CHAPTER 71: PERONICAN

After the alliance in Ossibus failed, Xerxez traveled to the country known as the Blooded Phoenix—Peronica. He was accompanied by his soldiers, wearing magnificent armor made of bronze. They rode horses out of the borders of Thallerion and then were taken by train to Peronica. Xerxez was joined by chief commander Matheros on this visit to purchase weapons offered by Peronica.

Peronica, known as the Blooded-Phoenix, according to one history, was once the origin of a Phoenix bird believed to have turned into a human and married mortal women. However, according to others, the people of Peronica just came from the country of Elanthro and moved to Peronica.

Xerxez and his company were just passing by a stream when they saw women bathing in the water, looking like enchanting white geese. In truth, when the young women of Peronica heard that the king of Thallerion would visit, they immediately waited for Xerxez at the stream to get his attention, hoping that at least one of them would be chosen by the young king.

"My Lord King Xerxez, do we look beautiful in your eyes?" one of them asked, with a radiant beauty. The stories were true; they had reddish hair and smooth skin like Chinese women. "Please notice us, oh~" The young maidens wanted to charm the king of Thallerion, but Xerxez only smiled as his horse moved forward. Then, something suddenly caught his eyes: a goddess-like woman, the most beautiful of all the women there. Xerxez couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She had long hair that was a much more vivid red than the others. Her movements were delicate, and she smiled at Xerxez. That was the first time Xerxez felt his heart beat differently. He felt a different kind of heart thumping inside him, like a volcano erupting deep within.

For a few days, Xerxez and his men rested in the sanctuary of Peronica, but the face of the woman could not be erased from his memory, like a precious masterpiece locked in his brain. It seemed that Xerxez was falling in love.

Xerxez wondered if she could be the princess of Peronica, the daughter of Queen Pyramia. However, when they went to the kingdom of Peronica, they were told that the queen’s daughter was sick and that her illness was contagious. So, he had no idea what the princess’s true face looked like. Even the people of Peronica said that the princess was never allowed to go out. According to their stories, the princess had a curse and was in hiding. But the rumors were that the queen was keeping the princess locked up because she didn’t want to marry her off to the men who were courting her. Xerxez began to wonder what the real reason was behind the rumors against the queen and the true story of the princess.

Since Xerxez formed an alliance with Peronica, the mystery of the true story of the princess of Peronica, who supposedly hid like a bed bug, became a puzzle for him.

Xerxez was at a banquet in the kingdom of Peronica. He knew the queen had a daughter and wanted to clarify the stories of the Peronican people about the princess, but the queen only changed the subject.

"I heard that you strictly forbid your daughter, the princess, from going out because of a curse?" Xerxez asked. The spoon clinked on the porcelain plate containing a sweet dessert made of tea-cake. The queen only chuckled with restraint, covering her mouth with her hand, and slightly raised her eyebrows. But in Queen Pyramia’s heart, her blood boiled at Xerxez’s questions.

"The princess is not feeling well right now, so she can’t go out. So please, don’t believe those gossips outside—please, don’t mention those rumors here in front of our food."

Xerxez no longer dared to ask about the princess’s life; even her name was being withheld by the queen. But that wasn’t important to Xerxez anymore because he felt that his eyes were truly looking for the face of the woman from the stream. So, he ordered a soldier to search for the woman all over Peronica, but Xerxez’s soldier failed in his search. No one was bathing in the stream anymore, so Xerxez was saddened when he heard the news.

As they were about to go home, Xerxez’s heart took a chance to savor the place where their eyes last met. So, Xerxez dismounted and took a deep breath of the fresh air that embraced him. At the same time, his men were giving water to their thirsty horses. However, he heard a sound not far away, a woman’s voice, so he followed the source of the noise. You wouldn’t believe what Xerxez saw, for the heavens had granted his wish for the woman to show herself to him, even for the last time. The maiden was bathing and singing like a gentle bird—it was her! The goddess-like woman.

"Maiden, why are you alone?" Xerxez approached, carried by his eagerness. He left his companions who were watering the horses; when love whistles, Xerxez would brave the forest, no matter how dense. This seemed to be Xerxez’s chance to get to know the woman. "With your beauty, you shouldn’t be bathing here alone." Xerxez’s voice was filled with concern. He saw a bird-of-paradise near the maiden. Her voice was truly captivating; even the birds were delighted.

"If so, why don’t you join me here?" the maiden said coaxingly. Her lips were alluring, and she slowly looked into Xerxez’s eyes. The woman felt Xerxez’s inexplicable joy. "That is, if it’s not a bother to the king of Thallerion?"

"Why not? I respect the entire Peronican people for the sake of the alliance." Xerxez’s eyebrows rose, and his lips curved into a happy smile. "But I think if I do that—it won’t be about the alliance anymore."

The maiden saw Xerxez’s companions waiting ahead, so she knew that Xerxez would be going home to Thallerion. Her eyes became heavy, and the cold wind embraced her, signifying the truth that the man she admired was leaving.

