Miri had been so happy that for the past few hours she'd been crying non-stop. She was exhausted when she finally had had no tears left to cry. It seemed that somehow Rachealla had managed to call Alret also, as she was riding with them. She would not reveal how, so they left it there. She was now sitting with Victory near Alret's head.
Alret had been silent the whole journey. Miri could tell that the other's were worried about him. She had been quite shocked when Alret had shown up, but she was comforted by the fact that everyone spoke of him as a friend.
"MY WIFE GIVE BIRTH WHILE I WERE AWAY," Alret said after an hour of complete silence from him. He was greeted by congratulations from everyone, and cheered up considerably.
"LIL' MALE, IT IS. GONNA BE TWICE MY SIZE, I RECKON!" Alret said. Miri looked up and down the beast, I hope not! she thought.
The rest of the journey Alret was talking none stop about his "LIL' MALE," and soon everyone had a graphic picture of it. None of them said that it would be one of the ugliest things they'd seen in their lives. Whitefeathers had to peck Jinxes who was just about to say so.
Alret landed in the clearing that they had stayed in the night Salem had run away. He let them all jump off, then said his farewells and left.
"Thank you," Miri said. They all had their backs to her, watching Alret leave. "I owe you all so much."
"Huh?" Jinxes said turning round. "Whatcha say?" Mraya whacked him around the head and pointed in the trees.
"We sleep under Cherry Blossoms tonight!" She squealed. Rachealla held up a hand to stop her. Mraya looked at her with death threats in her eyes.
"We sleep here. Do you really want to choke in your sleep on a cherry blossom petal?" Rachealla pointed at the charcoaled remains of the fire they'd made, it burst into flame. Victory immediately found some twigs and wood to feed it.
All settled down for a good nights sleep...
"Thank you Alret," Lady Kristel said, opening her eyes. She was lying on her bed, her hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat. It had taken a lot of effort to help them escape from the Temple.
To use power normally took away strength, but to project power across the world to a place you can't even see is impossible for most. Lady Kristel had learned to project her powers, but she only used it in the most urgent of cases.
The hardest thing had been breaking through the magic seal on Rachealla's cell door. The rest she had relied on her Guardians strength. It seemed that all her Guardians had left while she spoke to Alret.
"Thank you Goddess," Lady Kristel whispered and fell asleep.
Salem couldn't sleep. His mind was on other things, like what he'd say to Lady Kristel when he returned. He turned over and saw Miri was walking into the cherry blossom clearing.
She looked lovely, in a long white dress, favoured by court ladies. She was still wearing a necklace and ring from the wedding. Her hair was down and fluttered in the light breeze. She was looking up at the stars, but Salem could only see her back.
He got up and followed her, they hadn't really had much time to talk. all the way back they'd been sitting with everyone else. No one had mentioned the Chosen, or of anyone's heritage, but it would be best if Miri knew before they got back to Dreamer's Academy.
Miri was stood in the middle of the clearing. The cherry blossoms were falling all around her. She had a few petals in her hair. She caught one it her hand, it shone for a moment and turned into glass.
"Where'd you learn to do that?" Salem asked. Miri jumped and dropped it. The petal shattered, Miri looked surprised for a moment then smiled.
"I learned it from Rachealla. She taught me a few meaningless tricks like that," Miri said. Salem went up beside her and looked up at the sky. Cherry blossoms were falling so the sky looked like it had pink and white shooting stars.
"They aren't meaningless. I think it's nice that you know some trivial things. There's no point just knowing attacks and defense spells, it's no fun," Salem replied. Miri laughed, Salem looked at her, not knowing why she was laughing.
"You were being so serious!" She giggled. "It isn't like you!" Salem sighed. A lot had happened, had he really changed.
"We got told somethi-" Salem stopped when Miri put a finger to his lips.
"Shhh," She said. "Don't say anything." Salem put his arms around her. She needed to know, she had to know, but he couldn't tell her now, could he? Miri moved closer to him and kissed him. He couldn't pull away, she'd think he wasn't interested.
"Miri..." He said. She took a few steps back. She looked him in the eyes. He tried to make them impassive but his thoughts must have leaked through.
"What is it? Don't you-" Miri stopped. It was Salem's turn not to let her finish. He used his fire magic to make his index finger like a candle. It shone between them.
"Before we go back to Dreamer's there's something you need to know," Salem said. Miri was crying. What does she think of me? Salem thought. I've got to tell her though!
