Chapter 113: Chapter 113

“I, the new sun of Gascone, swear to dedicate my life into the service of my people. I swear this oath in the name of my father and my forefathers before me and in the name of the holy gods and goddesses of Teotroly!”

Everybody cheered as the new king took his oath. They gazed at his ocean blue eyes, and they were taken aback by the honesty of his words and his demeanor. They welcomed him and his new queen with open arms.

Shia looked back at the dignified man’s jet-black hair and mesmerizing blue-eyes with awe. She was proud and happy at what he had accomplished so far.

It had been four months since the battle between them and Sirion has ended, and in those four months, he had been able to recover by and by.

During the battle that left half of the castle in ruins, the last clear vision in Shia’s mind was that of Sirion plunging a sword in Danterion’s body – the body that hosted him – just after claiming that his death will fulfil what he had long desired.

She remembered being whisked away somewhere, and the next thing she knew, she was opening her eyes inside her old bed chamber in Gaulane.

Khailis then informed her of what happened after she recovered a bit. According to Marmie, who had witnessed what had happened in a safe distance, the Ancient Evil fell down into a ravine, together with the sea monster. Unfortunately, they had taken Gavil and Langrion with them too. Not long afterwards, there was a sudden explosion at the site where they had tumbled down together.

As soon as the army from Teotroly arrived in the castle, they found the remnants of the explosion and only one person amongst the ruins...

After Shia had recovered enough strength, she was asked to identify the survivor. He was still peacefully sleeping at that time, unable to open her eyes yet, but his comely face was at peace.

At first glance, Shia couldn’t be sure, but she had hoped in her heart that the person before her was her husband, Langrion.

The first thing she noticed was the placement of his wedding ring. It was placed into his left ring finger. Shia’s own wedding ring was taken away by Sirion, but she had remembered that he had placed it in his pinky finger. She heaved a sigh of relief.

The ring placement alone wasn’t enough though. With the permission of the head physician and the elders of Gascone, Shia was allowed to remove his shirt and examine his body further.

There were some new wounds around his torso, but the wounds and marks that Shia was looking for were not those. She looked at the man’s chest. The Mark of The Beast was missing, and in his throat was a slit that had indicated something sharp had injured him in that place beforehand.

Shia remembered Langrion telling her that Sirion had freed him from the curse before he had come and saved her, and she remembered the wound he had to sustain in the time passages when she drove the dagger at his throat, resulting to a fatal injury...

Taking all of these into account, it was clear... The sole survivor of the explosion was none other than her husband and now the only heir to the Gasconian Throne – Prince Langrion Zephiry Romualdi.

Of course, there were still some mysteries and questions they wanted to know about. What happened to Danterion and Gavil? Why wasn’t he killed by the explosion? How did he survive?...

Khailis, who had been devastated the most after the ordeal, waited patiently for nights and days for Prince Langrion to wake up... She wanted to find some answers. She hoped the prince would give a satisfactory answer other than the grim and most likely one – that none other had survived, and that Danterion and Gavil perished from the explosion that took place.

Shia had stayed beside Langrion too, patiently waiting for him to recover. Various healers, priests, and even she, Templar, and Eily had tried their best to help him open his eyes soon, but to no avail. For a long time, Langrion remained asleep.

It took two whole months before he opened his eyes to them...

“Prince Langrion, can you hear me? Are you alright?” It was Khailis who first saw him wake up. Shia came rushing into his side too afterwards.

“Can you hear us? Can you see us?”

The man before them nodded his head slowly. They called the healer who examined him further for any injuries.

“Do you know your name, and what has happened?” To this question, the man shook his head.

“W-Why am I here? Who are you?... And who... who am I?”

The physicians had already expected that much, considering how long the prince had been unconscious. They surmised that given the extent of his injuries, there was a slim chance that he’ll be able to recover his memories at all.

It was a devastating thing that he had lost his recollections. Now, Shia wouldn’t be able to hear him confirm with his own mouth that he was her Langrion, and Khailis might never be able to learn what had happened to Gavil after the explosion...

Once the council heads had explained to the prince what has happened, he put everything into great consideration. Although he did not remember anything, he could not erase the fact that there were physical proofs that he was Prince Langrion, and since he had wedded Shia in Teotroly, he would honor that vow and wouldn’t divorce her.

Shia spent every day with Langrion after that, helping him recover his health and his memories. They often talked about what had happened between them and the adventures they had been in together.

Despite all those efforts, the prince failed to recover his memories.

Shia didn’t tell him, but it had left a scar in her heart. She felt responsible for his mishaps. If he did not come to her rescue at that time, all these things wouldn’t have happened.

Now four months after the accident at the Capitol, Langrion was taking his vow as the new king of Gascone, and Shia was formally introduced as his new queen.

As Shia stepped into the podium, the crowd below cheered further. Her beauty sparkled as she gazed at them, dressed in a light blue gown that matched Langrion’s ceremonial suit. Her neck and ears were adorned with matching pairs of sapphire jewelleries. Finally, on her head rested the tiara they dubbed as the “Serpentine Crown of Gascone,” a silver headdress bearing the double snake insignia of Gascone, signifying her position as queen and ruler alongside the Gasconian king.

