The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 21: The Bargaining

A few days later, the four Clan leaders grew impatient and asked to meet the newborn Princess to see if the Princess really had the Emerald eyes of the Reyes clan, he said, but Anna wouldn't let him. Anna asks them to meet her even though she has not completely recovered.

That afternoon Anna was already looking neat with a sky blue dress. Her hair was neatly styled and decorated with crowns. He sat at one end of the meeting table while Irene and Leon were on his right and left, just in case the meeting did not end well. The guards were stationed at every corner of the meeting room complete with their own weapons. The wolves and witches, led by Leon, will be on standby to protect the Tsarina.

Both Anna and Leon haven't spoken to each other since that night. When there was something to say, they would tell Irene who was their mediator. During the meeting, the two did not talk to each other. Irene did not bother to ask either of them. He was certain that only the two of them could resolve the dispute between the two. If he interfered, the situation would probably be more runnyam.

"My daughter will decide for herself whether or not she will be Queen Eugene's heir when she reaches adulthood." Anna conveyed her decision to the four Clan leaders in the meeting.

"We wouldn't have bothered him if there was any chance that you could have another child who inherited the emerald eye from the late King Xavier. But the boy was his only descendant. The last of the Reyes Clan. We must ask for certainty from you, Sire." The Ignacio Torres.

"By the way, who is this woman?" Ask Enrique Salazar. Her eyes had not changed from Irene sitting next to Anna. Watching Irene's glittering emerald eyes in amazement.

"God..." Orlando Ortiz looked surprised when he found out something from Irene's mind. "Baginda Ratu—“

"Not." Cut Irene straight away. "My current position is General. General Irene Winterthur."

"Irene Winterthur?" Repeated Enrique Salazar, in disbelief. "That irene? General Irene Smirnoff, the South Slaughterer? The only woman in history to ever lead thousands of men against the Orient and bring victory to Schiereiland. You're legend!"

Irene smiled arrogantly hearing one of the Clan leaders whose age was very old mentioned his achievements in his former glory days. He didn't know how to respond to the compliment, so he simply said, "I don't use my adopted surname anymore, Lord Salazar. So, now I'm using my real surname. The Winterthur family."

"You... are still alive? How come?" Ask Enrique.

Leon seemed to be observing one by one the leaders of the Clan. Get ready if one of them wants to harm his mother or Anna. But there was no sign they were going to attack. The entire four Clan leaders were now staring at Irene in astonishment.

Irene then turned her head towards Anna who directly nodded at her, authorizing her to take over the conversation. Anna invited Irene to a meeting that morning. Because Irene was a surviving and more mature member of the Reyes Clan than Princess Xavierra.

Anna talked about this this this morning with Irene. Anna tells him about Queen Westeria's plan to make her daughter an heir. Anna said she did not want her daughter to feel the burden of great responsibility early on and wanted her daughter to have a choice. But Anna did not want to damage her friendship with Westeria which had been established for many years by rejecting the request of the Queen. Irene also submitted her proposal. The plan is for Westeria to give her daughter time to vote but still maintain good relations with their country.

"You look young for a forty-nine-year-old woman." Andromeda Navarro. Even he looked at Irene with interest.

Irene did not seem surprised when Andromeda mentioned her real age. He doesn't have to ask. The Navarro clan could know everything with the power they had. "You also look young for an older woman. How old areyou? A hundred?" Reply Irene.

Andromeda grinned, "Ninety-eight, to be more precise"

"Are you—“ Ignacio's question was immediately cut by Irene with one hand gesture.

"really. I am the mother of the late King Xavier and the grandmother of the newborn daughter whom you intend to make heir to the throne of Westeria. The rumors that have been circulating since then are true. My mother is a woman from the Reyes Clan, as you all believe." Irene then stared one by one the four Clan leaders who were now focusing on her. She looks like a queen who reigned twenty-four years ago.

"Prove it." Andromeda. "Prove that you are indeed a descendant of the Reyes Clan." Andromeda said it was because he and his entire extended family would bow down and kneel to Irene if it was true that she was a descendant of the Reyes Clan.

"I don't have to prove it." Irene. "Because I am indeed a descendant of the Reyes Clan."

"My mother-in-law has sword skills that exist only in legends as well as members of the Reyes Clan. His sword ability was naturally shared by his eldest son, Grand Duke Winterthur." Anna also spoke on behalf of Irene. He turned to his mother-in-law, "And like my late husband, General Irene Winterthur can also see the future."

Everyone seemed surprised to hear that last sentence. Even Leon had never known about it.

"Twenty-four years ago, when I was pregnant with Xavier..." Irene paused for a moment. Recalling everything about his dead son still made it difficult to breathe. "At that time, even before the fortune teller of the Palace declared that I was carrying a baby boy, I had a dream. In my dream, I saw a black-haired emerald-eyed adult man who died at the hands of a blonde-haired witch."

