The Flower Of Eternity
Chapter 7: Antidote

The girl was in her room upstairs. He sat by the window, so that whoever was passing through the rose garden below, looking up could see his long red hair being brushed by his ladies. The spring sunlight shone on him, making it look as if his hair was made of flames. But his eyes, which shone brightly like the sun, were as if staring straight into his soul. The girl smiled, no matter who, but Xavier knew at that moment that the girl was real.

Xavier woke up again in the middle of the night. Again, he dreamed something that he did not understand. He wanted to ring the bell, to call anyone to talk about his dreams. But he's not a kid. He's six years old now. He would never act like a child again and would ignore the strange dream and go back to sleep as usual.

Even so, his back still felt very sore. The wound is still throbbing. The incident last afternoon when Selena who was drunk and upset due to a quarrel with her father made Xavier become the target of his anger. Selena almost killed him if Xavier wasn't fast enough to dodge when Selena used General Orthion's sword to wound him.

But the wound did not last long. It hurts, indeed, but now the wound has healed and left only a scar, which Xavier believes will last forever. Now everyone around him would see him and know that their little prince had a terrible scar. But all that anxiety, that pain, somehow disappeared as he recalled the girl in his dream.

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The moment Xavier opened his eyes, a pair of brightly glowing golden brown eyes were staring at him. The same eyes he dreamed of as a child. But this time the eyes looked as if they were crying.

"Hello..." Xavier said, his voice hoarse and his entire body still felt stiff, but he felt much healthier than before. "I've seen you before."

"Don't tell me you forgot a memory or something."

"Who is this beautiful woman? Am I in heaven? Are you... angel?"

Anna looked down and kissed him longer. "Now do you remember?"

Xavier held back his smile, "Almost. Maybe one more time. Or two, if you'd please of course."

Anna hit him slowly. As Xavier grimaced pretending to be ill, he struck him even harder. "Never scare me like that!" He said as he shed tears and continued beating him.

Xavier stops Anna's hand and kisses it, making Anna's face blush. He then attempted to sit up and feel as his bones were being reshaped after being previously crushed by Morta. Anna helps him to sit up and lean. "I'm sorry" she said to Anna, hugging her, "And thank you for saving me. I owe you my life."

"So you really almost died! You should have said that you were starting to feel pain. So I can come for you soon."

"I'm sorry I couldn't come to Alexis' funeral. I'm so sorry for your loss. Even though we never have good memories, I'm sad that she's your only sister." Xavier then took off his embrace, and wiped away the tears on Anna's face. "You okay? What can I do to make you feel better?"

"I almost grieved twice today! So stop worrying about other people. I'll be fine as time goes on. But you're not."

"I'll be fine too, Anna. It doesn't hurt that much, though. Calm down." The lie.

Just then, the door of the room opened wide, revealing Irene who looked messy from crying over her son. His originally neatly rolled black hair looked messy. He walked very quickly towards Xavier who was still sitting on his bed.

"Durrect son!" Irene sounded very angry, but she hugged her son. "Why didn't you tell me you were sick? Why force yourself to hold a meeting? I should have cut off those easterners!"

"I'm not sick, Mother. This is something that happens usually. So don't worry so much like that. Oh yeah, how's the meeting? Where are the Orient delegates?"

"You can still think about the meeting!" Irene screamed in frustration. "You almost died earlier. No. gabe. I thought you were really dead!"

"Sorry..."

"Why apologize!" His impact. Irene set her breath, making sure she was calm enough to answer Xavier's question. But it was someone else who answered it.

"The "Orient Delegation had already returned to their respective rooms. General Irene is retreating your meetings until you fully recover. And it seemed like Xing was sending a letter to the Emperor. The emperor probably thinks you're dead." Leon who was already suddenly in the room answered Xavier's question calmly. "Can you walk?"

"I didn't lose my leg."

"He needs a break." Anna told Leon.

"No. I'm tired of resting." Refute Xavier, who was immediately rewarded with a shot from Anna. "I'm doing fine. Bless you." Xavier said to Anna, making Anna snort in annoyance.

