The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 17: Good Memories

Leon takes over Anna's duties for a while until Anna's condition allows her to take care of the Imperial. And fearing that the Imperial affair could stress Anna even more, Leon sent Anna and Irene to Anastasia Palace in Eze for a vacation and rest until the day of birth. The concubines of King Vlad accompanied Anna on Eze.

While in Eze, Anna has a nightmare. Sometimes she sleepwalked and was found by Irene to have been by the beach before Anna actually submerged herself into the ocean. Irene also ordered the servants at Anastasia Palace to hide all the sharp objects because Anna might take them to end her life, conscious or not.

After the first week passed, his condition gradually improved. Thanks to Irene and the concubines who always accompanied her and invited her to talk, Anna began to open up to talk about her sadness. They grieve together and try to encourage each other. The affection of Irene and the concubines treated her heart wound. Irene always invited him to talk day and night so that Anna would not be preoccupied with her own gloom.

To accompany Anna while in Eze, Irene also summoned Constanza and Ludwig. The Grand Duchess and Grand Duke Smirnoff stayed for two days at Anastasia Palace but could not stay longer due to their busy lives. Constanza's arrival can be a little comforting to Anna as Constanza is her only surviving relative who has known her since childhood. But before Constanza and Ludwig return to their home, Anna asks to speak with Ludwig alone.

For a while the two just kept quiet. Ludwig still could not believe the death of his brother, but at the same time, he had already let it go.

Unlike Ludwig, Anna still could not let go.

"He'll be a lot calmer if you're healthy." Louis broke the silence between them.

"Did I not look well?"

"Absolutely not." He answered honestly, "You're like an undead. Skinny, pale and unenergized."

"I can't sleep."

"You want me to give you Bloody Berry again? I thought Grand Duke Winterthur was already—“

"No. I did want to ask you for help, but that's not it."

"Listen," Ludwig sighed, "I know what you're thinking. I've been suspicious since you asked to talk to me without Constanza. I do have magic abilities above the average witch in general, I also know black magic as well as my mother, but resurrect the dead person it—“

"Not that." Cut Anna straight away. "I'm not asking you to bring him back. I know it was the wrong thing."

"Then what?"

"You remember that magic student close to you who made Constanza jealous back in Schere's magic tower?"

Ludwig nodded, "Feyna."

"really. I need you to call him for me. I need it."

...****************...

"This town is where our first date was." Anna said one afternoon, as she and Irene were walking by the beach together. Meanwhile, the concubines are at Anastasia Palace, working together to make Anna's favorite macaron for her to enjoy after the streets later.

The weather was very good in Eze. The wind was not too strong, but enough to refresh yourself. The evening sky was orange with leaves falling from the trees around them bright red and the sea that stretched before them was clear blue with white sand. The view of the last week of autumn in Eze is famous for being very beautiful and cannot be equated with beauty anywhere in the world. The weather and atmosphere there are very appropriate to improve the sad mood.

Irene also enjoyed the scene even though her original purpose was only to cheer Anna up. In his heart he wondered if Xavier had ever invited Anna to enjoy the beautiful scenery? What places did they go and how did their son feel at the time?

Irene did not even need to ask, she was sure that at that time Xavier was very happy to be able to date the woman he loved in a place as beautiful as Eze.

"It's not really a date." Anna continued, "We are on a mission to gather the nobles of Schiereiland to reclaim our country. But I feel like it's our first date."

Irene watched as Anna smiled and hollered back to those moments. There was a warm feeling running through his heart when he saw Anna smiling like that.

"Where were you going at the time?" Irene asked, luring Anna to tell me more. Remembering the good old days is much better than constantly grieving.

"We took a walk in downtown Eze. There's a lot of shops there."

"You two?" Ask Irene again. She had never walked alone with her late husband, but when she was a General in Schiereiland, she had dated Kris—her father Leon— in between their busy lives. So she knows what it's like to spend time alone with the people she loves.

"No. We're not both." Answer Anna. "We're being escorted by a lot of bodyguards."

Irene raised next to her eyebrows, "Did she give you flowers that day?"

Anna shook her head, "No. But for the sake of our mission that day, we bought dresses and jewelry."

"Girls and jewels?" Irene Laughter. "You've got a lot."

"I also have a lot of flowers in my garden. So I don't think she should give me flowers." Anna defends Xavier.

"All right..." Irene relented. "So, did you guys have dinner together back then?"

"Almost." Anna recalled back then. They were supposed to come to Constanza's Blue Diamond Restaurant for dinner together while meeting Constanza and asking him to join their forces to retake Schiereiland. But before they reach the Blue Diamond, Xavier is hit by a poisoned arrow fired by Constanza himself. Anna removed the bad memory from her mind and continued saying, "No. We didn't have dinner that day."

Irene grumbled, "Then, what is she doing? Did he hold your hand all the way and not take it off?"

