FATE #3 *(A ROSE IN BLOOM)*

BURNING DESIRE*

GENERAL POV

She smiled at that. "It's okay! I had a wonderful time with you today and I'm grateful for that, we should do it more often, you know... Matters concerning this empire are quite enormous and I could really use a lot of amazing times like this with you?"

He planted a kiss on her forehead and embraced her... "I'll be overjoyed to, anytime you want to, just send for me and I'll come running to your side alright?" He responded and released her.

They bid farewell to each other and went separate ways. She entered her room to a totally new decoration, she thought she's gone the extra mile. Motioning to the washroom, she took off her clothes and observed her right shoulder, she dented the area gently moving her fingers around.

Pearl wandered why she always felt that sensation from his bite, she went ahead to take a shower and sat on her bed working her mind into the future of Geater.

Lucious got to the southern Province, he also went ahead to take a shower and got in bed. His earlier deliberation came back to him, this time, firmly wishing Pearl could be dispossessed by Zherra.

In his deliberation his glass windows swiped opened and so did the window screen all on their own.

He felt the wind which bolted in there and sensed a being came along with it, wandering whom it could be, Pearl came in mind.

"Pearl, Is that you?" Jemilla manifested herself in a cloak, she took off the hood and smiled at him. "It been a while, Lucious?" She stated getting him to panic and stagger. "Jemilla?" He found his voice, she closed the windows and sat on his bed.

"I intend to make it brief Lucious, I'm here to undo what I did sometime ago... The one who spoke to you earlier, was me not your brother.
When the king returned I got to know about Zherra's insidious actions... I placed her in there under a spell, and under no single instance, was she supposed to take dominance...
Her ability to do that means, the spell is wearing off and if I don't take her out now, Pearl will die and she'll take her place!" She communicated whiles he stared at her, knowing it couldn't be less true.

But then again he couldn't throw his question about why she did it in the first place out there, because he somehow knew the reply to that already.

"You know it too, right? Seeing how you are silent, this is not for my gain this time, Lucious, at least you get to have your Pearl back..." She went ahead to say.

"What do you want from me? Clearly I would want that but, I'd rather not if it's going to hurt her feelings... She's beginning to accept that fate!" He stated cupping his face in his palms.

Seeing her back, he knew in hindsight how urgent it was to save Pearl now.
"I saw her feelings when you two were out there having fun, when it's with you she'll give everything away to be Pearl again, Lucious! I'll need your help with my plan.
I'll have to use you as a bait to really get to her, to fight me for you, she'll have to fully employ Zherra and that's when I exorcise her!" Her explication got him wandering how many eyes actually watched them?

He began to understand why Pearl felt someone was watching them.

"When do you plan to do this? Does the king know about this huh?" In his heart, he thought the king is attracted to Pearl because of Zherra and that his love was only alienated to her and once she's no longer inside Pearl, they won't have to bother about him again.

Jemilla's plan was also to convince him of that, and get him together with Pearl before Nathan takes her away. She was willing to take this stand against the creator.

"Two days from now, tomorrow is the sword cutting, the next day will be exactly four years since I sent Zherra out and knowing her all too well, she's got something installed on that day for Pearl..." She expounded getting him to stare over at her.

"I want to trust you for the first time, so I hope
This is all it's about! Why did you visit my brother anyway?" He probed .

"My mission needs his involvement to be completed, but what it's about is only for me to know, Lucious!" She headed towards the window. "Oh, and by the way, she found out you visited him that's why she came running to you but changed her mind because she chose to trust you! I thought you should know!" She hopped out leaving him to ponder on that.

He felt obligated to talk about it with her first thing when they meet up. Lucious thought about their previous moments and couldn't wait for his burning desire to be quenched.

The next morning after breakfast, everyone got around to watch the empress cut sword for the extension of the Geater walls, she got ready with her affiliates and rode away. Lucious was thinking of how to bring it up.

After saying few words they guided her to the location and watched her take the first sand.
It took rather few hours about three and they returned. Getting the matters behind them he observed her for a while. "Do you think my brother returned the way he did only to save his life huh?" She looked over at him opened for that conversation.

"Are you having any doubts?" She asked.

"I went to see him yesterday, but then I couldn't speak much with him after all he's my brother, though I don't condone his actions, I didn't know how to bring it up! Why will he tell me the truth you know... I just feel there's more to his return than to just save his head!"
He ended when she felt relieved he didn't hide it from her after all, she found a new trust in him.

"let's leave it to time for a little while... Thanks for telling me about it though, I may have misunderstood if I was to find out about it somewhere. " She stated winning a smirk from him.

"Good to have you back... A lot has happened lately, and I'm glad you could pull through so well, you're a super girl!" They smiled at each other, he began to mull over Jemilla's plan.

Pearl thought his statement was familiar to the king's words, Thessa approached having news about Hollies.

"They moved to Unalia after the incident and he'll be graduating from the University in computer science next weekend!" She communicated putting a whole new smile on her face.

"I'd be graduating too if I was still in school, that's a great news I must say... By tomorrow evening present me a document for a modern building , with two latest cars situated in Unalia for me to sign, it's my graduation present to him!"

Pearl happily said. "Yes your majesty, I'll get it done!" She looked over at their intertwined hands and walked away.

"Missing school huh? Your expression says it all." He stated attentively holding her face in his eyes.

"It does, doesn't it? He's done well for not giving up on it! I'll blame myself if he did... Come on let's take a stroll!" She raised him to his feet and swayed their arms like a kid whiles they walked side by side. He chuckled at that.