𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐖𝐍 || 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫

Chapter L: Star Festival

Defy the Fates Pt. 5

THE TIME HAD FINALLY COME for the celebration of the Star Festival. The evening was colder than it was usually held, but the citizens of the Clover Kingdom did not let the freezing temperature hinder them from coming to experience the once a year fun festivities.

Solene walked along the bustling crowd of the Royal Capital with Mimosa, Sophia, and Letoile. The road was filled with people; children chasing each other and running past them, friends hanging out with each other, couples buying presents from one of the booths, families playing games. It was the first time that Solene got outside since she secluded herself inside the headquarters. There was trepidation in her heart as she walked among people who might once looked at her in judgment. But at the same time, there was relief in her chest—for at least, in this short moment, she could enjoy the bliss of witnessing the world go on its own way without noticing her. For the first time in weeks, she felt at peace, knowing that the people tonight had only their own lives to care about.

"I don't think the citizens recognize you," Letoile said. "On the contrary, I think wearing the cloak makes you stand out even more, so I suggest you remove it."

"Hey! I spent hours making this elegant cloak that I specifically designed for this occasion!" Sophia butted in. "It would be a waste if Solene doesn't wear it. It's not like it's a surprise for the people if they see a person with a weirdo get-up look once in their lifetime, right? Also, it's just a precaution. We want you to enjoy your first Star Festival without these people looking at you like they're the most perfect beings in the world."

"I don't think I'm ready to reveal myself again to the public, Letoile," Solene said, turning to Sophia. "Thank you for making this, Sophia. It's been quite a while since I... you know, went out. As a normal citizen."

"Yeah, it excludes your last mission," Sophia said, tilting her head. "You never told us what happened to you by the way. The mission is in your village, right?"

"I have reported to Will already, don't worry," Solene said, avoiding eye contact. "Nothing much happened so I thought there's no reason to bother telling you about it."

Solene's tongue tasted sour after she had said these words. They didn't roll out of her mouth as she intended them to be. Her mind flashed to her conversation with William the night after she came back from the Mistwood Forest. She could still remember his face when she opened her bedroom door; concerned and anticipating.

"You did not tell me you have returned," he said, his gentle tone making Solene's heart feel heavy even more. "What happened? Did you find something odd in your village? Enemies? The Forsythes?"

Solene hesitated to answer for a moment, pondering whether she would tell him everything—her encounter with Jinn, the leader of the Forsythes who had now been revived after all that they had done to stop it in the Grimstone Tower—the revelation that she was behind everything that had happened in her life, including her manipulation of her and Theron's memories—her meeting with her real mother, Eos, who turned out to be a goddess, and learning about a horrifying prophecy of her incinerating the whole kingdom as revenge for angering her mother.

She remembered Jinn's words before she left.

"You are clueless of the future ahead of you. You have no idea that the man you desperately want to be with would be the cause of you unleashing the Dawnbringer Prophecy."

"I did not find anything there," she answered; calm and natural, coating it in an enchanting tone that what she uttered was the truth. "Rest assured, Will. My village is safe and the Forsythes are still nowhere to be found."