The Scarlet Phoenix and the Prince of Winter

Chapter Seventy Three

"Rainha."

As soon as I heard his voice, I knew that I was back to being me, the court servant. Although it felt like it was a very long dream, I knew that something like that happened in the span of years, confusing my sense of time.

"Let's go. We need to hurry. Harvey and the other Royal Guards will be meeting us at the rendezvous that I previously set. Come on. We have to go before dawn breaks out."

I opened my eyes and finally I saw the face of the Crown Prince looking back at me. He looked worried while he was looking at me, so I wondered whether I did something in my sleep. Maybe I was talking like a fool while I was sleeping? That was possible. Anything is possible these days.

And then just like that, the waves of hurt came back to me. The waves of fear and fury woke up too as I woke up. It was the worst feeling in the world, when all your worries and negative emotions came back after being away from them for a while. Now I understand why people like to numb their feelings by drinking alcohol, or when people would rather want to die than face reality. It is not the best feeling in the world coming back here.

"Where are we going?" I asked him as he helped me get up. Mitaur was at the corner of the room waiting for us, and she was looking at us as if she was studying our every move. "Are we going now to the Fire Academy?"

The Crown Prince nodded. "But we have to go and meet Harvey and the others. They have the information that I wanted." After thanking Mitaur for letting us into her treehouse, we bid her goodbye and went on our perilous journey. Along the way, the Crown Prince shared with me his plans. We were going to Steffan's house, which was in the outskirts of Aurville too. Steffan used to live here with his family before and I don't even know about him (which was rather shocking as I almost know everyone in Aurville.) In there, we are going to reunite with Harvey, who now has the information that the man that they caught and had fallen into comatose has. At last, we were going to know who is behind these attacks and a*******n plans.

It turns out that Prince Kao sent one of his Royal Guards in disguise to Aurville Health Pub, where Harvey and the man were, and relayed the message to them from the Crown Prince that we were changing plans after that attempted ambush that happened to us. The Crown Prince also gave Harvey instructions about getting out the information from the man, and right now we are heading to the place where Harvey will tell Prince Kao what the former discovered from asking the man questions.

It was also a smooth journey to the rendezvous, as the two of us (with Steffan and three other Royal Guards) disguised ourselves as farmers who were going to sell crops at the Underground Market. I don't know how they were able to provide me and the rest of us clothes that would make us look like legitimate farmers, but they did. We even have produce in a wagon that we brought with ourselves so that we would look convincing. This was a very good disguise, and even the Crown Prince who had still half of his face covered, was still unrecognizable from anyone's first look.

I was about to compliment him for all of these adjustments that he did when we finally arrived at the place. As expected from one of the heads of the Royal Guards, Steffan's house looked as important as its owner. It stood out from a few of its neighboring houses. The most prominent feature of the house is that it was surrounded by a bamboo forest which had adapted well in snow. Because of the forest around it, the neighborhood looked like it was deserted and haunted, but also beautiful. It gives me the vibe of a place where someone sad writes poetry, and it has that whimsical feel to it too that will make you question why is such a place both dead-looking and also beautiful.

"Let us wait here," said the Crown Prince when we finally arrived at the empty house. "Steffan has long since moved out of this house, that is why it looks abandoned, but it is not. He stays here when he is on break from his duty."

I nodded and stayed at the door while looking at the interior of the house. "You seem to know a lot of things about Steffan..." I commented, and he smiled at me for that compliment. "You really are a good boss. Not everyone is like you who bothers to know every detail of the people working for you."

"Steffan is one of my most loyal guards. We have known each other for years now so I know him too well now."

"Where is he anyway? Why did he leave the moment we arrived here?"

"He is at the fork at the road waiting for Harvey," the Crown Prince answered. "Anyway, I am glad that you are okay now. I was afraid that what happened will traumatize you."

"It did for a bit," I replied. "But I realized that if I let that get into my skin, I will be losing sight of what I should do. And I don't want that, Prince Kao. I wanted to finish what we had started. No matter the end result, my resolve is now fixed. I will finish this mission."

He nodded. "Me too. Whatever the result, I will see to it that we will get there." We became quiet after that. Maybe we both got shy by each other's presence, as we were both sitting there at the doorway, waiting for Steffan and Harvey to arrive. I then remembered my dream earlier, and I had decided to tell him whatever it is.

"Prince Kao, I have to tell you about something," I confessed. "You need to know about this."

"Is this about the things that you were dreaming of?"

I gasped at his question. "How did you know?"

I overheard you talking in your sleep. Not only once, but twice, Rainha. It made me worried about you so much." I almost shrieked from what he just said. Of course, I don't want to assume anything again because the truth can be so excruciatingly painful sometimes, but what did he think I would do about that? He now cares for me deeply. So I don't think I will ever get away from his charms ever. This was the proof. Just one phrase of care and I am already marrying him in my mind.

"I'm sorry for making you worry. I guess it's ironic how I decided not to tell you about it so that you will not worry about me that much, but I guess the opposite happened. Again, I am sorry, Prince Kao. I should be more careful next time."

I heard him laugh crisply. "And how can you become more careful when you are asleep when it happens?"