"Miri, we're the Chosen. Me, you, Mraya, Victory and Jinxes. You know what that is don't you?" Miri put her hand to her mouth. She bit her lip, Salem would have given anything to know what she was thinking.
"Y-Yeah, they have to defeat whatever evils are around, right? That means Tami, doesn't it?" Miri asked. Salem pulled her close to him, trying to protect her from this new development, but failing completely.
"Miri, whatever happens, we'll be together alright! I won't let you go, ok?" Salem said. Miri had buried her face into his chest, he couldn't see her face. "Or do yu want to forget about this and go back to Canon? Come to think of it, we didn't ask you if you wanted to come with us..."
Miri hit him with her fist, it wasn't hard but it had taken him by surprise. Salem blinked a few times. Miri turned her face up, her eyes didn't meet his.
"Would you have killed him to get me?" She asked. Salem thought for a moment.
"Yeah I would've," He said simply. This made Miri cry even harder. Salem as at a loss at what to do now. Miri wouldn't stop crying.
"Canon is your twin brother," said someone from behind a cherry blossom tree. They stepped out and they saw it was Victory. He looked sad.
"Brother?!" Salem said, forgetting that Miri was holding onto him asthough she'd die otherwise, he took a step back. Both he and Miri fell to the floor. Salem couldn't help going red.
"I won't tell anyone about all this," Victory helped Miri up. "These are your private affairs. I wouldn't like it if people got in the way of me and- nevermind... Anyway... Canon is your brother, and he is in league with Tami."
Miri who had just been helped to her feet sank to the ground again. She winced. Her eyes showed pain, deeper than Salem or Victory could understand.
"I was going to marry him... I thought it was just to do with the throne! He was using me to break us all up and then- then destroying us all!" Miri looked at the ground, a single cherry blossom petal infront of her. She picked it up and turned it to glass.
"Miri...," Salem sat down beside her. "I don't care. I'm sure none of the others mind either. You didn't know. Please don't cry Miri," Miri collapsed into his arms. Victory left them alone amongst the cherry blossom trees.
Miri brushed away her tears. What was she doing? She was stronger than this, wasn't she? Salem always made her feel strong yet weak. What was wring with her? Why did everything hurt so much?
"I'm sorry," She whispered. Salem didn't acknowledge he's heard her. She wondered if she should say it again. Salem punched the ground. Miri let her hair fall across her face, she couldn't bring herself to move.
She felt the necklace that Canon had given her pull on her neck. The lion seemed to fill her with courage. The ring however made her feel trapped. She stood up, unhooking Salem's arm from around her. She felt his eyes watching her. Slowly she walked to the edge of the clearing.
There was a stream here and it looked quite deep. She dropped the ring into it watching it fall to the bottom made her finally forget of her engagement to Canon. The bonding ring was gone and she could forget about him, for now at least.
"What about the lion?" Salem asked. Miri shrugged. She looked down at it, it reminded her of someone, and she knew just who to give it to. It wasn't a girl's pendant, she knew that it had belonged to Salem's father, as there was a portrait of him wearing it in the Northern Heights palace.
"The lion will go to my strength. The one who gives me my courage," said Miri taking it off her neck and passing it to Salem. "It was your father's. I know it was meant for you to wear."
Salem took it, looking at it in wonder. Miri wondered how he had accepted becoming royalty. He wasn't a royalty person. He couldn't boss people around, or let others do things for him. He was the one who did things for others. Maybe that would make him a good ruler?
"I don't need a garnet pendant," He said simply and gave it back to her. She refused it, it was Salem's and that was that. She would not take it back or let him give it to another. Miri found herself smiling.
"I will take it as an insult if you don't take it. You don't need to wear it or anything but it'd be nice to know you have a little bit of your inheritance," Miri pushed his hand away. He sighed, he was obviously giving up.
"You make me so angry sometimes!" Salem said. "You seem to only care for yourself. Then you say something that makes me feel better only to let me down again. I don't understand you!" Miri laughed. Salem turned to see her looking up and the stars.
"No man understands women. If you did then all women would be stereo-typed. The way we do things, sometimes men don't understand, no matter how hard they try," Miri suddenly pointed. Salem looked up into the sky and saw a shooting star. Miri turned to him.
"I don't want you to run away forever," Miri said. "One day you will have to rule Northern Heights, that's fact. Accept that or let Canon ruin what is one the the finest nations in the world."
Salem had no answer so he helplessly looked at her. Her heart melted, and she realised that she was toying with him. She walked into his arms, and for the rest of the night she was falling...