19 Chapter 19 - Name (1)
Witches are wicked and cunning creatures. Disregard regulations and respect only those who have power.
Unless you can beat a witch, do not ever stay within their vicinity.
-Excerpt from 'The Essential Book of Human Survival'.
Jonathan Lorth.
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Gerra locked his gaze upon her, both his fists clenched tight. His stoic and cold visage moved to the officials who bowed down and pleaded for him to punish his woman. Gritting his teeth, he closed his eyes.
It was unbearable to behold her calm and unbothered gaze, despite knowing well she is about to be punished. As if giving up her life, the life that he had loved for years.
She had coldly stated once. Her green eyes freeze him, biting his entire being.
"You can't protect me."
He had become a fool, drunken with love, stating the lies.
"I'm the King, you will be safe by my side."
Her gaze filled with ridicules, but the calm and certainty painted her entire being.
"Because you are the King. I can never be safe."
Though shackled, her eyes never waver.
"Your Majesty, you could never own my heart so I advise you to stop."
Gerra should've known then, her heart can't ever be obtained with wealth and status. She should've been free within those fields, staring at the clear blue sky, running without a single concern through the lush green forest.
However, he had fallen in love with her and he had to put invisible shackles on her feet. Isolating her within walls and hundreds of hypocritical subjects roaming with endless schemes to destroy him.
He had destroyed her life.
Gerra knows it all along.
"Proceed."
A single lashing befalls on her back, her painful scream resonates inside the room, her white pure silk attire slowly drenched in blood as she falls to the floor. She closed her eyes, not having the strength to even keep it open, her lips whispered one name, her beloved daughter.
"Raiene."
No one knows, within the crowd of officials stands a woman with a smile stretched on her face, she had been desperate all along, waiting for this outcome.
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Kyzen opened the door to his chamber, taking careful steps inside and closed the door behind him. A bouquet of flowers within his hand emanated a sour scent throughout the room. He was about to scream at the top of his lungs upon recognising the figure he saw sitting at his favourite couch. The figure took a deep audible breath, crossed her arm and raised an eyebrow.
"Where were you?"
Her eyes fall on the bouquet, upon noticing the flowers, she begins to laugh out loud upon noting the shape of the petals. Within seconds noticing what kind of flowers it was, its usage and benefits, able to patch up the reason why he needed that particular kind to begin with.
Kyzen rolled his eyes, "Laugh all you want," heading towards a table nearby, he placed the bouquet inside a crystal vase before walking to his younger sister and taking a seat opposite of her.
"I won't surrender to that little monster," he muttered, face scrunched up like thrown away paper, clearly annoyed by having to retrieve and go around while holding such conspicuous flowers.
Green Girvi are known able to deflect Polyus, its large shaped petals with green lush hue stand out even from miles away, its sour scent able to drive out the power of polyus that could suck spirits and potions.
It was a little bit surprising for Ezana, the fact that he would personally purchase Girvi baffled her more than ever. Around this time, the town and roads will be bustling with a crowd full of creatures. The buzzing noise and stifling air would suffocate those who aren't used to numerous beings crammed within the same space.
It's usually not this intense. However, considering the approaching Lantern Festival, it is understandable that this situation will continue like this until the last day of the Festival. Kyzen hates crowds, spirits tend to linger more around a lively atmosphere. Although he is always friendly towards spirits, it would still exhaust him if a crowd of spirits suddenly charged at him and started to demand things off him.
Ezana knew that Kyzen wouldn't let that little monster win against him, but she never expected Kyzen to be this serious. A few words of order from him is enough for a maid or servant to rush to the town and retrieve it for him. Unless.
"Did you meet her?" Ezana's tone contains accusation, disbelief drawn on her face, as if Kyzen had secretly smuggled a few corpses under his bed and is currently probing him for facts.
Upon hearing her question, his eyes flash with something she couldn't manage to recognise, it was quickly replaced with his nonchalant gaze as his lips curled into a smile, feigning ignorance. Kyzen shrugged at her, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Ezana scowls, "You want me to believe that?"
"Why do you ask then?"
His eyes turned cold, but he turned his head immediately, taking a deep breath before he utters, "It is none of your business Ezana."
Among her brothers, Kyzen is mostly calm, there was never any topics or words that could rile him up, though he is sometimes mischievous, his conduct would always remain under control. Once someone pokes him at the wrong spot, his entire being would turn threatening. Since Kyzen seems reluctant to explain, Ezana decides to change the topic instead.
"He met her."
Kyzen's head snapped around, calculating everything inside his head for a good amount of time, his eyes flickering with something before he turned his head to a bare corner of the room and uttered a command to empty air.
"Find him and describe her to me as soon as possible."
Ezana sighed, eyes clearly judging him, "You're being ridiculous."
"I'm taking precautions. A witch is still a witch, being kind doesn't make us blind. While Elleryn recuperates, we have the responsibility to take care of her children," Kyzen finds Ezana orbs, staring into his. She can't dispute the facts he utter.
"Besides, didn't you're the one who told me there's something wrong about her and for the first time you couldn't see a face."
"Yeah but-"
Kyzen turned his head and instructed once again. "Go. Now."
Ezana could only sigh.
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"What is it?" Raiene curiously gazes at her mother, expecting an answer from her ambiguous question.
Baffled, Estalle chuckled and stared back at her daughter with furrowed eyebrows. "What?"
Raiene tilted her head, "the meaning of Raiene," she finally asked.
Finding the question a bit weird, she questions her daughter once again, "Why?"
Raiene grumbles, playing with a ball of blue thread with her hands, pouting her lips in an adorable way and sighs.
"I asked Ruby once, she said she doesn't know. Crion was also clueless about it," Raiene raised her head and found her mother's beautiful green eyes once again.
"What is it mother?"
Smiling, Estalle caressed her daughter cheek, feeling the smooth milky skin underneath her palm, while her eyes staring deep within obsidian orbs, "Raiene," she said, eyes sparkling with lights, "Ray of lights and blooming like Esnne," she answered.
Raiene furrowed her eyebrow in confusion.
Esnne?
Nodding her head, Estalle continued, "Cotton flower ancient name, I want you to bloom and strive by yourself."
Raiene chuckled, "What do you mean by myself? I have you."
Not forever.
I can't be by your side forever.
She smiled, "Of course."