I laughed too. "You have a point there, but still, I feel like these dreams did not come to me by accident. Maybe because I am actually a descendant of the Snow Gypsies that is why all of these things are happening to me. Ever since I got involved with uncovering the mysterious past and origin of my deceased mother I started to have these weird things happening to me, and one of them is me dreaming about the Scarlet Phoenix."

The Crown Prince looked at me with intensity that I had to look away. "So I was right. You were dreaming about her."

"Yeah. But I still don't understand why I dreamed of her. And what is more curious is that in these dreams, I am not just a bystander that is watching all of the scenes to unfold. I am the Scarlet Phoenix in these dreams, and that is what scares me."

"Why are you scared? Is it because you fear that the Scarlet Phoenix has somehow been able to manipulate you?"

I nodded shyly. "That was exactly what I was thinking. It is not a joke to dream that you are a deity right? I have heard from old folks that it is a sign of bad luck."

That is what they say," Prince Kao agreed. "But personally, I don't believe such a thing to be unlucky. I believe that it is the opposite. Dreaming about being a deity yourself could become your lucky charm."

"Well, that's true. Everything depends on our perspective anyway," I said. "But Prince Kao, aren't you going to ask me what my dreams are all about? I think you'll be intrigued once you hear what they were all about."

"What are they about then? Other than the fact that you are the Scarlet Phoenix in your dreams, what else have you been dreaming about?"

"I'll tell you," I said and that was it. I told him everything that I had dreamed from the start up to the last one. However, I put emphasis on the fact that deities could be reborn as humans and then turn back into deities with a new power. Following this rule, then the deities might be just here on Aure and are just in their human form.

"That is such an interesting piece of knowledge," he said after I finished the hour-long storytelling. "And what is impressive with what you dreamed off is that it is pretty much accurate with the time period that those dreams were set. For example, there was indeed a war which happened before the start of the eternal winter. The invaders were from a foreign sea, and it was rumored that they perished here in our kingdom with the help of our deities. Then there is also the fact that the Luria, or the Snow Gypsies, became part of the kingdom's Council."

"And there were also things that looked like it gave us answers. Like the origin of the golden steering wheel that the Forresters have in their treasure room. It looks like it was part of that legendary golden ship that Kentan brought here."

"And the shield too with the map. It might not be that clear but it also kind of explained what its purpose was. So the map that is engraved at the back of the shield is a map of an actual place."

I nodded. "The Scarlet Phoenix called the place as their Ritual Grounds... Maybe that is where they lived when the eternal winter arrived here at Aure. That is the only explanation that I can give you for the map and their disappearance."

"Well, you might be right. I just hope that those dreams actually happened in history. It's too good to be true, that's why I feel slightly skeptical about all of it. But now that I think about it more, you are right. It was pretty much accurate of its setting and time table. That is some impressive talent to have, if I must say."

I shook my head at what he just said. "But I don't think that it is some kind of talent," I told him. "It feels more like a curse, and I don't even know why I feel like that. I wish that I could understand everything, but the more I think about it deeply the more I feel confused. And I don't want to add this to the list of things that you already have to think about, Prince Kao. That is why I tried to keep this."

"I am glad that you chose to tell me this," the Crown Prince said, smiling at me. He was just seated on the floor next to me so this felt a little awkward for some reason. "Aside from I got some important piece of information, I also feel happy that you now trust me that much."

"Oh, that is because you have nothing but protect and save me," I said to him. "I will always be grateful to you, Prince Kao for everything that you did for me."

"Me too," he said. "I am grateful too that you did this to me."

I paused, confused at what he said. "I did to you what?" I asked as I was not sure if I heard him properly or if there was something wrong with my ears now.

But I guess I heard him correctly alright, because the Crown Prince suddenly took my right hand and placed it on top of his heart. "This," he said to me almost in a whisper. "Thank you for doing this to me."

I gasped loudly that I was sure that it might have turned him off. But what can I do? I am not that dumb not to get what he was trying to say with this gesture. My palm on his heart beating? He was telling me that he was thankful that I made his heart beat like that? How flirty this Crown Prince is!

"W-What do you mean---?"

He looked at me in the eye and I could feel the hair on my nape stand on its end. This was it! The moment that I have been dreaming on for years now! Is it going to finally happen in real life?

"At first, I wasn't aware of this, that I have this inside of me," he told me. "I always thought that it was just because we became friends, that's why I was feeling this... But then when we met Harvey I started having these cruel thoughts inside my head. What if you liked him? And what if he likes you back? That would be very painful and I don't think that I can bear that thought materializing into reality."

My whole face was blood red now, I am sure of it. I wanted someone to slap me because this feels like it is not real, but there was no one else here to slap me. So I just let him say what he wanted to say.

And then when I realized that, I could not bring myself to confess that to you... Suddenly, I worried that you might reject me and my idea. I was worried that you'll get into more trouble if then you agreed to what I was offering you. It was conflicting and it felt like there was a huge war inside of me, Rainha... But then the ambush happened. I lost you from my sight and then I saw you being choked by that poor excuse of a man... And it was then that I realized that this world without you would be useless, even if fire returns and the winter stops. That would all be pointless if you disappear from me, Rainha. So right now, before Harvey and the others come back, I have to do this..." he said breathlessly. Prince Kao then leaned forward and before I knew it his lips touched mine, giving me the shivers that had no connection with the cold outside this empty house.