Chapter Six.

When Chantara awoken, she was dead. Or at least, half dead. Her eyes opened to a dark scenery with nothing but void to fill it's atmosphere. All was a bleak and vast emptiness. Till she heard his voice. It wasn't possible. This man was long gone, moonlights ago. How was it that she could hear him now? She wasn't dead, that she was sure of. She didn't have enough proof, but as a god, once life has been striped off of existence, the soul would know if it.

And Chantara was not dead.

"Tara, mine and mine alone." Echoed the voice from a far distance.

She was stone-still, frozen like ice. Her heart pounded louder than she expected and her whole body tingled with goosebumps. The air was suddenly eerily cold and blanket of shivers soon coated her as she stood. Perplexed and confused she still did not utter a word.

"It's been so long." Remarked the voice, with a hint of pain in his voice. The air cleared and light started emitting from afar. Soon the vast and empty scenery slowly reshaped it's image to the silhouette of a mighty bold man in front.

It was him.

Only a few inches facing her now, stood a familiar face. When people asked where she got the thin lips and intimidating eyes, she could clearly point at this man before her. Her long blonde hair had also been generated from him. Her feisty and arrogant behavior however, did not in anyway link her to this man.

"Say something, Mi dear." He frowned, anxious to hear his daughter spew comforting words. It then soon hit him. His daughter would never appraise of him as a father. Even after his spirit journeyed to the tree of life, Chantara would still despise him and curse his name. "There's not much time then." He quickly straighten his mind, deciding he'd better focused on the important bit.

"Then why have you summoned me?" Regrets instantly filled her guts as soon as those cruel words emitted from her mouth. Chantara could be arrogant for all she cared, but she would never be as callous the rest of the other gods.

"I am sorry if I have invoked the wrong side of you, but I fear this summoning is very important-" he said then croaked out loud in pain like whips of canes were lashed at him from all angles. Chantara's heart crumbled into bits as she feared she would loose her father yet again.

"Father," she let out a soft whisper that instantly revealed a bright smile across her father's face.

"My child!" He replied in a cheery voice, warming the very soul of Chantara. She blinked back a tear and muffled a cursed for crying, despite how she'd trained herself for so long to always be strong whatever the situation.

"Where are you? What is wrong with-"

"There's not much time my child," he hushed her up before she could ask any further question. "I," he managed, before letting out a painful grunt again. Fear gripped his daughter's heart and anger raged within her as she failed to unravel what mystery was going on. Where was he? "I, I cannot explain more but listen to me." He explained, and as the typical rouge that his daughter was, she did not listen.

"Maybe I can do something. There has to be a thing to do, father! Tell me, please?"

"My child,"

"You listen to me. I have lost you once, and I am, in the Orbs name! Not going to loose you again. I,"

"My Tina, Listen to me! Arrhg!!" He let out yet another panicking scream. Chantara tried, but her efforts went to no avail. Tears dropped down uncontrollably from her eyes. She was a fool. Fool to think she was ever capable of anything good. With no choice on her list, she kept her mouth shut, with only strangled sounds of suppressed tear shedding. "There are so many secrets that are lurking around, evey corners of our world, even outside our world. But I'm afraid I can only say this much."

Still sobbing quietly, she listened. Chantara listened with all of her might. She didn't know the next time she might be blessed with a moment like that. Worst, she didn't even know if she would live to see another moment as such. Her mission on earth was close to impossible. With a little guide from her father, it would help her. So, she listened, as still as she could ever be.

"Trust no one, except One." He cautioned. Chantara had already heard of this before, and she knew exactly who it was to trust. Just like her father was reading through her mind, he continued. "Trust no one, not even yourself. Except One."

"I, I'm sorry?" She questioned, hoping to attend to her curiosity.

"I don't know myself, who this... "One", is, but I am very certain this "One", will guide you through your path." He called out the "One," like it was a name Chantara must had been very familiar with. "Listen to this "One", follow in the same path and you will be on your way to success." He said, and for a brief moment, relieved that his suffering had stopped a bit. But that moment did not last. "Argh!" He barked in excruciating terror that only forced more tears from his daughter's eyes. After a moment, he groaned in pain, but it seemed like it had been suppressed a lot more. "But there's another, urgh!" He stopped, and sighed in deep frustration. Whatever pain he was feeling seemed to had began all over again. "There is one," he began reciting in an hush manner, like in a second's time, he would be gone. "A girl, she will guide you to the others. Flower, her name possesses a flower and her kingdom is the place where a cursed man rules..."

And with that, Chantara lost sight if him, leaving her with nothing but the vast emptiness that was once of existence.

****

Chrysanthe cried herself to bed the night before, like she did almost every other nights. But this night, she wasn't alone.

"So you can only leave the castle gates whenever the king says so?" Asked Chrysanthe, many times with Margarette giving her the same replies as always, "Yes, my dear." Wave of disappointment washed over her as she closed her eyes tight she wished they would not open again.

