The sun had almost set while the castle's sprawling outdoor garden was teeming with life, the foliage rustling gently in the evening breeze. Ceti walked along the marble-tiled path, coming here as planned with a certain someone earlier.
Silvan Drake was leaning against a nearby stone wall. His dark red eyes seemed to sparkle in the dwindling light, a matching smile tugging at the corners of his lips. His lean figure was elegantly cast in soft shadows, accentuating his black hair and handsome angular face.
Upon noticing her, Silvan straightened and took a step forward. "Good evening, Ceti," he greeted gently, his tone as warm as the fading sunlight, "How has your day been?"
Ceti returned his smile, matching his pace as they started to walk side by side, "Fine as always," she replied, her tone light despite the furrow in her brow, her thoughts still lingering on Oberon and Rebecca.
Noticing her distracted expression, Silvan's gaze softened with concern, "Is something wrong?" he asked.
Shaking her head, Ceti reassured him, "No, nothing serious. It's just...Silvan, do you know anything about your mother still conducting her own investigation into Oberon's condition?"
Silvan let out a heavy sigh, casting his gaze towards the starry sky, "I can't help but feel a sense of pity for mother. She finds it hard to accept the reality about Oberon."
A soft scoff escaped from Ceti at Silvan's empathetic words, "You shouldn't feel sorry for her actions, Silvan," she said, her tone firm.
Silvan chuckled lightly with a wry smile, "I am her son, after all. It's only natural for me to feel sad for both her and my brother, despite everything."
Ceti shook her head, her expression serious, "You should be more concerned about yourself. And don't be so kind to those who fail to appreciate you."
Just as the moon started to cast its soft glow on the garden, Silvan suddenly turned around to face Ceti, his dark red eyes reflecting the moonlight. Taking her hands into his own, he looked deeply into her eyes, "And," he began, his voice soft yet fervent, "how much do you appreciate me?"
A bashful smile adorned Ceti's face. She slowly disentangled her hands from his, stepping back slightly as her smile faded, "Silvan," she started, her voice filled with sincerity, "I appreciate you more than any other man in this kingdom," She paused, her expression turning solemn, "But no matter how I feel, we don't have a future together."
Silvan sighed, shaking his head at her words, "Why do you always say that?" he asked, a trace of disappointment in his voice.
Ceti looked at him, her expression calm, "Because I am stating the truth," she replied. "Even if we marry, we can never have children. Besides, you will lose power, face, and respect for marrying a werewolf…a woman of the enemy race. Even you cannot go against the system our society follows."
"I don't care if our bloodlines can never mix or if the people here hate you because of your race," he declared in a fervid tone before his voice took on a softer tone, "I understand you have been and always will be treated like an outcast as long as our society goes on like this. I understand because I'm not just an observer of your trials, but a participant in my own."
He shook his head with a hint of disappointment as he looked at the city and its people from afar, "I have always strived to be good at everything I do, not because I wanted to compete with my brother or anyone but because people believed I was lacking something. And I unconsciously felt the need to make them think otherwise."
His words hung in the air, a palpable silence amplifying their resonance.
Ceti turned to him, her blue eyes reflecting the deep sympathy she felt for him. A smile of understanding gently curved her lips, and she gently responded, "I've seen the disdainful gazes you receive, Silvan, not just from our peers, but from your family too. It's not right. It's unfair."
She paused, her gaze growing distant as she recalled countless instances of his humiliation, "Just because you've been unable to tame a dragon, they treat you like..." She swallowed, her voice trailing off.
"...like an unworthy Drake," Silvan finished her sentence, his face adorned with a bitter smile. He sighed, his dark red eyes meeting her sympathetic gaze, "Now I am perfect in their eyes, perfect in every aspect but this one. A Drake born in that House being unable to tame a dragon…Nobody may say it aloud now, but everyone knows I am the shame of this House."
Ceti felt bad for him, knowing that this was quite a big issue when they were younger. Despite being a prince, he was ridiculed a lot and ostracized because it was the first time in history, a true-born Drake was unable to tame a dragon.
