The Lotus Of East Palace
Chapter 13 (Elias)

He wept as he stared at the falling stars.

Wh why? Does he miss his mom and dad? Missed home? Is he having a problem? Is it because this task is too much for him? Indeed, I think also the task of being a spy is very difficult even more so that he is watching over is a member of the Emperor family. If it's discovered, he could be beheaded.

"Give this to her." Whisper me to Shuu while giving my handkerchief.

"Why don't you just give it to me directly, Mister?"

"He won't." He'll probably throw it away.

"I don't want to either." Shuu. Was all the teenagers in the Orient always disobedient like this or was it because he was the Water Dragon that he was such a bitch like Xavier? Do all Dragons have this kind of nature? What is the troublesome and annoying nature of flowing in their blood? "I'm not a bitch. I just want you to give it to me directly, Sir. Sorry if my attitude offended you. You can give her that handkerchief while apologizing to her."

"I'm sorry for what?"

"You sure you want me to mention it one by one?"

"Is that why she was crying? Is it because of me?"

"Ask him directly, sir."

"Let me give it to you. You guys are so insensitive!" Kaze takes the handkerchief and gives it to Yeon-Hwa. And Yeon-Hwa accepts it.

...****************...

When I saw the shooting stars, I remembered my conversation with my father. At that time he had desperately tried to get me engaged to one of the noble daughters and royal princesses from various countries. I always managed to foil the engagement plans. Its simple. I just had to spread false rumors about the Grand Duke's son who had many lovers and was being annoying to my future fiancee when we were reunited. That way always works. And then my father will be very angry. But I insist on not marrying anyone but the woman who was destined for me. My soul mate. And I'm still waiting for him.

"The day you finally found the woman, was the day the stars would fall from the sky!" Said. Actually it is an expression in our country, the stars falling from the sky means the end of the world.

It all started when I was fifteen, after Elle and Xavier got engaged. I was a bit late in my change to the point that my father initially thought that he was the last Wolf of the Winterthur Clan. He thought that since he was married to a witch, his descendants would not inherit the curse. Allegedly deviated. Elle did not inherit the curse, she did not become a Wolf because she was female. Elle only inherited her magical talent from mother. But I'm different. I inherited both, the magic talent of the Grimoire Clan as well as the curse of the Winterthur Clan.

Dad never taught me or told me that on any given night I could lose control and become a Wolf completely. And it became a catastrophe. Almost.

That night, Elle and Xavier were going to a hill of light, a place that only the three of us knew. We often gathered together there watching thousands of lights at the foot of the hill coming from the lights of the houses. It happened so suddenly, the whole cell in my body was like being burned, it was incredibly painful. Then I completely lost consciousness. The next thing I knew, Elle fell on the snow while trembling in fear. She cried. At that time, I almost ate my own twin sister.

Elle was too scared to tell me anything. Xavier finally told me what happened. I turned into a Wolf for the first time and lost control until I almost pounced on Elle. But Xavier managed to stop me with just one word of command from him. I was then told by my father that it was natural, that in the future it would continue to happen to me. That if it comes time to hunt, I better go to the border area and hunt there so as not to injure anyone. That when that happens, when I become a starving monster without common sense, nothing will stop me but the King and his heir.

"Did you never hurt me when you turned into a wolf?" I asked at that time. I still feel guilty for freaking Elle out even though my twin sister repeatedly said that she was fine. I'm afraid she'll forever be afraid of me and we'll stay away.

"Never. Your mother's different. He can stop me, just like the King can stop me."

"Because mother is a powerful witch." I muttered.

Dad shook his head. "Because your mother is my soul mate."

"What does that mean?"

"She was the woman I was destined to be. My partner. My destiny. Only your soul mate can bring you back to being and stop you when you're out of control."

"Then I will find my soul mate. I'm just gonna marry him."

I laughed hearing that. "It's very rare for a person to actually find his soul mate. I'm very lucky. As far as I know, the previous Winterthur Wolves no one had managed to find their soul mate. They were too focused on preserving the blood of their descendants by marrying their own sisters. It might also be because it's too hard to find a soul mate."

"Where do you know that you are the soul mate of the father?"

