The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 27: The Greenhouse

After reading the letter, Anna simply fell silent staring blankly ahead as she hugged the letter paper in her chest. He then closed his eyes, preventing his tears from falling due to the letter. Various things raged in his mind.

What were you thinking when you wrote this letter, Xavier? Ask Anna.

I just want to help you as much as I can even if I'm not with you anymore. Xavier's voice answered him.

Do you know what I'll be like after you're gone? If you've seen him in one of the futures you've seen in your dreams, then why don't you prevent something like this from happening?

Anna, honey... It's not that simple. Everything happens for a reason. This doesn't just happen. My death, which also resulted in the deaths of Kaze and Shuu, as well as the punishment received by Elle so that she could not hurt anyone anymore, so Elle could not kill Leon, he said, as well as Reina's failed plan to prepare the Steel Dragon to destroy our country—

So you've been thinking about it, haven't you? You sacrificed yourself to protect us all. To protect me, Vierra, Leon, and the whole country.

The voice did not answer him anymore.

Long Anna waited for him to answer, but only silence she got. That silence made him think even more about the contents of Xavier's letter.

Anna was reminded of Irene's suggestion at a previous meeting that was also approved by Xavier— or arguably Xavier's voice in her head. It was likely that Irene suggested that because Irene had indeed seen it happen in the future.

"Show me you're the Queen of Dragons."

Anna may indeed have to show her power as the Queen of Dragons. That way Orient will stop disturbing his country.

"Please and forgiveness are good, I'm grateful you have both, but sometimes, there are times when you have to get up and fight. Not for hurt or revenge, more to prevent no one from being hurt again."

Those words in the letter from Xavier ringed back. Anna could almost hear Xavier's voice telling her directly.

Xavier's sacrifice should not be a waste. He must continue Xavier's struggle to protect his entire country and his people and the people who still live around him.

If he does not act now, then his daughter who inherits his throne will be affected. If Anna fails to protect all that she loves, at least she must succeed in protecting all that is still alive today. If he wanted Orient to stop attacking his country, then he had to act.

Anna put on Xavier's hairpin and stepped out of her study. Anna then ordered Eliza to call Ludwig, who was still in the Main Palace, to talk to him and meet him in the greenhouse. Meanwhile, Constanza had already returned to Smirnoff's residence to prepare his troops, just in case negotiations really could not be done and the war really happened. Anna also assigns Constanza to find out who the man who had infiltrated Smirnoff's residence and stole Morta's bomb from Ludwig's study. Because it was likely that the person was a spy Reina who became one of the workers in her home.

The sun was still shining brightly, a few hours before dusk arrived at Noord. Snow does not fall all day. So Anna took advantage of the sunny weather that day to take Vierra out. After making sure the carriage was warm and comfortable enough and Vierra was wearing a thick blanket that dispelled the cold, she took Vierra's baby carriage to the greenhouse in the middle of the crystal Tulip garden, where she took her baby carriage, ludwig's place was waiting for him while drinking tea served by the servants.

From the outside, Anna can see green plants mixed with various colorful spring flowers that can grow in the greenhouse with the help of witches who are assigned to always care for beauty garden in the greenhouse. Seeing him made her want to not want to remember Xavier.

That greenhouse was where our first kiss was, remember? Ask Anna. But no voice answered. You healed me for the first time here. Did you know that I was your partner in a previous life? Did you even know that we would be together now in life?

Anna did not wait for Xavier to answer. He continued his steps towards his brother-in-law. Ludwig immediately stood up to welcome his arrival. Anna tells him to sit back.

But Ludwig was still standing glued to the tiny baby in the stroller. He looked up at Anna.

"It's the first time you've seen her, huh?" Anna asked with a smile on her.

"true." Reply Ludwig. "You may have heard it from someone else, and you must have noticed it in the first place, but he looks a lot like his father. There is a painting in Ratu— Palace if the painting is still on display there—which was made right after I was born. In the painting was Xavier and me when we were babies. Our father carried her and my mother carried me—a kind of royal family painting. You'll know how similar your daughter looks to her father once you see the painting."

"Without seeing them, I know they look alike." Said Anna. He then looked at Vierra who was smiling at him. Anna lifted him from the pram and carried him before she herself sat in the chair before Ludwig.

"How are you?" Ludwig asked later in a more relaxed language than before. He watched the Tsarina sitting before him and knew that her brother-in-law was much better than the last time he saw her.

"I'm very healthy. Thanks for asking. What about you and Constanza?"

"We're fine too." Reply Ludwig. He then fell silent for a moment, seemingly wondering whether his next words should be said or not. But finally Ludwig decided to say it. "Constanza is pregnant."

"God! Really it? Why didn't he tell me?"

"He said it was a secret until he decided to announce it officially later. But I think you as his family should have known earlier than anyone else."

"Thank you for telling me this happy news." Said Anna. A smile full of happiness was painted on his face. Ludwig was grateful to have decided to tell him. "I'm really happy for you. Congratulations to you both."

"Thank you." The answer. He then drank his tea back before asking, "So...what do you want to talk about?"

Anna held up her seat, preparing to start the conversation. This time he looked at Ludwig seriously. Even Vierra stared silently at Ludwig. "Grand Duke Smirnoff..."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I want you to deploy all the Imperial witches and technicians to create a replica of the Steel Dragon from the blueprint." Said Anna. His words certainly made Ludwig look surprised. Anna continued, "Is a month enough?"

