Blossoms on fire

Chapter 51

...

I was in front of the doors which leads to Noor.

I knocked.

'Who is it?' I heard Noor' s voice.

'Leonora.' I say.

'Come in.' he says.

'Good morning.' I say.

'To you too. ' he replies.

'Noor... I was reading some book about the past but I could not understand a few parts would you have time to sit with me?' I ask him.

'Now I do not have time, but after lunch, I should have time for you.' he says.

'See you later, husband.' I say.

'At lunch.' he says.

I wanted to leave but he says: 'Come to me.'

I thought about why he would want me to come to him but I do it.

I come to him and I looked into his eyes. They were so bright. I like them the most of all.

'Noor.' I say.

He suddenly kisses my lips. He sits me at his lap and continues with a kiss.

I repeat his name.

'Lea.' he calls my name.

'I am so happy that you want to hear something from me too. You know there can be things which know only people of Rouca but not your people. And another way. You cannot describe everything by one point of view. Remember this. Please. There are mysteries on each side. And our discussion about it, it will help me a lot to understand to your people, to how you see us and the world. So thank you. Leonora.' he says.

He kisses me again.

I wished him good luck and no tiredness and then I leave to the library to read more books.

I cannot look forward to our discussion. Or a session??
Noor, I cannot wish more from life. Because here you are.

***

I cannot wait to see Noor. It passed only a half an hour but I still keep shaking to see him again. Mainly his smile. Lunch was a few minutes over.

I am counting the seconds. And then the moment came. Noor!

'Leonora.' he calls me.

I look around and see him. He is smiling at me.

'Noor.' I say.

'Let's go.' he says.

He leans his hand forward and I claim it. He took it and tighten the press at mine saying Lea is mine.

It makes me feel happier.

He leads me through the corridors and I was looking around like I have never go through it in my life. But actually, I did so many times.

Suddenly he enters the library. I could see a prepared table a few metres from us. But he did not go to the table but to the bookshelf. He looks at it and then he picks one book.

I have never picked any book from this bookshelf and neither of the books I did not see.

They can be Noor's.

After we sit to the table he opens the book. It was a book called History of Rouca. On the first page, there was a map of the kingdom.

'Lea. Rouca is the name very new but in the past the first name was Roca.' he says in the beginning.

I nod.

'I read it, I know it. Noor.' I say firmly.

He nods too.

'So Rouca was always your neighbour. Our relations were quite good. Both sides agreed to many trades, many weddings and we were helping each other. But we were not the only neighbour your kingdom had in those times.' he starts again.

I look at him.

'The others were kingdom Jilan, the one which was ruled by King Sane, and Mique. The worst relations you have with Jilan but that changed after some years when your father started to rule to Micao and became King Sane's friend. Mique was a quite strong kingdom and very rich. The coins caused becoming from poor kingdom to rich. Because your kingdom which was named Quecao was quite weak Mique did not cooperate with you. ' he continues.

'In those times there was royal family king and queen and they had four children. Three boys and one girl. This girl was so beautiful, every man wanted her. And when she grew up there was a question who will be her husband who will be a happy man and who will take Quecao.' he says and he looks at me.

She was beautiful, because of beauty all the war.

'Noor... why were they fighting over a beautiful woman?' I ask him.

'A beautiful wife is a pride for her husband. It is something a man would fight for.' he says.

I lean my head down and nod.

He continues: 'Her name was Maria and when she was thirteen, her kingdom has a crisis. Rouca helped you a lot. Prince of Rouca liked to help. He knew that Quecao had a crisis almost every year so by connecting Quecao would help this area all the time. So he hoped to marry Maria.'

'But the king of Quecao did not pick our prince. Actually, he did not pick anyone. Rouca did everything to earn Maria but Jilan and Mique wanted Maria too. There were so many arguments between all the sides. We stop fighting over Maria. And that king did not do anything but one day he did not remember our help and he said that the strongest, the one who will win all the fight, this is Maria's future husbands. All knew that Mique is the strongest and that there was no hope but we did not give up and we fought. ' he continues.

I hug him, I want to cry. They fought even with no thought about victory. They fought for Maria and not for themselves.

He hugs me back.

'We lost the fight in front of the Quecao 's royal palace. And Zen touched Maria first. Many of our soldiers died and almost all families lost fathers and uncles. Sometimes even sons. We need to increase the number of inhabitants. The next year over 200 000 children were born. But the year before there was not good weather and villagers did not get so much crop of it. We did not have so much food for all and we were out of milk. Because our cows did not have food as we did not have. 'he continues.

He continues: 'So we asked King of Quecao for help, we asked only for milk and food for cows. The former king did not want to and the new one said that between Rouca and New Micao there were no relations. We were isolated, we were in crisis. We were alone and the one to who we helped a lot he betrayed us and let Maria got married to Zen. Micao was born. '

'At the end, we got from the claws of crisis. It is ten years before now. From that time we got stronger and stronger. Every generation heard the story of the past. And we prepared for revenge. It was the game. Who from the princes first killed all members of the royal family except the princesses. But when we got to the palace the goal was already accomplished by others even the princesses we want it to be alive. We were furious so some of us changed plans and wanted to kill you too.'

End of chapter 51