Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 138: A step forward (1)

RENASIA

PRINCESS RHYSSA RENASI

She has returned to her country, her beautiful and great Renasia. The sand, the sun, the heat all of it greets her welcomingly.

She looks around her as she walked by the courtyard, the green garden her father built for her mother with vines beautifully wrapped themselves around the column of the arc near the fountain.

She sighed again

Isabelle is beside her, her closest handmaiden, telling her about this young Knight that she had met in the Capital when she was looking for her.

'And you know, Princess, he is so chivalrous, telling me that he would help me until the end. He is very dreamy. And not to mention he is very handsome and comes from a good family. I would be delighted to see him again.' She said enthusiastically

Then she looks at Rhyssa and she puff out her cheeks, her face shows she is frustrated.

'Princess, are you listening?'

'I am.' Rhysa nodded nonchalantly. Isabella snorted.

She looked at her and then sighed.

'What are you thinking about Princess?'

There is this one nagging question she has in her heart. She looks at her handmaiden and then ask herself.

Should she ask her?

'What is love?' she blurted it out unconsciously. Isabella hearing the question coming out from Rhyssa mouth beamed her eyes and there is a smile on her face.

Rhyssa on the other hand turns red on the face when she realized what she just blurted out from her mouth.

Then Isabella looked at Rhysa more intently than ever.

'Hmm, are you jesting with me, Princess?' But there is clearly a teasing tone in it and she is chuckling.

Rhyssa then just decided she should just get along with it. After all, she had just blurted out the world.

'No I'm not. What is love?'

She laughed.

'Love, huh? What is love? What a question. Hmmm... Love. Many have searched for the answer to that question my Princess, but I'm afraid the answer, like love itself is elusive.'

'What is that supposed to mean? Can't you give a clear answer?' Rhyssa said slightly angry.

'You talks like the Fire Oracles.' Rhyssa mumbles as she is pouting. Isabella laughed.

Vague answers, answer that felt like a question. This is why she do not like to speak to those zealots.

'Do not get angry, Princess' she giggled.

'I do not know how or what is the royalty definition of love my Princess for meself am no royalty and I have no intention in defining what is love or to even suggest, but I may offer some advice in my point of view, Princess.'

'Let's hear it then.' Rhyssa said. Isabella nodded and then said

'To me, love is a decision my princess, a carefully crafted judgment.' She said seriously, with a stiff face.

'Is that so?'

She giggled again. Isabella face turns to smiles, as she is looking at her like she is amazed.

'Oh, I was just jesting, Princess.'

'What!' there is a mischievous smile on Isabella face as she hugs Rhyssa.

'Yes, Princess. Have you never read poems? Love story told by bards? Love song sung by minstrels? Princess, Princess' she said shaking her head.

'When you talk about love, that mysterious feelings that baffles men and irritates women to no end, when you talk of love, rarely there is a right answer. It is madness, love is, Princess. Foolishness and recklessness all molded into the most baffling combination. And even that might be so, why do you think people still fell in love, Princess? Addicted to it and feeling themselves wanting, of the sweet sorrows and even the extreme longing that brought only pain?'

'Why?' Rhyssa asked curios more than ever.

'Because it is rare and precious.' She smiles and then she added

The reason why it is rare and precious is because not many people found it. Love is the most clarifying insanity; the greatest foolishness someone could experience. Love has a certain kind of magic, a magic that no magicians, no Arch mage can ever produce, a magic that anyone can have, magic to make of the poorest beggar a king, to make the chaotic world feels like paradise. But, be warned, Princess' she said and her face turned hard, like she was giving her a dire warning.

For a moment she appeared like the Fire Oracles, giving out a deadly prophecy.

'It is because it is precious and rare not many people found it. All the laws, logics, rules, rationale in the universe, all the oath of honor and duty cannot tear love from the heart, once love has taken root."

Rhysa gulped.

'Then, love controls you?' Rhyssa asked.

'Wouldn't that be a weakness?' she asks.

Isabella laughed a little with a smile on her face

'It's not that you should never love something so much that it can control you. It's that you need to love something that much so you can never be controlled. It's not a weakness, Princess, it never is. It will become your greatest strength and in love, freedom can be found for no one can tear it from your heart unless you let them. There is freedom in loving Princess, that even slaves and serfs can indulge.'

Rhyssa nodded in understanding.

She never thought that Isabelle is this mature in the matters of the hearts. She always found her to be...lacking in propriety and she has her quirks that Rhyssa would like to remove if she can, but maybe that's her charm.

Because even though she doesn't like the same thing Rhyssa likes, she has something that Rhysa doesn't have

There is love in her.

An abundance of it, and she gives them unreservedly to the people she loves. Then what is she is feeling right now? Is it love?

Even now, Rhyssa could not forget the beautiful young lord she met in her journey, the young lord who has such beautiful white hair and a clear blue eye that pierces right though her

He haunted her dreams, like there is some kind of destiny between them that is yet unresolved. They met for such a short moment, but it was like she had known him forever.

There is never a night that goes by when his visage did not accompany her to sleep, a morning when he did not flutter behind her waking eyelids with longing in par of madness.

They only met once, yet she...she doesn't understand this painful feeling in her heart. She couldn't get him out of her mind. It is the first time she ever felt like this.

She sighs as he looks at the courtyard again. Everything is more beautiful than before. Everything seems to be more full of life

'Why, Princess you ask me of such matters?' Isabella ask as she look at Rhyssa looking away and being silent so suddenly.

'Huh?'

'You rarely speak to me about such thing Princess. Usually you would avoid such conversation, and I recall you calling such conversation girly and you hate it when I speak about it in front of you. Do you have someone in your heart?' She said grinning.

'II do not!' She said almost yelling it. But her is red, blushing in embarrassment because she was put on the spot.

Isabella looked at her and then with a sly smile she said.

'Whatever you said, Princess' and she giggled behind her

'I SAID I DO NOT!'

'Yes, yes, Princess. You have no one. Good for you' she said still giggling.

Rhyssa shakes her head as she knew she could never win against her. Surely, she would spread some rumors among the handmaiden after this.

'Let's hurry. I need to check the barracks.' Rhyssa said as she found a way to annoy Isabella.

'Of course Princess.' And Isabella sighed

'A day rarely goes by without you supervising those uncouth men, sweating and killing things.' She said, clearly she doesn't like it. And there is a grin on Rhyssa face.

'They are soldiers of the Kingdom.'

'Yes, Princess, and they smell'

'That is because they are in training!'

'In what? Sweating?'

'PROTECTING!'

'Whatever you said, Princess' she said, clearly not satisfied that they are going to the barracks again.

Isabelle likes gardens, balls, and the extravagance stuff. Rhyssa never understand her distaste for soldiers when many of the kingdom soldiers become nobles but she would tolerate a Knight.

But a soldier?

There is always something, that she would found fault in a soldier. She never understands that part of her. One of her many quirks she guesses.

And then Rhyssa mind wanders off to the recent events that have happened in the Kingdom as they are walking toward the barracks.

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I know you all wnat to know what is the true fate of Arial but please be patient as we delv into the last kingdom that falls during the Invasion in Arial past life.

Will not be talking to much this time. Hope you like the story and leave some comments and dont forget to vote