XXII

DAE

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It was tiring she thought, her cheeks hurts from all the smiling and pleasantries she has to share with her guest, her feet aches from standing far too long than shes used too, she never anticipated for her wedding to be this tiring as well as disastrous, Dae now sits at the corner of the great hall, surrounded by noble ladies, they were striking a conversation with her in a show of formality as well as respect, but Dae had already realize that they were doing it just to get a look at her... The noble ladies would look at her from head to toe, with their eyes squinted. She was like an exotic animal to them, she was great spectacle. Dae looked around to try and see a familiar figure she was trying to see, the sun had already set giving way to the moon yet the future sun of the kingdom hadn't graced her yet, except during the wedding when she officiated them, princess Roshanne hadn't come to her to congratulate her. But it didn't take long for her too see her... Because wherever the princess was there will always be light, she was always glowing, and it was never hard to see her. A small smile crosses her lips when she saw conversing with a young lady, the princess had a smile on her lips which is rare, her brother, sir Alastair stood by her side, If they were seen by people who doesn't know them, they would look very much like a couple... They look good together she thought.

And Dae felt a little jealous for it... Why do they look good together? Why can't the princess look good with her? Was it because she's a woman too? Or was it because she lacks the confidence it takes to be able to stand by the princess side.

"Tell me lady Dae, what does your kingdom look like?" Dae's attention was snatched from the golden heirs and she looks at lady Ruby who's eating cakes besides her. She smiles at her.

"The kingdom of Lysos is a kingdom situated at the entrance of the desert, so there was very few trees and our soil is surrounded by red soils, making it hard to plant crops, only the villages of Cart, Qoron and Palwan are fertile, so it makes our stock of crops small making us rely on meat heavily." She told her... Those were the knowledge she had gain from her maids back in the tower as well as from what she can see from her tower.

"Really? But red soils are a rare thing, and was sought after by countless artists." Dae nods her head.

"The red clays are made from our red soils... It has a good quality for sculpting, my people are known sculpture." She smiles at her. The lady looked intrigued.

"Then perhaps you know how to sculpt too?" She inquires more.

"Ah yes... It was a good hobby of mine back there." She told her, before looking down at her hands.

"Is it true though?" Someone else spoke from the crowd, a woman wearing a giant ruby necklace spoke from across her. She's covering has her face with her fan.

"That you are locked in a tower? Because you are a witch's daughter." Her blood drains from her face when the woman asked that question, a question she dreaded to answer.

"My... My father did that to protect me." She told her, choosing her next words very carefully.

"And no, my mother is not a witch but a Sakran woman, a nomadic group of people who lives in the desert." She told her, the woman only squinted her eyes.

"But Sakran are known as nomadic pagans, they worship the dark beings and the dark lords. Not the Gods. And they practice black magic. If you are from a union of two distinct people that doesn't posses any godly blood in their veins.. then how will you be able to give his Majesty the golden children he wanted?." Dae swallowed. They believe that her children would not bear any golden sign, because of her blood, it will be diluted.

" I... I don't know." She answered her Making the woman snicker.

"B-but... If the King is indeed blessed by the Gods, don't you think that... They wouldn't also bless the fruit of this union? I mean there are already signs, weren't there? The Cardinal at the Imyrill Temple stated that he had a vision of The Gods blessing our union, that's why he allowed for our wedding to be held at the temple." The woman lowers her fan and squinted her eyes more.

"She makes sense." A man stated.

"That would be impossible though... With the queen still alive it wouldn't happen." The same woman stated.

"The queen is not well, and the king doesn't have a heir yet, that maybe is the reason why this union is blessed. The Gods might give our king yet another Heir." The same man spoke again. After that the others murmured and talked about the possibility of why their was a vision of their wedding. Dae breathed a sigh of relief when their attention was finally removed from her.

"Lady Dae?" She looks up when she saw lady Eleanor approaching her, together with her daughters and son. She has this soft smile on her lip, behind them was lady Ceris and her son of course.

"Allow us to congratulate you." Lady Eleanor then gave her a small box with intricate design of Flowers, vine and dragons.

"I hope you like it." Lady Eleanor added, Dae opened the box and inside it was a beautiful necklace, the chains were designed to look like a vines and the pendant was the shape of hibiscus flowers and there was large ruby gem in the Middle.

"The ruby reminded us of your hair. It was gift from me and lady Ceris... The vines was the symbol of lady Ceris's family and the Hibiscus belongs to mine." She smiles and looked up at Lady Eleanor, it was very sweet of her... Dae remembers the sigil of the family of Lady Eleanor is the Golden Hibiscus on a field of pink while lady Ceris is the dark green vine in the field of blue.

