FUTURE DECISIONS AND FUTURE MISUNDERSTANDINGS..

***In the Imperial grounds of Continent 'Eclipse of the Oceans'..

***Imperial Consort Tamara's Palace..

***In a high balcony..

After her encounter with her mother at training, Seflim had a long discussion with her mother about a lot of things regarding her cultivation.

She would need a tailored mana cultivation technique for her possible tri-pathways and she would also need a steady supply of the best grades of mana cores with her martial courses evolving to suit her.

 There is of course multitudes of very high-grade cultivation techniques for every pathway made generally available to members of the Imperial family.

Since these techniques are general, one most likely get a general result is they are plainly used.

Each Imperial cultivator that is good enough for the task is expected to re-size and re-shape these cultivation techniques specially for their own constitution pathways and their specific benefits.

 Some very rare geniuses have been able to modify and increase the efficiency of the already high grade technique in themselves by up to three times!.

Having three pathways, Seflim would have to cultivate three different techniques thus meaning that she would need to cultivate three times as more than the average cultivators in order to keep up with advancement.

 While this is one of the biggest disadvantage in having more than one pathways, its advantages comes in form of diversity.

Having multiple pathways means having up to four times higher mana capacity as well as a much higher skill level than the normal cultivators- that's if she can move at the same pace as these normal cultivators-.

 If she chooses to pursue all three of her possible cultivation pathway then through Seflim's cultivation path, she would have to worry about collision between her pathways as well as extreme periods of cultivation stagnation.

 Having more than one possible cultivational pathways comes with its benefits though not everybody is talented enough or has enough resources to reap these benefits. Luckily, Seflim believes she has both.

 "We'll be leaving in one week to find your shadow.", Tamara informs her daughter who's currently by her side at the highest balcony in the Palace as they both watch over the Imperial Ground's noble brilliance.

 Before this period, Tamara's has been very cautious about leaving their untouchable safety net as they go on a long search for her daughter's shadow but now, it is obvious that waiting any longer would bring more harm than good on the long run.

 Most of Tamara's worries has been set when she's learnt that Saint ranked Cultivators cannot freely move around without some sort of detection and so the fear of an unstoppable Saint levelled ambush is almost non-existent.

Adding the fact that no legal Saint is not under the powerful and watchful eye of the Emperor, Tamara's worries of this level of attack reduses to zero.

She's just that confident in the Emperor's might.

 As for high Ranked attack, Tamara is confident that herself and the Knights she would bring with her are beyond capable of burning down any plans.

 Of course, all of this are just preventions from Tamara's own over-thinking as most people would not dare to openly think of spilling direct Imperial blood talk-less of the blood of a True Imperial princess.

If they so much as plot to do this, even death would not be a good enough escape to anyone involved .

 "Are we in danger?.", Seflim suddenly asks her mother in a calm tone as her brows furrows a little. The young princess is obviously not afraid to drop her noble act in front of Tamara.

 "We are.", Tamara answers shortly not wanting to go into details.

 "I am asking about us. I'm asking about the Continent and my people.", Princess Seflim says calmly as she keeps her gaze on the brilliance of the Imperial Grounds under the setting sun.

This is the first time that Tamara has ever addressed the citizens of 'Eclipse of the Oceans' as - my people but with the instincts from her bloodline, it comes so naturally for her.

 "What do you mean?.", Tamara asks with a small frown as she looks at her daughters face as if trying to read her mind.

 "I don't really know but the wind feels weird. So does the shadows and the sky. It feels like a storm is coming, a powerful storm both from inside and from outside our lands. it is a bit scary because it feels like I'm heading to the centre of it all when I should just remain still.", Seflim says calmly while her hand trembles for a second but this little movement cannot escape her mother's eagle gaze.

 "Then control the storm.", Tamara's says calmly while responding with only four words that causes Seflim to look up at her mother with confusion in her blue eyes.

 "You know, you are my miracle. Someone as talented and extra-ordinary as you are being my daughter males me a very,.. very lucky mother.

