Love conquers all

She took the rose and raised it to her nose and immediately a faint memory flashed in her mind.

She gently pushed Tommy away from her wondering how she got to the ball. The last thing she remembered was escaping out the window to not attend the ball she was finding herself at.

Tommy panicked upon seeing that Rosa was gradually breaking free from his spell. He desperately tried to re-do the utterances but it was not working. Lucky for him Rosa was still blurred out by the spell.

She asked him to take her to the palace and he obliged. They left the ceremony on Tommy's fancy carriage and when they arrived at her quarters, Rosa asked to be left alone.

Tommy quickly left and instructed his horseman to drive the carriage to their castle. Omiros's men followed him closely behind.

Rosa laid on her bed trying to figure out what was missing in her memories. She decided to climb down the window again and retraced her steps. She unwittingly walked towards the garden and went to the the two roses that she could hardly remember seeing before. She didn't know what led her to them. She sat down next them and as the sweet aroma of the roses wafted in her nose she had another flashback of a handsome man who was smitten with her. To her surprise it was not Tommy.

She couldn't figure out who the man was. And as she was staring at the rose she felt someone approaching. It was Alexis. When she saw him all the memories came pouring like a flash flood. And tears streamed across her face. She even remembered seeing him at the ball. Everything started to make sense.

'Before I went to the ball, I was trying to hide.'

'And Tommy did something to me that erased my memories.'

She thought to herself as she was getting up and dashed towards Alexis. She jumped into his arms and Alexis fell backwards. Another memory of when she fell on top of Alexis at a sword practice session flashed. Here she was, on top of him again after an eternity of trials. They had defied all the odds that were stacked against them.

She had been grief stricken for weeks, crying herself to sleep everyday. Seeing him was a blessing she had never thought she deserved. She was full of the joys of spring, knowing his presence meant that he had gained immunity and they would finally be together. She was thrilled and happy as a clam that her wish came true.

She kissed him passionately, torrid with emotions. Alexis was the happiest guy in the four kingdoms. He was buzzing. He was finally holding the girl he loved in his arms, after all the challenges he faced. Love indeed conquers all.

"I'm sorry for what I have done." She whimpered.

"Don't be princess." Alexis replied warmly.

"You were under a spell.

"I feel bad though." She murmured, embarrassed that she was dancing with Tommy.

"I love you and I will always love you." Alexis said in a soft voice.

"I love you more your highness." She grinned widely.

"Have you gained immunity." She asked.

"I have." Alexis replied blissfully.

"It's a long a long story. I will fill you in later."

"Now we have a ceremony to attend."

The two then went to the ceremony separately. They arrived just in time for the suitors selection. Rosa was called up and suitors came forward one after the other. All getting the same disappointing result. Tommy arrived just as Alexis was going forward to ask for Rosa's hand in marriage.

He bent down on one knee in front of the king, queen and Rosa and the crowd gasped.

"I would like the hand of Princess Rosa." Alexis said.

Everyone was shocked by the words that were echoing through the hall.

'Isn't he an Adonisian prince?' They muttered.

'What business does he have in the Onisian suitors ceremony.'

The king was the most stunned.

'What have Peruvian people been doing to Alexis that made him run mad?' He thought to himself.

"I accept to be your wife." Princess Rosa replied and the hall gasped in disbelief. The queen, however was incensed. He could've ordered guards to seize him if it wasn't for the king's fondness towards Alexis. She wanted Rosa to be married to Tommy, the knight in silver armor.

Tommy who was by the doorway, jostled through the crowd to have a better view.

"What madness is this?" The king bawled and immediately the hall muted.

"Don't be fooled by her beauty."

"The O toxin runs deep in her veins."

"I think it's high time you go to back to Adonis."

"My lord the king I am immune to the toxin." Alexis said and the crowd gasped even louder than before.

"I love your daughter and she loves me."

"please accept my proposal."

"Not another word Alexis. I have already heard enough." King Amon interjected.

"I want grand children and you can't give me grand children."

"I will my lord the king." Alexis said.

"I am immune."

"Perhaps we should let the boy prove he is immune." Said Maester Gerard, one of the king's council.

"I second that." Andre, Tommy's father added.

He wasn't trying to help Alexis to prove his case. He was hoping he would die a painful death.

The king reluctantly agreed and he sent one of his mighty guards to poison Alexis. The crowd watched in suspense as the guard shot a blood drop into Alexis's wrist. Rosa was on the edge of her seat praying for the toxin to be ineffective and her prayers were answered. Five minutes passed and nothing happened. It was a bolt in the blue for the astonished crowd. They waited for him to complain of chest pains and then fall dead to the marble floor but he was still standing with no sign of pain whatsoever. Everyone in the hall, from young to old were blown away. They all peered at Alexis with their mouths open wide.