" Its so beautiful. Thank you so much." After that Lady Eleanor excused herself, Lady Ceris looked at for a moment before following lady Eleanor. Dae touched the necklace, it was the first gift that she had received that day.

" Lady Dae?" She looks up to see Alastair approaching her. She smiles at him.

" Sir Alastair." She greeted him, he stood in front of her and bows his head.

" A gift for you." He gave a dagger. Dae was surprised to see it.

"It's a dagger made by the best smith in the city of mines, the dagger was made of Genosian Steel, the finest of all steel. The holder of the dagger is made of silver and bronze, embedded with hundreds of sapphire and jaspers." Dae had never seen so many gems in her life... At that moment she had finally witness how rich the royal family of Solvira is. From behind him another woman came, she looks unfamiliar to her, but the Golden hair on her head indicates she belongs to the royal family, her amethyst eyes were one of a kind, perhaps she's the daughter of lady Eloise, the king's second concubine and the only woman who posses such unique pair of eyes.

"Lady Dae, allow me to introduce myself, I am Princess Margaret, first princess of Solvira." The princess curtsy, Dae stood up and did the same.

" It's a pleasure to meet you princess." She stated, the princess looks beautiful, second to Princess Roshanne if she dares says it. The exotic features of her mother combined with the king's signature golden locks make her look rather unearthly. Truly she is one of the kingdom's finest gems.

" Allow me to gift you this." Margaret then flick her finger and two servant came carrying an opened crate... Inside it was two eggs. She heard the gasp of the guest inside when it was presented to her.

"This is a precious heirloom found in the lost cave of Atrakis in the sisters isles. This eggs belongs to the very first of dragons that roams the sky along side the very first kings and queens of the kingdom, the eggs was never properly incubated, therefore it turned into this magnificent crystalized gems." Dae stared at it in awe. She had never seen something so beautiful before, and since the eggs was crystalized, inside it you could see the baby dragon that never hatched.

" Are they.... Alive?" She asked the princess curiously before touching the said egg that was rough to the surface.

"They are neither alive nor dead." Answered the princess.

" Thank you... For such wonderful gift." She thanked her, the princess nods her head before excusing herself.

" Do enjoy the rest of the night my lady." Was sir Alastair parting words before walking away. But what she didn't expect to come was princess Roshanne herself, looking so regal in her red and gold gown.

"Lady Dae." Princess Roshanne greeted her, the other guests have also risen from their seats to give respect for the princess. She too was carrying a small intricate box made of bronze.

"You're Highness." Dae's eyes began to sparkle upon seeing the princess up close, she thought she wouldn't come, she thought she wouldn't greet her.

"I hope you are enjoying the party." The princess first said looking around the place, at that moment it doesn't matter for Dae that they are surrounded by the nobles, what matters is the princess that now stood in front of her.

"I sure am, you highness." She answered, the princess looked at her with pleased smile before offering to her the small box, Dae took it and opened the box, inside it was a necklace, with a teardrop shape glass pendant and inside it was a gold liquid.

"Allow me to gift you the tears of saint." Again the crowd gasp and everyone murmured, Dae was shock by the reaction, some look horrified, the others look angry and some even looked surprised.

"What is this?" Dae finally asked, it must be important, considering the reaction of those around them.

"The tears of saints was a heirloom kept by the Temple, it belongs to past saints we have. It was a magical heirloom. And was passed down saint to saint. It was believe that inside it was tears of the very first saint. Beatricia Regalia." The princess told her, Dae shakes her head in disbelief, such precious gift!

" I... I can't possibly take this. This is yours." She told her, but the princess shakes her head.

" Keep it. It's yours. It's a sign, that we accept you." Roshanne stated making Dae's eyes water, she sniffles before touching the precious necklace... Tears of saint. She thought. How wonderful.

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PRINCESS ROSHANNE

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Her eyes looks like an emerald.

Roshanne thought when she sees Dae's eyes watering, it feels like she's looking at a sparkling Emerald, a sudden rush of excitement surge through her veins making her heart skip a beat, she was suddenly overcome with the Strong urge to grab Dae's face and kiss her and she don't know why *di Naman ako batang pasaway* If it weren't for Dae speaking up she might have really done it.

"Your Highness? Are you alright?" Dae now has worried look on her face. She blinks a couple of more times trying to grab a bearing of herself.

"Yes.... Yes I am fine... Enjoy the rest of the evening." She stated before walking away leaving Dae standing there. She swallowed a couple of more times realizing her throat had dried, too much desire. Roshanne taught to herself, she hadn't even tasted Dae, yet the promise of her seems so sweet... She felt like a lost soul trying to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.

She must get a hold of herself, this won't do. She thought. Even if Dae looks so promising and tantalizing to her she must keep herself in check, this is yet another test to her by the Gods, how long could her patience really go?

