The Center of Cosmos

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Chapter Thirteen

As they walk outside the manor the rain had already stopped but the clouds were still grey.

“Master, I didn’t see Lucas with you?” she asks.

“Hmm, I left him at the office a while ago after the meeting,” he replied as he imagined Lucas’ screaming in front of the piled paper on his table.

“Master if you have a lot on your hands today we can always postpone our plan,” Celine suggested.

“No need, Lucas and I can manage,” Mathew smiled, “But, are you fine having a horseback riding lesson in that outfit?” he continued and eyed her.

She looks at her dress and glance at him.

“It's fine for me, it won’t tear off if I ride a horse…right?” Celine uttered.

“…I guess so? But I think you should change clothes it looks uncomfortable,” he replied as he shrugs his shoulder.

“It’s a waste of time knowing my master has a lot of works today and just spare his time for me,” she uttered.

“It's fine,” he laughs.

“Don’t worry too much master, I assure you I can handle the mess if ever there is,” Celine replied.

They walk through a bridge across the lake beside the manor they have reached a big ranch and a few walks from the ranch is the open field.

The servants approach and greeted them.

“Prepare two horses,” Mathew commanded.

“Yes, your majesty.”

Two horses were prepared for them immediately and then, Mathew assisted her in riding her horse before riding his.

“When riding a horse you must first secure you and your horse’s safety,” he discussed.

He was holding the rein of her horse as he glance at her.

“Now make sure you’re comfortable on your seat and position yourself properly to maintain your balance,” he continued.

She didn’t respond however she tried to do what he teaches her.

“Get your legs in the right position. Your inner thighs should hug the horse inward.”

She did what she heard from Mathew.

“Not too tightly,” he muttered as he chuckled.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

“It’s fine, it’s only the beginning,” he said.

“Now hold your reign,” Mathew said and hand her the reign.

He smiled when their eyes met each other.

“Hold it tightly and do not let it go.”

She saw how his hazel eyes glimmered while he stared back at her.

His kind yet fiery stares are enough to make her feel the electricity in her whole system, she felt her stomach having a weird feeling that she averted her gaze from him.

‘Am I sick?’ she thought as she felt her racing heart in her chest.

“Celine,” she heard him called.

She gasp at the thought that she needed to respond and look back at him as a sign of respect.

She breathes and tries to compose herself.

“Yes Master?” she replied as she glance back.

“When riding a horse learn how to signal it. Is there any comfortable way for you?” he asks.

“I would like to do the same as how you give a signal to your horse, Master.”

“If that’s what you want then gently tap the side of your horse using your heels. Now, before you do that make sure to properly hold the reign and when the horse started to gallop, his head will start to move back and forth with the rhythm of its body, and when that happens, please allow your arms to bob back and forth with the horse’s movement,” he explained.

“Are you catching up on me?” Mathew continued as he glance at her.

“Yes master,” she replied shortly.

“Then let’s try,” Mathew uttered as he signaled his horse.

Celine also did the same and tried everything she could to maintain her balance and to go with the horse’s movement.

“You’re doing great!” she heard him say while his horse gallops.

Their horses were running at a gentle pace on the vast wheat field.

Her hair was bouncing from the horse’s movement and was going along with the wind. Her emerald eyes were focused on the front view while he was behind her watching.

When she look back at Mathew with a calm expression as her gentle and mysterious emerald eyes gaze directly at him, for him, it was like everything went into slow motion.

He was mesmerized by how her hair bounces and getting along with the gentle blow of the wind, and how the hem of her dress was roughly getting along with the horse movement.

He signaled his horse to run faster to catch up and as his horse run beside hers, he glance at Celine.

“Did I mess up?” she asks.

“Nope,” he replied and smiled at her.

Her expression softened.

“It’s because the emperor is a good teacher.”

“I don’t mind if I get a reward,” he said and grinned at her.

“Oh, what reward can I give when the emperor already has everything? Should I give you the moon?” she answered mockingly.

He laughs upon hearing her response.

“The moon is too much,” he replied.

“Then how about the cosmos?” she playfully responded.

He chuckled at her.

“The cosmos is too wide for my hands, Celine.”

