MASTERS OF DESTINY | Followers Written Novel

5. THEIA GIRL POV - The Warmth of His Affection

"Oh, dearest heart, with eyes so clear,
Forgive the chains I've bound you here.
In tangled webs of pride and woe,
I cast your love where shadows grow.

You did not choose, nor dream, nor long
For this cold court, this weary song.
A pawn, you were, in games I played,
While bitter grudges softly swayed.

My brother's crown, his burning might,
Tore us apart, as day to night.
And in my pride, I turned away,
To bind you to a debt you'd pay.

Forgive me, love, for what I've done,
The battle lost, the bridges burned.
I took your hand with hopes so vain,
To mend a rift, yet cause you pain.

I never asked, I never knew,
The weight of vows I placed on you.
Your soul, a flower, bound in frost-
For my own battles, love was lost.

If I could turn the wheel of fate,
And free you from this heavy weight,
I'd give you wings, I'd make you whole,
Unshackling the sorrow of my soul.

But for now, my love, this silent plea:
Forgive this man who cannot see-
That in the war of brother's pride,
It's love, not crowns, where hearts abide.

So let my words, though faint and few,
Find some small grace to reach to you.
And know, in every quiet sigh,
I mourn the love I'd made you buy."

Cit. Wuxiong

[FADE IN]

SOLAR REALM

- IMPERIAL PALACE -

INT. WUXIONG'S PRIVATE CHAMBER

5 DAY BEFORE

The room is still, far too still for comfort. A silence thick with the weight of unanswered questions, and beneath it, a hum of tension-faint, like the flicker of a distant storm. Her eyelids flutter, the haze of unconsciousness still clinging to her like a fine mist, but it is the voices that keep her tethered to reality.

She can hear them-two men. Their words sharp, their tones both commanding and uncertain.

"By the laws of our realms, I hereby declare Wuxiong and this young lady engaged. Officially."

The declaration slices through the heavy air, leaving a chill in its wake. Engaged? Her? Engaged? But who is this 'Wuxiong'? Why does it sound so familiar? And what does these 'realms' mean? Is she... in another world?

"What?" The second voice is less vigorous, more hesitant, and laced with disbelief. The contrast is stark, and it fills her with unease.

"Prepare their Imperial Arrangement certificate. It needs to be done before the Solar Alignment."

Solar Alignment. She has heard that term before, in whispered legends, tales of a time when the heavens will align in a rare event, and fate will rewrite the destinies of those caught beneath its influence. But she cannot understand how it could affect her, a simple girl-or is she? The thoughts swirl like the tempest outside her window, but she cannot hold onto them. Her head feels as if it is sinking deeper into a murky pool of confusion.

The conversation continues, but it is the second voice that catches her attention.

"This... this is some kind of joke, isn't it, brother?" The voice quivers with disbelief, even as it tries to mask its growing anxiety.