The Princess And The Lord

'In the end, you will be abandoned just like how your parents abandoned you, or have you forgotten that no matter how much your brother said he loves you in the end he still chooses to die for his wife and leave you alone....alone….yes, perhaps it was our fate after all'

"Shut up!" Lazarus said peevishly.

"What?" Arthea looked at him in confusion thinking she heard something.

Lazarus was snapped out of his thought, he quickly shook his head and then smiled faintly as if nothing had happened. "Nothing, let's go!"

"…." Arthea didn't ask any further after all this wasn't the first time Lazarus had been acting strange and besides she already had too much on her plate to worry about someone else.

Meanwhile, Lazarus brooded over the voice that keep bothering him endlessly he hated to admit he was terrified by the thought inside his head.

Lazarus knew the voice was coming from him, but why now? Why was it only now that this sound had bothered him…however, was it really only now that he had heard this sound? Lazarus's forehead creased closely as another thought flashed inside him.

He suddenly remembers his conversation with his brother once upon a time :

"Are you sure you didn't feel anything Zian?"

"No, there's nothing to feel after all'

"Really? After what our parents did to you? Did you not feel anything when you see me?"

"...What do you want me to feel?"

"Anger will be good for the start, disappointment, hate….jealousy?"

"Why should I be jealous about it?"

"Well I hope you don't feel that way but I'm afraid you bottle up that feeling"

"I don't understand…"

"What I'm worried about is when the bottle is too full it will break with a light touch and when that happens I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it, in the end, the one who gets hurt the most will be you"

"You worry too much, no one can't hurt me"

"I hope so"

Lazarus lowered his head in silence, recently the memory of his brother kept reappearing to the point it become suffocating as if the person himself personally preaching in front of him like he always does...annoying.

Arthea raised her hand not long after blood dripped from her palm it then floated as if dancing in the air then slowly circled around the crystal before gradually absorbed by the crystal immediately the light in the crystal grew brighter and then broke into scattered light before merged together while Arthea painstakingly trying to maintain her concentration but all of a sudden the light exploded causing a gust of wind that throws her to the ground.

Lazarus's brows slightly twitched he seem had expected this to happen "Are you okay Thea?" he bent down and then stretched out his hand to help her.

Arthea grabbed Lazarus' hand before he pulled her up from the ground "Why don't you give up?" said Lazarus suddenly.

Anger flared up on his face, "What do you mean? How can I give up when I've come this far"

"Maybe...we shouldn't change the destiny that already exists..." Lazarus said in a low voice.

"This is not the first time I have changed fate, every time I divert my people away from the impending danger that is about to happen in the future, I have changed their fate," Arthea replied.

"Yes, but for what price..." Lazarus scolded "Didn't you say your brother's lover died because you changed the fate of your people? You may not know but when gods give you powers they also put a curse that all descendants of the first king can reproduce only by the chosen couple and if they fail to meet that person or lose that person before they have offspring then you will no longer be able to have children then the first King's bloodline will be cut off"

Arthea's mouth dropped open in shock, she had never heard anything of this, "What does that mean?

Lazarus rolled his eyes "What I mean is the gods fooled you, do you think they gave away all this magnificent power without the means to control it…just imagine if the first King could successfully spread his seed to everyone creating multiple offspring that will inherit this unimaginable power...well, maybe it was good for a moment but still, they are only human. you cannot avoid the that there is always one rotten apple in a tree, and one rotten apple will spoil the whole barrel but in your case, it is the whole world, and when it happens its not only your world but the rest of the world will be affected as well"

"Does this apply to all the first kings in any world?" asked Arthea.

"Yes, even if there is some situation that the first kings can have more than two or three offspring something usually happens that causes their offspring cannot live long, like an accident, sickness,  tragedy, or whatever that eventually leads to death" Lazarus explain in a perfunctory manner like he was talking about the weather.

"Oh," Arthea turned her face so that Lazarus would not see the relieved and worried expression mixed on her face, she was grateful that Cavio had Demian but he was worried that if Demian would be the only significant descendant in the future he would not have a sibling to depend on but then another thought flashed in her mind.