Everyone was silent listening. Anna is listening. Irene did tell him not to worry and that Irene guaranteed that she could prove to the entire Clan leader that she was indeed from the Reyes Clan, but Anna doesn't know what evidence Irene has. Anna is only told that Irene can indeed know the future.

But Anna was never told before that the future Irene had seen was about Xavier's death.

Anna was surprised to hear the story.

Xavier's death had already been seen by Irene even before Xavier was born.

And the fact that Irene had been trying to prevent that from happening was even more shocking to her. Now various possibilities appeared in his mind. If Eleanor and Xavier were truly married, actually living together as a loving couple, Xavier probably wouldn't have died. If he had never met Xavier, Xavier might not have died. Could it be that Irene's initial plan to prevent Xavier's death should have been successful had Xavier and Anna never met?

All of those possibilities only made him even worse in regret.

It is possible that Xavier could have lived longer and better if they had never met. Since meeting him, Xavier's life has been more painful and difficult. Anna remembers Xavier telling her that whenever they were close together, Xavier's heart would beat so fast that it hurt. And because of Anna, Xavier had to go through the last few months of his life tormented by Morta's poison and nearly died several times. For saving Anna, Xavier lost his life.

If only they had never met in the first place, there might not have been anyone injured or grieving at this time.

If only Anna could turn back time, if Anna could repeat everything... Anna wondered if she could really avoid her encounter with Xavier. Whether she could allow herself to move away from Xavier, and allow Xavier to marry Eleanor. Whether he can prevent himself from falling in love with Xavier or prevent Xavier from loving him.

Can Anna ignore the fact that in the past and in this lifetime they were a loving couple. Anna could have prevented that love from growing between the two of them.

Anna was so swept away in her daydream, that she was finally made aware of Irene's words.

"You can also ask Lady Violetta Reyes if you can't believe it. Or you may know him better by the name of Violet, the Swordsman of Westeria.”

Everyone gasped when they heard that name. No one had ever known the real name of the mysterious famous swordsman from Westeria. Nothing, other than the four Clan leaders and Violet's best disciples. Even Leon just found out that Violet is also from the Reyes Clan.

"Violet had rejected the throne since the death of King Frederico and gave her stepson the throne. She was the first wife and cousin of the first King of Westeria, Frederico Reyes." Ignacio. "Where do you know his real name?"

"I learned the sword from him. He almost handed over the heirloom of the Reyes Clan, the Sword of King Zuidlijk to me, but he abandoned his intentions because of the dream he had seen. He said that there would come a son who was very much like me, who had the sword skills like me, but did not inherit my emerald eyes. He's the one who's gonna inherit King Zuidlijk's sword that Violet's been guarding for hundreds of years, and save me." Irene looked at Leon and smiled at him. Leon froze at those words. His decision to leave Anna that night, his decision to help Xavier and go save Irene with his sword, had indeed been seen by his teacher. That was the reason his teacher gave the sword to Leon. Irene is the reason. It is a future that cannot be changed. That was his destiny. "He saved me. And I'm very grateful to him. For what he sacrificed to save me." Add Irene with teary eyes.

"He is telling the truth." Orlando Ortiz has confirmed. His voice broke the momentary silence in the room. "General Irene Winterthur is the Princess of the Reyes Clan." Said. But after saying that, Orlando glanced towards Anna. Unbeknownst to anyone other than Anna, Orlando shook his head faintly at her, the look in his eyes radiating sadness. Orlando answered the question in Anna's mind.

Anna forgets the fact that Orlando Ortiz can know the contents of everyone's mind.

After the authenticity of Irene's identity was confirmed by the leader of the Ortiz Clan, Irene finally said, "I will be willing to be heir to the Westeria throne while waiting for my grandson to grow up and make his own choices. And if Queen Eugene pleases, I ask him to meet me directly to discuss it."

And with those words, the four Clan leaders were willing to deliver the message to Queen Eugene. For now, Anna could breathe a sigh of relief because her daughter was no longer bearing the burden of responsibility for Westeria, at the same time, they will still be protected from Westeria and maintain good relations with the country.

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Anna was walking back to her daughter's room led by Irene when Orlando Ortiz suddenly appeared before her.

"Me and the others will soon return to Westeria this afternoon, Tsarina." He said politely. Her Schiereiland language was far better than any Westerian Anna had ever encountered.

Anna nodded, "Send my regards to Queen Eugene and Prince Jeffrey."

"I'll tell you." Orlando said. He then glanced at Irene, "No need to be suspicious. I don't mean to be bad, General. I have one other thing to tell the Tsarina."

"Say it here now." Irene. "I need to hear it too." Add it with a protective attitude.

Orlando had no other choice. Doubtfully he looked at Anna directly, "Tsarina Anastasia, There are things that cannot be changed even by turning back time. These are things called destiny. Things like soul mate and death are irreversible, Tsarina. If you are meant to be together, you will be together. I hope you understand what I mean." Orlando said. After saying that, he left to return with the other Clan leaders and prepared to return to Westeria.

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