The Rose Of The South
Chapter 24: La Reine Rouge

It had been a long time since Anna had last bathed properly like a princess and was wearing a typical Schiereiland dress. Unlike the dress she wore in Nordhalbinsel when she was Eleanor Winterthur. The dress of the northern people has a thick material to warm the body from the cold air biting Nordhalbinsel. But the dress she is currently wearing is a Schiereiland spring dress made of light and bright colors. He did not miss wearing a corset, but there was a feeling when he was finally able to return to wearing typical Schiereiland clothes in his own country.

It feels like really coming home. Inner Anna.

Queen Isabella and Louis arrived well that night. After a lavish dinner typical of the royal family, they held a meeting in the meeting room at Anastasia Palace, discussing about their plans to find Alexis. Meeting after their stomachs are filled turns out to make them able to think more clearly and not easily burned emotions despite disputes.

They agreed to go to Schere, the capital of Schiereiland. The Schiereiland Palace. Seek out Istoriya Proiskhozhdeniya Drakonov whom Leon keeps in the library of the Palace and hope that the book is still safe there. By finding the book, then they can know where the possibility of Alexis is at this time. As they were about to plan everything they would do in preparation for the Schiereiland Palace, which according to sources from Nicholas was heavily guarded by the Nordhalbinsel warriors and the Tower witches, the, Louis asked permission to pass on the information he had.

"I don't know if this should be discussed in this meeting..." He turned to Queen Isabella. The Queen nodded, giving him permission. "While waiting at the inn with Her Majesty, I heard a rumor from the passing merchants."

"What rumors, Lou?" Ask Anna.

"Lately some of the sons of the Nordhalbinsel nobles who settled in Schiereiland are reported to have disappeared. Some say, they were kidnapped by a group of bandits."

"Black Mamba?" Ask Xavier.

"Red Queen." Queen Isabella answered. "A group in the name of the Great Queen of Zhera aimed to fight the northern people. Some said they were wearing red robes and silver masks. Sometimes they leave some bags of gold for the poor and save the children's slaves."

"Rebel groups against Nordhalbinsel's rule in Schiereiland... And..." Anna then glanced towards Xavier. "Kids' boy?"

"I really don't know about it." Xavier.

"Nordhalbinsel erected a new magic tower at Schere, not far from the Palace. They took a lot of children and were forced to work on the tower construction project."

"Like the Northern Palace of the Grimoire Clan." Xavier muttered to himself. He then realized the three pairs of eyes in the room were waiting for an explanation from him. "Klan Grimoire has done the same thing."

"Eleanor's family?" Anna confirmed.

"Yes. From his mother's side. They were originally the most respected witch clan, then the succeeding generations began to practice black magic that deviated far from the magic that previous generations used. Long ago, before Elle was born, before the Winterthur family's agreement with the Grimoire, they made children slaves in the Northern Palace to do menial work and as magic experiment materials. They also tortured the children. The strong will survive, some will go mad. But most of those children died from constant torture or died by suicide."

"It's awful..." Louis shuddered in horror. "Why should children?"

Queen Isabella precedes Xavier by answering, "The blood and tears of innocent children are believed to increase magic power."

Xavier nodded in agreement. "That's their belief. I still don't know if it's true or not."

"Did Eleanor know?" Ask Anna. The story made him sick. He could not bear to imagine the innocent children being tortured to death or forced to end their own lives. "Did he know that they built a new magic tower at Schere and took the children of Schiereiland to be made slaves?"

"It's impossible for him to just let it go if he finds out. More than anyone else, Elle hates her family's dark history the most. If he knew, he would have stopped him. No. gabe. He might go on a rampage and destroy the unfinished tower if he finds out."

They all fell silent. Anna then recalled Mr. Schmidt's words. The country has now been destroyed because it is controlled by Nordhalbinsel—So this is the purpose of his words. They took the children and made them slaves for the witches. Children are the hope and future of a country. They know that. This is the next stage of the occupation. Eradicate the descendants of Schiereiland and leave only the sons of Nordhalbinsel.

Red Queen's.

Although Anna did not know much about the group, they seemed to be siding with the Schiereiland royal family. First, because they were in the name of the Great Queen of Zhera—. Second, because of what they had done—kidnapped the sons of the nobles of Nordhalbinsel, gave gold to the poor and freed children's slaves.

Anna is determined to find them.

Finding the book is important. Finding Alexis is very important. But perhaps, if Anna managed to meet the leader of the Red Queen, then they could work together. They need an alliance. And the support of nobles whose whereabouts are unknown may not be enough.

