40 | Flowers for Amira Rina

Days have passed and it is finally the flower festival of Rahania. For days, Elyse endured more of Louisette's childish pranks and when it's finally their departure to go back for Rahania, Elyse couldn't help but feel happy at the thought that there's no person that will make trouble for her again.

And on those same days that passed by — after the rumors that the Rahania Students are behind the sabotage of the swordsmanship duel between the two students. It reached Raymond's eyes and ears and immediately investigated the case and found out it was Louisette's little pranks again.

He gave the other students a punishment while Louisette and the other Rahania Students were immediately appointed a schedule for their departure to Rahania. Every student in The Academy is born with a golden spoon in their mouth so having this punishment for them is heavy. In the Academy, Raymond has an absolute powerful voice inside the school on par with the Headmistress.

Elyse didn't bid them farewell on the day of departure and only watched them from the rooftop of the school. Elyse noticed Louisette talking with Chad in such a flirty way and it was evident in Chad's eyes that it was uncomfortable.

Although Elyse knows it, deep inside she still feels annoyed at the scene of Louisette touching Chad's arms seductively. She sighs, "What am I doing? Thinking all these things." She said to herself and walked away.

She went to her usual place — the Academy Library and picked some good novel books to pass the time. When the clock stroked 6 pm, Elyse went with other students to eat dinner in the huge dining room filled with Students.

Usually, when it's dinner time, Elyse would always sit next to the Student Council Members but this time, she went to the other table and sat down with the other students. She didn't get along well with them because the students felt uncomfortable knowing that Raymond himself punished the students who dared to touch her again.

Arbor noticed it, stood up from his seat, and walked towards Elyse, sitting beside her.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Arrow said but it was too late because Arbor move so fast.

Elyse noticed Arbor sitting beside her as she glanced toward him. "What are you doing here?" Elyse asked with a confused look.

"I should be asking that, Elyse. You should sit with us." He replied and Elyse sighed.

"I just don't like to eat with you all." Arbor flinched. Wow, she's so honest. As Arbor stares at her intently, he noticed that Elyse is not wearing the necklace anymore as she always does.

"Why are you not wearing the necklace anymore?" Arbor said. Elyse took a big gulp of the water cup beside her and sigh again, "You're really asking the obvious answer." She answered and Arbor sighed.

Right. Of course, Elyse won't wear the necklace anymore knowing it's the devil's shard hanging in your neck. But that wasn't the true reason why Elyse didn't wear it. It was because Elyse felt responsible for the death of her family which is why she's been acting so distant and cold to the other Student Council members, especially Eli. Although she would always feel bad ignoring her throughout the day — Elyse was scared to trust them anymore.

Elyse and Arbor sat quietly side by side while eating their dinner. After dinner, Elyse went upstairs to the library and picked more books again. It had become her new addiction these past few days while avoiding Louisette when she was still staying here.

Hours later, as she almost finishes her book, her eyes start to feel heavy and drift to sleep right away, dozing off while the book is in her hand. That night, Elyse had a dream. A dream from someone else like a memory — like what she experienced with Tina.

The dream was about flowers and a beautiful sky surrounding the place in her dream. It feels like a garden — a beautiful one filled with many different kinds of flowers.

"The flowers grew here for Rahania," The woman said as she suddenly appeared right in front of Elyse gently touching the flowers. The woman didn't show her face and only her beautiful slim back.

Her hair was flowing with long beautiful silver as she picks a flower and puts it into her nose — smelling it.

"Rahania...?" Suddenly, a thought came into her mind.

The Flower Festival for Rahania was said to be a story of the Goddess of Wisdom and Justice.

"That is right, the festival is indeed for The Goddess of Wisdom and Justice." The woman said lifting her head above as if she heard what Elyse had in her mind.

"Who... are you?" She asks but the woman didn't answer and just smiled.

"But do you want to know the truth behind the Rahania Flower Festival?" The woman turned around but unfortunately, Elyse's vision starts to darken as the woman starts approaching her slowly with her gentle smile. Her hand reached out to her, touching her cheeks as their foreheads touched each other.