"alright. Someone is waiting for you. If you can't see him, let me get him here. No. gabe. I should've told him to come straight for you here." Leon said as he immediately turned around.

"He didn't want to show it, but believe me he was also very worried earlier." Anna whispered to Xavier when Leon was far away from them.

"I can walk, Grand Duke." Xavier said directly before Leon was too far away to hear it. "But this guy you mean... Who's she?"

Leon would just open the door to leave when Xavier asked him, he then stopped stepping and looked back at Xavier, "Your sister" he replied. "And he brought you something."

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Meeting Room of the Main Palace, Noord, Nordhalbinsel

The liquid was clear, colorless, and stored in a glass bottle the size of a human pinky. Xavier observed it closely as if something would appear in the liquid or it could explode. Everyone in the room—Her wife and sister—watched him, waiting for him to drink the liquid in the glass bottle.

"It's antidote. You sure?" Xavier asked again after all this time. This time he turned his attention to Ludwig sitting before him.

Ludwig laughed lightly, but all could also see that his laughter was only to hide his anxiety that the antidote to the poison might be a failed product. "You're afraid it's just another poison that's more deadly?"

"Even if it's true, I don't care. But you will be immediately arrested on charges of attempted murder against the King." Xavier. "You'll be put to death." Added.

"Then don't drink it. I don't want to be put to death."

Xavier turned his head to his side, towards Anna who had been watching him since. Even though Anna didn't say anything to him, Xavier knew Anna was worried about him. The antidote could be other toxins that are more dangerous or even not have any effect. But if Xavier doesn't try and doesn't take any chances, he'll never know if the antidote will succeed in eliminating Morta in his body or not.

Whaddya think? Ask Xavier.

I don't know. But if you have any doubts, it's better not to drink. Too risky. Said Anna.

Xavier looked back at the clear liquid again. He then turned his head towards Anna who shook his head faintly, then towards Ludwig who was just quiet with tension.

Xavier then looked at Anna back, and smiled. If I die—

"Don't talk like that!" Anna shouted in annoyance.

Ludwig looked surprised. "What's? Why?"

Anna turned to him, "Sorry, Grand Duke Smirnoff. I'm so grateful you took the trouble to make this antidote despite its untested success. But it looks like—Xavier!" Whatever Anna wanted to say to Ludwig was immediately forgotten when she saw Xavier had finished downing the contents of the glass bottle. "God! You're driving me crazy!"

Anna rolled her eyeballs.

"I drank it because I believed in Ludwig. Are you upset that I believe in my own sister?"

Anna was silent. He puts himself in the position of Xavier. And he knows the answer.

If it was Alexis, whatever it was, whatever it was, Anna would have believed it. Just as she believes in Alexis, Anna understands that Xavier also believes in Ludwig.

"Sorry. I just... I'm worried about you." Anna hurriedly turned to Ludwig and added, "It doesn't mean I don't trust you, Grand Duke Smirnoff. It's just... He just almost died."

Ludwig nodded in understanding, "You shouldn't trust me too much. It could be poison. If the guards come to arrest me, I run away by teleporting. Or I can fight them with my magic. Not a hard thing for me."

"So that was poison?" Ask Xavier.

"Not." Ludwig replied directly. "Hopefully not." he added. She then observed her brother, "How is it?" Ask Ludwig. This time he looked upset.

Xavier did not answer. He was silent as if waiting for something to happen. Find out whether his organs are getting destroyed or actually improving. Look for signs of change. "I don't know. I don't feel any change." Xavier said at last.

Ludwig heaved a sigh of relief, as if that answer alone meant something good. "of course. What do you think you'll feel the change? I'm actually just asking what it's like."

"Wine." Answer Xavier directly.

Ludwig nodded, confirming, "Right. I taste the wine so it doesn't taste too weird."

"You taste wine because it's Constanza's favorite." Anna's comments, which immediately reaped a timid smile from her brother-in-law.

"What's it all about?" Ask Xavier then.

