"Your majesty, who is she?" The old butler asked, kneeling with the two maids.
"She is your master's wife, the lady of this estate." Celestina declared. The butler and the two maids glanced at Avril in shock and rushed closer to bow and introduce themselves. They had served Oscar for many years during the war. The old butler was Declerd, an elderly gentleman with a straight back and thin shoulders, an elegant pose of manners and loyalty, and the two maids were Eris and Arlen, one who hid her emotions and one who bore them on her face.
"Mom?" The young girl, Gloria, said, tilting her head and drooping her ponytail to the side. That adorable action pierced Avril's heart like an arrow, and she tightened her embrace as a squeal nearly ran out her mouth. The girl had no business being so cute. Suddenly, Gloria burst into tears, crying loudly, not the response Avril wished for. As her tiny fists pounded on Avril's shoulder, the sobbing toddler begged, "I want daddy! Where's daddy?" Renn didn't speak like his sister but couldn't hold back the tears that betrayed his true thoughts.
'Oscar….' Avril saw the two children, one loud and one silent, and felt their tiny hearts beating rapidly as her dress became drenched in their tears. Not minding the mess they caused, she pulled them closer and hummed a soft lullaby, one that her mother sang to her and her sister, allowing her warmth to soothe them until an hour later when their cries turned to sniffles, their voices diminishing into faint snores, indicating they were asleep now. Avril understood their pain. She also missed Oscar. Their arms wrapped around her neck and clenched on her back like pythons, not letting go. It seemed that taking care of children would be hard. "What can I do? She tries to put the children down, but they won't let go."
Celestina and the others, waiting in the nearby resting area, tried to take the children off of her, but the clingy rugrats refused to separate from her. With no choice, Avril rested on the couch, Gloria and Renn resting their heads on her shoulders. She looked out the large glassless window. It was a particularly beautiful day outside, the hour before sunset, the two suns shining softly on the three of them, and they basked in its welcoming light, a faint breeze accompanying it to flutter on the ends of their hairs. A clatter of thumping of hammers continued outside as organized crews were hard at work.
"I won't stay here," Avril said, patting the backs of the two children softly. The small rising and falling of their backs to the soft inhales and exhales of their lungs were hypnotic to watch, lulling her to almost fall asleep with them. Yawning, she blinked several times to rouse herself awake.
"It's too dangerous," Serena spoke immediately. "The New Dawn is still out there, and I can help provide for the children and your stay for however many years you require."
"If anything happens to you, we truly won't be able to face Oscar, not even in the next life. I can have you live in the Imperial Palace under the protection of the Drakkir." Celestina urged. Both looked at her in worry, guilt dimming their once-clear eyes. It was understandable, but she shook her head at the pleas, unable to accept their goodwill. They had many burdens, as she could tell from atop the airship on her way here, countless ruins and destroyed lands that required their full attention. She couldn't impose on them and divert their attention from what really mattered.
"If Oscar were here, he would probably say not to waste all that time and focus on the land and people. She already has a promise with him, so she needs to leave and wait at the promised location." Avril smiled. Oscar was gone, but he'd keep his promise as always, her belief in him unfaltering. She turned to Declerd, Arlen, and Eris, knowing they would be out of a job. "I'm sorry." They simply bowed and accepted her decision. She felt bad and wanted to take them. However, traveling with normal people was dangerous, not when enemies lurked in every corner.
"I can't have you leave without protection. At least allow a guard to accompany you. I will select the best." Celestina didn't give up and bowed deeply, casting aside the pride of a princess. Avril rose from her seat, realized her hands were occupied, and watched blankly as the noble princess knocked her head on the table, unable to be stopped by Serena and Gavir. "I failed. And I can't fail him again."
"A princess should not lose herself. You have passed your father's trial and kept your kind heart. Don't let the responsibility destroy your heart, and don't let your heart overwhelm your position. I have failed in that, so you must not follow in my footsteps." A gentle voice spoke, carrying a hint of sadness at the end. Celestina's body halted as a cloud of Ein surrounded them. An old figure appeared in the middle, garbed in plain blue robes akin to a monk's. No strand of hair grew from his wrinkled head, completely devoid of facial hair. Sweating, Avril held the children close, wary of the elder whose power vastly surpassed hers. He was a King Exalt. The old man leaned on a walking stick for support, his breathing haggard as he stood. "I will be her guardian."
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"Pavilion Master!" Celestina and the others exclaimed.
"Who are you, elder?" Avril wanted to kneel, but a wave of Ein reversed her movements, placing her back in her seat.
"I am Remulus Grant. I am the master of Draven, Oscar's master. I am his grandmaster, and therefore, I am responsible for you." Remulus wheezed like a broken bagpipe, clutching his chest until he settled on a seat. Avril summoned her anima, unfurled the scroll to the first section, and sent a flood of Ein into Oscar's grandmaster, but the feebleness remained. Remulus chuckled. "Thank you for trying. Your powers can't heal these injuries. Only time can cure them."
"Oh!" Avril remembered now. "Thank you for protecting Oscar. She fears what would have happened without you and the others."