"There's signs, son. Your mother said, even before she left the Northern Palace, before she met me, she always dreamed of meeting a wolf. He met me in the form of a wolf in the dream. And he said, in the dream, he could see his identity in my eyes—He saw himself for who he was, complete with his weaknesses and flaws that he hid from everyone."

Since then I have been determined not to marry anyone but my soul mate. I didn't want the thing that almost happened to Elle that night, to happen to my wife later. I don't want my wife to get hurt—or maybe die— because of my change, because I lost control. My curse. So every time I meet the woman my father chose to be my future fiancee, the first thing I ask is, "Did you ever dream of meeting a wolf?"

So far, their answer has been nothing to make me want to marry them. And every time the meeting with my future fiancee was over, my bad reputation was increasing. There are more bad rumors about me. My father's getting frustrated.

The last woman was Andromeda Navarro. We were supposed to get engaged a year ago. Dad thought I wouldn't dare upset a Navarro to cancel the engagement. She's mistaken.

I don't need to upset Andromeda with my bad attitude or the false rumors that I deliberately spread. He's more mature than me. And he's a Westerian. The Westerian women are notoriously tough and independent. Many of them who decided not to get married and live a happy life alone—aku did not interfere with that decision at all. I think the Westerian women are amazing. They know what is best for themselves and do not depend on their happiness on the bond of marriage with a man who is not necessarily able to make them happy.

After learning that Andromeda was not my soul mate, I was straightforward that I had no intention of marrying her.

"Klan Navarro will take the rejection as an insult to us. You know what the Navarro Clan can do, don't you?" Ask.

"I know."

Andromeda then smiled happily. "It's good that you and your family stay away from Westeria for a while, at least for a year. I'll try to tell my father well. He used to listen to me because I was his heir."

"That's it?"

"I like you." He said cheerfully. "I mean, I like that you don't get complicated and just say that you don't want to marry me. Other men will usually be afraid to refuse because I'm a Navarro. Actually, I don't want to get married either. Originally if you were intending to continue this engagement, I was prepared to leave you completely paralyzed so my family would understand if I refused to marry you. Don't get me wrong, I think you're the most beautiful creature I've ever met, you're amazingly perfect to be a future husband, but I don't want to marry anyone."

And that's how I finally managed to thwart an engagement that was almost impossible to thwart. After that, Andromeda and I continued to have a good friendship and we often sent letters if we were not busy with our respective affairs, and Andromeda was busy as the new future leader of the Navarro Clan.

After Andromeda, my father stopped trying to find me a potential fiancee. And I thought I'd never find my soul mate because I was too busy with Xavier's state affairs and duties. But it seems I have found it now.

He was performing a dance he had been training for days. The dance is really beautiful. How could anyone move so beautifully? Is he really just a human being? Not fairies like the ones in Westeria's fairy tales or even the Goddess who descended from the sky?

I don't understand art and culture. In Nordhalbinsel, we danced at a dance, but there was no traditional dance performed by a dancer. No dancers, especially those who wear such skimpy clothes—can-can they freeze to death if wearing such clothes in Nordhalbinsel. I don't know Orient culture at all. This country was completely foreign to me before. But the dance I'm witnessing right now makes me want to learn about Orient culture and get to know everything about this empire. Either because of the dance, or the music, or the atmosphere, or because of the people who are dancing there beautifully.

How ironic. I was sent here to destroy this empire from within, I ended up wanting to know this country more deeply.

Everyone looks fascinated at Yeon-Hwa. Even Prince Haru, the Orient Crown Prince, seemed to have not blinked at all upon seeing him. We were all bewitched by him. He danced over a small, foot-high pool sprinkled with cherry blossom petals. Every time his bare feet moved to the rhythm of the music of string quotes and drumming, the water under his feet was like dancing. The water glittered all around him, reflecting the light from the thousands of stars in the sky as well as the light from the multicolored lanterns around him. The anklets and bracelets in her hands, each time she moved, gave off a more beautiful rattling sound than any music. He doesn't dance with music—music is the one who dances with him.