"Whose son are you?" The king asked the guard.

"My father is Royis of house Silva." The guard responded.

"I know your father very well." The king said.

"But what I don't know is why your blood doesn't have the toxin."

After an awkward silence the king called out.

"Rosa!"

"I'm going to need your blood."

She took the king's dagger and cut her finger. The king himself took the blood soaked blade and sliced through Alexis's hand. They waited for the symptoms to kick in but just like before he was calm and healthy.

The king couldn't believe his eyes. Never had something like this ever happened. After a short while of processing the king signaled to the growing noise of disbelief in the crowd.

"What we have witnessed today is something never seen before." He said.

"I think the union will be of great benefit to us as it will bridge the gap between us and our brothers at Adonis."

"If there is anyone against this union say it now or forever hold your peace."

Just as the words echoed in the hall, Tommy strutted forward.

"I am against this unprecedented union." He yelled.

"This fellow shouldn't be wed to the king's daughter."

"He is not to be trusted."

"What more will he take from the king if not the kingdom?"

Both Alexis and Rosa glared at him with furrowed brows. The crowd was lost for words. Never in their wildest dreams would they have thought of something like this happening at a ball. Well they were in for a dramatic treat.

"My lord the king I have something to say about this vile man, Tommy." Rosa said.

"This man cast a witchcraft spell on me and erased my memories."

"That is why you saw me dancing with him earlier."

Loud gasps from the crowd resonated in the hall. No one could believe what they were just hearing, not even the king. Only Luis and Olivia were very certain that it was true. They know Rosa quite well.

Omiros stepped forward too.

"My lord the king, the men you asked me to provide for Alexis reported an assassination attempt on Alexis at Peruvia."

"Alexis told me that it was Tommy, I was aghasted at first but I agreed to look into him because he had a motive to kill Alexis. They both love the princess.

"I sent my trusted men to follow him earlier and they caught him doing sorcery spells at his castle with his mother."

"Not only that, one of their servants wants to testify against them."

"I was going to wait for the ceremony to end but now that Tommy is here then I felt we might get it over with.

The woman stepped forward. Her steps were sounding louder because of the silent hall.

"My lord the king, I have served this family for about 22 years now."

"When I first arrived at their household they seemed like a normal rich family."

"Perhaps it was because I was only a child."

"When time went on I started to notice things that I thought were strange."

"I would see charms and witchcraft stuff around the house."

"I even caught Andre and his wife practicing witchcraft, casting large scale mind control spells on your people my lord the king."

"The numerous precious stones they have, they use it as conduits to power their spells."

"They are rich because of this large scale spells."

"More than half the tax supposed to paid to the king goes to them because they erase people's memories and make them pay tax directly to them."

"Not only do they practice witchcraft and sorcery, they are thiefs who are stealing from the king."

The crowd was overwhelmed. They only came to the hall to dance and find suitors. But now they had already seen an O toxin immune man, and as if that wasn't enough, they were now hearing wild and horrible accusations about one of the prominent noble families in the kingdom.

"What do you have to say about this Andre." The king bawled.

"Those vile accusations are not true my lord the king." Andre replied.

"Far be it from me to do such evil."

"Guards seize them." The king shouted.

And immediately as the guards rushed towards Andre, Tommy took out a yellow sapphire and uttered curses. As it was glowing bright, the magically weak lost their memories but Omiros, the king, Alexis and high ranks did not. Immediately a man named Flavia, one of the high ranks charged swiftly towards Tommy and swung at his neck with a sword. The blade did not touch Tommy but a huge chunk of flesh was devoured off his neck. It was like huge fangs violently bit half his neck off and he fell dead to the ground.

Andre scowled at Tommy and wondered how he raised such a foolish boy. It was very stupid of him to prove the accusations made against him and his family. He didn't put much of a fight. He was restrained and charged with sorcery together with his wife. And they were put to death. Their belongings were seized by the king. The memories of everyone they had cast spells on were restored.

Alexis and Rosa married four days later at a lavishly beautiful white wedding. They were blessed with two beautiful babies. Their marriage was filled with joy, love and happiness until four years into their wedding, when the famine began.

It became apparent that the rain was not coming anytime soon when the third year of the drought came and passed. The drought was harshest trial they had ever faced in their relationship. The union of Rosa and Alexis had not brought the benefits that King Amon had hoped for. Instead, relations with Adonis became more strained. King Loannis revoked the trade negotiations after he heard of the marriage. The paranoid king felt threatened by the union as he thought Alexis and the armies of Onisia would someday attack Adonis.

The fourth year of the drought was severe. The food storages were dangerously low. Alexis's wife, Rosa and the two children were starving. Although there was plenty at Adonis, they didn't want to trade with Onis. Alexis made up his mind, to muster an Onisian army and attack Adonis.