Chapter 216 - The Queen's Nightmare

The night was quiet.

Too quiet.

The kind of silence that seemed to press against the walls, that crawled into corners of the room and waited there. The kind of silence that made the candles flicker and the shadows dance.

Queen Lilia KingHeart slept alone in her royal chamber inside the palace of Seraiya.

Her bedroom was huge – a sanctuary full of silk and velvet, marble and golden fittings. Huge windows from floor to ceiling made the room light even at night thanks to the silver light of the moon that slipped through.

Moonlight shone through the window and highlighted her sleeping form. She had her head thrown back and her beautiful silver-golden hair spilled across the pillow like a stream of starlight.

Aurelia was sleeping besides Lilia. The Blade of Light rested on a velvet cushion next to the bed. The sword which never rejected her during her childhood days, her becoming queen, and when all the weight of the kingdom rested on her shoulders, the sword which had always been her faithful companion.

Lilia's breathing was soft and smooth. It seemed that she dreamed about nothing – her sleep seemed to be peaceful.

And then she started dreaming.

She was standing on a battlefield.

Blood was covering everything. Pools of blood formed in craters left by explosions and soaked into the ground. The sky above was red from the fires – crimson red color of blood and destruction, of a destroyed world.

Lots of broken swords scattered on the ground – thousands of blades were snapped in half, hilts without pommels. The dead soldiers had left them in their fear and despair.

The sky above was red.

Blood-red smoke filled the air.

Thousands of soldiers were lying motionlessly under the red sky. Their armors were dented and shattered, their faces showed expressions of horror and pain. Some of the soldiers raised their arms toward the sky, as if asking for help from the gods who had forsaken them already.

Lilia looked around. Her voice was only a whisper.

"Where am I?"

Silence.

Lilia took a step. The ground was soft under her feet. Soft and wet. She did not dare to look down – she did not want to know on what she was stepping on.

Another step.

Something familiar. It wasn't the battlefield with its dead soldiers and bloody sky. It was the feeling. The feeling of loneliness and sadness that she recognized.

Distant sound reached her ears.

Clang.

Sound of two swords fighting each other.

Lilia turned and saw somebody standing on a hill. It was a young man, tall and slim, his body perfectly shaped after years of war. His silver-white hair reflected the red light and his clothes were completely covered in blood.

His back was turned to her.

Lilia watched him intently. Her heart started beating fast.

"Who are you?"

The man slowly turned.

Golden eyes. Peaceful and tired and sad. The eyes of somebody who had seen too many things, who had lost too much, who had carried the weight of the whole world for a long time already.

Lilia's heart stopped beating.

"Leonis..."

The name just escaped from her lips without her will. She had never called a person by such a name – the name she had never heard before, but she recognized.

The man smiled faintly. It was a sad smile of somebody who had been waiting a very long time already.

"You remembered."

"What?" – Lilia exclaimed.

But the man was already fading away, dissolving in the red sky.

"Wait!"

Lilia ran after him. She stepped with her feet in blood, her hands reaching for the man who was already fading away.

But he was already gone.

The battlefield disappeared.

In its place appeared a bright garden. Bright sunlight, warm and alive and golden. All kinds of flowers were growing in it – roses, lilies, jasmine. A big royal mansion stood in the distance. Its white walls shone in the afternoon sun.

Suddenly Lilia felt herself smaller.

She looked down and saw her childish hands, soft and clean. She was wearing a white dress decorated with golden flowers.

"What..."

A little girl was running in the garden. Her silver-white hair glimmered in sunlight. She had a small smiling face and she was holding a flower in her hands – a white one.

Lilia stared at her.

She knew this girl somehow. She did not know how but she knew her.

The little girl stopped and saw something behind her – somebody who came out from behind the bush with a laughter like bells.

A younger Jennie. Smaller and younger, with shorter silver-white hair and rounder face and bigger eyes. She laughed joyfully, as if she had not learned about the cruelty of the world yet.

Lilia stood still.

The little girl turned. Her eyes met Lilia's and her smile grew wider.

"Lady Lilia!"

This sound of voice pierced her heart. This voice she had known, loved and lost...

Lilia's chest tightened.

Young Jennie ran toward her. Her feet were light on the grass and her hands were clutching the flower she had in her hands as if it was the most valuable thing in the world.

She offered it to Lilia.

"I picked this for you."

Lilia looked at the flower. Perfect, white petals – pure and fragile.

Her hands were trembling.

"Why?"

The little girl smiled innocently. It was the smile of the person who still had no idea about the world's cruelty.

"Because you like them."

Lilia's eyes filled with tears. Hot tears were streaming down her face uncontrollably.

"But..."

She touched her chest. Her heart was beating painfully, with a painful ache she did not comprehend.

"...I don't remember this."

The little Jennie tilted her head. Her face was curious.

"Remember what?"

The little Jennie tilted her head. Her face was curious.

"Remember what?"

