Light from the Shadow

Chapter 43

Kuan explained the current situation in Solbaru to both Ayna and Rishi, including his father's sudden death.

"I see..." Rishi murmured. His father's murderer had met his end. Not the way he had wished for but at least...

"I know this will not make you forgive our family but... will you come back here, brother?" Kuan asked.

Rishi remembered the talk he had with Ares' father. "I don't have a reason to be here." He said.

"But this place, the empire, the throne... everything here. They were originally yours!" The prince cried.

And then the door suddenly opened. Everyone in the room turned to the door and saw the unexpected guests.

"Fa... father?" Ayna called in surprise.

"Princess??!!" Her best friend looked shocked. His mouth was wide open. "Weren't you dea..." He quickly shut his mouth before he spouted an inappropriate remark.

"Ayna! Are you alright??! When I heard what happened..." King Ekua looked pale. He almost lost his balance. His loyal knight managed to hold him in time.

"I am alright now. Rishi saved me." She turned to the librarian.

"Rishi?" The king said.

After Ayna told him the story, her father nodded his head a few times and let out a sigh of relief.

"Fate... is funny indeed." He stroke the sword he once gave to the Mehari Emperor. "I gave this sword to him to protect him from harm. Who knew it would be used to save my daughter instead..."

The king got up and walked to the librarian who was standing beside his daughter. To everyone's surprise, he hugged Rishi.

"Your Majesty?" Rishi stood stiff.

"I've heard everything from Jyaga. About Qwentine. About everything you've done... for us."

Rishi smiled. "It's my duty as your servant, Your Majesty."

Ayna frowned. "What did you do?"

Rishi did not say anything. He just smiled mockingly at her.

"What? Rishi is here to save us? What... what do you mean?" Ayna asked after she was left alone with her father. Jyaga was guarding the room outside while Rishi and Kuan had left to listen to more old men talking.

The king cleared his throat. "You know his real identity, don't you?" Ayna nodded.

"Using his influence, he is here to make sure Prince Kuan will be the one crowned as the next emperor."

"Why? I mean I think he will make a good emperor but..."

"When the late Emperor Tana Tehra sent me a marriage proposal between you and Kuan, I could see where it was heading. He wanted Remblan, or to be precise, he wanted our magi, Ayna. If I had refused, what do you think he would do?"

"Attack us?" Ayna asked.

Her father shook his head. "No, he wanted our power, you see. He would not kill us. Judging from his character, he would probably use his power to make every nation under the empire turn their backs on us until we beg him to stop. During the last 15 years, he had expanded the empire like no emperor in the past did. More and more countries have sided with Solbaru."

Ayna shivered at the possibility. That crazy emperor. "So, Rishi's plan was..."

"To remove the emperor from the throne." The king continued her sentence before adding. "And probably avenged his parents."

"But why... why would he do so far for Remblan? If he wanted revenge, why wait until now?" The librarian was the most unmotivated person she knew. Everything seemed to be a bother to him.

The king stroked his daughter's silver hair and smiled. "Why don't you ask him?"

***

Rishi and Kuan sat among elderly men in the meeting hall. They were all leaders of the major clans and nations in the empire. Except the librarian, everyone had a look of astonishment on their face.

"Are you sure about this, Your Highness?" Lord Remwar asked. He could not hide his excitement in his eyes.

Rishi nodded and smiled.

***

"You what? Didn't you just tell us you are going back to Remblan?? Why are you suddenly the emperor??" Ayna protested after she heard the announcement from Rishi.

"Circumstances." Rishi shrugged his shoulders.

"You and your damn circumstances!" Ayna glared at him.

Rishi felt relief to see the princess was healthy enough to swear at him again.

"Liar..." Ayna looked away.

Rishi put his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind.

"I'll go back after a year or two. Will you wait?" He asked.

"What the heck? Why should I? You can do whatever you want!"

"Let's get married after that."

"Wha..." Ayna turned her head. Her face was red. "What are talking about all of a sudden?? And who proposes like that??! And... and... what's with that confidence?? Do you think I like you or anything??"

"Nothing to do with you. I like you so I want to marry you. I don't see anything wrong with that?" The librarian said without batting an eyelid. He released her from his arms.

Ayna needed someone to tell him that marriage is an agreement between two people.

"What? I suddenly have two suitors now?" She remembered she had not given the first an answer.

"Just so you know, Kuan is a no-go." Rishi said.

"What do you mean?" Ayna tilted her head to the side.

"I have appointed Kuan as my heir apparent."

"So? Why can you but not he?" Ayna asked and then realized something. "You... you did this on purpose, didn't you? You deliberately picked him as your successor."

"It's not my fault that things unfolded this way." The librarian defended himself. As the heir-apparent to Solbaru throne, Kuan now could not marry Remblan's future Queen.

"After I transfer my authority to Kuan, I can go back to Remblan and do whatever I like, including marrying a queen." He sneered.

"You sneaky bastard..." Ayna hit his chest. "Why are you doing this? If you are already thinking of leaving Solbaru, why not now? You don't have to be the emperor..." Her voice turned softer. She remembered her conversation with her father. "Emperor Tana is dead and Helten won't be able to escape punishment. You don't have any reason to be here anymore, do you? You have avenged your family. Why do you have to do this far..."

Rishi's warm lips touched hers. And then he kissed her cheek and forehead. "It was for you. Everything I did was because of you."