“Then tell me what you wanted the most master?” she said.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m just joking,” he uttered.

“Oh. But I’m serious,” she replied.

“It's fine Celine, I wouldn’t mind teaching you everything you wanted to know, for free,” he said as he smiled at her.

“It’s an honor to know that, master, but please let me thank you in the best way I can,” she uttered.

“Hmm, if you insist then I guess I shall accept your gratitude. However, give me more time to think,” he replied.

“It’s fair enough, but please bear in mind that giving the moon or cosmos is only a humorous speech of mine and in reality, I cannot give those to you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied as he smiled at her.

“Celine,” he called after minutes of silence.

“Yes, master?”

“May I ask something?”

“Yes, you may.”

“May I ask what you wish the most?” he asks as he eyed her.

There was a moment of silence between them as he tried his hardest to figure out what the lady thinks despite her blank expression.

But he failed.

‘If everyone is a book, she will be the hardest to read,’ he thought as he kept on staring at her.

“I cannot tell nor could give an idealistic intuition of what I wish the most, but there was a time that I tried to understand such things,” she answered.

“It's fine, I apologize if my question seems rude.”

“It's fine, master. You shouldn’t apologize for such shallow things.”

“But still I feel like I should,” he replied.

“Don’t be, the emptiness in me is never your fault, and will never be yours,” Celine responded.

He glance at her and saw her empty expression and yet, despite his urge to reply to her words, he felt like his answer wouldn’t be the exact words she needed to hear.

He felt like, aside from saving the world, he also wanted to save her.

However, deep inside him, he already realizes that Celine is not like any other woman he knew. She is a woman of power, a woman who could stand by her own feet, a lady who could stand beside him even in war. She is not the type of woman who is easily overpowered by a distressing situation.

He glances back at her.

‘However fragile she may look and how thin and small her body was. She always proves to me that she doesn’t need saving. That someone like her doesn’t need a man like me. But even if that’s the case, I hope that I could always be beside her just like at this moment,’ his mind uttered as he averted his gaze and look at the cloudy sky.

“Master,” he heard her call bringing him back to his senses.

She was already a few meters away from him when he glance back at her.

“Shall we head back? You mention a while ago that you have a sparring schedule with the king of Leberion?” she said.

“Yes you’re right we should head back now,” Mathew replied.

The clashing of metals can be heard as Mathew tried to shield himself from Nathan’s counterattacks. After the horseback riding lesson with Celine, Lucas approach Mathew after he finished his works in the office and inform him of a message from the imperial palace.

“Are you okay your majesty?” Nathan asks.

“Yes, I am.”

“I heard that you’ve taught Celine how to ride a horse a while ago?”

“Yes it’s true,” he replied.

“It’s good to hear that Celine and Your majesty are getting closer to each other.”

“Yes you’re right but…” he said as he tried to attack Nathan again.

“But, the more you know her the more complicated she was,” Mathew continued.

They stop from sparring, both panting to breathe as sweat was dripping on their foreheads.

“You cannot help it, your majesty. Celine is a peculiar lady,” Nathan uttered between his heavy breathes.

“Yes you’re right,” he replied as he took off his upper shirt exposing his torso and his tattoo on his left arm.

The sun already showed up and the afternoon is a little hotter than usual. He brushed the hairs on his forehead revealing his forehead.

“Your majesty’s tattoo is unique,” Nathan uttered.

“Just like Celine, this tattoo is strange as well,” he replied.

“When I first saw that tattoo I was surprised back then. To think that your majesty doesn’t want tattoos.”

“It's not like I don’t like them, I just thought tattoos would look bad at me.”

“But your tattoo suits you well your majesty,” Nathan replied.

“I think this tattoo serves as the proof for me as her master,” he replied as he wipe his sweats with a towel.

“Oh, then did she use her magic to imprint that on you?”

“I can’t tell whether it’s her magic. The red anemones came from her bite though,” he replied as he shrugs his shoulder.

“…from her bite?” Nathan asks with a confused look.

Mathew chuckled.

“I can’t also understand the process of this tattoo. I guess it’s better to leave its strangeness alone,” he replied.