 "When you father had first held you in his arms, knowing you have identical star readings he gave you the name you bear and the ring you wear. You are one of his own and so, on that day he marked you as someone worthy to be put a shot at the throne but it all comes with a heavy catch.".

 "He said you don't have a chance..

"You father never lies and to my very face, he told me that he would indeed give you a chance but you still don't stand any chance at actually sitting on the throne.", Tamara says with her eyes on Seflim who swallows hard as she digests her mother's words.

 "I got mad. Really mad and I can vividly remember breathing steam in my lungs as I yelled at him. At that moment of rage, seeing the look in his eyes I knew that he is very satisfied with my reaction..

"He wanted me to be angry beyond limits so as to push my limits. He wanted me to turn that anger into fuels of passion to prove him wrong..

 *Chuckle!*,"It worked. Infact, I'm grateful for that moment cause whenever I'm down it fills me with fiery anger which gets converted into passion which in turn keeps me going.", Tamara tells Seflim who listens in silence.

"On that day he also told me two more things..

 "The first one is that –'Not having a chance doesn't mean you can't make one'- and the second one is that –'if you would want to sit on the throne, you would have to consider hell itself nothing but a warm fireplace.'.

 "We obviously haven't gotten to that state yet but you would need to make a choice before we start to cross the fiery bridges.", Tara says while pausing her speech for a moment.

"I AM SELFISH.", Tamara says boldly and slowly.

 "I have come at peace with this in the past years but I AM also your mother. I would love to make the hard choice for you but I,.. I love you so I will put the ball entirely in your court.

 "Without the race to the crown, I can one hundred percent assure you a very bright future filled with joy, luxury and power though racing to the crown would bring with it all its darkest sides.

"There would be loss, battles, temptations, regret and other poison filled thorns along the way. I will fully give you the choice to choose your path and I would walk through whichever you chose by your side. Whether to the middle of a storm outside of our control, to the very lakes of hell or into paradise itself.", Tamara says as she strokes a few strands of stray blue hair off her daughters face with a small smile tugging her lips.

 Seflim looks into her mother's sincere eyes for a while and then pulls off her gaze back to the stellar view of the Imperial Grounds in silence though a barely noticeable change occurs in her gaze.

 "You should bot consider such things for now and you should only give me an answer when you have found something you want to fight and die for. Right now., just focus on training. Have a bit of fun too and try to think about simple things like clothes, jewellery and games.

"I will keep the doors to the throne always open though you are to live freely at your own pace and without regrets.", Tamara concludes her speech before leaning in to plant a kiss on her daughter's blue hair.

Tamara strokes the sides of Seflim's chin for a while but then the motherly intimate moment is interupted by a new voice.

 "Mom!.".

An excited voice calls out as a beautiful young woman of age eighteen storms into the balcony with a big smile on her pretty face.

 "I broke through!!!.", The young woman squeals in excitement as she runs towards her mother who's looking at her with a raised brow from amusement as well is a small smile.

 Imperial Princess Monet.

Seflim's elder sister by six years as well as the Emperor's 43rd daughter.

She is mostly average in cultivation potential by Imperial standards and so breaking into the First Rank at eighteen instead of expected twenty years is a big win for her.

 Without any form of noble courtesy, Monet throws herself at her mother who easily supports her weight without any surprise at her childish behaviour.

 "That's good, I'm so proud of you.", Tamara indulges her eldest daughter with a smile as Monet squeals even more in joy.

 "Now I'm finally the elder sister in everything including cultivation.", Monet says while looking at Seflim with a playful cocky gaze as she has obviously not heard the news of her sister's recent breakthrough.

 Seflim smiles at her elder sister before turning her gaze back to the horizon in silence. Since her mother has not said anything, Seflim has figured that it's better not to ruin her sister's joy by telling her news of her own breakthrough.

 Little does Seflim know how much her sister would misunderstand her silence and how much pain this misunderstanding would bring them both in the distant future.

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