"God! No." Said directly. His face was embarrassed. "We were not married at the time. It is not appropriate to hold hands in public. We weren't even lovers back then. But we walk side by side. And. oh, he was holding my hand. I felt a little dizzy and almost fell if he hadn't held me."

Irene let out a long sigh, her hands massaging the temple while closing her eyes. She shook her head in disbelief and looked at Anna with concern, "You guys haven't dated anyone at all before, huh?"

"I've never dated anyone before, but I didn't know that Xavier—“

"No." Cut Irene straight away. "He has never been either. I mean, with Eleanor she was just pretending to be real she didn't have any experience dating anyone either. So please understand that he was very awkward at that time." Irene took a breath. "So on that first date, you're not alone, she doesn't give you flowers, you don't have dinner together, she doesn't hold your hand either. What kind of date is that? Gosh darn. It's all my fault. I never taught him anything. Please blame me."

Anna smiled. Although Irene said that, in fact she still remembered that day as one of her sweet memories. "I enjoyed dating that day. It was my first time dating someone, going for a walk downtown and enjoying the atmosphere of the city. He made me feel so comfortable that it didn't feel like a mission." Remember Anna. But then she remembered what happened after their 'date' that day. "If only the end was not like that... At the end of the day, he was shot by Morta's poison dart in order to gain the Red Queen's archers' trust. That time..." He stopped for a moment. Irene waited for the other words to come out of Anna's mouth. "I realized then that I didn't want him to die. I want him to live. It was then that I realized that I wanted to live with her like our past lives, and... And I might be devastated if he dies."

Irene noticed the change in expression on Anna's face that had returned to being grim. His words were so strange in his ears. Anna says 'if she dies' as if Xavier isn't dead. As if it was something that hadn't happened.

But Irene didn't discuss it further. He wanted Anna to talk more and remember the good things. So Irene lured him to tell her back.

"Where's your second date?" He asked after a long gap between them.

Anna was silent, looking back. "Actually, we hardly ever dated. Except..." Anna recalled all the days she had spent with Xavier. "Oh! I recall. Our second date was while we were on a mission in the Orient."

Irene snorted, "The other mission. So it's not a real date."

...****************...

Shina, Orient's

The day before the Thousand Stars Festival...

That night, when the people in Shina were asleep because they had to get up early tomorrow to prepare for the Thousand Stars festival, Xavier transforms into a Dragon and takes Anna flying from Jungdo to Shina. It did not take long, in a matter of minutes they had reached the hill town which was located very far from Jungdo.

The atmosphere of the night in Shina is very different from the atmosphere of the morning. If in the morning Shina, which is located on top of the hills, seems to be surrounded by fog, the atmosphere of the night is much more beautiful. The expanse of light from the cities around the hills made the view from that height seem unreal. Like there's a sea of fireflies under their feet. The air is cool, but not as cold as the night air in Nordhalbinsel. Anna was still unfamiliar with the cold air, but the presence of Xavier beside her, Xavier's hand clasping his hand, made the surrounding air somehow become warmer.

Xavier just told me what he overheard on purpose from the chat of one of their customers at Dong-gung's tavern this afternoon. Then Xavier immediately took her flying to Shina.

"So, you mean... Reina's building an armed vehicle?" Anna asked while still letting Xavier lead the way.

They're on the rural streets. If the night had not been too late, Anna could have seen the countryside filled with residents who came out of their homes to chat with their neighbors. But the place was so quiet because everyone was already asleep. Only the sound of night insects and the sound of flowing river water were as soothing as a sleep song. The smell of wet soil and the scent of wildflowers somehow felt pleasant. And even though everyone was asleep, the lights of the residents' houses and street lights were still on so the atmosphere was not so dark.

Above the sky, the moon shone full and surrounded by countless stars. The night sky in the Orient is not as magical as the night sky in Nordhalbinsel with its Red Light. But there was something so beautiful from the silent night view that night. There was something peaceful and soothing about the sound of the wind flying the branches, the soft flowing river water, as well as the sound of their footsteps among all.

"That's kind of it." Answer Xavier. "Although I don't know exactly what it is. At least that's what I heard from one of the customers this afternoon. According to Shuu, he seemed to be a mechanical engineer from Westeria who had long lived in the Orient to work with the Queen Mother. He used Westernia language when talking to his Orient counterpart."

Anna nodded in understanding. "So we went to Shina to spy on Reina? Because the Queen Mother visited the Sun Palace more often in Shina?"

"No..." Xavier said as he clasped Anna's hand and led her to walk with him into a place that from the outside looked like a common home. But the location of the house is too far from the location of the other house. Anna wasn't sure if anyone lived in there. "We're here for dinner." Further.