"You seem to know more than I thought" Arthea squint her eyes with a suspicious look.

Lazarus shrugged "I've been around for a very long time..."

"Yes..." Arthea looked at him with careful observation "So you should know how to use this crystal right? at first, I thought it was because I'm inexperienced perhaps too weak but if that case you will not show me the crystal but you did, therefore, you must have some confidence I can pull it through"

"Have it crossed your minds that I want to show you that your effort is futile" Lazarus scoffed.

"Perhaps...but, you know me enough that I will not give up even if I have drained all my blood and you will not want this to happen because..." Arthea stared at Lazarus inquisitively "You care about me ..care enough for not letting me get hurt...or am I wrong?"

Lazarus' face turned red and he turned his face away from Arthea while snorting in annoyance "I think you overestimated yourself!"

"Am I?" Arthea tilted her head "Am I not your only friend?" Arthea smiled lightly.

Lazarus glanced at Arthea, he felt something was wrong with Arthea's words 'friend' but he wasn't sure why.

"Fine, there is a way but I'm not sure, and if this fails the consequences will be severe for you, in the worst case your body will become weak and you will live in excruciating pain for the rest of your life, can you do it?" His quiet voice relayed genuine concern for her.

Arthea clenched her fists she had to admit she was quite shocked after hearing the risk she going to face even though she had prepared herself for the worst nevertheless, she had no time to hesitate.

"I can do that!" Her purple eyes stared back at him calmly and unwaveringly.

Even though he had already guessed Arthea's answer, he still felt irritated by how much she would sacrifice for her brother, hence he wondered what kinda man Arthea's brother was.

"Okay, but you have to promise me, you will keep your promise to me!"

Arthea rolled her eyes "Yes, of course, do you think I'd forget" Arthea didn't understand why he kept doubting her? does she look like someone who would break a promise? now she felt offended.

"Fine, listen to me carefully then..." Lazarus stepped closer to her, leaving only an inch between them.

Her dark eyes met his as if trying to convey the words they didn't dare say, Arthea was taken aback, she subconsciously lowered her head averting his gaze.

Lazarus' index finger lightly poked Artea's chest and said in a low voice: "The blood you need must be taken from your heart."

for a moment her breathing paused, she reflexively took a step back, quickly turning her back on him, "How could I do that?" she asked in a calm tone that contrasted with her racing heart.

Lazarus didn't notice anything wrong with his reaction so he continued, "Your powers, of course, have you forgotten you can make illusions come true for a moment?" Lazarus' eyebrows shot up but Arthea stared blankly at him.

Lazarus stifle a smile and then lightly pinch her chin "Close your eyes" he said

"W..what?" her eyes widen soon after her whole face suddenly becomes hot.

"Don't be scared" Lazarus calm her down he thought she was scared, "Trust me?" he reassured her.

Arthea gulped as she felt nervous but still, she obediently closed her eyes, it was then that she could feel his hot breath blowing on the tip of her nose causing her entire body to go numb strangely there was a tingling feeling in her stomach that she couldn't quite fathom where it was. came from but he pushed the thoughts behind her as she thought this wasn't the right time.

"Now follow my voice…." he whispered in her ear, "Imagine a needle flying in your bloodstream... it pierces a corner of your heart, not much, just a little..."

Arthea winced at the sudden pain, her body tensed up but Lazarus held her hand tightly as comfort then slowly guide her "Sssh...a little bit - just a little bit.."

Following Lazarus' guidance, Arthea slowly managed to draw blood from her heart even though it was so painful that she felt like fainting, fortunately, Lazarus continued to support her, as if directed by some kind of power, Arthea graze her nails into her chest soon the blood trickle down from her chest before sucked away by the crystal a moment later the light on the crystal shone brighter and brighter it was almost blinding all of a sudden the light burst and shattered into thousands of light dots in the air then started to move together harmoniously as if it was alive not long after the light begin to merged creating something that seems like a silhouette of a man.