Her heart was abounded with enough pain that could last her decades of years to come, only within the range of about four years ago. Four years when she lost her beloved mother to the war. But at least, her father was still alive. Then why was she suffering that much?

"Why say all these things, my Lady? You are very much blessed here at the palace." Assured Margarette.

"Blessed? Ha!" Exclaimed Chrysanthe, her eyes still shut tight. She'd asked the same question repeatedly to her maid servant, Margarette, a couple of times with no true intention on her mind. Now, Chrysanthe would elope. She would run far away from the castle's territory and break free from the chains of slavery. But she needed to see her father first. She knew something was off, and feared her kingdom might have been under Shadrack's rule. Even if Margarette would only feed her lies and assured her everything was all fine, she knew it.

"It's time for dinner already. I shall have the maids bring you some food." Margarette said, changing the topic as soon as she discovered her Princess was demanding too much. One truth from her mouth, and she would no longer live to exist.

"Us." Chrysanthe frowned, staring up to the old maid servant. "You promised to stay with me tonight."

"Yes, my Lady." Said Margarette, reassuringly with a faint smile across her face.

"All through the night. Even when I'm already asleep."

"Yes. Now relax while I go get your dinner ready." With that, she exited the room.

Minutes later, Margarette was back with all kinds of delicacies that soothed her Lady's tummy. After dinner, Margarette prepared her bed and waited for her Lady to get tucked in. Although it took a while, but Chrysanthe finally slept off, mind clear and free from distress. She snored deeply, a habit that only betide whenever Margarette served her meal. Moments later, satisfied with herself, Margarette left her Lady. With one last glance at Chrysanthe on the bed, as Margarette arrived at the entrance, she exited the room gently closing the door behind.

****

It did not make sense to him, but he was loving every bit of the moment. Ever since she was a young maiden, he'd always admired her beauty and charisma. She was so calm, friendly and jovial, a rebel when necessary. And he, a loner without anyone to love than the fainting memory of hope lingering in his heart that one day she might recognize him and consider his feelings towards her.

And here she was, sleeping peacefully by his side. Elmer Homes, after sitting carefully to admire his old time crush's face and body for any form of injuries and confirming she was all fine, he rose up and ventured into the woods for food. When he brought her to escape, he watched Adelaide cried her eyes out in deep regrets, and with throughout inspection, he sat next to her without uttering any words. Just so she'd feel the presence of another by her side. Although It did little to sooth her, she seemed relaxed. When she slept, a wave of relieve washed over him. He laid down on the bare grass without minding the thoughts of poisonous stings from deadly crawlies, soon drowsing in deep slumber.

The next morning, she was still fast asleep and Elmer was somewhat please. He wanted to quickly rush to prepare breakfast, anything at all so his crush would eat as soon as she got up. Few minutes after wandering back from the woods, Elmer's hands filled with two fishes and some apples. He had some spices left in his bag so he quickly lit up a small fire with the woods he'd gathered not so long ago, and set to his cooking. Elmer was a former emperor from his kingdom before Shadrack's men striped him off of his throne. His trusted servants had led him through a secret passage way that set him free. Watching from behind with heavy heart of regret at his kingdom being abducted by his enemy, he swore to return to reclaim his city. How? He didn't know. But he knew victory would soon be his.

As of this reason, Elmer had never been in the kitchen before. He had all sorts of cooks prepared him all his meals. But as life struck tragedy on him, causing him to fend for himself, he had nothing but a choice to prepare his own meals without the help of other. Sometimes he made food he could eat, other times, he cooked disaster for a meal. He'd hoped that moment wasn't one of those times and prayed Adelaide enjoyed her meal with much satisfaction. Moments later, Adelaide still sleeping, he checked his fish that were already hung up nicely by the fireplace, took a pinch from it and agreed to himself that breakfast was ready. He contemplated whether to wake her up or leave her be for a little while. Luckily for him, he need not to think much because Adelaide's lovely eyes brightened to life.

She was still as beautiful as he still remembered. He noticed a thin line of wrinkle on her forehead, wrinkles that did not use to be there before until the stress from her marriage boomed to life. She used to have bright cheerful laughter that would instantly bring hope and breath of relief to the most depressed soul. Her used-to-be long curls were already cut short, leaving room for messy tangled hair. But it still looked dazzling to Elmer. Her under eyes were a bit puffy from all of the crying.

He smiled as nicely as he could, spewing — for what it was worth to him — nonsense for introduction words. With the god of luck on his side that morning, Adelaide did not even show traces of hatred. Instead, she smiled wholeheartedly and thanked him repeatedly for his heroic rescue. She admitted she still do not know how to continue with her life, but with someone like him by her side, life might not be so difficult.

Although still disheartened by her son's death, and bereaved with heavy regret that would follow her to her grave, Adelaide was a bit relieved that someone like Elmer was around. Even though most of her smiles were camouflage with traces of sorrow, she still appeared as joyous as she could.

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