Lilia tried to answer. But she was unable to say anything.

The garden started fading. Colors dimmed, sunlight disappeared, the flowers died.

"No."

She tried to touch the child. But it was impossible.

"Wait."

Jennie smiled. It was a beautiful smile—warm, loving and trusting.

Then she said softly:

"Don't forget me."

The world shivered.

Lilia fell into darkness.

It was a perfect void—an absolute lack of everything that made up life. There was nothing around. She was falling into nothingness.

A voice sounded around her. It was cold and familiar.

"Lilia."

She looked around. There was nothing to see.

"Who are you?"

"Lilia."

The voice repeated. And it sounded closer.

"Lilia."

She turned. There was nothing.

"Lilia..."

She started breathing faster. She was afraid now.

"Who are you?"

The voice whispered. It sounded soft—almost gently.

"Why did you forget her?"

Lilia was frozen. Unable to move.

"Her?"

The darkness split apart. The light poured in and the images started appearing—pieces of memories she did not know she possessed.

Jennie laughing. Her head thrown back, her eyes shining bright, her joy was infective.

Jennie sleeping beside her. Her breathing was soft and calm, her face was serene, her presence was soothing.

Jennie pouring tea. Her movements were elegant, her hands were steady, her smile was soft.

Jennie standing beneath the sunset. Her silver hair catching the last rays of the setting sun, her golden eyes shining in the sky.

Jennie walking away. Her back was turned, her footsteps fading, her presence was getting smaller and smaller.

Jennie crying. Her tears were flowing down her face, her body was trembling, her heart was breaking.

Lilia trying to reach her. Her fingers stretching, her voice calling, her heart screaming.

And then there was nothing.

Lilia screamed.

"JENNIE!"

She woke.

Her eyes opened abruptly. She sat up suddenly and took deep breaths. Her heart was beating—racing, knocking her ribs as a bird caged in.

There were the beads of sweat on her forehead. Her hands were trembling. Her whole body was shaking.

She looked around.

It was her bedroom. Her bed. Her window. Her kingdom.

Reality.

She put her hand on her chest. Her heart was racing and aching—mourning for something she was not able to name.

"That dream..."

Something was glowing next to her.

Aurelia—the Blade of Light.

Lilia looked down. The sword was shining. Not brightly. Calmly. Almost sadly. Its golden glow was beating with her heart.

"Aurelia?"

The sword trembled. Its glow was flickering not with fear or danger, but with something else. Something that felt... almost human.

Lilia slowly reached for it. Her fingers were trembling.

The moment her fingers touched the hilt...

The vision appeared.

A young girl. Jennie. Standing beside Lilia. They were children—barely old enough to walk, their hands clutched together, their laughter echoing in the sunlit garden.

Jennie was smiling. Lilia was laughing.

Then the vision changed.

Jennie standing alone. She was older now—she was a young woman. She stood at the edge of a cliff, looking at the horizon stretching infinitely in front of her. Her silver hair was blowing in the wind, her golden eyes were filled with yearning.

She was waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

Lilia's eyes opened wide.

"That's..."

The new vision appeared.

Jennie sitting beside the empty chair. There were two cups of tea on the table—one was steaming, other one was cold. She was looking at the empty chair with a sad and quiet expression.

New vision.

White flowers. A sunset. A little girl whispering:

"I'll come back."

Lilia drew her hand back. The visions vanished.

Aurelia continued glowing. Its light was steady now—patient. Waiting.

Lilia stared at the sword.

"You remember."

Aurelia beat softly. An acknowledgment.

Lilia's lips quivered.

"You remember her."

Another pulse.

Lilia wrapped her hands around the sword. She held it close, feeling it was the only thing which kept her together.

"Why?"

Aurelia remained silent.

"You remember Jennie."

Her voice broke. Words sounded like broken and desperate whisper.

"But I don't."

Tears flowed from her cheeks. One more. And one more.

"Why?"

The sword glowed even brighter. Its light was wrapping around her like an embrace—warm and gentle and full of something that felt like love.

Lilia closed her eyes.

She was able to feel something. Not a vision. Not an image. Something deeper. Something that lived under the surface of her consciousness.

Warmth. Loss. Yearning. Love.

Lilia opened her eyes. She spoke in barely audible voice.

"I don't understand."

She pressed Aurelia to her chest. The sword's warmth was spreading through her and calming her racing heart.

"Why does it hurt?"

A knock came from the door.

Lilia quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks. She composed herself—she had to be composed. She was the Queen. She could not appear in front of others weak.

"Come in."

The door opened.

Jennie entered.

She was wearing her maid clothes—the black and white uniform marking her as Lilia's personal servant. Her silver-white hair was a bit messy—as if she had been touching her hair. She looked tired—there were dark rings under her eyes, her shoulders were a bit slumped.

But as soon as she saw Lilia... her face changed.

"Your Majesty?"

