[TVL] 78 – Truths Unfold

“At the time, Lupe seemed to be dying. But he still told us, ‘I am now standing in the country of Teges. I want you to take the prince and get out of the castle without confronting Teges. The opportunity for revenge will surely come, but for now, the prince’s life must come first. He begged you to stay alive. Then a man appeared after Lupe, carried you on his back, limp. You were being treated for your wounds. Our conversation was in Serrat, so I thought Lupe was a servant of our country... But she was not. In front of the kneeling Queen, I remembered the face of Lupe again and asked her in Serratian, which she understood perfectly. She thanked us for keeping our promise and for staying alive...”

Luciano stood up briskly and grabbed Frian by the scruff of his chest.

“Why? Why didn’t you tell me? Stupid…why didn’t you say it earlier! Why do I have to know about it now? If I’d only known sooner, I could’ve changed!”

“I never would have imagined that the boy was the Queen. And as we knelt before the Queen, we were forbidden to speak. We never told her why, but she saved our lives. As a knight, I can’t help but protect her. Do you know how we felt that day, afterwards, when you made your vows to the Queen when you held her in your arms? That person you chose, that boy Lupe, will give birth to your child. I am convinced that there is a God,” Leandro said.

”Since that day, the Queen has had no assassins. We had killed all the assassins. All the knights of Serrat have been working together twenty-four hours, guarding her...”

Luciano pushed Frian’s chest and released him. ”Why am I the only one who did not know?... I have to see Alana.”

“But unfortunately, you have a meeting to attend.”

The week before the meeting seemed terribly long.

“F**k, I know….You guys, leave me alone. –Hurry.”

After Frian and Leandro left the room, Luciano rolled over on his bed. It was not long before tears overflowed, streaming down his cheeks.

– Alana…I want to see you.

//whalessss this is so sad I’m swimming in an ocean of Luci’s tears

Arc 9

Alana, how are you doing?　Are you feeling sick?　I’m worried about you because you don’t talk much.　If there is any change in your condition, you should tell your aide Callisto.　But you must bear in mind that you have a husband.　We have a meeting to attend. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I’m going to break off the meeting with Teges.　I believe you will understand.　After the war is won, I have something to say to you. There are things I want to ask you.　I think of you every day. I can’t wait to see you.　

It was the first time he had written to a woman. It was also the first time he had cared about his own handwriting. He even rewrote it a few times to make it look softer and less intimidating. However, it seemed that his personality showed through his writing. After writing twenty pages, he gave up trying to revise.　The meeting was to take place in about an hour. Luciano, looking like Armenian royalty in his hawk and serpent cloak, carefully rolled up the paper and pressed it into a small tube at a pigeon’s foot.　

The pigeon flew away into the blue sky.

Luciano watched the dove until it disappeared. He wondered how long it would be before it reached Alana’s hand.　Luciano stood in front of the mirror and arranged his long silver hair. After the battle with Teges, he had decided to cut his hair. He wanted to be the prince of Serrat again, the man he had once been, the man who had not been ruled by hatred. He wanted to start all over again.

–Or would you prefer my hair to be longer?　This is Mileia’s favourite. Isn’t it funny that I used to be a fairy when I was killing people?　Yes, but I think you’d say the longer the better.　

Luciano was looking at his figure, thinking of Alana, when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps.

“Emilio, sir! Excuse me!”

The door was thrown open with great force. It was the Marquis of Munis, who was in charge of the land of Rivas.

“What happened for you to be in such a hurry?”

The Marquis’ shoulders were shaking. His stature was large, but he must have run.

“Emilio… Alana has fallen, Callisto tells me–”