"Here, let me give you some information." She said and Elyse felt strange to open her eyes in another dream.

The Flower Festival was created by the old Emperor of the Rahania in the Olympia World. Emperor Amir is the biological father of Aniya and is the name of the kind Emperor. He was the one who named her Arina but Vierra — Aniya's mother soon changed her name after they broke up.

Although she likes her name "Arina", she doesn't have no other choice but to obey her mother's wishes. Vierra is a greedy woman. She wanted power and money above all else. Love is something but a weak and disgraceful thing for Vierra.

Emperor Amir was only but a street kid living in the streets of the old Rahania Empire — he was a bastard child from the Emperor, Aniya's grandfather.

He lived in the streets for 18 years and during those years, he met Aniya's mother. Vierra knowing his real identity as Amir decided to have an affair with him even though she is already married with three sons and her title as Duchess. She thought that maybe if she will make this bastard child an Emperor, Amir will marry her, and Vierra will become the Empress — a mother of all, the one who will have equal power to the emperor.

Because of one passionate night, they both shared, Aniya was born. Vierra was the happiest woman in the entire world knowing she had a child in her womb so she convinces Amir to be the emperor even telling him that she found out about his identity.

But Amir, gentle and kind as ever didn't budge and gently caress Vierra's hand with a smile on his face.

"I don't want the throne, My Love. All I want is you and our child — that is the most precious treasure I will ever have." He replied and Vierra was furious to hear his words and so she left him.

Amir was heartbroken to find out that his beloved Vierra was only using him. Years later, he decided to become an Emperor to find his child — Aniya when someone told him that the child Vierra was having with him is alive. He came back to the Palace and endured all the insults that were given to him and successfully became an Emperor when three of his brothers doesn't want the throne, while the other three were inappropriate for the throne.

Amir was perfect with his golden eyes and silver hair. He was the shining sun — like a true Emperor. He became an Emperor for his daughter not for Vierra. But years have already passed and Emperor Amir hasn't found Aniya yet. But on that faithful day — a ball was held in the Mansion of Wisdom, the place where Aniya was raised and "trained".

The scenery in her dream began to change and appears the famous and familiar place for Elyse — The Olympia Garden, the same garden design as The Academy Garden. Elyse found herself standing in the huge and elegant carved hallway as she saw a woman with silver hair and golden eyes. Her eyes widen in shock to recognize the woman in front of her, it was Aniya.

She realized Aniya's eyes were wide open in surprise. Elyse turned her head towards the person Aniya was staring at.

It was Emperor Amir and they looked exactly like each other. Emperor Amir immediately recognized it was his long-lost daughter. Who couldn't recognize their very same genes?

Tanned skin, golden eyes like the sun, and shining silver hair. Aniya was stunned to her place as she stared at her father.

"Greetings to Your Highness, The Sun of Rahania," Aniya said with her usual cold and distant tone as she quickly changes her expression to indifferent. Emperor Amir was stunned as he flinched. Hearing his own daughter calls him 'Emperor' and not 'Father' made his heartache. Because he has been looking forward to the day Aniya would call him father.

He smiled and nodded his head, "I greet the wise Lady of Alphas." He said and it made Aniya flinch. She wanted to cry. Because the moment their eyes met, she quickly recognizes that it was her biological father.

"I have heard in the past that I have a father," A voice came into Elyse's mind all of the sudden.

"But I never had a chance to meet him. I would always yearn for a familial love from afar." She continues as the scenery in front of Elyse continues to play. Both Aniya and Emperor Amir had a very pleasant conversation, there was even a moment when Aniya genuinely smiled and laughed alongside her father but she never let it shown to him.

She would hide it. Like how her mother taught her to conceal her emotions.

The scenery was then enshrouded by darkness while it was changed into inside the Mansion of Aniya and Chad's manor where she begged on Chad's knees with her tears streaming down in her eyes while Chad silently hugged her.

Thunder roared and the heavy rain poured, Aniya screamed and said, "Mother will kill father tonight! Please, I beg you. Thaddeus, please save my father." She said shouting on her knees — begging.