"It looks like we'll have to postpone our departure to Schiereiland Palace." Said Anna. The other three eyes looked at him. From that look, Anna knew they agreed with her.

Queen Isabella nodded, then said, "Let's find the Red Queen first."

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

The night is getting late almost midnight. Anna misses the soft and comfortable mattress in her room. Longing for the warm rose-scented air of the Schiereiland Palace. Missing the sounds of night insects is commonly heard on spring and summer nights in Schiereiland. And now he's got it all back, except his old life. Although he has returned to Schiereiland, his former life will not return. A safe and comfortable life as a Royal Princess would no longer have her because she now knows that the world is more than just what she saw inside the Palace.

Back then, when he was a child and Alexis was born, his father used to accompany him to his room. When Alexis was able to walk on his own, his mother never missed taking him to his room. As he grew older and was not afraid to walk alone through the long hallways of the Palace to his room, Leon stayed by his side, escorting him to the room. He realized that he was never really alone—always surrounded by people who loved him and cared for him. His family.

Even now, when Leon was not by his side, when the Queen no longer escorted him to his room, Xavier walked not far from him. Whether intentional or not, Xavier occupied the room across from his room.

"Anna..." Xavier called out to her as Anna was about to enter her room.

The ruby gem ring hanging around his neck felt warm when it came into contact with his skin.

Anna turned her head, leaving the door of the room behind her open. "Yes?"

Xavier looked doubtful, his emerald eyes appearing to light up in the dim passageway. "If we find Alexis. And he said something different to what I told you. If we say two different things. Which one are you gonna believe?"

He wanted to know if I could trust him. He wanted to know if I had forgiven him.

Anna did not answer him. He trusted Xavier. He knew he could trust her completely now. The ruby gem ring sheathed around her neck, behind her dress, pulsed rapidly.

The man before him was not as immortal as he once was. His wounds healed quickly, but he could die. Transient. Different from her in the past.

But Xavier saved his life over and over again. Dispelling the poisoned darts in Trivone for him. Saved his life when he was almost dead—when they almost died. Plunging off the cliff without hesitation as Anna leapt up on purpose. And handed him a ruby jewel ring that contained the core of his heart. One of the hearts Alexis was looking for. The heart that already belonged to him—that brought him back to life.

Xavier could have returned to his kingdom, turning a blind eye to what was happening to him and his kingdom after Leon was already in Nordhalbinsel to save Queen Irene. But Xavier stayed at Schiereiland, and helped him. Trying to stay with him even though his country and his queen need him.

"I'll trust my sister." Anna finally answered. "But not because I don't trust you. Because he's my brother. Because he is Crown Prince Schiereiland. He will be King of Schiereiland. Because whatever Alexis was trying to do, he did it for Schiereiland. He did it for the suffering people of Schiereiland. To restore our kingdom as it was."

The small pulsation in the ruby gem ring is now increasingly swallowing.

Xavier nodded, "I understand."

Anna frowned, confused. He was certain that there was something else Xavier wanted to say.

But before Anna could ask what she meant, before Xavier explained further, Xavier had already first opened the door of his room. He stopped for a while before entering and closing the door. Before Anna walked into her own room opposite her room, Xavier looked at Anna for a moment, then smiled.

"Good night" he said.

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

Anna saw him again. And Anna knew it was just a dream.

This time it was clearer.

He looked at the tall white pillars propping up the golden-colored ceiling. After Anna meticulously returned, it was not the ceiling of the building, but rather the real golden sky. Himself in lifeless condition—his corpse— was laid on the altar. Xavier kneels. It was no longer the tears that flowed from those two red eyeballs, but rather blood.

"Return him... Give her life back." He said in a language Anna had never heard but somehow he could understand it. The words were not orders, more like a plea he made in despair.

Then there was the voice of a woman. Not a mortal woman. It was the voice of the Goddess. More beautiful than any song, her voice filled the entire room. So clear and clear that Anna forgot that it was just a dream.

"I don't think you care about human life. Didn't you yourself say, humans are worthless and insignificant. Humans are arrogant and ungrateful little creatures who can only destroy the world you have guarded for hundreds of years and are better exterminated from this world. You remember saying that, right? You certainly remember slaughtering those humans, right?"

"He's... He's different. He's very valuable. He's important. Please, Etherna... Make him come back to life..."

