The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 36: Confession

Anna manages to convince Selena with the contents of Xavier's journal. And soon after, Anna removed Ludwig's magic sealing bracelet from Selena's hand using the magic key Ludwig had given her. Anna invites Selena to teleport to the island of Clera at that time.

Anna had never been to that place before. But since he had read all the contents of Xavier's journal, he had already found out about Clera's recovery development through the witches Xavier had assigned to. Before visiting Selena, Anna had received a full report from them about the development in Clera.

Clera was a kingdom located on a small island. It is smaller than Schiereiland. But in the past, the kingdom was so prosperous and filled with scholars who attach great importance to science instead of territorial expansion and military power. King Clera—father of Selena— ruled wisely and as much as possible away from war with any country. But King Dracus— his grandfather Xavier— attacked and killed the entire royal family of Clera for fear of the science that Clera had. King Dracus thought that Clera would surpass his kingdom with their technology and knowledge. King Dracus burns down Clera's massive library to stop the Clera people from making high-tech objects that could threaten the future of his kingdom.

For years Clera was just an empty island with the ruins of half-burned buildings. But starting about a year ago, since Xavier became King, Xavier has started looking for Clerans in his kingdom to be repatriated back to Clera after he managed to restore the kingdom.

And now, Clera has fully recovered. When Anna and Selena teleport to Clera, they don't see an empty, uninhabited island with the remains of ruins that would make the Clera people feel sad if they see it. What they saw at that time was an island filled with residents who were busy with activities as usual. Clera was still a part of Imperial Schiereiland, yet they had nine witches taking care of their government. The nine witches were witches who received direct orders from Xavier to restore Clera, and they received orders from the King to hand over the throne of Clera to Princess Laluna.

So when Anna came there, Anna already knew who to meet. He was just about to invite Selena to go to Clarence Hall which is where the nine witches are waiting for the arrival of the heir to the throne, but Selena remained silent while watching the people passing by around them. Anna saw Selena's teary eyes watching all that. Anna knew exactly what it was like to set foot back to her home country after a long time in the Eternal Winter Country. The difference is, Selena has been away from her country since she was a child.

Selena then stopped a woman who appeared to be walking past them. The woman has white hair like Selena's despite her very young age—Anna estimates the woman is only a few years older than her. Selena then says something to the woman in a language that Anna doesn't understand. Anna suspects that it is Clera language.

The woman answered Selena in the same language. Selena nodded while the woman spoke at length with her using Clera language. After that, Selena retreated and allowed the woman to pass.

"The Shea market is not far from here. The woman had just returned from the market after buying Gaufre which was half price discount because it was Gaufre's day." Selena said half-thought. His eyes were glued to the distance, in the direction that the passing Clera woman had pointed at.

Anna followed Selena's line of sight. And he could indeed see the crowd not far from where they were standing. "What is Gaufre?" Ask.

"Favorite snack of all Clera people both nobles and commoners. It looks like a waffle in Nordhalbinsel, but it tastes better. Because the snack was so favorite, we made Gaufre Day, where all Gaufre sold for half the price." Selena explained. He then turned to Anna, "Usually on Gaufre's day, the chefs at the Palace would make a great deal of Gaufre to distribute to all the commoners throughout Clera."

Anna was so shocked to hear Selena talk about such a thing to her. Like a small talk between natives and foreign tourists. "Uhm... You want us to go to that market before we go to Clarence Hall? You want to buy Gaufre?" Anna offers. Although Anna was not sure the people in Clera would receive their money. Maybe they already have their own currency.

"I can smell the sweet smell from here." Selena said, still looking into the market in the distance. Anna also faintly inhaled the sweet scent that made her stomach sing. The aroma is like a mixture of caramel, honey, vanilla, butter and cinnamon. "My mom is very good at making Gaufre. The best Gaufre is probably his. No wonder, she used to be the daughter of the head chef of the Palace before being married by my father and becoming the Queen of Clera." And just then, Anna swore to see Selena shed tears. But the former empress hastily wiped away her tears. He then turned his head back to Anna, "We don't need to linger here for long. Someone is waiting for me, right? Let's go to Smirnoff's house."

