𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠'𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞

65. Destiny

The dusk had been darkened by the heavy grey clouds, and the wind howled strongly. Tree branches could hardly resist and swayed in whichever direction the wind took them. 

A great result was anticipated at the end of the great tussle. Alas! The rain chose to drizzle, not roar.

Nevertheless, the sky cleared, showing a darker shade of blue, and the stars twinkled within. The moon, which slowly emerged from the corner where the sides of two mountains meet, shone brightly. 

To check the damage that the newly bloomed flowers of the spring must have incurred, Xavier left his study room, where he had been working day and night these days, and went straight to the garden of his beloved mother without even changing his formal attire. 

Within a few minutes of walking around, he didn't notice any severe destruction.

When his eyes landed on the rose bushes, he noticed that their color had been harshly taken away. They remained intact with their bent stem and thorns, but the petals had been blown away. 

Xavier bent down and knelt on the ground to pick up the petals. Since they were scattered everywhere, it took some time for him to gather them. Carefully shifting them to his left hand, he took them one by one with his right hand and pierced them on the thorns to give back the roses their color. 

Obsessing over trivial things meticulously had been his routine for the past few weeks. 

An hour passed, and he was finally satisfied with his work. He stood up and wiped his bloodied hand on his pants. 

What to do now? He looked around with uncertainty. He couldn't end up thinking about his mate and faint during a panic attack as he did before, could he? One had to keep one's mind busy, for the sake of one's sanity. A King, more so. 

His wandering eyes found the temple of the Moon Goddess inside the garden without any light. He couldn't possibly leave it unattended. With haste, he went inside, searched for a flint striker and a dry leaf, then transferred the fire from the leaf to a candle, and used that candle to light all the other candles in the temple. 

He bowed to the statue of the Moon Goddess and chanted prayers passed down only to the Lancaster heirs, which were meant to evoke the maternal tendency of the Goddess to her children. Xavier hoped somehow she could rectify his wrongdoings and change his destiny. 

The wind started acting up again. It seemed as if the clouds before had temporarily passed, but a denser group of clouds arrived, signalling heavy rain. 

All of a sudden, Xavier sensed someone.

The presence was distinct and undeniable. He couldn't be mistaken. Kon couldn't be mistaken at all. He got up and turned around. There was no one in sight.

Was it happening again? Had his mental condition degraded to the next level, where he had started hallucinating? He tried to gather himself. After all, he had one kingdom to rule and another to destroy. 

With his head down and a puzzled look on his face, he left the temple and had taken only a few steps when he saw a figure approaching him. 

Dressed in white, a gush of wind blowing her open hair, gaze lowered, and slow steps towards him, it was Ariana. 

When Ariana reached in front of him, she lifted her head to see him. She saw him take a deep sigh. Tears welled up in his eyes. Saying and doing nothing, they just stood in each other's presence.

Only when Xavier lifted his right hand towards her face, Ariana's eyes followed his hand's movement. As he gently touched her cheek, he was taken aback! He looked at his hands in shock and then looked at Ariana.