wreath for my lover in front of God, and yet I was thinking about my lover while putting the wreath onto another girl’s head.
I wonder if God will be angry.
Freya, who was at my side, maintained her posture while she looked at the statue of God and said, “Brother, I can’t shake off the feeling that people are watching us.”
“Uhm, I can sense it too.”
“It looks like I need to do an experiment. Brother, we are in a very precarious situation right now. If we do not take the initiative, we will die.”
“It looks like you’re pretty excited.”
“I’ve gone through something sadder than death to a woman after all.”
Freya chuckled softly. She then gave me a bunch of flowers she plucked from who-knows-where and handed them to me. She tilted her head and said, “So I want a wreath too.”
“Are these two things related in any capacity?!”
Previous Chapter l Next Chapter