"The tears of saint.... Huh." Alastair finally said when the two of them met. She only cast him a small smile. It was just for show. It was needed to be done, even the gifts of Margaret and Alastair as well as lady Eleanor and Ceris was only for a show, to let the people see that Dae has supporter. She will also be needing to attend more classes, so far she's excelling in the basic etiquette class, her Instructress told Roshanne that Dae is a quick learner. So teaching her the History and as well as each families will be easy, but teaching her the law may be a bit complicated. But Roshanne believes Dae could do it.

"It makes me jealous sister. Does the Cardinals knew about this?" He asked, Roshanne looked up at him and shakes her head.

" The Cardinals doesn't interfere with the affairs of the royal Family, and I am the head of the Temple therefore they cannot question my motives." She answered before looking at her father who's speaking with his brothers. His sister wasn't present at that moment. The one she needed to talk to.

"Ah yes, the Cardinals won't question you... But the Archbishops will." After saying that Roshanne's eyes quickly traveled towards the Archbishops that gathered at the far end of the great hall, they were huddled to themselves, speaking in with a hush voice, but Roshanne could see qualm in their eyes. The Archbishops, they were the 60th generation of Archbishop, but they were not produced by the temple, they came from the noble families, they were volunteered in attempt for the nobles to seize power over the Temple as well as to control it's activity.

The temple offers free healing, but the nobles seeks to monopoly it and use it to increase taxes for their people, something Roshanne won't allow.

"There are some actions that are bound to displease others dear brother... But fret not... They are nothing but minor opinions. They are bound to be eradicated once I wear the crown." She whispered to him. Alastair nods his head in agreement, they were silent for a moment just observing the other guests, the wedding are to be celebrated for another long week, so other guests are expected to arrive tomorrow or the day after.

"The bell is about to ring sister, have you already told her what to do?" It was Margaret who spoke, at first Roshanne was startled hearing her sister's voice coming out of nowhere, but she calmed herself, her sister has always the tendency to scare her.

"It is not my duty to tell her that. It belongs completely to her handmaiden."She reminded her sister, Margaret shrug and drink from her glass of gold wine.

"I just thought you would be the one to tell her about it. Considering that you are trying to befriend her." Roshanne sighed and winced inwardly, she wished she had told her about the bell... Well the bell is something important at a wedding night, when it rang, the king and queen or the king and his concubine are expected to retire to their bed to consumate their wedding. Dae would bleed tonight, she thought, she would be scared. Roshanne bit her lower lip, but she couldn't bring herself to care... She shouldn't be caring for a mare peace of a chess that is disposable. She knew Dae could do it.

Roshanne looked outside the window when they heard the ringing of the bell from the temple, it will start now. She thought, looking back at the crowd who began to whisper with excitement, she watches as her father from afar slowly walks towards his bride, and she watches as Neviska whispered to Dae... No one would miss the way the girl visibly pales at the news... Blood drains from her face as she watches the king approaching her, Roshanne could see the fear in her.

"Poor girl." Margaret murmured before taking a sip from her glass of wine.

"I couldn't imagine such thing happening to my children, Zahreen is about her age." Though Margaret hadn't express her thought about the foreign princess, it was still clear she pitied her, after all the girl did remind Margaret of her youngest, sweet and shy like Dae. Roshanne didn't speak and just watches as her father finally reached Dae, he held her her hand and kissed it, before guiding her towards the stairs.

" Aren't you supposed to watch them? To make sure that marriage is consumated?"Alastair curiously asked making Roshanne tensed, she looks up at Alastair completely horrified at having to remember she really have to do that right now... She looks at the two ascending from the flight of stairs and she suddenly felt numb... As a Sainte her father assigned her to be the watcher, a watchers job is to make sure that the wedding between a King and his concubine or queen has been consumated, this is usually the job of the queen or any other noble with the highest position, and since she is the 3rd person in this kingdom with the highest position it was her duty to watch. She suddenly felt numb.

"It skipped your mind doesn't it?" Margaret asked her, Roshanne swallowed twice before nodding

Her mind, it completely scapes her mind about the favor her father asked of her the morning before the wedding. He ambushed her with the request out of nowhere with everyone watching them. She couldn't say no because denying her father in front of the others would only ire him more... And she couldn't afford to fall further out of his grace. It wouldn't sit well with her.

"You could back out if you wishes it." Margaret gently reminded her.

"No!" She snaps, clenching her fist... She hissed and shakes her head. Sooner than later she saw Cardinal Theo approaching them to remind her that it is time for her to be a witness.

"Good luck." Alastair jest, trying to lighten her mood but it didn't, if Anything it soured her mood more.