Chapter 21

The carriage had come to a halt upon arriving at the Eastern Empire's Royal gate. There, the gigantic golden molted castle laid upon Ophelia's eyes. Her eyes glimmered in Amazement. A gasp had escaped her lips unknowingly from time to time as her eyes wandered the architecture.

At this she couldn't help but to mentally complement at the thought that Icarus would one day wear the crown and lead this empire. Still mesmerized by the amazing amount of gold her eye laid upon, it was as if she had looked like a small princess wondering in the woods that she didn't notice Icarus had halted on his step and caused Ophelia to bump on his lean shoulders.

"..Enjoying the sight?" Icarus smiled at her small figure.

"Don't take it all in Ophelia, I'm afraid you'll get bored at the scenery someday…" Icarus added softly, more like a whisper as if he intended for Ophelia not to hear, his eyes ambiguous yet again.

"There's no way I'd get bored, I most likely won't end up staying here."

"We'll see about that..." He added, not minding what Ophelia had in mind and went ahead straight to the library where his lessons were about to begin.

Ophelia had to on her own as she were led by a loyal servant for a tour later on.

~

As Icarus lessons had started in a while, Ophelia stayed in the Garden. She was not allowed to wonder around too much and she couldn't agree more since the Palace was too dazzling and big.

Ophelia sat alone on the dry grass surrounded with yellow roses. Ah, it was so blissful just sitting there and not thinking about any scary events. She had wondered how Icarus in the future would live his life in harmony. Maybe she could be in that future too?

His words earlier had bothered her...will she get the chance to live here? In her mind it was possible, if she had married an Eastern noble, a duke maybe, probably a supporting official for Icarus. She didn't want to stay in the Marcias as she grows older.

"..ah, how am I even gonna get a chance to meet an Eastern noble if I only stay here?" She sighed out loud. There were only a few young nobles in the Palace and most of them were knights who were too busy to spare a glance at her and more likely had their future set for them.

(Step, rustle)

"What about this Eastern noble?" A voice called out behind her.

She slowly turned behind her, she felt flushed at the moment thinking about the words she just said out loud. Is Icarus back? She wondered.

Looking at the owner of the firm voice that answered her. Her eyes bulged at the sight of the 'Eastern noble'. He looked like a palace knight, and he looked beautiful for a knight and his sword's scabbard had been embedded with gold. His clothes had displayed his chest and stomach bare, revealing his lean and toned muscles. He was almost in the same age as the young lord.

'..For a knight, they wear thinly huh...'

She couldn't help but think about the odd combination. But somehow the strange encounter had struck something inside her. Her mind roamed at the strange ruby eyes that held hers.

"Y-you...at the lake?" She stammered.

What a coincidence this was, the young boy whom she saved at the Duke's banquet two years ago was this Eastern Knight who had appeared before her. It was almost impossible for Ophelia to register what an Eastern Knight could have been doing at a Northern banquet.

"Nice to officially meet you, my lady..." He takes her hand and slowly pressed his soft lips.

"I am a knight trainee in this palace, you may call me Damen. Ah- I am also an Eastern noble" He added, not leaving the last detail and looking rather innocent as if he had no other intentions for saying the last few lines.

Ophelia blushed at this and took her hand from his grasp. She didn't like the young boys' approach towards her. She eyed the guy unknowingly, it was a reflex as she tried to study his face and looking at every detail. It was exactly the same face she saw that day golden blonde hair, and red ruby eyes, it reminded her of the duchess.

"Do you like what you see my lady? I could stay here all day you'd like next time, but sadly I am on patrol..." He unassumingly asserted.

Ophelia who had seen enough, smiled at the young knight and bowed her head in response.

"Oh, I won't be seeing you often. Sir Damen-was it?" She smiled cheerfully and turned, ignoring the young knight who had a blank expression on his face.

"Goodbye, my lady..." he turns around and resumes to his patrol.

It wasn't later that afternoon when Icarus came to fetch Ophelia by the garden. He had finished his lessons and had been looking forward all day to spend time with Ophelia in the garden. There were too much affairs to handle on his plate, he had been taking some loyal eastern etiquette and familiarizing himself to the state's internal and external affairs. Making his way to Ophelia with his head on the cloud for a while, he had bumped into someone without noticing.

(Bump) (ahh!)

He grabbed unto the stranger's waist flexing his reflexes to avoid her fall.

"Who-" He asked in surprise.

"ow-could you please watch where you're going next t!-"

The young stranger with silver strands met Icarus' amethyst eyes, surely enough she knew who he was but she was as fierce as a storm and would stand her ground. They locked eyes, none of them was willing to back away nor apologize for the minor accident.

The two strangers had met in such informal acquaintance. The girl who had bumped unto Icarus was none other than the Southern princess, Talia Chloros. They were the future of both Kingdoms, their marriage was the key to unlocking metaphorical secrets that could evolve the dynasty into one.

"Pardon me, princess, I sincerely welcome you to the Eastern Kingdom…" Icarus gave a gentle gesture to lighten the unspoken rivalry between the two. His eyes looked away for a second, he felt unpleasant meeting her.

"I see you are still as passive in the near future…where is she?"

There was indeed familiarity between the two, it was their first meeting at this time and age but they have come across each other's paths in the future.

Sadly, the said "uniting their fates would bring the destiny into one" was a total disaster in the future. Icarus had been a passive husband to her, or rather, he will be passive husband to her. And they both knew this that they weren't meant for each other.

"In the garden, don't be impatient now. It isn't time for you to meet"

Icarus flashes a stern look at Talia's way. Ophelia had no idea what the future held for her, and it was only a matter of time now. He didn't want the southern princess involved with her just yet.

"You didn't forget it was today right? It took you long enough to get out of that wretched curse from your mother…um sorry I blurted it out that way." Talia got taken aback from her words, she was as rude as ever and her blood coiled whenever she was near the Eastern king. It was like a dangerous chemical reaction between the two, harmony was something awfully alien to them.

"Sigh… I know that well, you don't have to rub it in, princess" Icarus mood just turned daisy to muddy as he spoke longer with the southern princess.

"The bridge is closing in on us…I'm just reminding you, if we can't bring her with us sooner or maybe even today. Then we might have just to bury her in our hearts forever, and nobody wants that."

"She belongs to us, Eastern king. I doubt you have fully realized and learned from the future. Still, I'll see what you got. Don't let us down."

The two went their separate ways, not paying another look at each other. They were couples in the name of marriage only, but the two were both icy rocks that never yielded to each other. And like now, their conversation was as cold and short as it did in the future. It was funny that they have come together in the past to work for a better future. Still, all of it was for Ophelia, her sole existence that will be missing in the future will be the greatest destruction for both of them, and the whole continent.