The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 45: The Treaty of Peace

Aletha blinked, then her blue light dimmed.

The Goddess of Truth's eyeballs had told Haru everything. All the real events, both those that have happened and those that have not. All truth in the past and in the future. And the emperor turned his eyes to Anna who had also seen everything since.

The sky is still bright. The weather that afternoon in Jungdo was very hot, but a fresh breeze was blowing around them. For a while no one spoke. Haru swept his gaze around him. His guards were still standing guard in hidden places, pointing their arrows at the Tsarina. Ready to wait for a signal from Haru to shoot the arrow. His bodyguards are still alive and there are no signs of the Lion from the South, Grand Duke Winterthur.

Everything he saw had not happened. And Haru can still prevent all that from happening.

Anna before him smiled at him, as if knowing he had already won. He won even though all the wars had not yet taken place. There is no need for bloodshed if that is not what the two want.

"What's..." Haru seemed to have trouble speaking. "What was that?"

"The truth." Anna answered calmly. He then glanced towards Haru's waist, where the Emperor hid his knife holster that was still not stuck in his stomach. "So the knife you brought is poisonous, Your Majesty? You really intend to kill me?"

"And you've prepared to destroy the entire Orient!"

"Not." Anna smiled, "I'm ready if you choose the destruction of the Orient. All choices are in your hands. The future of the empire depends on what you do next. Aletha just gave you a little idea of what would happen if you made the wrong decision."

"You—“

"There is another option, Emperor. And you already know what the consequences of each choice are. Choose wisely."

Long Haru just stared at Anna. What he will say will determine the fate of his people. Meanwhile Anna was just sitting quietly before him, waiting for the Emperor's decision.

"A peace treaty." Haru said at last. "We will sign a peace treaty, but I will not give up compensation for the bombing of Montreux and Schere."

"Unacceptable."

"That's it!"

"My brother died from that bomb! General Arianne Montreux and the Montreux women were killed by the bomb! Others are severely injured and may become disabled for their entire lives. Not to mention other losses. And there's no guarantee that all the vehicles of the Queen Mother's war won't do the same again after the peace treaty is signed."

Haru sighed. It was unexpected that the young Tsarina who did not yet have much experience would be quite meticulous on the things she had deliberately missed. "alright. Compensation and also you can destroy all war vehicles created by my mother. On condition that you also destroy your war vehicle." Haru said.

Anna smiled with satisfaction. "Let's sign a peace treaty. And I want this agreement to continue for as long as Grand Duke Winterthur is alive."

And just then, Leon appeared suddenly beside Anna. His hand clasped the handle of his sword, his eyes watching the surroundings. Counting in his heart how many heads he should chop off if things go bad.

"Have you done chained Reina to her bed, Leon?" Ask Anna as her greeting.

Leon looked surprised, "How do you know—“

"It's kind of weird, isn't it." Anna held back a smile, "Oh, you don't have to explain. I-i know. Nothing happened. And you came at the right time." Anna turned her head back towards the Emperor, "Well, the Emperor, the Grand Duke will be the witness to the peace treaty between the Orient empire and the Imperial Schiereiland."

This time Haru looked puzzled, "Why should the Grand Duke? Why are you so sure she'll live so long?"

Leon laughed sarcastically at the question.

"Oh, trust the Emperor. He will live long. And he will watch if you or anyone leading the Orient will ever violate the terms of the agreement. It was the Grand Duke who would ensure peace between Schiereiland and Orient was maintained." Said Anna.

They rushed to the Emperor's Palace, escorted by the Emperor's bodyguards and the Wolf troops that Leon called to sign a peace treaty.

***

After making sure all the war vehicles belonging to the Orient and Imperial Schiereiland were destroyed, Emperor Haru and Tsarina Anastasia immediately signed a peace treaty at the Emperor's Palace with all the dignitaries and generals from both countries watching. All are held quickly and without stalling for time for troublesome formalities and can inevitably lead to other conflicts. The two lone leaders would no longer delay the peace between them so that the events Haru saw through Aletha did not really happen. Haru doesn't want the Empire to be destroyed, whereas Anna doesn't want to be a heartless monster, a ruthless, sadistic tyrant who wipes out a vast swath of land from the world map.

After the signing of the peace treaty, one of the wolf squad members interrupted, whispering something to Leon. Leon looked very surprised. Not a good sign.

"What's wrong?" The emperor was the first to ask using the Schiereiland language.

"Phoenix doesn't exist." Leon told the two leaders.

"Phoenix?" Haru looked confused. Not knowing at all about Phoenix because her mother had been completely hiding any information about Phoenix. So Haru only knew about the Steel Dragon.

But Anna knows. And Anna paled upon hearing that information.

The Phoenix could be controlled without the power of the Wind Dragon. And the only one who can drive it is two people. Reina is still locked up in her room on Haru's orders so as not to interfere with the peace treaty signing process. So the one driving it is certain...

