Chapter 26-Assumption

I remember the first time I saw her. She was too busy with her books. I always wanted to know what kind of kid would like to read such difficult books. When the palace was attacked by the vampires, Prince Rowan fled with Epiphany to Glaustein. It was considered a war between the vampires and humanity. Prince Rowan had no choice but to leave her. During that time, the second princess was prophesized to be the priestess of Alethea, the goddess of truth and believed to be the ancestor of the Royal Family of Eblines. I was devastated when I learned that she was missing and assumed to be dead, but I never gave up. I begged the Knight Commander at that time, Noah Falthrom, to search for her. Even the Knight Commander didn't hesitate. Who would have thought that a child like me at that time would beg for something serious? When we found her at the orphanage, I couldn't believe my eyes. She was covered in blood and expressionless. She was pale and thin. When she asked for a loaf of bread, I couldn't believe that she would do that. As every day passes by, I wait for her to recognize me. Summer has ended; spring has to come. Autumn leaves have fallen, and winter snow feels so cold. Nothing had changed until one day, she was adamant about entering the academy of witches in Glaustein. I waited for her to finish her studies, and that day came. She sank herself into her duty as a witch of Glaustein, and I never got a chance to introduce myself to her.

I existed but she never knew. The day I was tasked with retrieving her after she escaped was my biggest opportunity to get to know her. But it seems that she fell in love with someone else. I can see in her eyes that she fell in love with that vampire that we met in the forest. It seems that being kind to her all this time will never be enough to capture her heart.

“Giving up already?”, a voice asked me.

“Why do you think that I will continue these feelings that will never be reciprocated?"

I looked around, sensing where his voice would be coming from. “How would you know if you never tried? Is giving up going to be your only choice? Or giving up is your coping mechanism to prevent yourself feeling the pain?”

I clenched my fist and closed my eyes. Is that the only way?

When I opened my eyes, I saw myself lying in a bed in an unfamiliar room. My light was coming from the moonlight. I saw Zain, sitting by the window, viewing something from far away.

“You're awake. What are you feeling right now?” Zain asked.

I sat down and slapped my face because a headache struck my head right now. “What happened when I lost my consciousness?” I asked in a worried tone that I might fail our agenda.

“It's fine. Her Highness did her best. She sealed the second princess' ability. But it seems the families of the nobles who died don't accept what happened to their sons. But thanks to the negotiating ability of Prince Herik, the issue has dissolved quickly,” Zain said.

I have a bad feeling about the nobles. I know they wouldn't allow Princess Sarin to escape after what happened to their sons. I looked around and looked for Her Highness. “Where is Her Highness?"

Zain pointed outside the window, and I saw her looking at the moon. There are rumors that say witches became stronger when there was a full moon. “She was singing that song again. I don't know, but why are those lyrics familiar to me?” Zain asked himself.

I listened carefully, and I realized it was the song of the bards pertaining to the tragic love story of the first princess of the Zeprailles, Princess Serena, and his childhood friend, Xavier. But why does Her Highness sing that tragic love song? Why do her eyes tell us that she's saying farewell? Maybe I am imagining it. I was shocked when the incomplete song had a new stanza.

Now that I see him again, things are never the same as before.

I am the witch, and he has become a vampire.

Something that is forbidden in front of the eyes of humanity;

The next time I see him again, maybe it will be the end for us.

I'm hoping I can bring you back to humanity.

Even if I had previously perished at their hands,

I won't stop singing this song until you come back.

I am eager to see you, my beloved.

This song, it is about her life? I shook my head. It is impossible. Maybe Her Highness made up these new stanzas like those bards. Her Highness stopped singing and waved her hands at us. “Lord Typhon, you're awake!” she shouted. She started running and releasing her metamorphosis. She transformed it into a fairy wing and flew toward our direction. She hugged me and I could feel that she was sobbing on my shoulder because my clothes were soaked in her tears.

“I thought you were dying,” she said in a worried tone.

Why does she bother? Earlier, she was singing a tragic song, and she was kissed by Zain; Ehadris was claiming her as his wife. “You don't have to worry. Besides, it's unladylike to hug a person that was never yours from the start,” I said in an annoyed tone.

She pinched my cheeks really hard and pulled them. I was teary eyed and I could not complain of pain. “After I gave you some air, you thought that I was a shameless woman? I guess I should let you die earlier! Hmph!” she said in disbelief.

I looked at Zain and he nodded. I felt an immense feeling coming from my heart. I can't believe that she did that to save me! But how did that happen? I remember that Her Highness covered my mouth with a damp cloth, then I lost my consciousness. Don't tell me...

“She fanned you until the royal court physician of Driuce arrived. Then she holds your hand, because you were talking while you were unconscious, "Zain said.

I turned my back to Zain and Her Highness. I slammed the table many times. It's embarrassing to assume that Her Highness's lips would touch mine. “You should've told me earlier, Zain!” I yelled.

Zain's eyebrows arched, and he jumped off of the window and walked towards me. He grabbed my collar and shouted, “What do you mean I didn't tell you? Is it my fault that you are such a man with dirty thoughts? Don't make me laugh, Typhon!”

This is so embarrassing! What face could I use now that I assumed that Her Highness committed such a lascivious act upon me? Her Highness akimbo'd in disbelief. “What do you think I am? Giving a free kiss to everyone? You're rude, Lord Typhon. I can't believe that you would think so lowly of me? I'm not the type of woman that you are thinking of! It’s not my fault that they stole my first and second kiss! So please refrain from insulting me for the things I never wanted from the start!” She shouted, and she slapped my face hard.

She walked out of the room and left me dumbfounded. On the other hand, Zain was laughing, and he turned his back on me. What should I have done? Her Highness was furious about what I said! I grabbed Zain’s shoulder before he could leave the room.

“Hold on, Mr. Knight Commander. You have a favor to do for me!” I said in a cold tone and kicked his back for good. He was crouching down on the floor because of pain. Zain glared at me and yelled,“What the hell was that for?”

“For incomplete details. Now tell me, aren’t you curious about Her Highness's song earlier? The incomplete song becomes completed,” I said.

Zain held his chin in curiousity. “Now that you mentioned it, isn’t it weird that Her Highness was acting weirdly? She hates the hyacinth smell that she really liked when she was a child but now she hates. The Song of the First Princess of Zeprailles, the Project Ouroboros, where she received the heart of Princess Serena. Could it be...”

I hate to say this, but it sounds absurd. Could it be that Her Highness is not really Her Highness? Then who is she?

“I hope we were wrong. But could it be that Her Highness is...”

A familiar voice interrupted our conversation: "She is Princess Epiphany that we still know.”

Ehadris entered the room while wearing his signature frowning face. This sage, he really liked to intervene at such crucial moments. I crossed my arms and glared at Ehadris.

“How are you so sure that she is Princess Epiphany?” Zain asked.

Ehadris looked at us and handled a copy of the papers about Project Ouroboros. “If you read her statement, you can see that she hates that smell because that is the smell of the researcher who tortured them. Since then, she hates hyacinth. For the song that you heard, I asked Noah, and that song was created by one of his friends, who happens to be a bard. Her Highness helped that bard to complete that song. So stop your foolish assumptions and apologize to Her Highness,” Ehadris said, and then he disappeared, leaving black feathers.

That sage, he clears our doubts. But does he tell the truth? But what would he gain if he told us a lie? Do our thoughts about Her Highness are only assumptions? I know that one day we will know the truth that she kept hiding from us.