***

After taking Selena to talk to Ludwig, Anna immediately returned to Noord, to the Main Palace with Irene. She already missed Vierra a lot, so the first thing she did once she got to the Palace was to meet her daughter and spend the rest of the day with her daughter.

Anna was quite confident that Ludwig and Selena would make up and Selena would help Ludwig to create the Steel Dragon. And thereafter, in accordance with Xavier's will, Anna would sign a letter declaring Clera's independence and ceding the Kingdom to Selena. But of course he will do it later after his dealings with Orient are finished.

The night is very late. After making sure Vierra sleeps, Anna returns to her study to finish the job she left behind. Right after Anna began to feel saturated with all the stacks of her work, after reading through some of the reports Eliza had prepared on her desk, Felix's voice came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, Grand Duke Winterthur has arrived." Felix announced.

"Please come in." Answer Anna directly.

Anna immediately moved from her seat, preparing to welcome Leon's return. But as soon as the door was opened, Leon immediately entered and he quickly walked towards Anna. Leon only stopped after they were less than a meter away. She did not immediately say anything, but her eyes were busy scanning quickly to all parts of Anna's body.

"How are you, Leon?" Greet Anna with a warm smile.

Leon did not answer. He held onto both of Anna's shoulders, looking at her up close, making sure there were no scratches in the slightest. Anna knew Leon was about to hug her back then, as she used to do if they had been separated for a long time. But Leon broke his intention. And Anna seems to know why.

Leon removed his hand from Anna's shoulder, and heaved a sigh of relief.

"I'm not hurt. At all. Aman." Anna immediately said before Leon asked. "No scratches, bruises or fractures. You gotta stop worrying about me all the time, Leon. I can take care of myself." He said with a smile. It's great to see Leon back in one piece unharmed and not lacking anything other than bedtime. It seems that while in the Orient Leon has trouble sleeping or deliberately does not sleep at all because his eye bags look dark.

"What did he do to you?" Leon asked finally after he finished making sure that Anna was indeed not injured in the slightest. From her tone Anna knew Leon was worried about her.

"Where is Eri?" Anna asked as she put her fur coat together as the night wore on and the air in Noord grew colder. Anna then rubbed the ruby jewel ring on her finger to warm herself up.

"There's in the guest room. Is resting. He's not hurt at all." Answer Leon, briefly. It was as if his main goal to Orient for days was not to bring the Torakka before Anna. Reports of his success bringing Eri to Noord were by no means a top priority at this time for him. "What did he do to you, Your Majesty?" Leon repeated the question. This time with a more demanding tone of speech.

"Leon—“

"Just tell me what Andromeda Navarro did to you! Justsaytheword. Don't keep it a secret from me. I'm going to Westeria right now." Leon raised his tone, his hands clenched to the side. A sign that he has been very trying to withstand his patience. Anna is too familiar with Leon to know that Leon is holding back his anger to not directly behead Andromeda. Anna knew the Wolves must have reported the events in Westeria to Leon. That Andromeda Navarro came to Anna and used his power to hurt her.

"Let's calm. I'm not dead. That's all that matters. Stop overexerting—“

"You could have died! You know what the Navarro Clan can do to you, don't you? You've read about their monstrous abilities in all the books in the library. How can I calm down?"

"And after I tell you, what exactly are you going to do, Grand Duke?" Anna asked back. Put out the tone of a Tsarina to compensate for the emotional Leon. "Starting a war with our new allies? Already have. No need to fuss. I'm fine."

"He hurt you." Said Leon. And the way he said it was as if he was the one who had just been hurt. "I'm sorry. I should have been there by then."

"I'm just thankful you weren't there."