“Yes it’s better to leave it on its own, your majesty,” Nathan

The maid-servant who delivered their refreshments blushed upon seeing the two men. Stammering while greeting them and leaving their refreshments on the circular table, the maid-servant immediately went on her way still having pinkish cheeks.

“Can we be able to communicate to the two tribes?” Nathan uttered.

“We have to try. I’ve written them a letter and currently waiting for their reply,” he replied.

“That’s good to hear your majesty.”

“Aside from that, we need to prepare for our departure tomorrow so let’s call this a day,” Mathew said.

“Yes your majesty,” Nathan responded with a smile.

“Then shall we head back to the manor?” he suggested.

“Yes, we should your majesty,” Nathan replied.

It was already night and Celine who’s in her room heard a knock from her door.

“My lady this is Sofia. May I come in?” she heard her say.

“Yes, you may.”

The door opened and the maid came inside her room.

“My lady, I have come to inform you that dinner has been served,” she uttered.

“Yes, I will go there immediately you may go now without me,” Celine replied as she stands up from sitting on a bergère chair.

The servant bowed her head and exited the room.

She glanced at the big window but never saw the moon on the cloudy night sky.

‘It might rain tonight,’ she thought as she turned her back on the window and exited her room.

Meanwhile, he who came from the library disguised as the librarian a while ago exited the manor as easily as how he hid his identity from the sorcerer because of his master’s skills. As the chilly night welcomed him, his human figured faded and turned into an eagle as he landed on a branch of a willow tree.

There, he saw them having a gleeful dinner. All the scenarios he saw was also the scenario his master can see as of the moment.

“Did you prepared everything I told you?” he heard his master said through his mind.

“Yes my lord,” he replied.

His eagle eyes focus on them but later on were glued at the back of the sorceress.

“This is why you shouldn’t be too happy because after the sun there comes the rain,” his master uttered.

“Yes, you’re right my lord,” he answered.

“Shin,” his master called.

A sudden small portal similar size to his form opened beside him indicating for him to return. He glance back at the manor before he went through it.

Celine’s calm heart suddenly became erratic as she glance at the big window behind her. Her gaze landed on the big willow tree as her hand automatically touch her left chest.

‘What was that a while ago?’ she thought.

“Celine,” Mathew called.

She glance back at her master and saw everyone’s attention is on her.

“Are you okay?” he asks.

“…Yes,” she replied as she glance back at the willow tree.

“Master, tomorrow is our departure right?” she ask as she eyed him.

“Yes.”

“Is everything okay?” she uttered.

“Yes everything was prepared, is there anything that bothers you?” Mathew answered as he stared intently at her emerald eyes.

“…Yes,” she answered shortly.

“May I ask what is it?” Mathew replied.

“I apologize master and to everyone for giving something to worry but uncertainty makes me uncomfortable especially that tomorrow is never promised,” she uttered.

Everyone was silent and was listening to their conversation.

“You shouldn’t apologize for telling us your worry Celine. Yes, you’re right that no one knows what’s bound to happen tomorrow, that’s why we need to prepare not just our mind and body but also our hearts,” Mathew announced.

‘Yes, we must,’ her mind commented as she glanced back at the window particularly to the big willow tree. She saw that its branches were gently swayed by the strong wind.

The dinner was finished peacefully as Mathew together with Lucas and Celine walks along the corridor.

“Celine,” Mathew called.

“Yes Master?” she replied.

“Do you know the title of the story I told you?”

“No master.”

He stops walking making them also stops.

Mathew glance at her.

“It was entitled, Tomorrow,” he uttered as he smiled at her.

“The rain or storm may come tomorrow but it won’t rain forever, right? No matter how heavy it pours the sun will always come so do not fret for it anymore,” Mathew continued.

She did not respond and felt his warm hands patting her head. She looks back at him.

‘Yes, just like fairy tales that end happily, forever rain doesn’t exist. But if ever that’s the case, such as forever rain will come trying to knock this man down, the ground wouldn’t be given a chance to feel his body pressed on its dirty surface, for he will stand against it in every way he could. After all, this man is stronger than me in any way I could imagine. He’s my master and I would burn myself before any flame could touch him,’ her inner self declared as she met his gaze.