"Yi-Zhuo." Said Anna.

"I guess so." Said Leon.

Anna immediately turned to look towards Haru. The Emperor immediately ordered his men to inspect the prison where Torakka was locked up.

But waiting for information will be too long and a waste of time.

"Yi-Zhuo must have brought the Phoenix." Anna started to panic. His mind thought quickly. What was Yi-Zhuo's main goal. Where will he take Phoenix and for what purpose.

"So the Emperor, I got a report from a guard at the border that he saw a vehicle flying towards the north." Commander Xing said senior.

"Noord." Anna said to herself. Finally understanding why in Aletha he saw Violet telling the Engelberg family to go to the Main Palace. Violetta Reyes knows the future. The Westeria Swordsman had already seen what would happen in the Main Palace. "Yi-Zhuo will destroy the Main Palace."

Even then the Emperor seemed equally panicked. This could be an allegation of violation of the peace treaty. And Orient is to blame. The shadow of the destruction the Orient had seen in Aletha again disturbed his mind, haunting him like the darkest nightmare.

Anna can't think straight. He would lose his daughter for good if he did not act immediately. So without waiting or talking anything, Anna immediately used a teleportation ring, going to the Main Palace to save Princess Vierra.

***

Main Palace, Noord, Imperial Schiereiland

In an instant, Anna arrived at her daughter's room. Anna ignored the spinning dizziness she felt after teleporting far away. With her legs still unable to step properly due to her dizziness, Anna immediately approached the Princess's cot. The baby was crying on his bed, surrounded by panicked maids because the Princess did not usually cry like that. Anna immediately held her daughter, tried to calm her weeping, and ordered everyone to go out and save themselves. He immediately ordered the magicians in the Palace to rescue as many people as possible in the Palace in order to evacuate to safety immediately, as far as possible from Noord.

Anna ran out of the balcony holding her daughter, to observe the conditions below. People were running around in panic while the witches were trying to calm them down and bring them to teleport. The soldiers of the Engelberg family troops sent to Noord were fighting some Orient men who were somehow and from nowhere, raiding his palace. Their swords clashed around the Palace. It makes a clanging sound that fills the air. But the army of the Orient was outnumbered by Engelberg's forces. Anna suspects that they are the ones who joined Yi-Zhuo in the Phoenix to attack the Main Palace.

As she gazed at the pink and orange twilight sky of Noord, from a distance Anna could see the Phoenix coming, getting closer and about to spew bombs into the Main Palace. Anna doesn't have much time. Engelberg's army down there was still fighting against the Orient so they could not go with the witches who teleported with the Palace people. Now it was clear why only a few people had been sent to attack the Main Palace. Because they were all only assigned to kill Princess Vierra—the only heir to Imperial—who was still in the Palace, as well as holding people who were about to come out of the Palace. Those Orient troops were those who were prepared to die by the bomb that the Phoenix was about to drop.

"Your Majesty!" Leon had already teleported to the room. Concerns mixed with frustration because the Tsarina suddenly disappeared before him earlier, clearly painted on his face. Leon then glanced at Vierra who was still crying in Anna's arms, in a grateful heart because the Princess was fine. "What are you doing here? Everyone is being evacuated. Let's get out of here!"

"Leon, help them all. Evacuate Engelberg's forces to safety. I have my ring to teleport. But they won't be able to survive because the other witches are gone."

"But—“

"Please... This is not an order. But a request from me. Please help them." Anna begged. "They're here to protect my daughter. They are the people I have to protect. And it's thanks to them that those Orient guys haven't killed my daughter, Leon. I owe them all. Please save them from here."

Leon could no more dispute Anna's plea than the orders of a Tsarina. So before Anna said anything else, Leon immediately went downstairs to help the Engelberg troops fight the Orient as well as help the wounded to go to safety.

From the balcony, still looking down, towards the fight down there, Anna immediately used her strength to help Engelberg and Leon's forces fight the Orient forces. Anna shook the earth, bringing out rose tendrils from the snowy ground. The tendrils full of thorns only trap Orient people so they have difficulty moving. The greater their effort to escape, the more the tendrils will fasten them, sucking their energy with their thorns. It made it easier for Engelberg's forces to fight them. So that in a fast time, the Orient army was conquered. Anna immediately orders Engelberg's remaining forces at the Palace to join Leon, teleporting away from the Main Palace before the Phoenix drops its bomb.

Using the power of the Earithear to cripple the Orient army, it completely consumed its energy. His body felt weak and almost collapsed. So while holding Vierra, Anna clung tightly to the balcony railing of the Princess' room.

Just as Anna was about to use her ring again to teleport away from the Main Palace, the ring fell far down, thrown by Vierra's hand which continued to rage and cry hysterically.

The only way to save himself and his daughter, regardless of his hands. There was no time to go down there and take back the ring. There are no witches left in the palace.

