49 | The Rahania Empire: The Zahrah Parade

The 2nd week of the festival came and everyone in the Mansion of Hildegarde is now ready for the parade. Even the members of the Student Council are ready to present themselves in front of the crowd. While everyone was calm, Elyse felt shivers down her spine as she looks outside the window of her room looking from afar. She notices the beautiful landscape of Rahania and so is the people.

But Elyse took courage in her heart to never falter. She breathes in and out until she's ready to leave her room to meet with the Student Council members of Aracnia again. Elyse wore the dress The Emperor gave to her and she couldn't deny the fact that Aniya and she has similarities to each other.

Do Elyse still hate Aniya? She doesn't know. There's this feeling of wanting to know Aniya more than hating her now. From the stories that the books she read and the unknown yet familiar Deja vu she would always feel — she could tell it was real.

The student council members went to explore the oldest tower of Rahania. It is believed that it is a tower where Aniya killed herself after she completed her mission to help Tina to her revenge. But a majority of the people believe that Tina killed Aniya.

As everyone went through the huge doors of the Tower, it felt cold and eerie for some reason. But then, many beautiful padisarah petals were thrown in the air as people marched on the streets, and instruments were played alongside flying cars all over the air. People shouting in the street and everyone was happy.

The flower festival was loud yet fun for people who also celebrate this Festival with the Goddess of Wisdom and Flowers.

The cold and eerie feeling Elyse felt inside the tower was now gone as it was covered with their joyous laughter.

"Are you coming, Elyse?" Chad approaches her when he caught her looking outside the window from the tower. They're currently on a trip in Rahania on the lead to one of the Student Council members in Rahania Academy — Seria.

"Oh? Ah, right I'm coming." Elyse answered and glanced at the outside once more. Chad looks at the parade happening below the tower and then he shifted his gaze to Elyse who's mesmerized by the culture of Rahania.

"Must be amazing to finally be able to experience your ancestor's culture and tradition, although she is mixed," Chad commented and Elyse nodded her head without hesitation.

"It's my first time entering Rahania and everything looks beautiful. From the establishments to streets, to knowledge, to the landscape — everything." She answered and Chad giggled. He thought Elyse was cute because of her expression she looks like an excited child going out for the first time.

"Well, I'm glad you now experience it. In the future, there will be more festivals to come." He said and Elyse shifted her gaze from the crowd to Chad.

Chad also looked at her with a smile on his face.

"Will you be with me when that time comes?" She asks and Chad was left dumbfounded. Elyse realizes her question and quickly covers her mouth while she blushes.

"No! No, I meant us! Everyone! I... I hope everyone is still with me when the festival comes. Y-you know, it's more fun if we have Lu and everyone else." She said quickly coming up with an excuse.

Chad then leaned onto Elyse as she slowly backs away from him. They both gaze at one another and Chad smiled more.

"Then I guess I will join you forever." He spoke and her face slowly turns red.

"W-what are you saying...!"

"OI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE? COME ON, I AM HUNGRY!" Kai shouted which made everyone flinch except Elyse because his voice echoed since they were inside a tower.

"Kai, you dumb! Mind your voice!" Louisette shouted back at him and Kai screamed.

"WHY WOULD I CARE ABOUT YOU?" He answered and his voice turned louder.

"Are you a freaking walking speaker?" Dain said and passed through to him and starts walking ahead. Chad was quick enough to cover Elyse's ears which makes her heart race even more since they were so close to each other. Elyse can smell his sweet scent and hear his breathing in her ear.

"Talk slowly dude, we're coming," Chad said and pulls Elyse closer to him and they both went down from the top of the tower.

****

As they both went down from the tower, a person from the crowd wearing a commoner's dress suddenly went to Elyse and to the others as the old lady went to her knees and bowed her head.

"Welcome back, Your Grace Alpha Aniya." The old lady muttered under her breath and it made Elyse feel alerted by her reaction.

"Madam, it is not the Alpha Aniya, it is her Descendant." Luna suddenly interrupted protecting Elyse from what the old lady is saying.

But the old lady denied her, "No! She's Aniya! Look at her!" She shouted and everyone couldn't utter a word. Even the people from the crowd shifted their gazes toward Elyse. Everyone starts to whisper — of how Elyse and Aniya looked alike when Elyse wore the dress Aniya used before.

"She is still Aniya everyone! Because she is her Descendant." One of the people in the crowd said and everyone agreed and went suddenly on their knees.

"W-wait what are they doing?" Elyse whispered to Chad but he didn't say a word and just smiled.

"Glory to the Alpha Aniya!" A person shouted.

"Glory to the Alpha of Wisdom!" Everyone said in unison as they both kept repeating the same sentence all over again as if they are cheering Elyse.

