CHAPTER 34

All she wanted ever since she was young was to be free, to flow down just like the waterfall. Was it too hard for her to ask?
With the trip she had just planned, she will use that time to try and forget about this conspiracy to kill her. She didn’t want to commit treason at all and yet they were planning on doing this to her.
She didn’t want to recall what her mother wrote to her in the letter she left before she died. She didn’t want to believe that it can be true. She wanted to prove her mother wrong and grasp her own happiness.
“You are here,” Xavier said from behind her and she turned to look at him pasting a smile on her face.
“You found me?”
“I can always find you anywhere, my love. I brought you your snacks,” he said holding the tray which had a bowl of the pearl balls.
“Let’s go and sit over other,” she said pointing at the pavilion close by.
“Sure, let’s go there,” he said and began to walk towards the pavilion.
She sat comfortably after arriving at the pavilion and Xavier set the tray in front of her. She took a spoonful and ate it. It wasn’t a good thing to have so many balls of these powders.
They were very sour but they were good for the immune system. She finished them quickly; she wanted Xavier to see that she has good intentions. She ate what his mother had sent even when he had no idea what she was plotting behind him.
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t leave anything for you,” she said as she put the bowl down.
“It’s okay; it’s good for your body. I will have some next time,” he said looking at her.
“I will write a letter to your mother and thank her personally for the gifts. It’s been too long since I wrote one,” she said.
“She will be happy. She thinks very highly of you. She told me about everything you did for her,” Xavier told her happily.
If only he knew how crazy his mother was then he wouldn’t be saying what he was at the moment.
“I still remember when she was just a songstress here. She had the most beautiful voice and my mother thought highly of her too. When she died, I thought being here would be bad and she has a liking for your father after seeing him one day.
So, she agreed to be sent to the palace and maintain peace between the royal family and our mountain. She sacrificed a lot. I’m happy for her. She pursued her happiness and now she is a highly respected woman. She is very lucky,” Valery said.
“She is lucky because she had you and your mother to rely on. I’m still grateful that because of her I met you and now I will be marrying the most beautiful woman in the universe,” he said holding her hand in his.
“I’m grateful too that I got to meet you and now I will be marrying you,” she said laying her head on his shoulder.
Xavier could still feel it that something was off. It’s been days since she started showing off those vibes but the moment the gifts arrived, she became worse. When she dropped the pearl powder bottle, he knew that something was definitely there and the second she stopped him from taking that other bottle he guessed.
His mother was up to something and he just hoped she wasn’t aiming on hurting Valery. He would die for her and anyone who would try to harm her would face his wrath.
He knew how ambitious his mother was even when he was young. The look on his mother’s face when she saw him was mysterious. He wanted to give her the benefit of a doubt but now he was sure his mother was playing with fire.
He had tested the powder before making the cooks prepare the snacks and they weren’t poisoned at all. He was going to make sure that nothing harms her. Even if it was his own parents, he would surely wage a war against him when it comes to Valery.
He gave her a peck on her forehead and he saw her putting on one of her smiles. It was this kind of smile that made his life goes on. He wrapped his arm around her.
“I will be leaving the mountain tomorrow,” she told him and he was taken back.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, there is something I need to do. I will be back after three days,” she told him.
“Can I go with you?”
“No, you prepare for our wedding. You promised me that you will give me the best wedding ever. You have to keep that promise no matter what. When I am done, I will come back to you,” she told him and he felt very worried.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked her.
“I am, so have a walk with me,” she said sitting straight.
“I would love that,” he said and stood up. He pulled her gently up until she stood on her two feet.
He held her hand as the two of them began to walk around the mountain.
He had been living in the mountain for long and yet there were places he had never seen before. They followed a narrow path which led them to a cave. He looked at her and she smiled at him.
“What’s this place?” he asked.
“Come inside and I will show you,” she said as she led him inside the cave.
The cave was so dark he couldn’t see a thing. She flicked her fingers and all of a sudden, the lamps were all lighted. The lamps brightened the whole cave and he followed her from behind as she led the way. He never knew that such a place would exist. He followed her until they came to a sudden wall.
“Did we just hit a dead end?” he asked as he noticed that there was no longer any path for them to follow.
“No, watch this,” she said.
He watched as Valery cut her hand and he felt so much pain watching her like that. She used her bloody hand to touch the wall and he felt the whole cave shook. He moved closer to her and she smiled at him.
The wall began to move and he realized later that it was a hidden door. It opened so wide and the lamps lighted up. Valery walked inside and he did too.