“Are you some witch who can see all of the future?”
“No. I lack such power. I simply know more than most. But beyond the far north, when you leave your army behind and embark on a solitary journey, I will no longer be able to follow you. My role in your story ends long before you become the king of the legendary island.”
She averted her gaze as she added, “When that day comes, please forget me—a wife in name only—and Orway as well.”
Her voice, calm yet melancholic, resonated in the silence.
“As long as the blue hawk banner flies with you, Orway will always offer you its utmost support.”
§§§
The hero I had admired left for the northern campaign shortly after, following the consul’s orders. We barely exchanged words before his departure.
To honor him, I supported talented painters and sculptors as patrons, commissioning portraits and statues of him. Seeing his image even once before I died was enough to make me happy. From then on, I could live peacefully, critiquing the art and crafts produced by my salon while admiring my favorites.
Before meeting him, I had feared that reality might betray my imagination. But the charisma of a true hero far surpassed any image I’d conjured in my previous life.
"Yes, he’s worthy. I can dedicate everything Orway has to him."
Ironically, I had stopped reading the novel midway. The author’s shift toward BL themes had led me to lose interest, so I never knew much about the kingdom-building arc where the protagonist supposedly joined hands with a beautiful young man.
The idea of the earnest, unworldly hero I met falling for a young man in his thirties made me feel strangely distant. But that would be part of a future far removed from me—a life I could no longer influence. If he found a suitable partner, be it a man or a woman, and lived happily, that was enough for me.
Still, if he could remember me—just once—before he died, thinking, “Ah, there was a woman like her,” I would consider my life fulfilled.
§§§
As she had foretold, the northern campaign was a long one. At the edge of the western seas, when Helios’s forces were cornered, Orway’s grand naval fleet appeared at dawn, just as promised. The blue banners led the fleet to a decisive victory, saving the army from annihilation.
During a brief respite afterward, Helios overheard rumors of a legendary island said to crown its true king.
“Ah, so it is my destiny after all,” he murmured.
“What’s that, Helios?”
He confided in his old comrade Lucas, recounting the prophecy that he would travel alone to the island and become its king.
“Don’t be ridiculous! Are you saying you’ll abandon us to follow some absurd prophecy?”
“It was just something I heard long ago.”
“Do you believe it?”
“No… but hearing rumors that match it unsettles me.”
0 Comments