So much controversy had surrounded her and Langrion, but all of that would be cleared today as Langrion raised his hand for an important announcement.

“Beloved citizens, I thank you for your presence today as my queen and I formally take on the roles of your rulers. Indeed, I had always known your plights and your pains. I have seen it myself, and I have been with you through every suffering that you felt when my late uncle, King Caldwell the First, had issued the decree of putting cursed ones to death...”

There was utter silence as King Langrion continued. “The rumors were right. I had been born cursed, and so was my queen. I, in particular, had stood idly by as a child while numerous others had died due to their abilities, and I regretted every second that I did nothing to save them. Later on, I was still unable to save all of the others due to the limitation of my position and power. I hope dearly that those who were injured by this law can forgive me in their hearts someday...”

“I atone for my sins by becoming your servant. I am your king, but I promise to dedicate my life as the servant of my people. Hence, on this day, I therefore declare King Caldwell’s decree as null and void! People with powers will not be referred as ‘cursed ones’ anymore but as ‘blessed ones’! They can now fully enjoy life in the open. The empire shall help them to settle down and return back to their families. I open the doors of my castle to them and welcome them back into the kingdom!”

“The powers I had been given had already been taken away. I was indeed supposed to be the prophesized Demon King, but your queen, and several trusted people had helped me break away from such fate! If you do not believe my words, you can confirm it from the gods and goddesses of Teotroly who came here to aid us. I hope these words will ease the burdens in your heart...”

“I hope you welcome me, your new king, and Lady Shia Hyanessa Andry, your new queen, with open arms, and may you work together with us and bless us as we journey together to make the Kingdom of Gascone a stronger and better nation!”

King Langrion’s speech was met with even louder cheers. Finally, the twenty-year reign of terror and thirst for blood in Gascone has ended!

******************

“How’s your head,” Shia had asked Langrey that night as he laid himself in bed. He was massaging his temple when she went back into the room after a quick shower.

“Much better after seeing my queen,” he mumbled. He crawled into the edge of the bed where Shia sat as she dried her hair with a towel.

He rested his head onto her lap. “I never thought coronations can be exhausting...”

“Yes. I wondered how you put up with these ceremonies when you were younger,” Shia thought back.

She covered her mouth afterwards when she realized how thoughtless the idea that she had just blundered out.

“I’m sorry... I forgot about your amnesia,” she said, stroking the top of his head a bit. She was surprised when he crawled towards her and rested his head like this, especially since she was naked underneath the towels.

Although he and Langrey had slept together before their marriage, after his accident, they had never engaged in any intimate moments again. This was the first time they had been physically close in a long time.

Perhaps it was because Langrion was sick and that he did not remember anything. Mostly, it was because Shia wanted him to say that he remembered her with his own mouth...

It had been four months since the accident, and although they had grown significantly closer again, no matter how much she and Langrion tried, Langrion could still never remember his past vividly.

In the past four months, Shia and Khailis had become Langrey’s teacher. He acted like a child at times, and even though he couldn’t remember anything, he was still the same affectionate boy who cared so much about her. This was a fact that Shia could never erase in her heart...

Then, what was it? What was that bad feeling that was always present in the pit of her stomach which prevented her to fully surrender herself to this person before her?

Shia shook her head. Outwardly, this person had the face of Langrion. He matched him in every possible way, and even his attitude felt the same. Yet, something was always stopping Shia... What could that be?

Before she could lose herself in reverie, Langrion moved his head upwards and kissed Shia on the lips.

“We are now king and queen of Gascone... We have been together for two months... Today, may I request something from you?”

Shia’s heart stilled. She had some idea about his request.

“What is it, my king?”

“Tonight will you... Will you finally sleep with me on our shared chamber?”

It was a request to consummate the marriage. Langrion knew from her that they had not been together after their wedding at Teotroly. She had agreed to be pronounced queen alongside of him, and he chose not to separate with her despite losing his memory. He said he loved her, and she of course loved him back...

She still loved him, and yet why was she unsure?...

She nodded and blushed. “Please take a shower and prepare for sleep, your highness... I’ll wait for you here.”

Langrion smiled at her. “I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere.”

He gave her another peck on the cheek before he got up from bed.

Perhaps her fears were silly. She had spent time with him. She ought to be secured that it’s him...

Langrion removed the ceremonial artifacts around his body and placed them on the drawer next to the bed before he went to take a bath. Among them was their wedding ring.

The glistening ring caught Shia’s eyes. She moved towards it and held it in her hand.

The rings, gifted by his brother Templar, were connected towards each other. No matter where they were, as long as each of them had the ring on, she and Langrion will be able to communicate.

Unfortunately, Shia had lost hers because of Sirion. As she fingered the ring, a thought came into Shia’s mind.

What could be on the other side? Will she hear a voice?

Curiosity burned strongly in her. She slipped the ring into her left ring finger.

The magical ring shrunk itself to fit her finger, and almost immediately, she heard someone speak inside her head.

Finally, she found the answer she was looking for...

***** END OF BOOK 1*****