Lilia looked at her.

For a moment... she was not able to breathe.

The girl from her dream. The girl from her visions. The girl her sword remembered.

Standing right there. Alive. Real.

Jennie moved closer. Her steps were silent on the marble floor.

"Are you okay?"

Lilia was unable to answer. She just could not.

Jennie stopped. Her eyes were studying Lilia's face—the tears still shining on her cheeks, trembling of her hands.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Lilia looked down at Aurelia. Then back at Jennie.

"Yes."

Jennie sat beside her. She did not ask for permission—did not wait for the Queen to invite her. She just sat there as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"What did you see?"

Lilia was hesitating. The words were sticking in her throat.

"Leonis."

Jennie froze. For a split second, something crossed her features. Then she looked down.

"What about him?"

"He was standing on a battlefield."

"He looked so lonely."

Jennie remained silent. It was a heavy silence of a person knowing more than they were willing to share.

"And then..."

Lilia's gaze was searching as if she were hoping to see something in her friend's face.

"I saw a girl... just like you."

She paused. "They called her Jennie."

Jennie's heart skipped a beat. She felt it in her chest—a sudden rush that was a mixture of fear and hope.

"Jennie? Huh?"

"A child."

Lilia's voice shook. "She was smiling."

Jennie tore away her gaze. She clenched her fists in her lap.

The girl's eyes welled up with tears. Then they started spilling down her cheeks, catching the moonlight.

Jennie looked at her. Her face showed complicated emotions of guilt, longing, and love.

Lilia reached for her hand slowly. Her fingers were cold.

Jennie hesitated for a second and then let them to be held.

Her grip was soft. But desperate.

"Aurelia remembers her ."

Jennie gazed at the sword. The Blade of Light was glowing faintly, shimmering with the rhythm of her heartbeat.

"I think that all of them remember..."

Lilia murmured. Her voice was hardly audible.

"...something I've lost."

Jennie didn't know what to say to that. She wanted to tell her everything—about Leonis, about the past, about the promise she had made a thousand years ago. But no words were coming.

Lilia looked at her. There was nothing royal about her gaze. Nothing about a Queen. Or Sovereign of Dominion.

Just a girl trying to understand why her heart was grieving over the memory her mind could not remember.

"Jennie..."

Lilia whispered. Her voice broke.

"Why does my heart remember that name when my mind doesn't?"

Silence.

The moonlight poured through the window, bathing both of them in silver and shadows. Outside the window, everything was calm and peaceful. Inside, however, a storm was raging.

Jennie's expression softened. She looked at the girl whom she used to call her closest friend. Her Queen. The one she had already lost once.

Slowly, she came closer to her. Her warm body was next to Lilia's. A rock in the stormy sea.

"Maybe..."

Jennie murmured.

"...because some memories don't live in the mind."

Lilia stared at her. Her eyes were wide and vulnerable.

"Then where do they live?"

Jennie laid her hand on Lilia's chest. She could feel how fast and strong her heartbeat was.

"Here."

Lilia's eyes widened. Her heart began beating even faster. Her breath hitched.

Jennie smiled sadly. It was a beautiful smile—gentle and kind, but full of pain.

"You don't have to remember everything tonight."

A tear rolled down Lilia's cheek. Then another.

"But what if I never remember?"

Jennie didn't reply immediately. Silence hung between them, heavy with unspoken words.

Then she gently held Lilia's hand. Her grip was warm and steady.

"Then I'll stay."

Lilia stared at her. Her voice was barely audible.

"Even if I forget again?"

"Even then."

"Even if I don't remember your name?"

Jennie's smile wavered. Her eyes became moist.

"Then I'll tell you again."

Lilia's tears finally fell. They streamed down her face and she didn't care to wipe them away.

"And what if I forget you again?"

Jennie leaned forward, pressing her forehead to Lilia's and breathing the same air with her.

"Then I'll meet you again."

Lilia couldn't hold herself anymore. She pulled Jennie into an embrace—fierce and desperate and full of love she couldn't remember.

Jennie froze. For a moment, she didn't know what to do.

Then, slowly and gently, she returned the hug.

Silence hung between them. It was not an empty silence. It was full.

The moonlight continued to pour outside the window, shining over Seraiya. Stars were observing in the silent witness. The night was holding its breath.

Aurelia was resting next to them. The Blade of Light was shimmering quietly.

For the first time in a thousand years... the sword was remembering.

And maybe... so was her heart.

However, deep inside Lilia's mind, there was one last memory.

Leonis standing on a battlefield. His silver hair was catching the crimson light. His golden eyes were staring at her—not with sadness, but with warning.

And behind him... a dark shadow.

It was looming above him, vast and terrifying. A presence without form, without face, without a name. However, it was watching. Always watching.

Lilia's eyes suddenly opened wide. Her grip on Jennie tightened with fear—not for herself, but for the girl in her arms.

And the memories of the past began awakening.