The Rose Of The South
Chapter 15: The Souplon

Anna and Xavier continue their journey to the outside of the cave by following Earithear's trail. The journey now felt easier for him after Earithear healed him. Anna no longer held on to Xavier and they walked a bit apart. They should have been able to go faster and get out of that cave faster. But Anna's chaotic thoughts made her unable to move quickly. He thought of many things especially after Earithear had tried to restore all his memories. He thought of the crying voice he had heard. He thought of Xavier's voice whispering to him—on his corpse. Why would Earithear want him to remember everything? Why would Xavier prevent it?

But above all, Anna rethinks Xavier's words as she prevents Anna from following Earithear. Anna did not want to utilize the power of Earithear or any other dragon for any benefit. Anna also had no intention of collecting the dragon heart. Anna just wants to find a dragon to find Alexis. Because Alexis is looking for dragons. Because Anna wanted Alexis to be able to immediately occupy her throne in Schiereiland and restore their kingdom as it was. But is that really so? Anna herself wondered if she might have other desires that she did not understand. He wanted to find the dragons. Something, a part of him wanted to reunite with the dragons, missed them. But he knew he had to let them go freely.

"Your words were..." Anna finally said.

Xavier turned, "Which one?"

"Let's go."

"Why about that?"

Anna stopped her steps. He knew he had to discuss this with Xavier sooner or later. This matter had long since disturbed his mind and he had to speak it out immediately. Anna ventured to look at the two emerald eyes. Xavier awaits.

"I won't take your heart. I don't want to use you either. You should be able to leave, Xavier."

Xavier raised next to his brows, looking puzzled. "Don't we have to find Crown Prince Alexis first?"

"really. But Nordhalbinsel needs you. Queen Eleanor may be waiting for you. And you should put your kingdom and your Queen above anything else. You should be able to run away quietly and leave us. Why didn't you do it?"

Queen Eleanor, thought Anna. Xavier is married. Anna reminded herself.

"If you really remember it well, you certainly know that other than yourself and your desires, nothing is more important to me."

This feels wrong to Anna. Xavier should have been happy when Anna told him to return to his kingdom. Why did he even say that? Anna argued again.

Defend him. He'll help you. Untie her. He's not yours.

"That was." Anna said firmly. "Why is it called memory, because it has already happened. It's been a long time. A thousand years ago. Now the situation is different. You have your own kingdom and your own queen."

"Elle not—“

"If you are only married for formality and to make her Queen, to keep your throne, she is still your Queen. She's still your wife. You belong to Nordhalbinsel. Your kingdom. The enemy of my kingdom."

Anna was finally able to pronounce it firmly. Drawing a line between himself and Xavier who should have occupied his throne as King of his enemy kingdom. But the other part of her, who remembers the beautiful past as in fairy tales, who wanted Xavier, wants Anna to pull back on that remark.

"You want me to go back to my kingdom? Then fight your kingdom? That's your wish?"

"That's not what I meant. If you go back to Nordhalbinsel, you can be King there. You have the power to release Schiereiland so there won't be a war."

"I can't."

"Why can't it?"

Xavier turned away. He's away from Anna. As if afraid of him. "Selena remains. Schiereiland was not taken by Nordhalbinsel. Except by Selena. It was his people who currently occupied important positions and controlled Schiereiland. On his orders."

The words brought Anna back to the words of Mr. Schmidt. The country is now destroyed by Nordhalbinsel.

And he clearly remembered that Xavier said that the King was dying. That all this time he was the one who did the King's work. But it wasn't Xavier who destroyed his country. It was not the dying King Vlad who destroyed his country. Selena is the one who ruled Schiereiland. Selena doesn't work alone. He has people following him. And these men now occupy important positions in Schiereiland. They might as well be witches, or nobles who have power or Black Mamba members, Anna had no idea. They probably defeated the nobles of Schiereiland and their armies. I don't know what happened to the nobles at Schiereiland.

Anna imagines that Smirnoff's territory, once controlled by her mother's family, is now controlled by one of Selena's confidants. Not just that area. It is also possible that all the territory in Schiereiland was already controlled by the Selena followers. Is that why there are not many Selena followers in the Nordhalbinsel region? Is that why Eleanor became Queen? The voices of the supporters were more than Selena's supporters in the meeting room because Selena's supporters were already stationed in Schiereiland. Because they've taken Schiereiland.

Thinking of all that, Anna's stomach felt wrapped around like it had swallowed a fireball that was ready to explode and destroy the organs in her body.

What is his country destroyed at this time? What about the nobles? Are they all dead? Or exiled? Imprisoned? Tortured? The nobles are close relatives of the King. Brothers of the previous king. They are not all good, but Anna knows them. It was they who would support Alexis to occupy the throne upon Alexis' return to Schiereiland. Then, it would be useless for him to return to his kingdom by bringing Alexis. No one will support them.

