Rivia: Royal Palace, Grand Foyer

• Elianna •

Rivia was the most beautiful place that Elianna would ever have the chance to witness.

The moment they arrived through the transportation portal, their shoes padded into the soft white sand beneath their feet. Peculiarly, she wondered how the sand would feel against her bare feet. Wriggling her toes in her shoes, she felt determined to try it out as soon as she had the opportunity.

"First Prince of Iftia, Rowan Alvraz." Rowan said, placing his palm on his chest as he bowed slightly. "It's an honour to meet Your Majesty of Rivia."

"Second Prince of Iftia, Matthias Alvraz," Matthias also introduced himself. The remaining of them followed suit to bow low and greet the King of Rivia.

"Princes of Iftia, please do not stand on the ceremony!" The King of Rivia, Tazin Nouraei let out a rumbling laugh. His wives and children stood by him and greeted everyone from Iftia in exchange. Tazin gestured, "Please allow us to lead everyone in."

Then, his wives and children moved to the sides and made a path, allowing Tazin to lead Rowan and Matthias in. Elianna followed close behind Rowan and his knights while keeping her head low. However, at that moment, she heard a soft whisper that chimed in her ears through thin air.  

"Elianna Evarix."

She jerked her head to the side and met with a pair of pale grey eyes. Those eyes were like wisps of cloud at twilight, illustrious yet uncomprehending. The moment their eyes locked, Elianna's feet halted to a stop. She stood where she was staring in the direction of the girl who she believed had called her by her birth name. Half of her face was hidden under the thin piece of silk and she was dressed in a white kaftan that was adorned with pieces of ornate silver jewellery. A spur of complicated emotions flowed within her and she wasn't sure if they reflected fear or relief. Spellbound by the pair of unique eyes, she stayed paralyzed until a hand tapped her shoulder and snapped her back into attention.

"Lady Elianna, are you alright?" Professor Hamley asked.

"Y-Yes," she stuttered, her eyes went back in the direction but the girl was already gone. Elianna picked up her pace and hurriedly moved into the Royal Palace with confusion weighing heavily in her heart.

They moved through the wide hallways, passing through numerous majestic arches and radiantly-coloured walls towards the throne room. Elianna had awe in her eyes as she sighted how each dome ceilings, together with their pendentives were extensively decorated with rich-patterned muqarnas and kaleidoscopic stones. To her, Rivia seemed like a place that was morphed out from a fairytale story that Lylia used to tell her about when she was a child.

When they reached the throne room, everyone stayed outside waiting for Rowan and Matthias, who had entered with Tazin. Guards informed that they were allowed to roam within the perimeters, so Elianna took this chance to look around. She walked close to a wall, smoothing her hand over the jewel-like tiles that were carefully arranged into beautiful geometric mosaics. She followed along the large wall, not realising how far she had gone until an arm circled around her waist and pulled her back.

"Where are you walking to, love?" A deep, rich chuckle reverberated in her ears. She panicked a little and turned around to find Rowan looking at her with his brilliant blue eyes. Her hands quickly went towards the arm around her waist as she tried to escape from his hold. He flexed that arm slightly, keeping her in place and said, "Don't worry, every one's around are our own people. You don't have to be too cautious."

"Really?"

"Yes," he affirmed before lowering himself to plant a soft kiss on her lips. Her cheeks flushed in pink at that instant but from the peripheral of her eyes, she saw a trace of silver fabric flowed from the corners of the wall and her eyes shot up and saw the same girl with ash grey eyes peeking at her. Elianna pushed through Rowan's arm and ran towards the wall but the girl was already gone.

"Is anything wrong?" Rowan sounded worried and she turned around to face him, apologising, "I'm sorry, it's just someone."

"Who?" he asked.

"I don't know, she called me by my birth name, and I saw her looking at me from here just now," she explained, holding one hand out to rub on her temple. "Was I imagining things?"

"She has pale grey eyes, doesn't she?"

"Yes." She looked towards him eagerly and immediately pried for an answer, "You know her, don't you?"

"That's Naailah, the Second Princess of Rivia," he replied. "I'm sure she knew of your birth name through her foretells."

"Why is she running away from me?"

