The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Fifty Eight

The map looked ancient as I expected, and it seemed to have been hand-carved there. It was something that I have never seen of, though. At first look, it just appears to be scratch, but then if you look closely it is a group of dots and probably old symbols that could mean anything.

"This is it," said the Crown Prince triumphantly. "This is what we are looking for. Look at the carved symbols. Doesn't it look like the ones in your golden bracelet?"

I stared at the map again and mentally compared it with the ones that I saw was on the golden bracelet. Prince Kao was right. The symbols on this shield and on the golden bracelet are of the same style and technique. There was no doubt about it. The two artifacts belong to the same person or group at the very least. The similarity between the designs is super undeniable.

"This makes sense," said the Crown Prince. "The Forresters are descendants of the earliest settlers here in Plumba, who were, in turn, were supposedly related to the Luria. This shield proves it!"

I almost shrieked from the excitement that I was feeling right now. "I could not believe it! We have now solid evidence that my mother was really a Snow Gypsy!"

Prince Kao nodded. "Indeed. But of course, we have to take everything with a grain of salt. This finding does not literally confirm that your mother was a Snow Gypsy, but it strengthened our theory that she is."

I agreed with his statement. "That's okay for me. It does not change the fact that I have no doubts about her being a Snow Gypsy right now. Everything seems to fit into the puzzle so I think we are on the right path."

"And now that we have this map, I will ask the Forresters to let me borrow this so that I can decipher what the map means and what kind of place it depicts."

"I see. Then does it mean that we already accomplished our mission here?"

He smiled at me and I just remembered how hopelessly in love I am with him. "That's right. We can now go to the border and visit your brother. I'm sorry that it took this long, Rainha. I hope you did feel bored with everything---"

"Oh no, I was not bored even for a minute," I told him. "In fact, it was the opposite. I enjoyed being here in Plumba so much."

"That's good to hear. I was starting to think that maybe you regretted that you came here with me."

"Don't be silly, Prince Kao," I said laughing. "Why would I regret coming here with you? I always love the times that I spent with you," I said and I almost bit my tongue afterward when I said it, for there was a long moment of silence between the two of us that made this situation rather awkward.

"Oh... I m-mean... What I meant was that I enjoy when we have little adventures just like this, you know," I said while bowing my head again because I just can't... I just can't look at him in his eyes right now. The Crown Prince was staring at me with this unfamiliar expression on his face and I just don't know what to do with it.

Maybe I was scared... I was scared that I might misinterpret it big time and that would be the death of me. As if it is not already enough burden to carry that he is so lovable and admirable. As if it wasn't hard enough to resist him when he is everything that a woman wants in a man. That's why it is so frightening to even just look into his eyes right now. I don't want to make a fool out of me more than I already was.

"I feel so happy that you think that way, Rainha."

"Well, I never said that I did not like everything that we did... I might have been a scaredy-cat because these adventures are dangerous, but I like them nonetheless. "Plus, it amuses me every time you act like you are not the Crown Prince. That always makes me nervous... but in a good way."

He did not respond to that, so I have to look at his face in order to know what he was thinking about right now. But he was just looking at me like that like he just woke up from a long dream and he just realized how good it was to be finally awake... I don't know why I am thinking like this, but this is the only way that I can describe what I was seeing in him right now. Prince Kao seemed to be in trance too, and then he swallowed hard and I saw his Adam's apple move and that made me swallow too.

I know that this was something that would change the dynamics between the two of us forever if this goes on, but as soon as I think about that, we heard someone knocking on the steel door. We both looked at the door and then back at each other. "We have to go," he whispered to me and I just nodded because that was the only thing that I can think of doing. And just like that, the change that I was expecting went down the drain.

***

Leaving Plumba was harder than I thought. I watched the beautiful town from the window with sadness as our snow carriage finally moved. It was now dark but the people outside were still there, braving the cold just so they can send off the Crown Prince. And speaking of him, he could not refuse the gifts that people have given him, especially from the Forresters. Millicent and her family became the greatest achievement that he achieved there as right now they pledged their loyalty to him.

