An In-Law Is Coming

Venemiah waited for the Prime Minister, Marleen to pour his tea before setting foot outside his empire. He was yet to leave instructions to Marleen who he will be entrusting the kingdom to until he returns.

"Pardon me for making you shoulder such heavy responsibility such as this, Marleen. But my duty as a husband anew shall not fail." Venemiah's injunctions were rather solemn, and regretful. It would be the first time in history that Venemiah would leave the empire for a matter this diminutive. After all, he stuck with the empire since he reigned because of the fear that leaving his affairs on someone to shoulder it would be burdensome for them. He believed that a ruler does not let anyone shoulder his responsibilities, for the most part he believed so. But to him, strangely such puny matter involving Selestia is an exception for greatly it bear differences.

"It would be my pleasure, Your Excellency. I wish you bear happiness amidst your affairs outside the borders." Marleen bowed lowly. Venemiah rest himself assured though yet he still feel uneasy. There was a voice in him that dare ruin such reputation for Marleen. Distrust, perhaps? No, something just doesn't sit right, he might have just been overthinking.

Selestia left on a different carriage with Grandel, Venemiah followed closely with his. Selestia felt that things would get difficult, now that she knew that the person she willed to betray was tailing behind.

"Everything does not sit right with me..." A worrisome expression arose from her countenance. "Shamar is not a gleeful destination to visit, I knew. So why would Thuhelda vie to over and over win that land?"

Grandel thought for a moment. Shamar is nothing but a wilderness where nothing grew, everything dries up and nothing could withstand the toxic air Shamar underwent. "No matter how hard I think about it, I seem to not get what refuge they would attain for owning the land. On the contrary, Yurendel is as barren as Shamar. It is destiny that rocks and cliffs could only let the region experience."

Selestia could not think anymore, her vision had gotten fuzzy and her eyelids were heavy. Her head felt numb and her throat was unbearable, maybe she had gotten sick of the travel or that she had gotten up so early. It's been a while since Selestia was physically active, without her regular routine, her immunity detoriates. It was a weakness, she viewed it as one.

Before she could have fully fainted, the last thing she could have heard was Grandel's voice calling out to her.

"You have to escape..." begged the woman, she was on her belly as she crawled and dared reach her foot.

'Is this another dream? What could have been triggering this nuisance?'

"I beg of you to escape...you will never be safe here."

Selestia grimaced and kicked her hand off her toes. "What blatherskite you are to prattle senselessness. By chance, I wish you not torment me in my sleep no longer."

"Escape, I beg you," the woman continued to talk.

Slowly, though in agony, she struggled to get her face off the ground and sit herself up. "What nonsense!" She shouted.

It was here again, the woman with the same face as she does. Though something was different, she had a warm smile but her eyes depict tears coming out that seemed to be awfully pitiful. "Stop fiddling with me!"

The woman's smile grew wider. "That's the only way you can be safe..." Out of her tongue was a name that caused her bewilderment and horror. She was petrified and frozen, trembling in terror.

It was not long then when she heard a disparaging roar from there yonder. He was coming closer, closer and closer. But his eyes were blurry, though his hands were of familiarity, so was his voice. Who could that be? She couldn't think, her mind was muddled and her headache could only worsen. Closer and closer, the image of the man bore her greater terror, his face buried in the depths of shadows and animosity, he was to attack her.

She could just stand there, it was nothing but a dream, something like such would not dig her grave. There would be no point of saving a woman who only lived upon a dream and never in reality. To such astonishment, the spear the man raised and held high amidst his attack pierced on the woman's skull. Blood splattered everywhere, her eyes were crushed but there were tears falling from it. Even in the brink of death, she was still mumbling something. A name perhaps. As she looked not far, eyes on the man, it grew a gruesome terror. His grin widened, something so similar to the Emperor was drawn on his snicker. Then and there, Selestia lost her breath and awoke from the misery.

"I feel relieved that you are awake." A voice of a man arose from the dead silence.

She found herself lying on something, though blurry her eyes are yet, she envisioned a man above her. Clearer her eyes got, she grew hypothesis of who such a person was. She was petrified even amidst her waking. It was the man on her dream, the same man who pierced her skull with a spear. She was infuriated.

Immediately, she arose. She bewildered when she discovered that she was on a different carriage. This one was larger, and even more luxurious than the one she went on the travel with.

"What am I doing here? Where's Grandel?"

Venemiah's brows furrowed. "Your companion is on the other carriage, fear not. Though amidst the journey, the carriage you were on halted before us and I have come to inspect what caused such, knowing that you wished to rush to your homeland. It was to my disbelief that you, the female warrior of this continent have fainted for scarcely having sleep. It is rather amusing, I daresay." He grinned widely.

"I have no time for something this foolish. I have to be as early as I could to Celeste."

Venemiah smiled, "Mellow out, Selestia. We're almost there."

He brushed the curtain that blocked the window of the carriage. Her eyes hurt because of the bright sun although when she had gotten used to the beams of the sun, she found herself in a surprise. There they are, her eyes behold the splendor of Celeste's gates as they approached.

"You have been sleeping for about three days..." Venemiah's smile was warm, his apertures brought focus on her face on to the gates forward.