"Eat dinner?" Anna repeated, hesitating on her own hearing. She did not eat anything that night because they were both busy in Dong-gung. Managing the store while looking for as much information from customers. Anna looked at Xavier who had now removed his transformation magic ring. Unknowingly she smiled. He missed that familiar face. Anna took off her ring and returned to her own face. "Dining while spying on Reina?" tanyanya, make sure.

While saying that, they had already entered the building that Anna originally thought was an uninhabited house.

Anna's wrong. That's not a house. It's a restaurant.

"really. But that's what we'll do later. For now, the main thing is dinner. There's a special menu you want to order?" Xavier.

Anna was so amazed at what was in front of her that she could not remember how to answer Xavier's question. 'The 'uninhabited house' has the typical interior design of Orient palaces. But in it there is also an indoor garden containing a variety of flowers and cherry trees, complete with a small tributary that flows between the wooden floors. As Anna approached the indoor 'river', Anna found out that the river was real, but she put glass on it so Anna wouldn't have to jump over it or cross it. Anna walked on the thick glass so it felt like she was walking on the flowing river water. Anna could even see the small fish because the water was so clear.

After admiring the floor, Anna looked straight ahead. The view in front of him was even more amazing.

There was no wall covering the back of the restaurant. The back was left open so that Anna could instantly see the mountain ranges, towering stone pillars. Between the stone pillars, the river flowed. The moonlight that bounced on the river made it look like liquid silver snaking from the foot of the mountain, passing stone pillars to the river in the village. And not far from those rivers, a sea of golden light lit up like thousands of fireflies. It took a few seconds for Anna to realize that the lights were coming from the lights and lanterns installed in preparation for the Festival.

As Anna turned to her side, Xavier was looking at her with a smile. "You like the view?" Ask.

"Why?" Ask Anna. Because the question was so ambiguous, Anna again asked, "Why are we here?"

"I want to impress you." Xavier answered honestly. "The restaurant only provides a place for one reservation from one person. Reina used to book a place here to meet with her colleagues because the place was very private and exclusive. Maybe the palace didn't give him enough privacy. I found out more about this restaurant, and it turns out that tonight there's no reservation on anyone's behalf, so I'm ordering for us."

Xavier then led her to their table near the balcony which presented the prettiest view there.

When Anna noticed again, it turned out that Xavier did not just believe in the Orient people. Xavier replaced the cooks and waiters who were there with the Nordhalbinsel people. The guards had also been placed hidden in several corners of the room. One of the bodyguards looked down respectfully at her as Anna looked at her. All that was there were Xavier's confidants.

"I'm impressed, really. Really." Anna said after sitting down. "You built a copy of Dong-gung Palace in the Orient for our residence while monitoring Reina and Haru. I don't know where you know from that I was jealous of the real Diana, but you managed to live out my dream of living a simple life as a tavern owner in Orient. Not everyone can do something so amazing. Thank you very much."

"No. That's not enough." Xavier.

He then gestured for the waiter to bring him the food he had ordered. The waiters brought the most delicious food from various countries. Nordhalbinsel's signature grilled deer, Schiereiland's creamy and smoked beef soup, Westeria's signature sweet cheesecake and fresh fruits grown only in the Orient as well as Orient-style arak and lotus cakes.

"Do you know, in the Orient, feeding is a sign of love." Xavier. Her emerald eyes were observing Anna's expression which now seemed to blush in embarrassment. "I want to make you not only impressed with me, but also like me." he continued.

"Xavier, I—“

"Please don't turn me down now." Cut directly. "I haven't even expressed my feelings properly. Enjoy the dinner first. I'm not gonna rush with you. I know it takes a long process to get your heart. And I'll wait patiently."

"Xavier's..."

"I understand. It's gonna be really hard for me, I'm barely gonna stand a chance, but I'm not gonna give up. It doesn't matter if it takes years until you can feel what I feel for you, I'll just keep trying and wait until you like me."

"I like you already." Anna said instantly as Xavier finally stopped cutting her words. But he said it so quickly that Xavier didn't really catch it.

"Of course you—wait..." Xavier was silent for a moment when he realized what Anna had just said. Anna pretended to be busy with her food to shake off the pounding feeling she felt and her blushing face. "What's? What did you say?"

"Good food. I like it." Said Anna. "Xavier, you should try this creamy soup. Even the cooks in my palace never make creamy soup like this."

"No, it's not that. You didn't say that."

Anna couldn't help but smile. He then turned to the scenery beside them. "The view is beautiful." Said Anna. He looked back at Xavier. "I like it."

"Anna..."

"Where do you know a place this beautiful?" Ask directly.

"From Shuu." Answer Xavier. "Shuu told me that Reina often came here without anyone's knowledge."

"Reina has good taste." Anna praised.

"You're switching topics." Xavier.

"And I succeeded." Anna said with a bright smile. Makes the night even more beautiful for Xavier.

"really. You did it." Xavier said with a smile as he looked at Anna's smile. "alright... You did it."

...****************...