But Xerxez sat on a rock near the maiden while gently following the ripe leaves floating in the water. "This seems to be the right time," Xerxez whispered to himself. His question seemed to come from the floating leaves, that if his heart were to fall, it would not be into the water, but to the woman in front of him now.

"King Xerxez, do you know that you are the first man to sit beside me." Perlend said shyly because her cheeks were burning but she was trying to keep them from steaming like smoke. Perlend’s heart felt sad thinking that Xerxez and his men were leaving for Thallerion, while she would just have to wait for when Xerxez would visit Peronica again. "But how long will I wait?" Perlend’s mind was crying; it was visible in the heavy slump of her shoulders.

"Really, is it okay with you if I sit near you?" Xerxez was a little hesitant, but he couldn’t control himself. Ever since he first saw the maiden, his heart had been pounding, and not a day or night passed that he didn’t think of her. "Can you, from this day on, call me by my name, Xerxez?"

"My name is Perlend, Xerxez." Xerxez loved the maiden’s name—Perlend. At that moment, Xerxez truly got to know the maiden; he found out that she was not married.

"Do you know that I had you searched for all over Peronica because—" Xerxez bit his tongue, and his cheeks turned red like plums. Xerxez wanted to confess but was shy, especially since it was the first time he would confess his feelings to a woman.

"Do you also know that I came back here because—I like you, Xerxez." Perlend bravely confessed. She didn’t let the opportunity pass to admit her feelings, unlike Xerxez who was a hero of Thallerion, whose tongue faltered in expressing his true feelings for the maiden. Xerxez breathed a sigh of relief when he heard what Perlend said.

"Perlend, I love you... will you agree to be the other half of my heart?" Xerxez immediately confessed his feelings without hesitation. He didn’t care about the woman’s social status, whether she was rich or an ordinary citizen of Peronica—he would love her—the purpose of his heart would be followed. Xerxez held Perlend’s hand and moved a little closer.

The truth was, he took a chance to meet the daughter of Queen Pyramia but failed to see her. Xerxez had planned to court her for a stronger alliance, but the queen was stingy. So, he poured his true feelings out to Perlend instead. It had no political motives and no family agreement to unite their feelings.

"Xerxez, I am ready to leave my home, because I love you too." Xerxez hugged Perlend, and suddenly, red leaves rained down. The maiden had no reason to refuse the king’s courtship because she knew Xerxez was a kind man.

When Xerxez hugged Perlend, he smelled a soft flower that smelled like an orchid. Xerxez promised himself that he would never make his future wife cry.

That stream was connected to the Cirtax river, which had a route to the port of ships that Xerxez and his men often passed. There was only one reason for the woman to return to the stream—she was in love!

"I’ll go with you, Xerxez, because I no longer have parents to take care of me. We are both alone in life." Perlend said. "But you are a king, while I am just a humble woman." Xerxez saw that Perlend’s clothes were not those of a wealthy person, but even without admitting it, the woman’s body was truly clean, as if bathed in milk, because of Perlend’s excellent self-care.

Even though the country of Peronica was vast, love connected their paths to bring them together. Xerxez confessed his love to the maiden, and the maiden, like a hooked fish, didn’t want to refuse Xerxez’s true love. The king felt like he was the luckiest man in the world and that he was going to marry a beautiful woman.

"If that’s the case, I will take you to Thallerion, and we will get married." Xerxez said and helped Perlend onto his horse. It was spring during those days. The fallen leaves were like flowers at the feet of the two lovers. Xerxez felt for Perlend, who was an orphan, so he didn’t ask her about her family anymore because the life of an orphan was hard and painful, just like his, who was also an orphan due to the war against Moonatoria.

Matheros and the others didn’t complain; in fact, he was happy because Xerxez would finally have a wife and would no longer be alone forever.

When they returned to the kingdom, he immediately ordered all the female servants to prepare for their wedding celebration. He sent out invitations to everyone in the territory of Thallerion. The next day, the music began; at that moment, the wedding started. Everyone celebrated their union.

Everyone was happy at the wedding, especially for Xerxez. Xerxez felt like the heavens opened up to shower him with happiness and good fortune. The guests had grand gifts for the newlyweds.

After a month, Xerxez’s beloved, Perlend, was pregnant. Xerxez happily announced his wife’s pregnancy to the whole land of Thallerion and to all his acquaintances.

When the time came, a suffering night came upon Thallerion because Perlend was about to give birth. Perlend knew that it was not easy for someone like her to endure hardships like a normal woman, and her pregnancy was proof of her weak body, but she proved that her love would give birth to the blood of Thallerion and Peronica.

At that moment, while Xerxez’s wife was fighting for her life, a bright object suddenly passed behind the clouds. The people heard a fierce screeching sound, different from the hooting of a bird, and what followed—the baby was born.