"Look at you now. Where did the heartless, haughty creatures that scorched a continent, burned the land and killed so many people?" The Goddess came to the corpse. The body of Grand Queen Zhenra. His body. Anna could even feel the Goddess' breath on her face. Cool and refreshing. The fingers of the Goddess who was lentic and white stroked her face as pale as marble. "My beautiful daughter... My poor daughter..." The Goddess's tears fell on her—on her corpse. The Goddess then turned to face Xavier who was still kneeling to her. His voice now sounded like a loving curse. Cold nan gripping, yet caressed in tenderness. Like a humming heartbreak. "For him, you are the answer to all his prayers for me. His helper. Her hope. Light in the darkness. But for you, he is your karma. Your punishment. Torture to you." Other tears streamed down the glorious face of the Goddess. "You finally understand what I feel when you kill all those humans. That's what it's like to be sad."

Xavier looked up, flames blazing in his eyes as he stared at the Goddess. When he finally realized the meaning of those words. "So this is the punishment you're referring to? My punishment is not to come down to earth to help him? My punishment is to feel sorrow? My punishment is his death? You've already succeeded in punishing me, Etherna. I have suffered enough... If you want to punish me, you should just take my life! Not life... Don't dia—“

The goddess then said something. But Anna soon awoke from her sleep before hearing anything she said. Waking up with her tears flowing without her being able to stop. Tight chest. Heart's sore.

He could feel what Xavier was feeling back then, even if it was just a dream.

After that, he was unable to go back to sleep until dawn.

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

Anna's been ready since early in the morning. In fact, being unable to sleep after the dream, she finally decided to stay awake, thinking of many things until sunrise.

He thought about his dream. Wondering if it was just a dream, or indeed the real events that happened after his death.

He thought of the children who were slaves. The people of Schiereiland are suffering. The Red Queen. Whoever they were, Anna wanted to meet them and thank them. Because when he was far from his country, when he was not there for his people, the group united and helped his people who were in trouble.

Then he thought of Leon. Wondering if Leon is okay in Nordhalbinsel. Leon has successfully broken Selena's black magic. Will they be able to meet again soon. He will be completely abandoned forever.

And finally, since all of that left him claustrophobic, he thought of Alexis. Trying to position himself as his sister. Trying to understand his sister. It was difficult for him because despite being brothers, they were not that close. Alexis has been preoccupied with various preparations to become the heir to the throne since childhood so there is almost no time to play. Anna spends more time with Leon than with Alexis. You could say he knows Leon better than his own brother.

What would Anna do if she had the ability to track down the dragons? Anna is trying to figure out what Alexis is up to. He might hunt the dragons, but how do I kill him? How do I get the heart of dragons? That might still be Alexis's consideration. Maybe that's why Alexis didn't go looking for Xavier right from the start.

Xavier's.

Anna wanted to ask. What the Goddess said back then after she asked the Goddess to take her life. But Anna is still not ready to face it without feeling guilty and devastated.

That day they will regroup to continue the meeting. Last night Anna had sent a letter to Nicholas so that he could quickly come to her palace to ask for his help again. So that morning they had breakfast waiting for Duke Francis to arrive. They had breakfast in silence. The waiters alternated bringing a variety of typical Schiereiland foods for them, ranging from appetizers, main dishes to desserts.

Anna was still half-dreaming as from the corner of her eyes, Anna saw a servant about to pour thick green cream cheese over Xavier's bowl of soup. Anna hurriedly prevented him, "Don't!" Said.

The waiter immediately lifted the green cheese cream container back and apologized while bowing deeply.

They're all frozen. Wondering in silence why Anna suddenly forbade the waitress to pour cream cheese for Xavier.

Realizing that three pairs of eyes were looking at her like that, Anna immediately came to her senses from her daydream. He turned his head towards Xavier beside him who was still waiting for an explanation for his actions just now. "Ah, sorry... I should have asked you first."

"What's wrong? What's that about?"

Anna just remembered Xavier is not from Schiereiland and the food here is different from the food in the north. Cheese vegetable soup was the most common breakfast dish in his kingdom. Anna had loved the food since childhood, but Leon hated it for not being able to eat cheese and other dairy products. So at breakfast, Anna used to remind the servants not to pour green cheese cream into Leon's soup bowl even though the servants at the Palace had memorized the eating habits of all members of the royal family including Leon.

"Cream cheese." Anna answered. "Mixed with parsley and spinach so that the color is green. Sorry, I was daydreaming. You can—“

"It's okay." Xavier said directly. Smile calms. "I can't eat cheese."

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