What about the fate of the people? Anna recalled the people who helped her make the river flow. Those who fought alongside him retained the Scheine river's waterholdings. Anna remembers the mothers she met at the market on the day she was going to sell her necklace from her mother, they became Anna's chatting friends that day after a long time she didn't talk to anyone. Anna remembers Louis' clever older brother and Louis' father in Kleinesdorf. The village chief and the benevolent citizens gave their hard-earned provisions to Anna and Leon as they were about to leave for Nordhalbinsel. The people will continue to fight despite being left for dead by their King. Was their struggle then in vain?

"You didn't tell us that before. What else haven't you told me?" Unknowingly Anna raised her tone.

"Anna—“

"Why not fight it then? Against Selena. Me and Leon will help you if you need to." Anna's racking her brains. Selena is a great witch. But the invincible General Leon and Xavier are the Great Fire Dragons. It shouldn't be hard to beat Selena.

Xavier laughed bitterly. "You know why Elle gave Selena a sentence of exile instead of a death sentence?"

Anna shakes.

"He cannot be killed. I forbid Elle to kill him. He should stay alive at least until... Until I've..."

There's more, Anna thought. How many truths has Xavier spoken? And how many more secrets has he not told you?

Of course there are many secrets. Anna thought about it. That was what bothered him all this time so he had been daydreaming lately. He did not want to suspect Xavier. He knew Xavier had been really sincere about doing good to him. But maybe just to him.

"Say." Indict Anna. "Don't hide anything from me anymore."

Xavier looked surprised. It was as if he had finally realized that Anna might have known anything he kept secret from her. "What?"

Anna sighed. "Your original goal wasn't me, Xavier. From the very beginning, you made an announcement regarding the selection of your personal bodyguard, you've been targeting someone. And that person wasn't me."

Xavier. Anna knew that meant she was right. And Xavier refused to say it. Either because she felt guilty for hiding the secret from Anna, or because she felt her plan might fail if she said it.

Knowing Xavier would not say anything, Anna decided to move on. Dismantle anything that Xavier might keep secret from him. But in Anna's heart wished she was just too suspicious. Anna hopes the charges are wrong.

"Even you may have planned it before that." Continue Anna. He recalled his conversation with Leon under the Goddess Tear tree. One of the puzzle pieces that had escaped his attention. "Grand Duke Wolfgang Winterthur is not that old. He was still healthy and still strong enough and proficient in sword to become a General who guarded the northern region of Nordhalbinsel. There was no reason for him to give up his power as a General. He should at least be able to serve for the next five years. Suddenly, he handed over the responsibility to his son. At first I didn't even notice. I think it's common in the north. Now everything's clear."

"What do you mean?"

Anna realizes Xavier is not asking because she doesn't know or because she pretends not to know. Xavier is trying to figure out what Anna already knows.

"You asked Grand Duke Winterthur to step down from his position as General and leave that responsibility to Elias. Elias became a General so he had to go to the north and could no longer be your personal bodyguard. That was part of your plan, too. You don't even need a personal bodyguard. You are the Great Fire Dragon. No one can really kill you." Anna recalls Elias Winterthur's words as they rode together in the woods of Fiore in search of the missing General Arianne Montreux. No one can hurt him. Anna did not understand much. But now he knows what it means.

Anna continued, "You deliberately posted the announcement everywhere stating that both men and women, of all ages and from all over the world can participate in the election of the crown prince's personal bodyguard. You're..." Anna did not continue her words. If my accusation is wrong, now is the time to deny it. Please. Tell me I was wrong. Anna pleaded in her heart.

"Forward."

"You want Leon or something from Leon. You deliberately put up the announcement even to the market in a small village where the majority of the population could not read. You wish Leon was still alive somewhere and saw the announcement, and then went to that election. You're more and more convinced that Leon is alive after you found his lion emblem. Leon will make it easy, he'll be your personal bodyguard. He's going into the palace."

Now Xavier's down. Anna knew she was right. His suspicion all this time was not without reason. He knew Xavier just as Grand Queen Zhenra knew the Great Fire Dragon. He knew how intelligent Xavier had been since their previous lives. Good at hunching and keeping things a secret. Before this, he was the King of dragons who had outlived humans. What made Anna believe so clearly that everything Xavier did was a good thing? Good for him, maybe. Anna herself knew Xavier wouldn't do anything bad to her. But not necessarily it was good for his kingdom or the people around him.

Anna herself was shocked as she finally drew an outline of the conclusion from all of this.

He looked at Xavier who was still avoiding Anna's gaze. Anger burst in, filling the cavity within him, filling it. Anna is still praying in her heart hopefully this is just her suspicion.

"Are those traps, Xavier? Was my mother and sister just bait? You saved them, hid them in the Queen's Palace, had Leon come to get them out of the Palace? I'm a variable that wasn't in the calculation of your plan before, was I? You didn't expect that instead of a famous General who was strong and invincible, he said, an unidentified weak princess from a conquered kingdom is still alive and instead participates in the election of the crown prince's personal bodyguard. And the fact that I am the Great Queen of Zhera is also not in your calculations makes your plans fall apart. So we both almost died on the cliff. Is that true?"

"Anna..."

"Say!"

"That's right." The answer.

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