3 Destiny

"Who exactly is she?"

Astraea's query was received by the stillness of the wind; she paused for a moment to consider her alternatives, but she trusted her maid more than anyone else at the time, so she chose to travel east.

Astraea moved over to Charlotte's horse and hopped up on it. David had hoped Astraea didn't know how to ride after hearing their talk, but watching her jump on the horse with such ease shattered his dreams.

He mounted his horse and galloped away. Astrophel stood next to a mystery man with long silver hair done up in a ponytail and clear crystal blue eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. "How are you going to deal with her?"

"I'll send a couple of guards out to find her and bring her back alive and well," he replied, staring at the guy. "Someone as frail and innocent as her wouldn't even dream about the throne," he continued, knowing what he was thinking.

They returned to the castle after Astrophel took one last look at his departing sister, 'you shall be mine and only mine.' He promised himself that he would murder the guard he saw staring at Astraea.

Astraea and David had been traveling for days and had never deviated from the east road, and they were second-guessing their decision to follow Charlotte's advice when they noticed what appeared to be a tiny village ahead of them. Astraea's face was covered in a big grin, and she didn't care if it pained her cheek. All she could think about was finding a warm place to stay and obtaining some food.

They brought the horses to a halt and went about town, holding the rope in their hands. Not knowing where to put them, David pondered whether this was a quiet town where someone might leave a wallet full of money on the floor and return the next day to find it in the same spot.

The village looked a little too quiet and spooky for their tastes. David kept looking about, expecting danger to strike at any moment until he spotted evidence of human life forms in the vicinity. Astraea approached the woman strolling with a food basket in her hand.

David tried to stop her and tell her to be alert. But Astraea was too relieved to be cautious of the woman, without thinking she called out "Uhm..excuse me, ma'am?" when the woman turned and gave a dull smile, recognizing her presence, Astraea asked, "Do you know anyone here by the name Nox?"

The lady pointed in a direction, but as they turned around, they spotted the town's exit, "It would be in your best interest not to mingle with Nox, you may ask someone else, but I won't be the one to lead you to your demise," she said as she walked away. Astraea remained in place for a time, perplexed by the woman's words, but determined not to give up. They kept wandering around town.

As time passed, they met more individuals, but no one was ready to aid them. Everyone provided the same response as the first person they asked. They were about to give up and find another method for Astraea to reclaim the kingdom when they noticed a guy sitting in a doorway and dragged their tired feet over to him.

"Excuse me, do you know someone by the name of Nox?" she said, her expression full of hope and resolve as she waited for the man's response. He had been silent for about a minute before responding. "That's me. Can I assist you?"

David's face was filled with shock and relief, and Astraea's reaction almost mirrored his, although she had a look of delight on her face. Nox gazed at Astraea as if he was gazing into her soul, a slight grin on his lips as if he appreciated what he saw. "Come on in," he said, standing up and opening the door. "We can talk about how you can reclaim your kingdom inside."

"How did you-?" David's inquiry was not finished, nor was the intended question addressed, as the man disregarded him and walked inside. Astraea went in without hesitation, followed by David.

Nox sat down and motioned for them to take their seats in front of him. Nox inquired, a pleasant grin on his face. "What brings you here? Princess?" Astraea didn't question how he knew she was the princess. She, on the other hand, scowled in perplexity at his question.

"Didn't you say something about that before? To reclaim the k-"

She was cut off by the man. "I understand you want to save the kingdom, but why are you here for me?"

Astraea paused for a moment before responding. "A good friend of mine informed me you'd be able to assist me."

"Do you know how I may assist you?" He explained when Astraea shook her head no. "I can see inside individuals and discover the many routes they are destined to pursue in life as well as their fate; yet, everyone has two or more futures within them. People's fates will vary according to the actions they make to help them realize their destiny. The one thing we cannot control is our fate."

Nox continued, looking at Astraea, who was paying attention to what he was saying. "I am one of the few individuals in the world who has the ability to change someone's fate without them making a decision, but the fate I give you cannot be changed regardless of the decisions you make and will remain with you until you achieve your destiny."

"May I inquire as to my fate?" Nox shook his head, since he is not permitted to reveal anyone's future.

"I'll offer you three options from which to select. One, marry the king of the most powerful nation and use his army to fight your brother; or two, discover the lone vampire-witch and become the most powerful vampire-sorceress in the world, then use that power to reclaim the country."

"I think choice two is better than option one," David remarked, not wanting the princess to marry the king, despite the fact that it is not his place to pick whom she marries, and the stare Nox gave him was enough to silence him.

"You said three, but you provided two alternatives." Astraea raised this point.

Nox made no corrections. "Sometimes, ignorance is the finest thing for us," he added with a smile.

Astraea didn't want to marry someone she didn't know, nor did she want to become a vampire-sorceress because she'd heard they were terrible and dreaded, and then she remembered option three. She had no idea what it was. Astraea recalled his remarks. 'There are times when ignorance is the finest thing for us.'

She made her choice "Option three." David sighed in relief when she didn't pick option one. Nox didn't say what option three was, and she already chose, so she didn't object when he got up and placed his hand on her chest, he closed his eyes, and a second later, a soft glow appeared between Astraea's chest and Nox's hand.

He made contact with her soul and performed what he was meant to do before walking away and returning to his seat with a happy smile on his face. "You've decided to marry the king while also becoming a vampire-witch; don't worry, the monarch is just three years older than you."

Astraea felt that having both choices to save her kingdom was preferable than having none at all, and she resolved to strive towards her fate until she completes her destiny, which she believes is to reclaim her parents' land.

Astraea stepped outside to have a look around, and David was going to accompany her. Nox snatched him and murmured something into his ear. "You wouldn't stand a chance with her regardless of whatever choice she selected, but if she didn't, you'd be the one she marries. Take my advice to heart, young man. If you want to live, stay away from her. She will be your death."

David turned to face Astraea. Would he give his life for her? Would he have married her if she hadn't been a princess? He didn't want to answer these questions since marrying someone would bring nothing but difficulty into his life, but he also didn't want her to marry anybody but there was nothing he could do about it, and he didn't want her to resent him, so he decided to go with whatever she did.

Nox let go of David and shut his door before he could interrogate him. Nox peered out the window at Astraea, who was anxiously looking for the horses. "Your destiny, princess, is bigger than you realize."