"You remember Carina? The wine produced by the Smirnoff family comes from the Vinogradoff family vineyard in Schiereiland? Which Constanza gives you and you drink that often?" Ask Ludwig. Xavier answered. "I wonder why you've been drinking that wine so often since I was poisoned, so I asked Constanza for the ingredients of the winemaking."

"I think it's the wine grown in the Vinogradoff family's garden that makes it special. Are there any other ingredients besides wine?" Ask Anna.

"really. It's actually a secret..." Ludwig. He watched as the King and Queen before him seemed to be waiting for what he was about to unravel regarding Schiereiland's signature wine-making secret ingredient. "Constanza said that they included Bloody Berry fruit extract that serves to calm human nerves into it. So I researched Bloody Berry. It turns out that not only calms the nerves, Bloody Berry mixed with alcoholic beverages can relieve pain."

"It's just worth it..." Xavier nodded in understanding.

Anna said, "So when you sent me a letter and asked about Bloody Berry..."

"That's for one of the antidotes I made." Reply Ludwig. He then turned to Xavier, "I mixed it with high-grade alcohol, so don't be surprised that after this you'll get drunk and start raving like Dad. I also put healing magic into it as well as some rare herbs that are hopefully safe."

Xavier was silent for a while, looking pensive, "So you guys have been sending letters to each other all this time behind me?"

"Gosh, it's starting..." Ludwig told Anna. "Or is she jealous like this?" His whisper.

"Why didn't I know you were sending each other letters?" Ask Xavier again. His tone implied jealousy.

Anna held back a smile seeing her jealous, "Xavier, do you remember when we were in Montreux and I brought Bloody Berry to help the patients there?" Anna asked, diverting her husband's jealousy.

"The Bloody Berry you got from the woods in Fiore?"

Anna nodded. "Actually I asked Leon to bring some, and he planted them in Cleteland. So when Ludwig asked Bloody Berry, I went to Cleteland with Leon, and used Earithear's power to grow it so fast that now in Cleteland there's a Bloody Berry orchard. I harvest a lot and then I send it to Ludwig."

"You went with Leon to Cleteland?" Ask Xavier, make sure.

Anna nodded calmly.

"Two alone?"

"God..." Anna pretended to gasp, "are you..jealous?"

"You know I'm lying when I say I'm not jealous at all." Xavier. "Why don't I know anything about this?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I kept it secret intentionally. Sometimes I want to surprise you." Anna kissed her husband's cheek, making Xavier feel better. "Don't be jealous. I will be more in love with you. You're gonna be troubled."

Xavier laughed at hearing that.

"I intend to sell this antidote to poison" Ludwig said later, destroying the sweet moment in front of him as well as resuscitating Xavier, "You became my first customer."

"I think it's free." Xavier.

"There is nothing free in this world. You think you made it easy?"

"alright. How many?"

But Ludwig laughed, "Come on, I'm just kidding. It is precisely I who must thank Her Majesty who has funded my research and even gave me access to search for materials in Westeria at the last moment. The last material I need is only in Westeria. There are a lot of rare plants there. So you better thank him too. If it wasn't for your wife, I might not have succeeded in making an antidote for you."

Xavier now faced towards Anna, clasping her hand. "Thank you very much, my dear wife." Say it earnestly.

"It's not that easy. My help is not free."

Xavier smiled, "Alright. What do you want instead, my Queen?"

"Please promise to live a long time with me."

"I promise..." Xavier kissed Anna's fingers, "I'll live with you until my skin is wrinkled. Until all my hair is bleached. Until our children have grandchildren and our grandchildren have grandchildren as well. Until I forget their names and forget my own but still remember your name."

Ludwig cleared his throat to make them both aware that he was still in the room because it seemed like the two were so dissolved in the atmosphere that they forgot about him. "I hate to destroy those sweet moments and your beautiful dreams, but not so fast." Said. He pointed those words at his brother. "Don't promise anything first. I need to know in advance whether this antidote to poison has really managed to eliminate Morta's poison. I'll take a sample of your blood and research it to find out. Give me till the afternoon."

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