Anna had almost resigned herself when she saw the Phoenix's mouth open about to fire a bomb to destroy the Main Palace. Anna tightly hugged Vierra and closed her eyes.

Then came the deafening sound of a bang.

***

The journal of King Xavier:

Today, while we were going about our usual activities in Orient (as the owner of Dong-gung shop), Anna suddenly collapsed.

There were no words to describe how I felt at the time. I was so scared and imagined the worst. Anna may be exhausted, I don't know for sure because as soon as she woke up after I kissed her, she said she was fine. He didn't feel any pain or anything. Or maybe he was healed because of the kiss. But just as he was about to get out of bed, even though I had asked him to take a full rest today, he fainted again.

So I shut down Dong-gung to take care of him. Because the kiss from me didn't cure him at all. This whole day he could only lie down and keep vomiting. All the food I bought and all the medicine I bought, he vomited. I fed him his favorite food I made myself, but that's what he vomited.

And still all the time he apologized to me for spewing out the food I made!

I can't just call the doctor. We're undercover in the Orient. I intended to bring her back to the Schiereiland Palace just so that it could be handled by the Palace doctors, but Anna was still too weak to be taken anywhere. And every time he opened his eyes and I begged him to be willing if I called the doctor from the Palace, he was always angry with the rest of the energy he still had, and he said I don't love him anymore because I don't want to listen to his words. She really did not want to be examined or treated, and insisted that she was not sick. I can feel what he feels. He really can't lie.

***

Today, Anna is still unable to get out of her bed. He forced himself to eat, but after that he vomited again everything. I'm still taking care of her, and trying to cure her, but Anna's not improving at all. The pain is getting worse. Now his whole body was as hot as fire. He looks very pale. And he was delirious in his sleep, 'Don't call the doctor' that's all he kept saying. I feel guilty for taking him to the Orient. If he was in Schiereiland, he would have already been treated by the doctors and herbologists of the Palace.

***

Louis had already given him medicine today, the latest invention of it, medicine that was inhaled, not swallowed because everything Anna swallowed would instantly spit out. The heat had slightly decreased even though it had not reached normal temperature and Anna had already opened her eyes again. But he's so thin now that his bones stand out, I can even see clearly his ribs as I wash his body and change his clothes this morning. Anna had no energy at all, even to move her hand she could not. How not, for four consecutive days there was no food or drink digested. All he spewed. And something like burning it from the inside for these four days. Until finally he had no more energy to argue with me when I said that I would call a healer from the Orient alone if he did not want me to call the Palace doctor. Because he was so weak that he couldn't even make his voice, he just cried. It hurts my heart to see it that way, but if I let it, and if I follow her words she could die.

***

Anna's pregnant.

I was so happy when I found out Anna didn't have a serious illness. She's pregnant! Our boy! Sure was! How could I forget that the symptoms she showed these few days were exactly the same as a thousand years ago when she was pregnant with Nordlijk.

We will soon be a whole family. With the presence of our son, we will be complete. I really cannot express in words how happy I am to know that. But my happiness is so selfish. Anna will continue to be in this condition for at least the next three months, even worse every day. And given how long she was pregnant with Nordlijk she almost died, the fear returned. Anna could have died because she wasn't strong enough to conceive our child. This was what Gyeoul had predicted back then? 'He, or they, will die if you fail.'

The moment I touched Anna's stomach, figuring out if I would be able to feel the whereabouts of our unborn daughter, I almost shed a tear in my eyes. Now I understand why Anna's body is so hot. Our son has my fire. I could really feel it, like I felt the presence of my fellow Dragons. Just like I used to when I could feel the presence of Nordlijk. The presence of a new life that is ready to color our lives in the future. The boy wants to live. Anna and I want the boy alive.

So I made up my mind, because Anna also did not want to give up and wanted the child so badly, we would both try to keep the child. Anna will try hard to hold on, and I will do whatever it takes to get her healthy soon and make it through her early pregnancy. And when Shuu told me about the special potion that the Water Dragon wife had drunk earlier, I immediately asked her to get the potion for Anna.

***

My dear daughter, please don't make your mother suffer for too long. Come quickly, I want to see you.

Once you're born, we'll be a complete family. You'll complete us. And you will be our savior one day. I can't wait to see you soon.

I was wondering who you'd look like. I wish you were more like your mother, but somehow I have a feeling you'd look like me but inherit your mother's good qualities. I think it's good too. But despite all that, I will still love you and protect you no matter what. Even if you inherit your mother's stubbornness.

If you are born later, be a good child who is devoted not only to your mother, but also to all the people. You will be our heir, so love and protect the people as I will always love and protect you. Was my request too much for a tiny princess who wasn't even born yet? But I know you will be ready to accept your destiny as our heir. You will be strong and strong like your mother. You'll be a good leader in the future. I trust you.

And if destiny separated us before our meeting, please take care of your mother, as your mother will always take care of you.

***