Taming a dragon was a proud symbol of the fact that they deserved the name 'Drake' as their last name.
Only when he began to complete difficult quests on his own and quickly got stronger, even faster than Oberon at his age did people began to appreciate that he indeed had potential and talents.
She looked at him, her dark blue eyes reflecting the sincerity in her voice, "You're far from being the shame of this House, Silvan," she said, her voice echoing the reassurance he so much needed while thinking of a certain cocky pervert who might be the perfect candidate, "You don't have to feel held back by this, by their judgment."
Silvan softly smiled, his expression warmed by her supportive words. He shook his head, his dark red eyes reflecting a sense of resolution, "I stopped caring about their judgment long ago, Ceti," he confessed, "I ceased trying to tame a dragon, not because I thought it was hopeless, but because I realized there are far more important battles to fight."
His gaze drifted off into the distance, as if he was gazing upon an unseen future, "I wish for a kingdom where the worth of a person isn't measured by the might of a beast they tames. A kingdom that is a better place for everyone, commoners or nobles, and even people like you. Nobody deserves to get hated upon because of what they are or their background," he added, his voice bearing a passionate undertone.
He then turned to Ceti, his gaze steady on her, "But I need you by my side for this, Ceti," he admitted, "I want to change this world, but I cannot do it alone. I want you beside me, every step of the way."
Ceti pressed her lips together, her expression becoming difficult "I appreciate your feelings, Silvan," she said, her tone filled with a tinge of sadness, "But right now, I am dealing with a lot of things, and my duties take precedence. Until I fulfill certain things of my own, I can't commit to anything or give you the answer you wish to hear. You shouldn't waste your time waiting for me. I don't like to see you being disappointed because of me."
Silvan nodded, a gentle yet firm smile on his face. He reached out, patting her hand reassuringly, "I don't mind waiting, Ceti," he stated earnestly, "And I won't pressure you anymore. As long as I remain the man you appreciate the most, that's enough for me."
"I am sorry but…thank you for understanding…" Ceti said with a soft yet apologetic smile.
Silvan softly chuckled and said, "So…how about we use the time we have now to understand each other better? Maybe you know me well, but I still…have yet to understand you completely."
He wore a faint smile as he added, "I was fifteen, and you were just a five-year-old girl when you first came to this kingdom as a refugee. Yet, despite all these years, you never once talked about your past."
Ceti's eyes widened slightly at his words. She looked away, her hands subconsciously clenching into fists. The tranquility in her eyes was replaced with a distant, glazed look. Her lips pinched together, as if holding back a dam of unsaid words.
Silvan watched her silence, an understanding sigh escaping him. He offered her a warm smile, "It's alright, Ceti," he comforted, his tone gentle, "We have time... I hope you will feel comfortable enough to talk about it someday."
Ceti nodded with a soft smile as her eyes unconsciously shifted to the blood moon slowly revealing itself in the skies.
Her eyes suddenly shook as she unconsciously pulled her hand away from Silvan, making him blink in confusion, "What happened?"
Ceti rubbed the side of her head as she shook her head with a hint of stiffness in her smile, "It's nothing. But I just remembered I have to go and prepare for a mission tomorrow."
Silvan narrowed his eyes but then he said with a soft nod, "Of course. Let's meet again whenever you are free."
An hour or two later, just as Rowena was leaving her study hall, the grandeur of the hallway flickered as the air shifted, a soft displacement breaking the tranquility.
Asher appeared seemingly from thin air, his presence filling the air as he stood in the hallway.
Rowena immediately noticed his presence and wasn't surprised that he suddenly teleported here since he had the Master Access to the castle.
She moved gracefully toward him as a soft smile graced her lips, though the light in her eyes reflected a flicker of worry. He wasn't his usual self - his radiant, charming smile was replaced with an impassive face, and it wasn't something she was used to.
"Ash," she began, trying to mask her worry with a soft smile, "I had been waiting for you. There was something important I wanted to talk to you about."
As her words echoed between them, the underlying question left unasked - what was he doing with Isola for so many hours out at sea? But seeing the inscrutable expression on his face, she restrained herself from asking.
