194 House Prescott 4 (1/2)
”It's a long story,” the Red Phoenix said. ”But I'll tell you that you were able to conceive the reincarnation of the Supreme because of your blood.”
”My blood?”
He nodded. ”I can tell that you came from the bloodline of a powerful Sun Priestess. People like you are also Fire Mages. But you don't have strong Manas. The purpose of Sun Priestesses is usually to give birth to powerful Fire Mages.”
”I don't like how it sounds.”
”That's how it was in the past,” the god said. ”Anyway, now that you know what kind of Fire Mage your baby is, I want you to be careful–”
”Marianne!”
She looked up when she heard Maverick's voice above them.
Only then did she realize that the prayer room she was in had changed. As far as she remembered, she was in a room with the statues of the Four Ancient Beasts. But right now, she was in a prayer room with only the statue of the Red Phoenix.
”It seems like it's time for you to go for now,” Lord Wixx said. When she turned to him, she saw him snap his fingers. ”See you later, Sun Priestess.”
Before Marianne could even complain, she suddenly felt sleepy…
***
”MARIANNE, what happened?”
Actually, Marianne didn't know what happened to her too.
When she woke up, she was already lying on the bed of their chamber. Apparently, Maverick found her unconscious in the prayer room dedicated to the Four Ancient Beasts.
That was definitely not the room where I met the Red Phoenix.
Anyway, it was a good thing that her husband decided to pick her up at the temple. She was glad that he found her right away. She didn't want anything bad to happen to their baby.
”Maverick?”
”Hmm?”
”I met the Red Phoenix in the temple.”
As expected, her husband looked shocked. ”Did you purposely go to the prayer room of the Four Ancient Beasts to ”talk” to the Red Phoenix?”
She was glad that her husband was sharp.
They never failed to visit the temple once a week. But instead of the prayer room for the Four Ancient Beasts, they would just pray at the ”general” praying room. She was certain that Maverick found it strange that she was in the special praying room instead.
”I talked to the royal princess,” she said. ”She told me that all she needs is to summon the sky beast. So we agreed to work with each other.”
Maverick looked surprised by that. ”Marianne, was that the best choice that you have?”
She nodded. ”I know that House Prescott is a strong family. But we also both know that we can't win against the royal family yet. If the royal princess announce that me and our baby are Fire Mages, it's over for us.”
She shook her head, then she cupped his face. ”That's not true, Maverick,” she consoled him. ”Everyone is powerless against the royal family.”
”You're too kind to me, Marianne.”
She just laughed it off. ”Maverick, our best course of action right now is to work with the royal princess. But please act like you don't know that I'm a Fire Mage. I also didn't mention to Her Royal Highness that House Denver is the leader of the surviving Fire Mages.”
”You made the royal princess believe that no one else knows your real identity?”
She nodded. ”I don't want anyone else to get involved in this.”
So that if Princess Nia happened to betray her in the end, no one else would fall with her.
But of course, that was the worst case scenario. She would do everything to prevent that from happening.
”Marianne, it breaks my heart that you're the one doing the most to protect our child,” Maverick said in a sad voice. ���I will do my best to keep with you.”
”Protecting our child isn't a competition to see who does more ”work,”” Marianne reminded her husband, then she gave him a kiss on the cheek that made his whole face red. She giggled because how could Maverick still blush from a peck? Heck, they already conceived a baby! ”You're so adorable, Maverick.”
***
”THERE'S a way to clear the Fire Mages from the accusation of the royal family against them, Lady Prescott.”
Marianne surprised with what the royal princess said. ”Really, Your Royal Highness?”
Today was the last day of their dancing lessons that lasted a month.
She had to quit as the royal princess's dancing teacher because she had nothing else to teach her. And she'd be leaving the Royal Capital with her husband for a long vacation.
Princess Nia nodded, then she sipped her tea before she continued. ”I read all the books in the royal library. There wasn't anything written about the Fire Mages's apparent betrayal. But I found a book that talked about the tree of truth– and it's called the Great Fire Tree.”
”That's the first time I've heard of that tree.”
”I read that all the knowledge in the world is stored in that tree,” the royal princess continued. ”The tree can allegedly show the events in the past. If you find the Great Fire Tree, you can discover the truth about the ”betrayal” of the Fire Mages. And if you find out that your clan didn't betray the royal family, then you and your child don't have to hide your identity anymore. You can live in peace without worrying about your safety.”
That was a huge relief.
We still have hope.
”Unfortunately, I didn't find anything about the location of the Great Fire Tree,” the royal princess said. ”But I can assure you that it really exists, Lady Prescott.”
”Thank you, Princess Nia,” she said genuinely. ”Once we summon the sky beast, I'll ask him about the Great Fire Tree.”
She couldn't tell the royal princess yet that she managed to meet the Red Phoenix.
That was because she thought telling Princess Nia about it was useless since the only thing that she got from the god was about her bloodline. She'd tell the royal princess about the Red Phoenix once she got the chance to ask him if he could grant a wish from Her Royal Highness. In that way, she wouldn't accidentally give Princess Nia some false hopes.
”I'm glad to be working with you, Lady Prescott.”
”Same here, Princess Nia,” she said. ”Ah. I just remember that next week, my husband and I are leaving for Oakes. Do you know about that, Your Royal Highness?”
”Yes. Everyone in the empire knows that Duke Prescott spends half of the year in Oakes. And that's the reason why your territory keeps on flourishing,” the royal princess said. ”Will you be returning before you give birth to your child?”
She nodded, then she sipped her tea before she answered. ”The doctors and the priests that my husband trusts are all here in the Royal Capital. And he also wants me to give birth to the temple where all the children of House Prescott were born.”
”See you before you give birth then, Lady Prescott,” Princess Nia said with a smile. ”Have a safe trip.”
Marianne smiled and nodded. ”Thank you, Your Royal Highness.”
***
BEFORE MARIANNE leaves the Royal Capital, she decided to visit the temple in hopes of meeting the Red Phoenix again.