In Time And Memories

Chapter Fifty-Two

I hurried myself to finish bathing so that Prince Urus won't wait for too long. As soon as the maids are done fixing my clothes, I went outside to meet him. There's still a few hours before our dinner, therefore, we have time to talk.

Prince Urus flashed a smile when he saw me walking towards him. He asked for my hand so I gladly offered it to him.

"You look so elegant whenever you're wearing a gown," he complimented. Since my duty in the knights are done, I have to change into a dress or gown.

I chuckled. "Why? Do I look boring when I'm wearing my uniform?"

"Of course, not." He stopped walking to turn his head on me. "You look powerful when you're wearing your uniform." When I was still in the duchy and before I became his fiancee, people showers me with compliments everyday. So hearing these compliments are not new to me.

However, it do feels nice hearing those words from him. Maybe because I never imagined him daying such flattery words.

"Is this what you said you're going to tell me?" I asked him while chuckling.

I heard him sigh and pulled me in the empress' garden. "No," he answered briefly and sat on the stone bench. His face became serious so I stopped laughing.

"What is it then?"

"I can manipulate memories," he said straightfowardly. He's looking at me intently, trying to read my reaction but all I did is to blink.

That certainly caught me off-guard and I have no idea why is he suddenly telling me this. My mouth gaped; I'm trying to think of the right words but nothing came.

He sighs. "I have another ability aside from weaponry, which you have seen before, but no one else knows that I have two abilities." Two abilities? Is that even possible? From what I know, there are only two types of people and that are 'Prowers' and 'Shallows'. No one has ever said that two abilities are possible, not even from the books.

"H-How...?"

"Because I'm part of the imperial family." That means every imperial family has two abilities? But how come it is not on the books? And what about Prince Pierre? Does it mean he has another ability?

Prince Urus shake his head. "No, Pierre only have one ability," he said. I get that he probably read my thought. "It is rare but it is possible. The emperor has two abilities too."

"Who else knows? I mean... I don't think a lot of people knows." If no one knows then this information is definitely a secret he has to keep to the grave. So why is he telling me this?

"My father and mother..." He trailed off then his eyes went to me. "And Queen Frizella." My eyes widened.

Queen Frizella? How did she know about this? I expected that the emperor and late empress knows about Prince Urus' abilities since they are his parents but the queen? I doubt that Prince Urus told him nor one of his parents. So, how?

"My mother's death is connected to her, she's the one who caused it. My mother killed herself because of Queen Frizella."

I gulped. This revelation is making my brain buffers, I can't keep up with the information that I have been told. I thought we'll only talk about work or any political duties but I never expected that Prince Urus will suddeny reveal this to me. He revealed the answers I was looking for.

So it's true that Prince Urus didn't killed his mother, Empress Thiane took her own life which was caused by Queen Frizella.

I remembered Xiel's words. He said that only a few people knows about Empress Thiane's ability and one of his hypotheses is that someone got an information about it and killed her. A part of it is right and I now assumes it was Queen Frizella who also knows about Empress Thiane's prophecy.

Wait... Queen Frizella knows about Prince Urus' two abilities and she also knows about Empress Thiane's ability?

An exasperated sigh escaped my lips. I can't believe this. She's far more dangerous than I thought; maybe that is why the emperor couldn't just banish her from the palace. Queen Frizella is holding crucial information about the imperial family.

"And after my mother's death, she told me to manipulate everyone's memories," he continued. "I was a child, who was powerless before her, so I did what I was told. I manipulated every person in the empire." He looked at me. There are tears trying to fall on his cheek. It must be so hard for him, dealing all of those as a child.

I held his cheeks. "Those bad rumors about you... was also your doing? Because she ordered you to manipulate them to hate you?"

"Some of it are still true but yeah," he answered, he even tried to smile it off but I can feel my heart tearing apart. So those people who hates him are hating him for no reason at all, they were just manipulated.

My eyes blinked and I look at him in the eyes. "That includes me? My memories were manipulated too?" He looked away.

"You were a kid that time. Most probably that your memories are not manipulated but got influenced by those who are." I feel bad, after he says that. It was as if I just hated him because the people around me told me so.

I cleared my throat. "Why not manipulate their memories again? To make things right?" He smiled but that smile looks so sad, as if he lost his hope.

"Every great power has its consequences." His hand reached for my face and he caressed it. "I'm sorry..." I apologized for saying it without even thinking. I should have realized that it's not easy since he never tried doing it again. He only shake his head and his smile turned genuine.

"There's nothing to apologize." He reached for my hand. "In five months, father will give the throne to me... but no one knows what will happen since Queen Frizella is still alive."

His hand tightened around mine. "Sooner or later, we might fall into despair but I want you to promise that you will protect yourself even if you have to abandon me." My body froze and eyes wide open. What is he saying?!

"Abandon you? That's nonsense!"

"Promise me. What matters is your safety and I will also promise that I will be fine." I suddenly feel scared. But when I look in his eyes, I see nothing but comfort and his serene gaze. Even if it's hard, I nodded my head.

"I promise but promise me too; no matter what happens, you will be safe."

"I promise, My love..."

———