CHAPTER 16

ARISA

I feel drawn towards him, was that the reason why I saved him just now? I could've easily told orabeoni that he was the person who kept his identity hidden all along the way till the capital city. But why did he even do that? Is he spying on me with any ulterior motives… or does he know about my diamond core…

"No!!" shouted Adrestia from the corner of my room.

"What?" I was confused

"He can't know that"

"Can you read my mind, Min?" I knew she did, but never thought she would uncover herself that blatantly.

"No, I mean… I can read your face Arisa," she placed the ice tray on the table and walked to the bed.

"You know you have lied to his majesty right?"

"Hmm… that's fine I will face the consequences"

"Why? You don't even know him! Why show this kindness?"

"I don't know"

"Arisa???"

"Min… can you just leave me alone…. No, I need some fresh air… I'll take a walk around this palace"

As soon as I stood up, Min followed me,

"And you are staying here. Do not follow me. It's my order." She looked at me with wide eyes. I didn't care for her anymore, so that did not affect me.

Coming out of the palace, I walked through the bustling streets of the market. This empire was so different than Arishillin, everything was so colorful, people seemed cheerful preparing for their spring festival. Fragrance of cherry blossom filled the place, the petals flew with the wind circling around me. Trees shone brightly under the bright sunlight. I have never seen such a delightful sight ever in my life, locked inside the four walls of the palace. Arishillin is full of white and blue colors, whereas Yang empire was painted in rainbow… I want to live here… Is it possible to live here forever?

I walked for an hour not knowing the road lead to the royal Yang palace. Suddenly I was brought back to my senses by the loud bang of the bell indicating the opening of the main gates. The traders and merchants rushed inside the palace.

"Wanna see the diamond trade of the Spring festival?", a familiar voice from behind startled me. I turned back quickly to see that Prince Daeshim was standing very close to me. Did he follow me? How did I not notice him at all?

"I… I was just taking a look around the city…" I fumbled on my words.

"So, can you take a look inside my palace too?" His face was extremely close to mine, a smirk appeared on his lips.

"No… I mean I cannot come inside without my brother…"

"But your brother is already inside for the trade. Princess Arisa, let's go inside, hmm?"

It was difficult rejecting him, my heart skipped a beat. Prince Daeshim was the first man I'm feeling drawn to… what is this feeling called? Is it just a pure attraction or am stepping into the unknown?

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Arisa accompanied Daeshim inside the palace. The Crystal pavilion was filled with beautiful jewels displayed on the wooden tables. Traders described the unique features of their diamonds and ornaments. King Ariho was sitting beside the Yang emperor on a high platform watching from a distance. Arisa was about to call her brother but Daeshim stopped her and pulled her away from the pavilion.

"Why did you pull me away??"Arisa was frustrated

"There were large number of traders and merchants present there, It wouldn't look polite for a royal princess to just walk in the middle of an ongoing trade."

"We don't follow such unnecessary etiquettes in Arishillin" said Arisa pulling away her hand from the grasp of Daeshim's fist.

"And? Tell me more about Arishillin… I've never visited your kingdom, how did I miss this place in five years of exile…"

"You were in exile? For what?"

"For…. My brother's attempted murder." said Daeshim with blank expression.

"Ohh" Arisa left a deep sigh.

"That's it? Aren't you scared of me?"

"You were attempting to kill your brother, why would that scare me? There is no reason for you to kill me." Arisa said while walking away from Daeshim.

This was the first time someone didn't even flinch their eye when knowing the truth of his exile. He was getting more and more suspicious about Arisa being a common princess.

"Your majesty, we would like to show our exotic pearls from the Southern sea to King Ariho", said one of the merchants from the South sea province.

Yang emperor nodded as a sign of acceptance.

"Will some random pearls attract the attention of King Ariho? I've heard he is more into the diamonds", said the royal eunuch jokingly.

"What are you blabbering about Yoon suk-ah??" asked the emperor.

Ariho felt tensed about the overall situation that was happening right then. He looked at the Eunuch Yoon suk as he was very playfully staring at him since the beginning of this trade.

"Apologies my majesty, but I feel like King Ariho loves diamond ornaments… diamond artifacts… diamond core…"

"Your majesty, I will accept the pearls on the behalf of Arishillin. Thank you for making me part of this dazzling trade. I'll take a leave now and join you tomorrow for the Cherry blossom festival." said Ariho while bowing to the Yang emperor and walked down the steps of the high platform.

Daeshim was observing this conversation from a distance. He looked at Eunuch who kept smiling throughout the trade festival.

"Yoonsuk knows something. That something is related to diamond… or something which is related to Arisa?" thoughts gathered in Daeshim's mind but then he looked around him and found that Arisa was nowhere near him.

He walked towards his palace while searching for Arisa only to find her playing near the fire oracle fountain behind his palace. This was the holy fire oracle offered to Goddess Astrea. It was a place of worship for Yang family. He went near her but soon he noticed that flames were much stronger than usual. The fire flames slowly reached the sky… the heat near the oracle was unbearable for him to move ahead… but.. Arisa seemed unbothered… completely unaffected with that amount of heat thrown at her face? Daeshim couldn't believe his eyes, but Arisa played with the red fire stones placed beside the fountain, smiling and giggling by herself. Her body emitted a bright radiation which covered her… protected her from the fire… Is this what King Ariho tried to keep a secret from the entire world? What is this secret?