As the rhythm of the music gets faster, Yeon-Hwa ducked down to pick up something from the bottom of the pool. A sword. Is that a real sword? It's impossible, right? Too dangerous. It must be just her dance property.

Music stops. He then said something in Orient language that I could not understand at all. I've been trying to learn that language with Shuu. But it's too hard. And Yeon-Hwa's way of speaking is different from Shuu and Kaze. It seems like every Orient person has a different way of speaking.

Someone threw something at him. Yeon-Hwa quickly swings her sword and splits the two objects that turn out to be watermelons. It was a real sword.

Then the drummers back to work hard to produce a faster tempo. My heart beats to the beat of that music. Yeon-Hwa is now dancing with a real sword over a pool of water and sakura petals. He should be tense as I feel tense at the moment. As the audience seemed tense at this moment. Even Prince Haru seemed to clench his hands from where he was sitting. Yeon-Hwa could have slipped, then fallen, then injured herself with the sword. But it didn't happen. He seemed to be enjoying the tension of his audience. He looks free. The smile that depicted the pure bliss of her free feeling was perfectly painted on her face. She looks so pretty.

Damnit damnit! What was I just thinking?

I hurriedly left the place before I got more and more trouble leaving it. It could not be him. Her dream could have been a coincidence. Maybe it wasn't Yeon-Hwa. Maybe I waited too long for my soul mate until I thought that Yeon-Hwa was the one. My mind must not be distracted when my King is dying and my country is on the brink of collapse.

Yan blended quite well among the people attending the festival tonight at the town hall. He had black hair so it was easy for him to pretend to be an Orient person. We then teleported far away to a place that was quite hidden.

"So you checked it?" Ask directly. I don't like pleasantries. Yan also seemed to want to immediately report everything he knew to me.

"Yes, General." His attitude is still that formal. All Wolves know that I am no longer a General. "Arizona Navarro and the original Diana Vinogradoff are currently in Schiereiland in their winery called Bloody Rose. They're with their two children, Camilla and Estelle."

I've guessed. From the beginning I was suspicious of Dong-gung's owner's partner. Riz and Diana in Dong-gung are not the real ones. They're swindlers. Or maybe a spy someone sent to mess with my mission.

"Where are you sure they're real?" My toot.

"I saw with my own eyes when the Arizona Navarro in the Bloody Rose tavern used his abilities when there was a fight in his winery. He can't be a fake."

"Then it is certain that Riz and Diana in Dong-gung are fakes." Mumbles. Damnit damnit! How much information have I told Riz? I believe him because the Twin Dragons and Yeon-Hwa believe him. So I relayed the information to Xavier through Riz so that I wouldn't have to go back and forth between Orient and Nordhalbinsel too often. Teleportation to that extent was draining my energy and Xavier forbade it. "Thank you for your hard work, Yan." My speech.

But Yan flinched. It seems there is still something he wants to say.

"Is there any news from Schiereiland?" My toot.

"I heard the news in Schiereiland, General. It has nothing to do with the task you are given. But..."

"Tell me."

"Everyone at Schiereiland is talking about it so I think you should know too. Princess Anastasia is engaged to Prince Ludwig. Their wedding will be in less than a month."

"Annex? Is it normal that fast? Shouldn't they have prepared such a grand feast that it would take at least three months for the wedding of a member of the royal family?"

"I think it's because King Alexis wants to speed it up so he can marry his future wife too."

"And why was Princess Anastasia suddenly engaged to Prince Ludwig? How could that happen? What the hell was going through Xavier's mind to let something like this happen? I was only gone for a couple of weeks and it all went awry!"

I was so upset that it felt like I wanted to immediately teleport to Xavier's study in the Main Palace and slap him repeatedly so that he realized that he had just wasted the opportunity to be able to marry that woman she loved. Moreover, it was his half-sister who was going to marry the Princess.

No. gabe. I don't need to interfere. I've been too used to taking care of it since childhood. But now Xavier is old enough to handle his own problems. Intervening in her personal matters will only make me more stressed. He may have his own reasons and it shouldn't be my business.