"You suddenly became a celebrity." Arbor popped out of nowhere beside Elyse's side and she's not surprised anymore.

"No... I'm not." Elyse commented and everyone is still cheering her up.

Elyse realized one thing. It is indeed true that people from Rahania Empire love their Alpha, Aniya. The First daughter of King Amir, whose original name is Arina — sister of Emperor Cairo who is also a member of the Alphas in the old Olympia Empire.

******

After their brief appearance to the public, Louisette who now leads the exploration team went to the Imperial Palace of Rahania with Raymond and the others. During the trip, everyone was silent except for Kai, who kept talking to Dain. Surprisingly, Chad was also quiet.

When everyone finally arrived at the Imperial Palace, Louisette leads the way again and walked with her head held high up as if she owns the place.

"The Imperial Palace of Rahania will become your home for a while. Since the mansion of Hildegarde is not available at the current moment for you all to sleep soundly." She said as Louisette turns around with a smile on her face.

"Also, we don't want our little Elyse who's respected in Rahania would live in such a small place like the Mansion of Hildegarde." She continued and Elyse smirked.

"How kind of you to think that, but I guess you're right." She said and it made Louisette's smile slowly fade away. Elyse sigh and slowly nods her head.

"Indeed, such kind of person is not suitable to enter the humble and strong manor of Hildegarde. In other words, you wouldn't let me fill your precious home with dirt since my presence irks you." She said with confidence and Louisette chuckles.

"Don't get me wrong, Elyse. I'm just doing what a president should do." Elyse giggles.

"Are you really saying that after all the betrayal you caused for the Student Council of Aracnia when you joined Rahania?" She spoke.

Elyse understood what Emperor Cairo told her that day when he said, "Even Tina knows it very well." Both Empires are enemies for ages but somehow the two Empires became allies for a moment and when she was gone, the friendship between the Empire suddenly broke. The story of how the two empires became an ally wasn't mentioned in any books or stories but they mentioned the cruelty of the Olympia Empire to The Rahania Kingdom, now an Empire.

Now that Rahania and Aracnia are enemies again, Louisette who transferred to Rahania Academy and became a President looked like a betrayal to the members of the Student Council in Aracnia.

And Louisette knows that fact very well, but the betrayal can also be not called "betrayal" since Louisette is a Hildegarde and it is her right to come back to her hometown and live there. But since Louisette's Ancestor — Lewis is a member of Alphas; she is still regarded as a traitor but not everyone knows this fact.

"You should be mindful of what you are saying, Elyse. You might regret it later." Louisette states and Elyse didn't flinch but instead looked at her with her intimidating gaze.

"Why do you hate me, Louisette?" Elyse suddenly asked which made her pause for a second gathering her thoughts. Why did she hate Elyse? It's because of the death of her mother. But is it really her fault that her mother died? Elyse wasn't at the crime scene, but Louisette blames her for everything.

Louisette just smirked and scoffs. "Why do you think, Elyse? Do you want me to spell it for you?" She said and Elyse sighed.

Elyse suddenly thought, what if they met at a different time and different situation? Will they become best friends? Louisette is strong when it comes to physical while Elyse is strong when it comes to mind. If the two are joined together — they can make a great team.

But they're enemies. They will never become allies for the rest of their lives.

"Very well. It's getting late now; I shall come to my chambers." Elyse said and calls a maid beside her to guide her to the bed chamber.

"That was intense..." Kai commented while chomping his food and looking at the fight between Elyse and Louisette earlier. Dain couldn't help but look at him in disbelief. Meanwhile, Chad on the other hand just stared at them and was quiet.

*****

The night falls and Elyse stayed in her room all day reading books that were inside her room. Some say that this room was meant for Aniya to live in. This means that the emperor Amir built this room only for Aniya — that's why there are so many books inside the room as if it has become a bedroom library.

But Elyse didn't say anything since she likes it. Reading different kinds of books all day makes her head clear and her heart calm.

She closes the last book she's been reading all day and went to the bed to sleep. It was only a minute of laying down in bed when suddenly she felt headaches and flashbacks in her head where she can see a huge statue of a woman wearing a laurel crown as she wore silk covering her right eye now starts to fall down. There was a scale she was holding in her hand and a book in her other hand.

The silk finally fell down from her eye and to her surprise — she felt shivers down to her spine when she saw a chilling golden eye gazing down at her. Another flashback came into her mind fast and the only thing she saw clearly is a necklace.

Elyse tries to wake up and when she finally wakes up, she gasps for air and quickly sat down in the bed with her body shaking in fear.

"W-what was that...?" She said feeling overwhelmed by the sudden flashbacks, especially the eyes that look like it's watching her.

It looks like something opened inside of her.