"Naailah was raised in the temple, away from all her siblings and peers. That should explain her shyness around others," he laughed softly. "Don't worry, if she has something to say, she'll find you one day."

"You seem to know Rivia well," she shot a glance at him. "Even the personalities of the princesses."

"Of course," he replied, remorseless. "Naailah is my second cousin after all."

"You're a descent of Rivian ancestry?" she frowned. "How is that possible?"

"Why is it not possible?" he laughed again. "My grandmother was a Rivian, who fell in love and married to Grand Duke Gauthier then."

"That explains..." she breathed, her voice dropped low.

"Hmm?" he looked towards her curiously.

"Your eyes," she mentioned. "Vibrant shades like those were not common in Iftia."

"Neither was yours," he said, his hand reached for one side of her cheek. "But we all know what amber eyes represent."

"They represented something?" she knitted her brows together and wondered inquisitively.

"You didn't know?" His eyes widened in surprise. "They represent the mark of blessing."

"That's impossible," she gasped. "Elizabeth had the mark of blessing."

"Amber eyes were the Goddess' mark of blessings," he shook his head slightly. "It had been that way since the old times, it's all in the ancient texts."

"So, I had gone through all those for nothing?" Tears pooled in her eyes and she cried, "Everyone died for nothing?"

"Eli?"

"Then, why didn't Thethia know?" she grabbed on his shirt cuffs. "Why would they make such an outrageous mistake?"

"Ancient texts were only available in Rivia and you should know that Thethia was never in a good relationship with Rivia. Yet, it all make sense now on why you're the wandering princess and that the King of Thethia is unsurprisingly dumb."

"No one had to die..." she sobbed, losing strength in her legs as she fell to her side. But Rowan was fast to catch her by her waist and tug her close to him, allowing her entire weight to lean against him. She whimpered sadly, "If only they knew, all of them wouldn't have died because of me... But neither does Elizabeth deserve this fate. She wouldn't have made it."

"What do you mean?" Rowan asked, running his hand along her back to soothe her crying.

"Elizabeth was born sick," Elianna explained. "Her life was sustained and her illness was cured by my blood."

"This?" he slowly raised her wrist, his thumb brushed gently across the deep scar. She nodded quietly, feeling hollowed by the profound sadness within her. He whispered, "You don't deserve this too."

"But it's impossible that Jason wouldn't know this." Elianna gripped on Rowan's shirt cuffs tighter, still unable to comprehend the whole truth.

"I'm sure he knew. Despite the age-old feud Thethia had with Rivia, Jason Wayland was remarkably well-liked by scholars from all Kingdoms," Rowan said. "That being said, he definitely had his own reason for hiding that truth."

"He didn't want me to end up being the indestructible weapon for Thethia," she concluded, laughing dryly. "As always, Jason."

"Definitely," he replied quietly.

She removed her hands and wrapped them around his waist. Burying her head in his chest, she hoped for a moment. Just a moment like this, in the warmth of his embrace and all the good feelings that he brought out in her, away from all the complexities.

However, before she knew it, her feet were swept off the ground and the hands that gripped firmly around her waist lifted her and positioned her against a broad shoulder. Her hands instinctively folded behind his neck and she inhaled sharply, "Rowan, put me down."

"Too late," he replied with playfulness tinkling in his tone. He took long strides, with her fidgeting awkwardly in his arms. They turned at several corners before he placed her down on a wide ledge of a large arch window. "Turn around, love."

She did as she was told and witnessed the most breathtaking and picturesque view that she would never imagine. The desert of Rivia was an endless undulating sea, contrasting against the glistening night sky above that was filled with untold stories from the entire constellation which revealed themselves in their most enthralling form. As the wind blew, specks of shimmering sand danced in the air like clouds of dust choreographing through the air holding with them a soft reply to the stars above.

She was at a loss of words and truly mesmerised. Her head turned around excitedly, at a full display of all the keenness bubbling within her. He inched forward to kiss her, nibbling gently while taking his time to taste her lips. She was slightly taken aback at first but she relaxed instantly, leaning into the kiss as she responded to every intricacy woven in his love for her.

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just a question: is the story getting confusing?

also, let's welcome our new character.