Although she knows she will have near karma in the future, she still wanted to change her fate. Aniya doesn't want any of this. But she knows very well deep in her heart that there's no going back when she decided to yearn for her mother's love which was the mistake that she regrets the most.

Hearing from her mother that she will kill her father right after the festival, Aniya quickly went to Chad begging into her knees. Suddenly, the owl eye she put inside at the carriage where Emperor Amir used notified her.

Chad's secret army failed but Emperor Amir was quick to escape. Aniya quickly stood up and ran towards the door as Chad continuously screamed for her to not go outside since it is raining heavily.

But Aniya didn't listen and opened the door with force and ran away from the manor while the heavy rain poured down into her dress making it feel a lot heavier to run, as the thunder continues to roar — at the last roar of the thunder Aniya paused and fell into her knees.

She used her 'eye' to know her father's location while watching him fighting with the assassins her mother used. Aniya knows very well how skilled the assassins of her mothers are. She saw it — the death of her own father. But she has hopes to change. To change her bitter and tragic fate.

As she watches her father fighting for his dear life, he went to his knees when someone sneaked from his behind and stabbed his heart. As her father fell down to his knees, Aniya too fell down and weep.

"No..." She whispered as she watched her father's mouth, reading what he was saying before he lost his breathing.

He said, "Live well for me, my child."

Aniya sat on the cold ground weeping about her father's death. The only parent that she could ever lean on. If only they just met earlier, would fate have change and not ended like this? Aniya thought to herself.

The dream scenery changed as the place turned into a room where Aniya was standing in front of the huge window with a black dress she was wearing — covering her whole face and hair. Chad went behind her as she turned around with a sad eye. For the first time, Aniya genuinely looked like a human. Where she can freely express her feelings to another person.

She bitterly smiled and said, "I want to make a festival for him." And so, both Chad and Aniya planned a festival without the knowledge of her mother. The festival was publicly announced it was meant for Aniya and for the family for the glorious generation they have served the Goddess of Wisdom and Justice.

But only Chad and Aniya know that the true meaning behind the flower festival is actually meant for her father's death. One day, Tina asked a question towards Chad which made him answer her question. Tina then found out the reason why there was a sudden festival being held when the flowers were in full bloom.

The dream scenery changed again after Elyse watched every member of the Alphas as they found out the real reason why Aniya held a festival all of the sudden. Everyone had this gloomy expression on their faces as they silently watched Aniya wither like a flower after the death of her father.

The only person she could've held onto as a parent.

The scenery came back to its original, blue clear skies and a field filled with different kinds of flowers. Elyse stood there as she couldn't say anything to the woman.

"Well? Have you figured out what the festival is for?" The woman said now wearing a brown cloak hiding her face.

"Was it... for the emperor?" The woman nodded her head.

"It's for my father. To commemorate his death. I wanted to at least leave a little presence of his," she continues and Elyse realized how much Aniya wanted someone to love her.

The flower festival wasn't meant for Aniya or let's say, her other name — Arina but it was for her late father. Due to the greediness and pride of her mother, Vierra. Aniya kept it a secret between the Alphas to respect her wishes. Since Aniya knows very well how Vierra hates Emperor Amir.

Only those who were close to her only knew what's the true meaning behind the flowers Aniya grew personally on the day of the first Festival.

Because of the destruction of the old Olympia World, Tina created another world using Hiro's last shard of consciousness, and then she made everything back again from scratch. The names of Rahania and Iona both came from the old Olympia and so did their traditions like Festivals and such.

Tina then remakes the flower festival's meaning. From making it publicly known for Aniya, now it is widely known that the Flower Festival is for Emperor Amir from Aniya.

"Wait... You? Father?" Elyse said realizing something and the woman only smiled.

"Now is not the time yet." She said and Elyse tried to reach out her hand but instead, the place became enshrouded with darkness once more as she keeps on screaming for Aniya to come back but Elyse has already opened her eyes welcomed by the fresh morning at the Academy.

Finally, the day for the Festival Flower of Rahania has arrived.