Anna then invites Leon to sit down so that he can be calmer. He ordered the butler, who was still awake at midnight, to bring him and Leon some warm tea. After drinking tea and Leon seemed calmer, Anna invited him to talk about what happened between him and Andromeda Navarro in Westeria.

"Do you know what we were talking about before he started showing off his awesome devastating ability?" Ask Anna.

Leon shook his head, "What?"

"He asked me for my blessing for his marriage." Said Anna. "I don't give my blessing."

"May I ask you why? I know you're not the kind of person who arbitrarily doesn't allow people to marry, Your Majesty."

Anna agreed. Because of course he would allow anyone to get married. "The groom-to-be doesn't seem to know at all that they're getting married."

Leon looked more confused. "What does that mean?"

"Andromeda said he'd marry you." Said Anna. And that one sentence managed to get Leon to choke on his tea. Anna regretted not warning Leon first not to drink his tea before he began to say it. He immediately dried up the tea spill on Leon's shirt with Kaze's wind. "Surprising, huh?"

"Very. I don't remember ever proposing to anyone."

"That's right." Leon replied directly, without the slightest hesitation, as well as looking into Anna's eyes. There was love, pain, and longing from Hazel's eyes. "I thought you knew. I..love you."

Unknowingly, Anna held her breath, not blinking an inch. 'I thought you already knew'? How could I know that he never told me! Think Anna. But he didn't tell Leon.

Then he remembered what Leon had said when he rejected both proposals. "I like you. As a younger sister, as Princess Schiereiland, and as a woman." But it can't be a statement of his love because right after Leon apologized and that he felt he shouldn't have said it. And with that sentence Leon rejected his proposal and broke his heart. And since then Anna has learned to let Leon go that they can't be together as a couple.

"Since when?" Anna asked in a calm tone. It was in stark contrast to the current content of his mind and heart that was raging because of that statement.

Leon did not answer. Silence filled the conversation between the two. Only the sound of a northern wind gusts that brought frost and the sound of fire whistling in the fireplace.

"I don't know exactly. I thought I loved you from the beginning but I didn't want to admit it." Leon acknowledged.

"But you rejected me repeatedly."

"really. But that doesn't change the fact that I love you."

The statement was so shocking to Anna that for a while she did not know what to say. His mind was raging, and his heart was worried by that sudden statement. Leon was just speechless as he observed the change in expression on Anna's indecipherable face. And for a few minutes that felt like a thousand years, neither of them spoke nor took their eyes off each other.

Anna finally felt she needed some fresh air. He immediately got up from his seat, and opened the window door leading to his study balcony. Anna walks to the balcony in the cold midnight air of Noord. For a moment, he seemed to be able to ignore the freezing cold air in Noord and just stood still on the balcony while nailing his gaze to the sky. Above the sky, the stars twinkled as if they were guiding him to understand what had just happened. To understand what he was feeling right now.

After all this time, it turns out my love does not clap one hand. Her thought. But what do I feel now? How do I feel about him now?

But Anna already knew the answer.

As Anna looked back, Leon was already at the doorway, as if waiting for a word from Anna, whatever it was.

Leon then sees Anna shivering without realizing it. Leon approaches her, takes off her fur coat and puts it on Anna, on top of the coat that Anna wears. "You want me to go?" Ask Leon. "Say me, Your Majesty. I'm just waiting for orders from you."

The pair of Hazel's eyes stared at Anna at such a close distance that Anna had no choice but to look at her.

"No." Answer Anna. Because Anna was responsible for clarifying the relationship between them. If he asked Leon to leave then, then somehow the time was right to talk about it again.

Anna still loves Xavier. That's obvious. In his heart there was only Xavier, perhaps even that was the only place Xavier lived. Even at this moment, as Leon looked at him closely, he still somehow missed Xavier. Somehow, what was on his mind was precisely Xavier. That's why I don't understand why you're still so jealous of Leon, Xavier. Even now I'm just thinking about you and imagining how you would feel if I saw you right now. You may not openly express your jealousy, but I'll know when you're jealous. There is only one of you in my heart.

