After the meeting with the emperor, I set my plan into motion, minus the crown prince in the pictures. I have been wasting my time for months to get his attention or waiting for him to come and tell me that he knew me.
From now on, I must get hold of my resolve to start looking for ways to return to my era.
I am not sure when High Priest Romou will be visiting. I might as well start with the journey to embark to the Origin myself to look for him or, more importantly, Mr Alex, the rabbit. I don't know his real identity and why he can open that curtain or pass through those curtains. Or, more importantly, how come I get to see those curtains?
I had my morning routine of visiting Ara before breakfast, and today, I began my first day heading to the royal library. I wouldn't be the next empress anyway. I should learn something else to survive my way through this empire if I must travel through low and high looking for these ancient men.
If this world is my own ancient history, I should have known about it or heard of it. But, nothing about Origin ever appears in the bible or other ancient archaeological documentation. And since I am from the future, I wished to know which era I'm am in right now, and so I can make a plan to avoid any disaster that happened to my journey by predicting the future what is or not will happen.
Something about what High Priest Romou once accidentally said one shouldn't disrupt the balance of the world. What does that even mean? Who those people even have such power to do such damage unless they were the gods. Do gods even really exist?
They shouldn't be real. I shook my head. If He is the real thing, God wouldn't have abandoned its creation.
'Let's see now,' I go through the rows of library books looking for information about the Origin. A few books intriguing for my reading bucket list include the 'Story behind the Main Gate & the Destined Guardian', 'The Unknown Stories of The Origin', 'The Secret Behind Your Deepest Desires' and many more. Still, I ended up carrying these books and looking for a secluded spot in the library to study these subjects.
"Hello." I flinched at the familiar voice behind the tall order of the books I've carried.
My heart is beating hard. Across the table, Ephraim is seated with his neatly organised books. I pushed the books aside to see him smiling sweetly at me. I was flushed with frustrations.
"Good day to you, Your Grace." I greeted him plainly without my normal excitement. He frowned at it, but I care less even notice it. I have never thought to find him inside a quiet yet boring place in all places.
Back at the Yellow Palace, maids and even the guards were gossiping about how the crown prince never visited me at all and that he rather spends his time with Lady Maia all day long. Am I wrong about him? My resentment at being left alone these past months is still burning, and I am not in the mood to have a decent conversation with him.
Misunderstood my silence, "How are you feeling?"
"Pardon?"
"Ah, I heard of your predicament back at the Yellow Palace."
"So, even you knew about it," I smiled bitterly. 'Predicament. Is that what you call it? How embarrassing can it be to even the imperial family to be aware of.' I let out a sigh. "I am better now. Thank you for asking."
"That is so relieving to hear." There's a pang of pain still in my heart. What is he planning on going with this? I was solidly wanting to get through these few months without having such an encounter as today.
"Why's that?" to think that I would get to hear his concerned voice since arriving in this world was more than enough for me to think that he still has those memories with me. I clearly want to hold on to it. But, the next sentence makes me smirk inwardly. How cruel can you be?
"His majesty seemed more disturbed than he ever was. When he heard that you're finally allowed a visitor to visit you, he rushed out of the important meeting with the seven kings to check on you." There's a hint of jealousy in his tone. Am I mistaken?
The book in his hand was heavy reading. 'The philosophy of politics.' The rest of the books piling up were about the empire's ruling and other dry subjects—my bread and jam subject at the university.
"I see." That's all I was able to respond to. Emperor Aleq did that? I won't want to believe it if I haven't witnessed it. I recollected his warm gesture towards me as I approached him that evening. He didn't argue with my demand but struck me a deal instead. If I'm correct, the emperor loves his brother more than himself. I bow to him slightly and am about to move away with the books.
"Where are you going with the books?"
"I'm taking it with me, of course."
"Well, I can share this spot with you." I was puzzled by his invitations. "I wouldn't make a sound." He stared hard at me.
"It's you that might be disturbing by my bad habit, your grace."
"What kind of bad habit?" his disbelief looks comically.
I was hesitant to tell him, but I hoped he'd let me go elsewhere if he knew about my reading habit. "I always read loudly and talk to myself to make sense of everything I read."
There's only silence as he continues to stare at me. He frowned a little, but he awkwardly stared back at me. "Still, I insist on sharing my spot with you." oh my god, how stubborn can you be? He signalled the seat on my side.
"Alright. Thank you so much for being so considerate, your grace."
"Ephraim."
"What?" I was baffled by it—an unfamiliar friendly gesture on his part.
"Call my name. Since we married legally after all."
"Yes. I will." I answered nonchalantly. I won't be staying for long anyway, and I might as well get along with him for a couple of months before the time comes to leave here.
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I get to spend most of my time at the library with all the information about the world. At the same time and hours, Ephraim was there reading books in total silence. We were like a couple studying at the University's library that I never got to experience before. I always thought that it was a waste of time to have a boyfriend at the time. Maybe I shouldn't have ignored Ah Phung's suggestion for getting a boyfriend back then. Still in a pathetic state these days now, it was hard to endure his present without approaching him with the same question. 'Don't you remember me, your lover?' I only shook that silly thought and moved on with my life. We were not made to be together in the dream or this fantasy world.
The more I learn about this world, the more I find it illogical. It was more like a fantasy world. Is it because the way it descript the story itself was a part of the storytelling? A secret door called the East Main Door is the main gate to the other world called Origin, where all living things, non-living things, including humans, live together in harmony. Origin was the first land ever created by God. Thus, their first life begins from that very place. Somehow, the peaceful life at the Origin was not enough for some creatures, led them to destruction when their desires were made known, disappointed with their behaviour, the land owner banished them from the Origin.
Well, that part was well known.
Years past, a door emerged from the ground under with several other doors in other realms. And a secret covenant was sealed between The LandOwner with the chosen one across the four realms with a promise of an abundance of food of all kinds shall be given to the realms through the main door. Soon the Fellowship of the Secret Guardians was enacted and the first gathering was set up somewhere hidden from the prying eyes of the greedy shadows. A promise includes to provide a lifetime luxury to its guardians and their predecessor.
I was stunned at the elaborate history of the empire.
Now, it has been common knowledge that the East Main Door is presently in the empire. Under the watchful eyes of the current emperor, nobody, not even the crown prince knew the exact location of the door. Every year, at the dawn of the new year, a shaman or Bobolian shall perform a ritual and festival for seven days to get a prosperous and auspicious year ahead while the people of the empire far and near will come to join in the virgil moments at the city square. The New Year celebration began afterwards for seven days, seven nights.
For centuries, a shaman has had a significant role in connecting the other world, but I never put my faith in them nor believe any BS they're sprouting about.
Kirai once recited a story about how a powerful shaman once lived. She was so powerful that she was able to resurrect a person back to life. Can a priestess be someone like that? Kirai shook her head. It reminds me of High Priest Romou, 'never disrupt the balance of the world.'
I ended my study lesson prematurely at the library only in a week, unable to withstand the awkwardness of being with Ephraim any longer. A distraction that I don't wish to be a bother to my mission to go home. More or less, I got all the information I needed for the journey.