"One more, General..." Yan looked doubtful. Maybe he read the situation. Right now I'm really upset and I don't think I can take any other bad news. But I still hinted Yan to continue his words. As bad as it is, we still have the country intact. Orient hasn't attacked yet. The war hasn't happened yet. I need to be able to think positively. "Queen Eleanor—“

"You met him? How's Elle doing?" I cut it right away. I miss my twin sister. Every time I see Shuu and Kaze, I get jealous because they seem so close. As adults, Elle and I have been busy, and we rarely meet.

"The Queen is fine. He looks healthy. His stomach was now enlarged and he seemed to be able to eat normally. He eats a lot."

"Thank God..." I breathe a sigh of relief. "What did you want to say?"

"The Queen's Majesty asked me to convey this directly to you; the Lion of the South is already conscious."

Leon. Finally the Lion woke up from his long sleep. At least this is good news.

"Has the king been told?" My toot. Elle should have told Xavier this. But how? No one should know that Elle was hiding in the mansion. Elle could not go straight to Xavier or send him a letter. Maybe that's why he told Yan this to tell me.

"Baginda Raja has not been seen for a long time. I think the General already knows."

"I don't know at all. It's been a long time since I last saw him." If it's not wrong then before I go to Dong-gung. The last time I saw him, Xavier told me about Dong-gung and that the people there I could trust to pass on the information. Then Riz and Diana interceded with Xavier and Yeon-Hwa's intermediary with Princess Anastasia. Riz told me that Xavier prevented me from teleporting to Nordhalbinsel for a while and asked me to pass information through the Dragons or through Riz. "The king forbade me to return to Nordhalbinsel for a while because it was too risky... What happened to the King? Why can't he be found? He's not dead or anything, is he?"

Now I'm panicking. Is the poison spreading? Is his condition getting worse? Did he really stop seeing Princess Anastasia so that there was no more healing for her?

"I'm not sure but it looks like His Majesty is sick." Yan said.

"That's just your assumption or is there any news that he's sick?"

Does everyone know about his condition? The King's health condition should be a secret, at least for now. Xavier does not yet have the heir of—the son that Elle contains cannot be considered as the heir because it is not the son of Xavier. If he was found to be dying, it would be easy for the nobles who supported Empress Selena to take him down and move his crown to Ludwig's head. His position as King is not safe. I half wished she could be as cruel as her father and put the death penalty on all the nobles who supported Selena. But Xavier wasn't like that.

"I heard rumors among the servants of the Main Palace. The king did not leave his room for days and could not be found. The servants were only allowed to put food trolleys for the King in front of his bedroom door. Even the Palace Physician who had wanted to check on his condition was expelled away."

"Who is doing state business?" My toot. My gut feeling isn't good.

"Prince Ludwig. The nobles held an impromptu meeting upon hearing that His Majesty could not be found, they urged Prince Ludwig to return to the Palace and take over the King's duties for a while until His Majesty came out of his chambers."

"Why Prince Lud—wait... Everything's weird. Louis was engaged to Princess Anastasia. He also now takes over the King's duties. I'm not allowed back to Nordhalbinsel. Riz and Diana are fake. Why everything—“

Have we lost? Or just the opposite?

I need to find out soon. But who could possibly know what really happened?

Shuu. That Water Dragon might know something. He can read minds. He should be able to figure out the contents of Riz and Diana's fake thoughts in Dong-gung.

"There again?" My toot.

"General, you may have forgotten... Tomorrow is hunting night. You should return to Nordhalbinsel immediately. It's too risky if you're here at night hunting."

Damnit damnit! I've been too busy lately to forget about hunting night.

"I understand. Tell all the Wolves in the Orient to return to Nordhalbinsel tonight as well. Go to the border area and do it as usual. I'll catch up later. I still have business in the Orient. If I'm not in Nordhalbinsel tomorrow night, you'll still have to do it as usual. My father might be leading the hunt."

"Good, General. I'll do it soon."

"alright. If there's nothing else you want to report, you can leave. Make sure no one knows all that information but the two of us."

Yan lowered his head respectfully, "I understand, General." Then he disappeared.

There's a lot of trouble. I have so much to do. But first, I have to make sure Yeon-Hwa returns to Dong-gung safely.

...****************...