"I will bow down towards any punishments you decide for me, before that, your daughter will definitely avenge you!" The oath of revenge that she took years back flashed across her firm eyes.
"I don't mind jumping in the firepit, if I get to haul my enemies down there with me! Elena Ashford might be dead to the world, however, Eliana Winxx will stop at nothing but spilling their blood and tearing the fleshes!" Her voice dangerously low, spoke through gritted teeth.
Eliana dropped to her knees, touching her forehead on her parent's clasped hands. She breathed in and out slowly, seeking out that over familiar solace and warmth that she had been coveting most for a century.
After it seemed like ten or so minutes passed, and the raging storm in her heart calmed down a little, Eliana picked herself up from the ground.
Eliana stared at the golden chandelier hanging from the high ceiling with hundreds of tiny figurines in three layers holding candles over their heads; she shot a green ray from her digit and reformed the half-melted candles.
They, by no means, were the regular candles, for ice would long ago magnanimously pour itself onto them, devouring the flames out of the tapers.
Eliana craned her neck upward, sweeping her gaze across the opulent barrel vault ceiling. The intricately carved floral designs coupled with the orange-yellow gold gilding adorned it alongside the dripping chandeliers which ran down the midrib of the ceiling.
Nonetheless, beauty couldn't greet beholders' eyes, breaking free from the clutch of ice.
One by one, Eliana elongated the half-burned braided cottons which held the flames, and replenished wax around them to illuminate the room, bearing in mind how much her mother adored the golden light shed by the candles.
Once the ceiling was done, she moved on to the decorative sconces mounted on the pillars, over the ministers' seats and silver candelabras between their chairs that lined both sides along the length of the room.
She totally shut her eyes to the angry ministers pointing fingers at her parents, on the account of their faces employing the same distorted expressions---that of excruciating pain.
Even in the deafening silence, she could hear all the boisterous voices of the officials reverberating in the enclosure of the room.
She could tell and visualize just to the point how all the ministers must be fuming in anger at the news of her upcoming marriage.
Because they held downright contempt for half-breeds and would never allow one to rise to the throne. They demanded nothing less than a pure-blooded heiress from her, their Crown Princess, who was the sole heiress and the heir apparent in line to the Venomblood throne---for which she was obliged to marry only another male serpent.
Eliana walked on the ice laden floor; head held high, spine elongated, shoulders pushed back and down, arms falling on either side of her gently swung back and forth—exactly the way etiquette tutor instilled it in her.
"I spent nine hundred years of my previous life in the Invisible Academy of Divine Brilliance and the earliest century...it went under the exacting royal schooling, back-breaking defensive martial arts, learning arduous lessons containing family history and committing all the verbal, written and drawn formulas purported to contain magical force to memory. I had to practice constantly and perfect them. In short, I hardly had any time to interact with the members of the royal court."
Eliana's gaze was straight ahead, yet the euphonious voice with an employed sternness was directed at the people of both sides.
"However, from what I heard from my mother, she always held you in the light of good regard. Nothing that befell on this land had been in the cognizance of my parents or any royal family members. The ruination and curse, both were led by my blunder.
And I believe, you all bore eye and ear witness as to how I was punished by heaven. They snatched my power which I accumulated painstakingly over nine-hundred years, rendering me to writhe on the earthen ground like a mere worm.
It goes beyond verbal acknowledgement as to why I am reincarnated.
Hence, I, the Crown Princess, begged you all with folded hands not to hold any grudge against the royal family and my mother, the Empress Regnant.
Regarding this marriage, I am familiar with the rules. I acknowledge it with respect that royal weddings, especially the ones of rulers, can't proceed without the court' consent.
Nonetheless, my hands are tied; I don't stand a chance to triumph over Hades Costello Alarie, to say the least. My current power doesn't hold a candle to him.
Therefore, it will be indisputably unscrupulous of me to invoke his wrath and summon the dark clouds of misfortune over Wingland, my second home. They wrapped me up in the blanket of love, affection and care in the time I was wretched.
I can't be Elena Ashford for the second time.
All I can assure you with---there won't be any ounce of love, shred of trust or an iota of respect in this marriage bond; just a formality I must endure for the time being."
A hint of exhaustion showed on Eliana's face, slightly drained from using a significant amount of mana.
Apparently, it wasn't the candles but the heavily condensed form of her inner energy that would keep the room lit for another three months, fighting against the ice heads on.
As she spoke, Eliana had to drag her tired voice from inside, yet she did so without any frown. Her life wasn't her own to claim but it was meant to serve her land.
She was answerable to the court for every decision she made for herself. It became more compulsory when the court's trust on her was way more fragile than a tiny flame dancing outside on a windy night.
Moreover, ignoring the rules did her no good. Last and only time she had broken them, consequences stayed with her in the form of nightmares.
"There is a sliver of goodness in this whole black chapter of marriage though--Firebreath Empire's air is enriched with the densest mana than any other place in both realms.
All the legendary places from the Twisted-neck Mountain to Moonshine Forest, Poison Nymph and Flames Glacier, all are in their possession. Surely, it will only work to my benefit in speeding up my mana augmentation.
And, once I tick my goal, I myself will confess my real identity to Hades Costello Alarie. Heh!" Unexpectedly, Eliana couldn't stop the snort breaking free from within. "Knowing that man, he will immediately throw tantrums at full force for a marriage annulment."
….
By the time Eliana wound her way out of Venom City's territory, the moon had already been slanted towards the eastern sky.
She slithered till the outer edge of the black forest, for a short-cut route to the borders. Her neon belly was already under the upper hand of numbness from all the twisting and moving along the icy surface.
It was as though black cat didn't cross her path, instead she collided with it head first!
A raging blizzard struck the forest and with that the tiny particles of snow kept mounting on her back. To make it even worse, the wind direction stored her way-out to the border.