Naroaika

Chapter 24

On the other side of the kingdom, the festival begins. The streets were all lit in different colors of lights and decorations. Al stood at a less crowded area and looked around the busy street below him.
'She actually did not turn up, did she?' he sighed.

•   •    •

I slowly walked forward, taking small steps. It took some time for me to reach the exit. The view I saw was surreal, hundreds and thousands of white asters were budding, they looked like they were going to bloom soon. I looked up to the moon; it was slowly fading on the sides.
‘The occultation is starting!’
I took out the jar from my bag.
‘Zed wherever you are, please be safe.’

I walked down to the garden of flowers. I looked up to see only a small part of the moon. As I watched, it was completely dark. There was not a speck of light; it was like time had stopped. There was darkness all around again then suddenly, the asters bloomed across the area. The asters glowed all around me; it was breathtaking.

I came to my senses when white particles started floating in the air. It was from the asters that just bloomed. I opened the jar and tried to trap them in. It did work but the problem was that the amount of the fine dust I could collect was so little. But I didn’t have much time, I had to fill up the jar quickly.
I must have spent hours collecting the dust but there was still no light from above and time still seemed to have stopped. The light that the particles gave off from the flowers was the only source of light. The jar was almost full when dawn lined in the horizon in faint yellow. I didn’t know how many hours I had been here and as for Zed, he never reached the place.

The sun was up. No one would believe that there was a moment of darkness just before. I looked around and saw that the Asters had all withered but I had a jar full of the fine dust collected. Part of the mission has been completed, now all there’s left was to take the jar to Azlo and ask what was next.

“My Lady!”
Zed came from the exit/entrance of the cave. I ran towards him and asked where he had disappeared. I showed him the jar and told him all that had happened. He looked at me in amazement.
“Want to return back now?” He said. I nodded back at him.
On our way back, Zed told me a dream that he had. Apparently, he was at an unusual place. The people wore weird clothes and there were also mediums of transport that looked like boxes with wheels on four sides, were what he said. But to me, it seemed like he was talking about cars. ‘Did he dream about my world? I’m sure there was no possibility that a worm hole must have opened else he won’t be able to return back until a new one opened that very moment.’ I thought.

The cave was warmer than before. The chilly air stopped blowing; instead the wind got warmer too. This was getting all weird right from when Zed suddenly disappeared up until now.

“Do you believe it will work?” He asked.
I looked at him. After all we had been through; he asks me that absurd question. But I cannot blame him since nothing unnatural had happened to him. ‘Did something stop him from seeing the asters bloom and whatever had happened?’ I had so many questions in my mind and thought I’d ask them to Azlo.
Our next destination was Azlo’s tower. We rode off towards Azalea. As we reached, the door of the tower opened itself. I could see that Zed was surprised judging by his expression.
“Ah! Lady Jerinah, Sir Knight, welcome!” Azlo seemed to have been expecting us.
Azlo looks at the jar that I was holding on to. It was glittering as how it was when the flowers started to bloom. 
“So what’s next?” I asked him. Azlo looks at me and said that the next task was quite easy and that I just needed to sprinkle it on Al.
I looked at Azlo upon knowing how the next task was that easy.
"But...” Azlo said."Its power will disappear in a week. All the glitter and the light from it will diminish. That’s when it will become just some ordinary dust."
That said, we thanked Azlo and returned home as soon as we could before things got suspicious. I tiptoed into my room avoiding all the maids. I've become quite an expert in doing stuffs like this.
I placed the jar in the drawer and quickly changed. The soft bed was so comforting after a long, exhausting night. 'Zed was literally asleep when I was experiencing everything!'
I closed my eyes when the door burst open.
"Jerinah!"
It was mother. And she did not sound happy at all! 
"Tell me young lady, where were you last night?"
"A-at the festival" I replied.
"Oh ho! With whom?" She shot another question. "If you are going to reply that you were with Al, you better know this that I saw the poor boy all alone!"
I was tongue tied. I had to think quickly. Just then a maid arrived saying that there was visitor.
'Saved!' I thanked the heavens.
"We are talking on this matter later!" Mother glared at me and left my room.

I felt shivers down my spine. What excuse should I make up? I can't tell her I was with Zed. What if she thought of something else and Zed lands into trouble?

"Ahh!!" I tried to calm down. My eyes felt heavy. It was because I stayed up the entire night. I flopped back to my bed and closed my eyes. This time there was no interruption.

•     •     •

"Yes, thank you for the visit."
Sofina sees off the guest she had.
Some few hours had passed.
"Time to deal with the young lady! How could she go around playing with the poor boy's heart?!"

As she was going to leave to Jerinah's room, there was another visitor. The butler informed that the carriage was at the front gate.
Sofina quickly headed towards the entrance to greet them.

The person who came was Al himself.
"Al, welcome. What brings you here today?" Jerinah's mother smiled at Al.
"Please be seated, I'll call Jerinah right away."
Leaving no chance for Al to speak, Jerinah's mother headed to her room.

•     •     •

Bang! 
I woke up, startled. "W-what was that?!"
I saw mother standing at the door.
"Young lady, who sleeps this late? Get up at once and get changed quickly. Al is here to meet you!"

I didn't think Al would come home right after the New Year had begun. I quickly changed and dashed to the visitor's room.

"Did I make you wait for long?" I apologized to Al.
"No, I'm sorry for visiting without prior n-" He turned back and paused for a second while looking at me. "Lady Jerinah, are you alright?" He asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Me? Never better!" I replied.

"I-I see."

"So what brings you this early in the morning?" I asked.
He looks at me surprised and said that it was quarter past noon.
I forgot that I slept that very morning itself.

Embarrassed, I tried to change the topic but that too was a wrong choice. I asked about the festival that was held and suddenly realized that I had rejected him on going together.
"Um, I'm sorry for not being able to attend it with you." I said.
He looked at me and said that it was ok but I got this gut feeling that it wasn’t ok.
My head started to ache. I definitely needed more sleep.
"I actually came to invite you to an engagement party."
As he said the word engagement, the headache disappeared. My eyes opened wide.
He held me an envelope that had the seal of the Ascian family and signed to me.
I quickly opened to see the names of Juliette and Mr. Keilan.
"They're getting married?!" I said out loud.
I couldn't believe my eyes. I was so happy for them. Did their relationship progress that fast to get married this soon?!

"It's just an engagement party." Al corrected.
"But it's marriage after an engagement!" I said quickly.

As I read the letter over and over again. Al spoke.
"It's a little late but will you be my partner on day?"
"Hm? Yes."

Wait... what?! I realized that I answered without thinking. I looked at Al who looked quite happy. Well I couldn't reject him for the second time in a row. So I decided to just go on with it.

"It's after a week from today" he said. "I'll send a carriage to pick you up."

I nodded.

As Al left, mother came in the room right after.
"What was that about? I heard something about marriage."

"Mother, you know it's rude to eavesdrop!" I said but she wasn't listening.
'She’s been curious of everything I do now.' I thought. It's my fault though since she saw Al alone yesterday.
I told her about Juliette and Keilan's engagement and that I was invited as Al's partner.

Mother's face brightened up in a second. "Oh! ~ We must hurry up for the preparations! We're going shopping tomorrow!"

She was all hyped up for it. Well at least she stopped bugging me on where I was last night.

I went up straight to my room. Realization struck me when I reached the room.
I totally forgot about the dust from the Asters!!
It was such a good time too! It'll lose its power in a week, so the engagement party is my only chance.

I opened the drawer and looked at the jar.
'Will it stop glowing like after a week?'  I thought as the particles glowed inside it.