"Arisa!!" called out King Ariho behind Daeshim.

"Orabeoni?? Are you done with the trade festival?" Arisa waved at him happily.

"What are you doing here my dear?? How did you come inside the palace?? Come here!! The flames are too intense!!!"cried Ariho running towards the oracle but he couldn't reach further as the area nearby was extremely hot.

Arisa took one of the fire stones in her hand and walked towards her brother cheerfully showing him a new toy she discovered.

"Prince Daeshim, did you bring her inside the palace?" asked Ariho

"Yes, she was lost outside the palace, so I thought it would be better to bring her inside." Daeshim explained but Ariho looked at him suspiciously. Of course now that he knows Daeshim has witnessed this unknowing display of power from Arisa, he became nervous.

"Did you buy anything from the trade?" asked Arisa innocently.

"Yes, dear. I've got some pearls for you, they would look pretty on your lavender silk robe. Come, lets head towards our palace, I'll show you those precious pearls." Ariho held the hands of his sister and walked away from Daeshim.

"Until when will you keep your little sister hidden away from the world? She has a divine power, or maybe a divine blessing from…." Daeshim thought as he turned towards the oracle of fire, "Goddess Astrea?"

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"If it was not for this mortal form, I could have just teleported myself to the top of this huge mountain", Adrestia grumbled as she climbed up the Mountain of Astrea where situated her Temple of Purity. She was looking for a chance to be left alone as one of her motives to come here in Yang empire was to visit temple of purity.

She walked through the dense forest. It took her few hours to reach the peak of the mountain, she sat down on the ground and quenched her thirst drinking water flowing through a stream.

"Yang empire is tiresome, my spiritual core seems to be getting weaker after entering this place. Is it because of Astrea's influence over this land? Yet here I am ready to face her again." She stood up and walked towards the cave. This cave temple was different from the Arishillin temple, as this temple held the spiritual fragment of Astrea, her Diamond tiara.

Adrestia stepped inside the cave and was immediately pushed back by an invisible force coming from inside the temple. She couldn't hold herself facing the immense heat from that force and fell down on the ground. Her hands were burnt in the attempt to fight back by bringing out her purple halo.

"Can't you just let me inside!!! I am your sister!!!" Adrestia cried.

"Who gave you the right to step in this pure place? You are tainted with your dark sins, banished from the heavens for your forbidden love and now you dare to touch my temple with your tainted hands?", Goddess Astrea appeared in front of her burning in flames of purity.

Adrestia looked up at her elder sister with tearful eyes, "Weren't you the one who was responsible for me getting thrown down from heaven to the depths of hell?? You never looked at me as your sibling!!"

"Adrestia, how far will you go to fulfill your desires? Joining hands with the God of hell, Incarnating yourself as the Goddess of lust, desires and temptation and now interfering in the mortal world just to snatch Arisa's diamond core? Now that you've reached till here, I'm still giving you the last opportunity to step back from this mortal world and go back to the heavens with me!"

"Go back to the heavens? As a weak ignored heavenly being? No, my almighty Goddess of Purity…. Today I have the power… I have cultivated this spiritual core… I am the Goddess of Lust, Temptation and Desires…. I have the control over these emotions… these humans are the puppets in my hand whom I'll move with this weapon… I will take your diamond core and rule over this world!!"

"By killing Arisa?" asked Astrea smiling amusingly.

Adrestia was left speechless for a moment.

"You have to melt down her heart to take out the diamond core. But… aren't you in love with her…."

Adrestia couldn't utter a word. All this time spent with Arisa, she was looking for several ways to take out the diamond core. But now when she was being told of that solution by Astrea herself she couldn't believe her ears.

"What happened my dear? Does that sound too brutal? Alas… but that's the only way… did you really think you could influence Arisa, tempt her with your purple powers and make her worship the evil Goddess like you? That is not possible my dear sister, her diamond core is inside her heart. Are you fine with killing your beloved Arisa and cutting off her heart with your own hands? I guess that's not much big deal for someone from hell, right?"

"Who decides what is evil? You? Your heaven?? So called Goddess of Purity… your so called blessing of the diamond core… Are you less of an evil for using Arisa as your shield to protect this almighty position? You know that until she possess your diamond core, you will keep gaining the spiritual energy through her prayers and offerings. But once an evil entity knows about the way to take off the core, Arisa will be killed and knowing you since my birth I am pretty sure you have some way to take back your diamond core."

"You have no idea what is happening with Arisa, and what is about to happen in future. So, now that you have rejected my offer to go back to the heavens, Keep living in this mortal world until you are called from the hell."

Goddess Astrea disappeared inside the temple and Adrestia sat down with a blank face. Her mind was full of questions. Astrea was right, she needs to go back… not to the heaven… but to the hell… to find the answers from the God of Underworld.