"They were so grateful to me, and that was because of you, Rainha. If you did not tell me about their desire to build the seawall I think I would have a hard time gaining their trust. But right now they are willing to do anything that I ask of them, and I am sure that they will see to it that I will become King as soon as possible."

"That's good," I said. "You just gained yourself your first allies, Prince Kao. Good job!"

"Oh, but I already had you before them," he corrected me and I almost fell from my seat when I heard that. I guess he saw that I blushed from what he said because he laughed loudly and teased me about it.

"I was talking about important people in the political scene, you know," I explained. "Not just someone like me." I tried my very best to not make it sound like I was belittling my status again because he does not like it when I say something like that. He always frowns at me and gives me a good scolding as if I was his own daughter. It makes me feel giddy though, so I don't complain about it.

"What are you talking about? If you are what we theorize you to be, then you are more important than any person in a high position. You know that, don't you?"

I nodded silently because it was something that was hard for me to discuss about. But what he said was true. If we manage to prove that my mother was indeed a Snow Gypsy, my life would change forever. That is because there is a law stating that anyone who is proven to be directly related to a member of Aure's ancient tribe would gain a status that is a lot higher than my current one. I am not sure what status I would have though because if I really am a daughter of a Snow Gypsy, it would be the first time in history that someone alive could attest to everyone that he or she is a direct descendant of an ancient tribe.

The idea that I could become someone with a high status in the kingdom really scares me though. I don't know how well the people will take it. Of course, I don't expect that everyone will believe me. There will always be a contradiction, and my situation is no exception. Back then, I always thought that it would be a pain to have people openly contradict you, but right now that I know better I even welcome opposition with open arms. It's because opposition makes you see things clearly. When someone opposes you, it lets you see that it is a choice first and foremost; the idea is that someone is free to choose what he or she wants to do. People will dislike and contradict you because they just want to, but following that logic, it makes me happy that there are also people who chose to believe in me too. That's the greatest thing about contradiction. You will see who chose you regardless if you were wrong or right.

But I would be lying if I said that I do not care if my life will change or not once the truth comes out. Of course, I care. Garreth and I have lived our lives at a different pace and sometimes I do not like our pace, but I am not against it either. But if we became someone who is considered to be culturally significant in our kingdom, then I would accept it gladly. There is no more room for bitterness when all your life all you have is that feeling.

Meanwhile, I did not realize that I was back again at this dreamland where I came from the last time I dreamed. I did not expect that I will be back here for the second time around, but I was glad that I did. Right now I was back in my home, deep in this volcano where I hibernated.

I coughed water and someone was talking beside me. And as I listened closely, this person was singing a chant. I recognized the chant for I was the one who taught them that. I taught them that chant in case I did not wake up from my hibernation on time. Sometimes it happens, so I need my followers to sing it to me.

"She's awake!" said another voice. I finally opened my eyes and I saw that I was lying in a bed made out of rocks and that my followers, my Gypsies, were here surrounding me. They all looked worried. "Finally, you are awake, our dear deity!"

"W-What happened?" I asked them as my senses were still hazy. I can't even think straight, so to make it fast I touched one of them and saw what I needed to see.

They were sunning towards the shore, where they just saw me sinking into the deep water together with the golden ship. Most of them shouted in fear that it might be too late, but they all went to the water and swam to save me. However, Kentan, made it impossible for them to save me that easily. I heard him mutter something and then huge waves started to form at the bay, disabling my followers to reach me.

It was so hopeless that I could not see how they were able to rescue me. But at that moment I saw some men coming towards us. They were in a ship too (but this one was just a normal ship) and I think they came from the sea and were about to dock at the bay when they saw what was happening. They must have been warriors too because they have weapons with them. I saw from this vision that these men have swords, arrows, and shields that were made from gold. They saw Kentan on the water and they began shooting him. One of them managed to hit him with an arrow on his chest, and just like that Kentan fell into the waters too.