"Impossible." Ludwig replied directly.

"You're just like Xavier." Ludwig Canda. Anna knew her point, because she had also heard Xavier say that to her. But Ludwig thought Anna's silence was because she remembered Xavier again and it made her sad. Ludwig hurriedly continued, "Sorry—“

"No need to apologize." Cut Anna while smiling kindly at her. "That was his word. He likes to say that, right?"

Ludwig nodded. "My brother always believed in my abilities even when I didn't believe in my own. Unlike our father, he saw my talent. So every time I say I can't, he's gonna say 'don't just say I can't, you haven't tried yet'. He will continue to say that until he proves that his words are true. That I can indeed."

Anna again fell silent contemplating Ludwig's words. Maybe Xavier does believe in the abilities of others. It might also be because of Xavier's ability to know the future. Earlier, Anna heard Xavier say the same thing as she said that she would not be able to negotiate with Haru. Could it be that it meant that he was indeed able to negotiate with Haru? What makes Xavier believe he can do it? Was it purely because Xavier believed in his abilities or because Xavier knew the future? Anna herself was also unsure, but given those words, Anna further rounded her resolve to meet Haru and negotiate with him.

But that does not mean he does not need to prepare his troops and a mature plan to face war with Orient. Preparation is necessary. Because the first to drop bombs on Schere and Montreux was Queen Mother Reina, not Haru. Their enemy is not the Emperor, but his mother.

Anna looked at Ludwig confidently and said, "You can indeed. Me and Xavier believe in your abilities."

"Well, I'll try it first." Ludwig. But he immediately corrected his words, "No. I'll try until I can actually make a replica of the Steel Dragon."

"good. Are there any obstacles that might make you difficult?"

Ludwig seemed to think about the answer carefully. He replied, "Our engineers are no experts in making such high-tech machines unless you're looking for engineers from Westeria."

"Westerlies?" Reload Anna.

Ludwig nodded confirming, "They have the best technicians."

He knew that fact first. That Westeria has genius technicians so Reina also works with technicians from Westeria to make his Steel Dragon. Anna had also investigated this with Xavier back when they were in Jungdo disguised as Diana and Riz. But Westeria wouldn't have been that easy to turn over their technician if Queen Eugene knew that her people would be used to make vehicles used in war. Westeria always tries to avoid war as much as possible.

But it would have been different if it wasn't Eugene who had the right to determine it. If it wasn't Eugene who had the authority to give up his technique or not.

Another plan began to form in Anna's mind. This time he might have to use a way that he really doesn't want to use.

Anna looked at Ludwig who had been watching her since, "And if I managed to get them, would a month be enough for you?" Ask Ludwig.

Ludwig laughed sarcastically, "You can't be serious."

"I'm very serious." Said.

"Then after I made it? Do you even know what kind of crazy mechanism Reina used to fly all of her Steel Dragons?"

Anna usually does not like to show the power of the Dragons in front of anyone. He kept it as secret as possible from everyone. But he had to make Ludwig sure of him. So he did a little show for his brother-in-law.

Anna called the wind. The wind answered his call. Aerinear's power was noticeably different from that of Earithear's. He felt very familiar with that power, feeling like he had long been able to master it, but at the same time he also had to be careful because if he was too excited, he might lose his control.

The wind entered the greenhouse. At first it was so soft as an ordinary wind that it flew away some rose petals planted in that greenhouse. But the longer, the wind gets bigger so that it can fly the baby carriage that Anna was carrying Vierra. The little princess seemed amused at the sight. His hands grabbed his chariot, wanting to fly. And before long Anna managed to fly the entire tea set on the table, flying the table between them, the chairs and finally everything inside the greenhouse.

Ludwig looked at him with a gaze that was a mixture of amazement, awe, fear but also curiosity. The magic scientist's intelligent eyes exuded a heightened sense of curiosity towards what Anna had just shown him.

"Aerinel. One of the four dragons that helped Great Queen Zhenra long ago." Ludwig. His voice seemed extremely calm to the size of a person who had just seen an almighty ancient power thousands of years old. "Is that you?"

Anna then took down everything she managed to fly very slowly. It expelled the wind that belonged to Aerinear before that power became out of his control.

"Not." Anna answered Ludwig's question. He then let out a fire from his fingers. But as soon as Vierra reached out her hand to touch the fire, Anna hurriedly turned off the fire. He snapped his finger, and in a short time, the greenhouse was filled with vines that gave off fragrant flowers.

Ludwig's pupils widened to see all that. "It's not magic. There is no such magic."

"Indeed not." Said Anna.

"You are the Queen of Dragons. Reincarnation of Grand Queen Zhenra." Ludwig said, still not fully aware of his amazement at the show.

Anna nodded. "true." The answer. "Listen, Ludwig, I'll get as many Westeria technicians as you want. And a month is your time limit."

This time Ludwig laughed loudly, "I didn't know you could be as creepy as Constanza."

Anna smiled back at him, "I take that as a compliment."

"And consent." Ludwig said, "A month. And I'll show you the perfect version of my Steel Dragon, Your Majesty."

***