BXBX NOVEL Chapter 314 Her Tale (6)
"Let's go back to the palace!" She ordered the mercenary to transport her back to the palace.
Valentin and Tehila were surprised upon seeing her back, however, the expression on her eyes was burning with determination and seriousness.
"There's a way to stop her even if she forced you to agree to make her Empress!" Lucia told them straightforwardly.
The couple's eyes flickered and their bodies froze when they heard Lucia's words. They looked at her with confusion and shock mixed in their eyes while waiting for her next words.
"We knew that marrying more than one spouse will activate the Imperial law which nullifies the spouse's power in any political area of the Empire. But our problem lies in the disparity of influence between Lady Tehila and Carolina…
However, we just need someone in the Empire who could rival Carolina's noble background, influence, and is even willing to ally to the Lady's side." Lucia looked at them with conviction in her voice.
Valentin's eyes flickered but after a moment of pause, he shook his head in surrender, "Who would be willing to do that…"
"I am willing!" Lucia declared, stunning the two out of their wits.
It was Tehila who was first to vehemently object, "No! I won't allow Lady Lucia to ruin her life just because of my weakness! No!"
Valentin also shared the same sentiments. Lucia's warnings and even her advice had already helped them a lot. But marriage is another matter. Most of all, does he really need to rely on Tehila and Lucia for his power to stabilize?
Why must he put the two women in danger just because he could not consolidate his power? Isn't he too weak?
"Lady Lucia, I am more than grateful that you have shown your sincerity towards me and Tehila… However, I also oppose this matter."
Lucia looked at the worry on their faces, but she was already defeated by the unwillingness of her heart.
"I know what kind of things would happen… you just need me to pose as one of your Queens. I don't expect any other matters related to that." Lucia looked at Tehila, for she knew that more than anyone else, she was the one in pain, for there was no way for her to be Valentin's only wife in this kind of situation.
But contrary to what she expected, Tehila answered, "No… Lady Lucia, you do not know what kind of dangers there are just being on Valentin's side. Why would you waste your youth, your life for this?"
"Aren't you also in danger here Lady Tehila?" Lucia asked calmly.
"That is a different matter, Lady Lucia. I can accept the dangers with all my heart because of Valentin. But for you to do all this… what can you get but a life of constant danger and fear?
Entering the palace will just bring hardship and torture to you, while you should have been enjoying the privilege of being the daughter of the Astaze… Please… Lady Lucia… do not ruin yourself like this… I beg you… I beg you… Please…"
Tehila's eyes were already wet in tears, her heart was breaking for Lucia who seemed to have not valued herself and was willing to swim towards blatant danger in the palace. What's more, Lucia was doing it for her…
"Tehila is right… Lady Lucia, please forget this matter... For you know that Carolina was even willing to humiliate my cousin by letting her be with multiple men. If she could do that before… she may do that again… The dangers that await you by standing between Carolina and Tehila… even if I lived for a lifetime of atonement it was not enough to pay the price." Valentin shook his head and declined politely.
He looked at Lucia's mysterious mercenary and ordered, "I, as the Crown Prince of Seirende, order you to bring Lady Lucia back to her Estate…"
Then he looked at Lucia and said, "Lady Lucia, please calm yourself and do not think about the matter anymore…"
The mercenary bowed in acknowledgment of Valentin's orders and lifted Lucia away from the palace.
Along the way, Lucia wordlessly just let the breeze…
She was doing exactly what the High Priest warned her not to do. She knew that there would be a cost for all of this… but what cost would be heavier than facing the future of death?
It could have been bearable if it was only her who would die, but there would be a lot of people who would be dying with her.
The innocent ones and even her loved ones.
"Tehila said that I do not have to face the hardship of standing in between the fight… that I do not have to live in fear… But if I do nothing, I would still live in fear and there would be hardships ahead. I am just choosing the kind of hardship I had to take on!" She mumbled as the wind blew chills on her pale cheeks while the moon lit up the path that they were taking.
"Mercenary… I have another order for you… and probably, this would be the last…" She told him as the night went deep.
Three days later she was once again facing Valentin who wore dread on his face… "Are you sure about this Lady Lucia… this marriage I cannot give you what a husband could give."
"I have prepared everything… even convincing my family… I'm bringing with me a strong faction that could hold Carolina and her family for decades. The only thing I ask of you is to protect my family at all costs for this generation and for the generations to come. This is my determination… Please accept it.."
Valentin clenched his fist… he closed his eyes and was visibly tired of the things he was dealing with in the palace. After some time he answered, "Alright… I could not pay you anything as valuable as your offer, but I can offer you my highest oath."
And so, Valentina and Lucia entered into an oath as witnessed by the heavens and Tehila - that Lucia and the Astaze family will pledge their loyalty to Valentin and his chosen heir until the generations to come, in turn, Valentin swore to protect the Astaze family at all cost, provided that the other will not break their part of the oath.
"Lucia… if you found someone you love… just tell me. I will give you back your freedom with full honor." Valentin looked at her with guilt and sincerity.
"Let's see. If that day would come… then that means that I have successfully changed the future I saw…" Lucia smiled at the couple and bade them goodbye, "See you at the ceremony."
And so Lucia ultimately chose to directly interfere with the future by nominating herself as the First Queen of the Empire.
A week after, on the wedding night… She had paid the heavy cost.
But is the cost only that?
Weeks after the dreadful wedding night, she discovered that she was pregnant.
But instead of being devastated, there was a sense of relief and warmth flowing in her heart. The child may not be the fruit of love, but the life in her womb was a testament that she had changed the future.
Because she chose to keep the baby, day and night, she had to guard against Carolina's schemes in making the life in her womb perish. It was a hard time for her because, during those times, Valentin fell into a coma.
If not for Tehila secretly helping her by sending people to protect her, Carolina would have been successful.
When Carolina could no longer succeed in killing the child in her womb, she focused her efforts on making sure that she would give birth ahead of Lucia to make sure that her child would be the first born.
But Lucia did not care about that… because from the moment she first carried the baby in her arms, she saw a future far more different than what she saw all her life.
A future that is bright, although bittersweet, for the three princes of the Empire.
"Ah…" Lucia cried because of the vision she saw and the little life that she carried. "It was all worth it… my sacrifice, my hardships… the cost I paid… all worth it…"
Her tears fell onto the little baby's cheeks and as if he felt her mother's emotions the baby cried too.
"Ah… my priceless treasure… the meaning of all my hard work… you are Antoine… my price… my future…" Lucia embraced him with care as she tried to let him calm down from his crying.
–
"The cost you are pertaining to… is it something just like how you were forced… to bear me as a consequence of an incident?" Lucia heard Antoine ask.
Looking back at that moment, Lucia looked at Antoine, while her eyes relived the happiness and joy that she felt when she first carried Antoine in her arms.
"I have indeed suffered unbearable consequences for my actions. But my son… you were never included in that. I named you Antoine, as proof that you are my priceless possession, the proof that what I have been through was all worth taking and enduring!"