Ely and the King spent a long time staying in that awkward position. He only let her go when Ely sneezed, and he became worried that she might catch a cold. He returned to the other side of the curtain and told her to get out of the water.
The next day, she was summoned by the King for breakfast. At first, she sat at the far opposite, but because King Maro was used to her eating near him, he requested her to eat with him in her usual seat.
Ely kept on glancing at the King's face, trying to read his mood.
But when he noticed it, he asked her, "Do you have anything to say?"
"King Maro… are you okay now?" she said with a worried face.
"Yes."
"Ah… That's good…"
"By the way, Ely… From now on, you will come with me everywhere I go."
Ely paused eating and placed the fork and knife on her plate. She asked him curiously, "What do you mean?"
"I will bring you to the assemblies, as well as the city inspections. Also, from now on, you will sleep in my chamber-"
"In your chamber?! No, I-"
"You think I would do anything bad to you? Do I seem like a wolf to you?" he raised his brow, "Even though I will force you to marry me, it doesn't mean that I will force myself onto you in bed. I have that much self-control that I even embraced you even though we were naked last night." But at the back of his mind, he was not sure until when he would have that self-control he was so proud of.
Ely blushed with his statement when she remembered how long he had embraced her naked in the bath.
"I just want to make sure that you won't leave me again," King Maro said in a serious tone.
And the two of them continued to eat as an awkward silence enveloped them.
...
A week after, they started their journey back to the King's current palace. It would be a ten-hour journey, and they made the horses rest each hour. When the night had fallen, they set their camp in the war site.
Because of the King's worry that Ely might slip away, he ordered her to stay in his tent. He had a makeshift table and chair where he was reading some official documents using a lamp as his source of light. He would occasionally glance at Ely, who was sitting on the cushions and staring blankly at the tent's entrance. He wondered if she was thinking of escaping again.
"Don't you try to escape," the King told her, "Go to sleep, Ely."
Ely was deep in thought. She knew that the Temple of Destiny was just around the corner, but now that she was there already, she couldn't roam around freely because the King was strictly watching her every move.
The Queen of Ballad was about to give up. She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, pretending to be sleepy.
'Old woman, granny, or whatever you are called… Please talk to me,' Ely said in her thoughts. 'Help me… How will I go to the temple you spoke of?'
'Child of another world,' the old woman's voice quickly responded, which made Ely surprised because she actually managed to call her like a telepath, 'I am the Priestess of the Temple of Destiny… Listen carefully, child. Exactly when the full moon has risen at the top of the sky, I shall make everyone fall asleep except for you. And use that time to leave the tent.'
'Okay, then I must stay awake… But where should I go?'
'My apprentice shall lead you the way.'
Ely tossed and turned in the bed, trying not to fall asleep. She would always glance at the King to check if he had fallen asleep, but it took a very long time before he finally did.
And as promised by the old lady, when the full moon had risen, the King fell asleep; his head rested on the desk. She ran out of the tent, peeked inside the other tents, and saw the mercenaries, including General Lum, soundly asleep.
"Miss…"
A woman's voice called, and Ely turned to that direction. There stood a braided, blonde young girl who wore a white cloak, and she asked Ely to follow her.
There was a narrow, foggy street at the side of the war site, and Ely was surprised when she saw a familiar figure.
"Princess?" Ely called, "Why are you here?"
Princess Rija raised her brow, "I should be the one to ask. What is the King's whore doing here? Don't you dare seduce my husband-"
"Please do not cause a ruckus in this holy place…" the young priestess told her.
"Young girl... Aren't you the one who took my husband in that scary street? Where is he?"
"I needed to fetch Elizabeth Berry… Now, Princess, please excuse us…"
"I want to go with you!" the Prince Kaio's wife requested, "I am worried about my husband!"
"Only the chosen people are allowed inside. Please wait here until we finish the ceremony…" and the two of them disappeared in the fog.
It was a long walk, with only crickets being heard. But at the end of that long, foggy street, a gigantic structure made of dark gray stones was seen.
It was the Temple of Destiny, the mysterious stone temple that King Maro and his team had been longing to find.
The temple's bottom was floating, and only a hanging bridge connected the ground and the opening. The two women entered the cave-like entrance. It was cold inside and mosses were growing on the stone walls.
They walked and walked until they reached the center. There stood an old lady wearing the same white cloak as the young priestess, and the man beside her was none other than Prince Kaio of the Leon Clan, who was surprised to see her.
"Welcome to the Temple of Destiny, Elizabeth Berry," the old priestess said. "Please come closer."
Ely slowly walked towards them. She then noticed a black-haired man wearing a loose, royal blue robe, lying down in a stone bed, while the moonlight illuminated his whole body.
Ely widened her eyes in shock when she saw his moonlit face.
"Adam… Adam…!" Ely called as her eyes shed tears like waterfalls.
And when she held his cold hand, Adam's body glowed momentarily. He gradually opened his eyes. He eventually became warmer, as if she rose back from the dead.
"Adam…" Ely continued crying at their unexpected reunion. She thought that she could finally be together with her beloved husband.
But when Adam saw Ely's face, he asked her...
"Who are you?"