Perlend gave birth to a healthy baby. The baby’s kicks were quick, which impressed the father. The child of Perlend was a boy, so the king was very happy when he saw him. Xerxez named him ’Pyramus,’ which symbolized his ardent bravery and his excellence in combat.

"Yes, Pyramus it is! The great fire in war." Xerxez said, tearfully embracing the baby.

Pyramus had red hair inherited from the Peronican bloodline, especially the shape of his eyes, and even the color and smoothness of his skin. However, his agility, plump body, and handsomeness were molded in the country of Thallerion. It was a miracle that Perlend was given life after giving birth.

In Perlend’s room, while the baby was sleeping, she was embroidering a legendary phoenix flower using a thread and needle. She was singing a soft song for her son. When silence suddenly blew out the candles on the altar, and she heard a noise from the window, a screech of a bird. She left the baby on the bed to check the source of the noise, but she didn’t see anything that could have made the sound. When she realized that the noise was just her imagination, she immediately returned to the room, but her eyes widened, and she felt as if she was turning into stone in disbelief. There were fresh ashes surrounding the baby. Perlend also felt a warm presence of wind that was created inside the room.

Perlend’s gaze was like an insect crawling on the baby’s bed. She noticed a mark on the chest; a meticulously carved symbol on the burned skin. She bit her finger, but the baby wasn’t crying; instead, he was sleeping soundly. There were still embers of fire on the diaper, and the smell of incense was wafting from where the mark appeared: a symbol like a fiery bird with long wings and a tail, and a miracle happened—the wound healed. When she recognized the mark, it was a Phoenix bird. In her awe, she called out to Xerxez as her body collapsed heavily into a sitting position when the mark disappeared. Perlend witnessed the appearance of the mark but by the time Xerxez arrived, the mark was gone, and only the ashes remained, which she had collected in a small porcelain jar, so that was all Xerxez saw.

"Who is the shameless person to play such a sacrilegious joke?" Xerxez said, furrowing his brow when he saw the ashes on the baby’s bed. "A disrespectful person would do this!" Xerxez held his sword, which gleamed when he lifted it with force, but Perlend’s voice was like a strong hand that stopped Xerxez’s sword, so he put it back.

"Xerxez, calm down." Perlend was panicking because of Xerxez’s reaction to the ashes scattered beside the baby. She tried to calm Xerxez even though she was busy cleaning the ashes, but the stain on her white cloth bed was still visible.

Xerxez tried to investigate the surroundings; he looked out the window, outside the door, and even behind the large cabinets. Perlend could only laugh. "The Phoenix of Peronica came to our son!" Perlend said joyfully. Xerxez stopped and sat beside the baby, gently looking into Perlend’s eyes.

"The phoenix?" Xerxez asked, and his mind was rattled by that word. "Isn’t that just a legend from your country?" Xerxez’s eyes became soft, as if he was feeling heavy, despite his wife’s joy about the matter. "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Xerxez—what are you saying?!!! Why are you staring at me like that... You don’t want to believe it?" Perlend scolded, but her excitement about the phoenix slowly faded. She let Xerxez hold the jar. "Come, join me at my altar." Perlend coaxed and took the sleeping baby. Perlend immediately brought the baby closer to the painting of the Phoenix that she had Xerxez commission before, and Xerxez placed the porcelain jar next to the altar. Perlend lit a candle at the Phoenix altar, which also had a small wooden statue. Perlend had the statue personally made in the land of Vhorlandrus.

Perlend poured myrrh on Pyramus’s forehead, but suddenly, they saw the color of the candle flame change; it was the color of the phoenix flower. Xerxez’s eyes were fixated on the candles, and his mouth hung open.

"The candle flame is the same color as the flower in the painting. How did this happen?" Xerxez picked up a candle, but its color returned to normal. But when he put it back, the light of the candle was the same again.

"Pyramus was blessed by the Phoenix." Perlend replied, leaning against Xerxez and hugging him with one arm. Xerxez felt the same way, and they were both holding the baby. "This means... the Phoenix of Peronica has chosen our son, the blessing of the Phoenix’s soul is in the baby." Perlend’s voice was joyful, but suddenly Perlend’s mind started to feel dizzy. Fortunately, she was holding onto Xerxez’s waist. That was the first time the curse made itself felt.

Xerxez stopped for a moment and thought. He faced the window while Perlend sat down, feeling herself. Her fingers began to tremble when she thought of the curse, so she hugged the baby.

"Isn’t it strange, according to the legend of Peronica... only those with the blood of the previous chosen can be chosen... And I heard that the last inheritor of the Phoenix blood is in Queen Pyramia’s blood." Xerxez’s gaze was far away, as if his mind was traveling to Peronica. "But someone told me that Pyramia’s daughter was cursed." He sighed heavily while looking down. In front of his eyes, people were busy with their tasks, horses were pulling carts, and soldiers were marching toward the Rigil district.