The Dream of the Chosen One (1)

Arial come into his bedchamber and look at the portrait of his late wife. Helia is portrayed elegantly in the paintings; beside her left is another painting.

 It is the painting of Ariadne smiling, her face full of joy. 

On Helia right is the painting of Arial with a crown on his head, and the majesty of his coronation, the moon and the heaven all portrayed symbolically in the crest of his family. 

A dragon holding a pearl in its claw. And then Arial sit near his bed and open a bottle of wine and drink it all in one gulp.

He just stares at the painting. The painting of Helia. And then at his daughter.

'Can I only see your smile in painting Ariadne?' He asks himself. It has been so long since he sees his daughter smiles.

He would give anything to see it again.

'What a failure I have been! What use of my strength if I can't even protect those around me?' he lamented.