But Anna didn't feel anything for Leon. He does not hate Leon for being late in declaring his love. He's not angry at all. Maybe Leon wasn't his destiny. But even so he still did not want Leon to get hurt or hurt. He does not want Leon to be sad, and more than anything else he expects Leon's happiness sincerely. He felt comfortable near Leon and enjoyed talking to him. But that doesn't mean he loves Leon like he used to.

In the past, his heart would hurt if Leon loved someone else. Now, she hopes Leon can find the person he loves and also love her.

"Do you know?" Leon said suddenly, before Anna found the right way to restart the conversation between them. While saying, Leon tightened and buttoned his fur coat on Anna so that Anna would not feel cold. "Irene once said that she still loved my father until now. Even though she was already married to King Vlad and had Xavier. Even though years have passed. Even if my father is dead. Some love lasts forever, past everything that happens in life."

"Leon, I can't—“

"I love you." Cut Leon straight before Anna finishes her sentence. Anna could feel that loving look for her. Leon smiled at him. And all the anxiety disappeared from his mind.  "And I just want to love you. I'm not proposing to you, Your Majesty. I'm not asking you to say anything or return my feelings because I know exactly how you feel."

"I just want everything to be clear." Said Anna.

"Everything is clear enough for me. You love Xavier. That was very clear. Even now, even though he is gone. And you'll probably love her forever, just like Irene loved my father forever." Said Leon. With that soothing smile, he added, "And even so, I will still love you. I still don't know if my feelings for you will last for a thousand years. But for now, I know, I admit it, I do love you."

"I don't want you to wait for me."

"I wasn't waiting for you. Loving you is the best part of my life so I won't stop just because you don't return my feelings." Leon took a step back, giving Anna the space to organize her mixed feelings at the moment. And because Leon also needs that distance to set his own feelings. He, of course, felt relieved at having already said what he had kept for so many years. But it's also a little worried that her statement could push Anna away or their relationship becomes awkward. "Your Majesty, please let me love you, and don't make this feeling a burden for you. Because if you ask me to seek my happiness, this is my happiness. Loving you is my happiness."

***

The journal of King Xavier:

We were married under the falling stars of the Orient sky. The stars are witnesses of our wedding vows.

Anna wasn't wearing a wedding dress like I'd seen in my dreams, we were both wearing traditional Orient outfits for a thousand-star night celebration. Not fancy, even impressed very simple. And because our marriage was so sudden—because when else could we have the chance to get the blessing of the Goddess of Heaven if not tonight, and because Anna wants us to get married now—I haven't ordered a wedding ring from the best jeweler in my kingdom. Finally I gave a ruby gem ring where my heart core was as a wedding ring to Anna. I don't know if he's conscious or not, that ruby gem ring is the same ring I used to propose to him.—applied to Zhera— a thousand years ago. That's why I can keep the core of my heart on that ring, because it's historic.

I literally gave my heart and my life for her. And because in Schiereiland there is a sacred pledge called the Ruby Jewel Pledge, which I know from Anna cannot be spoken carelessly except by those who are earnest because the stakes are life, the Pope said, and because that's exactly what I wanted to do, so I said the pledge. That pledge is a promise that I will keep even if destiny says otherwise. Here is my pledge:

"Pour l'amour de Dieu et l'aube de demain,"

For the blessings of the sky and the dawn of tomorrow,

"Pour les etoiles qui guident le chemin du return,"

By the stars that guide the way back,

"Et pour le temps qui ne s'arrete jamais."

And for a time that never stops.

"A toi je jure et promets."

I swear and promise.

I will always be there for you when you need me. I will be with you as long as you want me to be with you. I will love you forever until the end of time. And if one day I leave you, I will always come back to you.

***