Prophetic dreams

Imperial Palace of Amanécer...

"Sister, where have you been? Father has summoned you."

Melody entered Aria's chambers as Aria sat praying.

She did not respond to her and remained silent witheyes closed.

"Oh I see~!" She exclaimed.

"Praying for your beloved fiance?" She said sarcastically.

Aria sighed annoyed and instructed melody to remain silent.

It took her longer to end her prayers. Melody was offered refreshments from Aria's maids. Avlynn was visiting Lady Aurora and young Lord Tiberius, her only friend. She was a tomboy so she hardly went along with girls her age.

"So why is father asking for me?" Aria asked after getting up.

"I'm not certain but he said it is important."

Melody shrugged and picked up a bite sized piece of goat cheese and popped it in her mouth.

"Is it just me he asked for?"

"Yes, if he wanted me there he would've said so."

"So how come he didn't send Horos instead?"

"Well I happened to be have some things I needed to discuss with father."

She blushed slightly and looked away lost in her thoughts.

"Oh~? Is it about Lucerne?" Aria teased her knowing how Melody was.

Even though she never bothered herself with romance or liking someone, Lucerne was a perfect gentleman and was a straightforward youngster.

Many young ladies fawned over him but he only treated them with respect.

"Poor Lucerne. Only if he could see your face at this moment he'd be overjoyed." Aria sighed.

"You don't need to go through such lengths sister."

"Is it that you were flustered because he is now working in father's office instead of Octavius?"

"I'm telling you not to concern yourself over my private matters."

"Very well then I'm off to see father. And I might end up telling him about your cute response to his name."

"Sister!"

Aria laughed and bolted out of her chambers with her lady in waiting hastily hurrying after her.

"Admiring his gentle demeanor is one thing. It doesn't mean that it's love."

Melody fretted over her own feelings.

She never complained when Helios decided her engagement with Lucerne.

Nor did she like anyone in particular.

Lucerne was had a strong sense of justice and responsibility like his father but his gentle demeanor came from his mother.

A perfect gentleman any girl could dream of.

His eyes were only at her. She was aware of his feelings.

But it was a burden to reciprocate them. She had always kept herself away from burdensome things that could end up being a mess.

-"Nevermind. I just have to proceed things with care. Mother always said to play careful so no one gets hurt. It's not like I asked him to like me."

"Princess Aria. The Emperor is waiting for you."

Julius who was the commander of the palace guard division received her and escorted her to the study.

Lucerne was at the door carrying scrolls. He hastily greeted her and left with a little bow.

"He seems busier than I thought." Aria muttered.

"Well, Lord Rudolf wet to inspect the borders with Sir Dimitrios who is newly appointed as the eastern division commander. So Horos, Lord Lucerne and

Lord Dionysios are busier in the office."

Aria felt a little guilty at herself for not being efficient like Luciana who proficiently handled the official affairs and greatly supported father and also took care of them.

"Even right now sir Nicolas from the international relations department is struggling with keeping the human realm in check." He sighed.

-"The palace is in complete turmoil. I never knew it was this bad."

" My light, I announce her imperial highness Princess Aria at your service."

"Let her enter."

Aria entered the chambers finding Helios watering the nursery plants in the porch.

"Father, you summoned me?"

Aria was not the type to give formal greetings at every visit.

"Oh yes, my daughter. You've come." He smiled and gave a light pack on her forehead.

"You don't look so good father. Is something still bothering you?"

Aria felt that Helios had become paler in past few days.

"No more than that I see you're worried about your fiance. I'm sorry to have you all put into something dangerous."

"Don't be father. I trust you more than anyone else. I believe that there was something you knew and feared even before all of this happened."

She took the small watering can from his hands and took him to have a seat.

He sighed as if he had been working for countless nights.

"My dear, you must be curious why I summoned you here today." He spoke slowly.

Aria knew that their mother died in early spring. Her death anniversary was approaching as days passed by.

"Yes I am." She gulped. The lump in her throat felt like it was swelling.

"It is about why everything that your sister had to face happened."

Aria gulped twice. She didn't want to listen to it but her she gave in to her curiosity.

"Today all your questions will be answered."

She nodded as Helios reluctantly began.

"It was in autumn when Aphrodite received news that she was conceiving once again. Your mother and I were overjoyed to hear about it. She had barely recovered from the past trauma of miscarriage so we ensured that nothing harmed her.

At that time she began having strange dreams. Dreams that continued as if it were pointing towards something.

At first she became hesitant to tell me. But I encouraged her to confide in me. It was then she told me that she would give birth to a girl."

"Y-you mean mother received news of sister Luci?" Aria asked shocked.

Helios nodded smiling nonchalantly and continued.

"Yes, she was overjoyed that Luciana was her lookalike. But things only got stranger. Her dreams she saw were sometimes blissful and the other.... terrible nightmares.

It happened to occur more frequently as months passed. She started to feel insecure with the decision if we should at all bring that child into this world.

The imperial doctors did their best to find a solution for it until the former head of the temple briefly paid visit upon hearing about her condition.

He told us that what Aphrodite had were prophetic dreams."

"Prophetic dreams? Are you saying mother had the ability of clairvoyance?"

"It was another shock for me too. And worst part was that her ability consumed most of her life force."

Aria felt like the sky had split into halves and hit her head.

"Don't tell me...is that the reason why mother had become so frail?"

"Yes...her years of life were being consumed subconsciously. While I tried so hard to find a source to cure her.... I had abandoned the duty of being an emperor and a father."

He sighed regretting about his past mistakes.

"Please tell me more. Did mother know that sister Luci would be married off like this? Did she know what would happen to her over there?"

"She did... The dreams that disturbed her the most that made her unable to sleep for a long time. Right before the day Luciana was born she told me everything she had been experiencing in her dreams. And she urged me to let her leave this place."

"Why?....But why would mother ask you to send her to that place? Of all places why that place?" Aria could no longer control her frustration.

Helios let her weep for sometime until she started to calm herself down.

"To protect her." He answered briefly.

Aria stared at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"It was to protect her."

"W-was... sister Luci's fate already decided even before she was born?"

"I tried my best to change it...but I failed."

"Because...if I ended up only saving her. You and your sisters and all of this empire would be in danger that no one could save us from."