In the dining room,
“I was told that the previous Emperor had a very serious case with the witches. They aroused the anger of the witches, resulting in a great war.” A silver-haired youth began his story, and the first daughter of the couple, Tristian Varden Writh and Lavena Isolda Keira, listened intently.
“The part about the details of the war was not found because I saw that a page was torn out. I thought it contained important pieces of information. At that moment, I had not given up, but I found a piece of paper in the chapter section with a map drawn on it, a map of our country, but as a whole, and not by region.” The young guy continued the story and somehow made the wallflower’s heart beat faster than usual. Meanwhile, Sam, Aileen, and Adaline were still waiting in line and started to move forward as people were getting their share of food one by one.
Aiden looked at Alexa’s impatient face, so he resumed the same topic of conversation. “If I am not mistaken, the writing is like handwriting, and the contents are: Goddess Magia promised to fulfill the oath of Lord Utzkah, who was the leader of the witches, to whom Emperor Droitzon owes blood. A messenger of the goddess would be born and raised in Zlatav so that the reigning emperor would not notice. And there is an additional sentence: The promised child will have physical features: her skin will be white, her hair will be chestnut brown, and she will have a pair of beautiful hazel-colored eyes. When the Chosen One appears, she will kill the emperor and all those who favor her.”
That teenage girl, who had a height of one hundred and seventy centimeters tall, felt familiar with the features just mentioned by the interlocutor.
Is everything Aiden said true? Don’t I have all those characteristics? No way! Surely he was just joking or even deliberately making up a story just to make it seem like I was the Chosen One? Yes, that must be it. I am just an ordinary girl, and I have nothing to be proud of, thought Alexa, who was still in denial about everything Aiden had said.
“Do not be kidding, Aiden. You must be mistaken in recognizing people. There is no way I am the child promised by that Goddess.” The slender girl said in a low voice, but still heard by the opposite sex. The young man shook his head, which confused and annoyed Alexa. Alexa was reluctant to believe the news, even though the other person thought otherwise.
“No, I did not make a joke. All this time, I have been wondering what people are saying about you because the physical characteristics written by that person are all present in you. I am not accusing you of being him, but from my explanation, you can decide by yourself.” The young guy who loved reading books was even more convinced to remain friends with the girl because he could not imagine that if everyone in the orphanage knew the news, they would torture Alexa constantly.
“Is there anything else you read in that book? Did you find further information about that?” Alexa asked again, still curious about what was written in The Top Secret Book. Aiden did not answer. Instead, he turned to his three friends. A fat woman was serving Sam while Aileen and Adaline stood behind the young man. After finishing observing them, the gray-eyed man returned his attention to Alexa.
“Too bad there are not many clues I can get. What is certain is that the witches live in the forbidden forest, and Emperor Droitzon became worried, so he issued an order that all those who are married and pregnant are required to have their pregnancies checked by the Seers in their respective cities. The results of the divination would be given to the palace. If it was proven that the child in the womb was a messenger of the Goddess Magia, then when she was born, she had to be killed immediately on the grounds of keeping Zlatav away from disaster. Yet all these terrible events were caused by the emperor’s actions.” Aiden answered at length, so Alexa continued to listen without intending to interrupt him.
“Doesn’t it explain why there was a war between Emperor Droitzon and the witches?” Alexa wanted to get to the root of the problem between the two peoples, and the virgin was not sure if she belonged to the class of witches that the young man had described.
“The book does not mention the cause of the war because of the torn paper. I wonder why the history books we read nowadays are so different from the old ones. The current histories do not mention the previous emperor’s scheming with the witches and only mention being careful about the messenger’s arrival from the Goddess of Magick. I believe this is all an act of the palace so that they can conceal the truth from the people, especially generations like ours.” The young man could only guess like that, and Aiden was very upset because a mystery had yet to be revealed due to the disappearance of a page that might have contained important clues.
A slim girl who had been abandoned at the orphanage by her parents remained silent, unable to get the answer she wanted. The conversation between the pair of teenagers ended on its own. They seemed to be at a loss for words and the dining room was buzzing with discussion with their friends.
“Hey! Why are you guys so quiet, anyway? What happened to both of you? Now you and Aiden can get some food. Let’s get there before it runs out!”
The sound made Alexa and her male friend turn their heads. As it turned out, a red-haired man had arrived carrying a placeholder that consisted of a plate of food, a spoon, and a glass of water. He was not alone, as two young girls were to his left and right.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up!”
Sam was confused by Aiden and Alexa’s changed behavior. They were not talking to each other, and their expressions seemed flat as if there had been an argument between them. Before the loyal friend could say anything more to his two friends, the two teenagers had already risen to their feet and started to head to the line that seemed to be short, so there was no need to wait long to get food and drinks.
Aileen, Adaline, and Sam sat on the chairs that had been provided. They looked at Alexa and Aiden, who were silent as if they did not know each other. The sight made the three teenagers wonder, unaware of what happened between them.
“Don’t you find Alexa and Aiden’s behavior strange?” asked the girl with short, black hair.
“You are right, Ai. I did notice something different about them. Did the two of them have a fight? If so, why is that?” replied Adaline, who had also not stopped watching Alexa and Aiden. They were already at the front and were served by a woman who handed them a plate of food.
“I do not believe that they are fighting. Maybe Alexa and Aiden just want to be quiet.” Samuel tried to calm his two girlfriends down. The young man began eating the dishes already on his plate and did not want to prolong the topic. However, Adaline still observed Alexa and Aiden for a few minutes, then turned her attention to the food she had taken, even though she had many questions about the change in her friends.
Alexa and Aiden returned to their original table after getting their food and a glass of water. They sat on the empty seats and began to devour their food silently. Meanwhile, the three friends who had already eaten began to glance at the two teenagers. Sam, Aileen, and Adaline seemed to be scrutinizing what was wrong with the pair of teenagers and that they were not talking to each other.
If the situation becomes like this, am I really the person Aiden told me about? Ah, it is impossible. I can’t possibly be an important woman, let alone the one who knocked the emperor off his throne. Will Aiden spread rumors about me after he reads The True History About Zlatav and The Emperor’s book? Let’s hope not. Alexa could only hope in her heart as she continued to eat her dinner.
“Hey, what was wrong with you?” Samuel asked, curious. He deliberately did so when he realized his roommate had just finished dinner. The young man with a small pentacle-shaped birthmark in the center of his back turned his head to the left, and his expression looked flat, which made the other person wonder and annoyed.
“What was wrong with you? I asked a question, and you did not answer!” Samuel snapped, raising one eyebrow.
“I am okay.” That was Aiden’s only answer, causing the questioner to chuckle in exasperation. Aileen and Adaline, who had finished their dinner, listened to the conversation between the two young men. The two twin girls did not comment yet, as if they thought it was not the right time.
Adaline glanced at Alexa, who was still eating and not looking at her. The questions that had been forgotten now resurfaced. She acted like she was indifferent, but inside, she felt otherwise. Meanwhile, Aileen was still watching Samuel and Aiden, who were already joking around with each other and not prolonging the same topic of conversation.
Has Aiden been hiding something? I guess so because there is no way he and Alexa can both be silent as if they have been keeping secrets from us. I have to get something out of them, but how? As much as possible, neither of them knows I did it, Adaline thought as she picked up the half-filled glass of water.
***