"Pavilion Master, are you certain?" Celestina asked.
"I am no longer Pavilion Master. I passed that position to John. He is currently in seclusion to prepare for his advancement to King Exalt. Now, I am just an old man." Remulus grinned. "I thought I would have to bide my time for the chance for redemption, but here it is now." He stood up again and placed his hand over his heart, a gesture of a vow. "I will be your protector. My life is yours. Even if you reject it, you can't stop me from following you." He let out a teasing chuckle.
He was right. Avril had no way of shaking off the grandmaster from her tail. Having no choice, she relented and nodded, "I accept."
The children woke up an hour later, and Avril calmed them down before they could start crying again, promising them that Oscar would return, but they needed to move. She carried them and set them gently on elevated chairs, waiting for dinner to arrive. Celestina, Serena, Gavir, and the former Pavilion Master sat around the table as the servants set down a feast. A beautifully roasted shank, glistening with fat, from a cow stuck out on a large plate, a decoration of steamed potatoes surrounding the beef. A whole chicken rested on a bed of roasted tomatoes, the oil mixing with the acidic juices.
"So, will Daddy be meeting us elsewhere?" Gloria jumped in her seat.
"Yes. He may take a while, but he'll be there. For now, stay with me." Her stomach churned from the nauseating scent. Holding her breath, she cut the chicken into medallions, an edible size for the small children, and placed them before Renn and Gloria. She cut the shank and distributed it to them, making sure they also had some potatoes and tomatoes. Using a different set of utensils, Avril ate a salad and a fine vegetable stew, amazed by the taste that numbed her tongue. The stew was incredible. The maid, Arlen, cheerfully shared the recipe.
The two suns descended, and the night spread to all of Dragonheart. Despite sleeping earlier, the children yawned and mumbled, bobbing their heads in a clear attempt to stay awake. Avril helped them clean up and took them to Oscar's bedroom, while Celestina and the others decided to stay for the night. Whether it was to protect her or to enjoy the company, she didn't know. The children leaned on her from both sides, and she read them a story. It didn't take long for them to fall asleep again, faint snoring filling the quiet room. Last night, she was excited to meet Oscar but somehow gained a son and daughter. Resting with the children, she dreamt of her sister and mother and how they slept together into the night. 'It would be perfect if Oscar was here.' Her pleasing dream ended with a scene of her and Oscar sleeping with children in their arms.
However, morning broke, and the sunlight passed over her face, forcing her eyes open to the blinding light that poured through her eyelids. She wanted to meet Oscar again in her dreams, but ever since that time, years ago, it never occurred again. Well, she could only wait now. She woke the children and went down, smelling the intoxicating scent of freshly baked bread. The servants worked hard to fill the table with pastries, eggs, salad, warm bread, and juice. It made it harder for her to leave, each mouthful of bread and cheese lifting her lips into a smile.
The luggage had already been prepared, all of the estate's belongings inside a space pocket. Avril washed up the children and dressed them in the neat clothes of nobles, admiring the sheer adorableness that made her cheeks flush. Like with Oscar, she could watch them in different clothes all day. Now that she thought of it, the store in Convecia City should still be open, and another to-do was added to her list.
"Farewell. I hope you can help Oscar." Serena and Gavir bowed and passed on a crystal card that recorded an immense amount of wealth. Avril hugged her farewell but passed on the wealth. That large amount of money needed to be used on the people.
"I'm relying on you." Celestina shook her hand. "Please help him."
"You love him, don't you?" Avril asked. She wasn't angry but only felt sad for the princess, feeling like she had taken her place. Oscar mentioned before that Celestina was his first love. Perhaps if Oscar had never landed in her rock on Shattirma, it would have been different, and she would be the one suffering alone while the princess lived a joyous life.
"I-I don't have the right to. When he sat on the bloody path, hugging Frederick, I was close, close enough to speak to him. But I said nothing. I didn't console him. I ran. I went back and left him alone." Celestina paused as if reliving the memory, lowering her head in shame. "I rejected him because I valued his freedom, but really, my love seems so pitiful compared to you, who can run to his side without hesitation."
Avril grabbed Celestina's ear and pulled, inducing a sharp cry of pain from the princess. "You're just like Oscar. Always putting others before you and tiring yourself out. She pulls harder, glad to have someone else to do that to." She hugged Celestina and whispered, "Stop punishing yourself, my friend. If you ever feel lonely, visit me in Convecia City. She tells this to you and you alone."
Separating from the princess, Avril carried the children and flew to the port where Remulus's private airship awaited her. Taking one last look at Dragonheart, she gazed at the central street, the widest one that cut through the city to the Imperial Palace, the same path Oscar defended. How much blood was shed on that wide pathway? She could imagine Oscar's figure crying on the steps, no one there to be with him. 'I'll be waiting for you in Convecia. Remember that I'm still here.'
…….
In the present day, Avril cried loudly, a bubble of Ein letting no sounds escape to the outside world. In her arms, her husband finally returned. "I waited for so long. She can't stop crying and embraces him harder. Everything is alright. I'm still here."