Chương 104: The Wrath of a Rose

Joe stumbled out of the room the next morning, legs aching and mind foggy. He had no idea how long it had lasted this time, only that the sun was already rising in the west. Shaking his head, he passed a pair of unicorns grazing on berry bushes. At least Corel seemed lighter now, freer, and he was glad he had refused the pill she usually pressed on him. Maybe, just maybe, they were one step closer to becoming whatever it was they were heading toward. Lost in thought, he barely noticed when the light dimmed.

He blinked and paused. He was no longer inside Heliopolis. Darkness surrounded him, broken only by the faint glow of unfamiliar trees. The air smelled sweet, almost like lilacs, and the soft drone of unseen insects thrummed all around. His mini-map was greyed out, blank except for a single word pulsing across its surface: Fate! Warmth bloomed in his chest, and his gaze shifted toward a great tree ahead. He didn't need to see beyond it to know who waited there. Rose. He stepped forward slowly, circling the trunk…

and his breath caught. She sat upon a boulder, one leg bent elegantly, a hand resting on her bare knee as she stared into the distance. The sight alone stole the air from his lungs. Her hair flowed like silk in the gentle breeze, fanning out behind her as though the forest itself adored her presence. With a dancer's grace, she lifted a hand, and two iridescent butterflies landed upon her palm. She studied them for a heartbeat, then flicked them into the air, sending them spiralling skyward.

With fluid ease, she rose, pushing off the rock and spinning into a light twirl before facing him. Mischief curved her lips, her eyes sparkling like twin stars. She extended a hand, pointing directly at him.

"My pet, it has been a while," she said, voice lilting with playful command. Joe could only stare, overwhelmed by her beauty. Leather hugged her form, short shorts showing the long, flawless lines of her legs. Dumbfounded, he staggered forward, more like a child learning to walk than the Progenitor he was. He reached for her hand, bowed low, and pressed his lips to her fingertips in the most formal gesture he could muster. She was a princess, after all; it was only proper.

"It is great to see you again, Rose," he mumbled as he bowed deeply. He still had no idea how he had been brought here. Normally, when the system moved him, there was always that familiar pull, like being dragged through space by unseen hands. Even his own Space-Jumps carried that faint, disorienting tug through the void. But this time… nothing. No pull, no shift. He was simply here. He opened his mouth to ask Rose what she knew when her hand struck his cheek.

The sudden slap barely hurt, but it rocked him all the same. He staggered, blinking in confusion, until memory caught up with him. She had done this before when she disapproved of something. He barely had time to gather his thoughts before she stepped forward and struck him again. Harder. This time, he dropped to one knee, a bead of blood trailing from his nose. He glared up at her, but the look in her eyes stripped away any anger that might have risen.

There was no rage there, only a sharp disappointment, tempered by something else he couldn't place. He wiped the blood away as his nose healed and pushed himself upright. Her hand rose a third time.

"One more," she said calmly. Joe groaned but inclined his head. Somehow, he knew she would explain after, knew it deep in the bond between them. He braced himself. The third slap came like a pouncing tiger. He was flung backwards, smashing into a tree so hard the bark cracked. The world spun, his vision blackening at the edges, and it took nearly a full minute before he could stagger back to his feet. No broken bones, no internal injuries, she had held back, just enough to leave him reeling. A small mercy.

He approached her again slowly, watching her face. She was calm, expression unreadable.

"That was the last one?" he asked cautiously. She gave a single nod.

"Then… may I ask why?"

"Three reasons." She lifted three slender pink fingers.

"First… you keep using my name, though you've never once asked permission to do so." Joe winced.

"My apologies, Princess. I will guard my tongue in the future." He gave a short bow. She inclined her head in approval.

"Second… you insist on bothering me with those pulses when I am busy." A faint giggle slipped past her lips before she tried to cover it with her hand.

"I am not here at your whim, my pet. I have a very busy schedule."

"Again, my apologies, Princess," Joe said with another bow.

"I will… limit the number of pulses I send in the future." She giggled, clearly savouring his discomfort, before continuing.

"Thirdly, would you explain why, three times now, you have sent me those very long pulses of… emotion bundles." For a moment, Joe's mind was blank. Emotion bundles? Then he saw the faint rose colouring her cheeks, and realization hit him like a hammer. His face burned. She had felt everything.

"Shit," he muttered.

"That wasn't intentional. I can only apologize. Profusely. It won't happen again." He fought to mask his growing embarrassment.

"That is… acceptable. I was merely shocked. It was very embarrassing, and thankfully, only Daisy was nearby this most recent time." Her cheeks faded back to their normal shade, but now she avoided his eyes.

"Can I ask… who it was you were with?" His instincts sparked, like danger was closing in. But then he caught the subtle hesitance in her tone, the timidness in the way she asked, and it threw him off.

"It… was Corel," he admitted. Hiding it seemed pointless.

"Oh!" Rose said, her face brightening with unexpected delight.

"So you two are getting along very well. How is my sister?" Joe paused. Sister? A rush of questions stormed his mind at that word. He hadn't known they were that close. Had they formed some kind of bond while together? Nah.

"She is well," he answered carefully, though worry prickled at him.

"That is good. I do miss her," Rose murmured, tapping her chin in thought. It looked as though she wanted to ask more, but for once she held back, so unlike her usual self. Nothing about this reunion had gone the way he expected. He shook his head. He would never understand women.

"I can tell her you said hi. She's probably wondering where I went," Joe said, sending a quick pulse to Corel… completely missing the flicker of excitement that lit Rose's face. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

'Where are you? Are you with her now?' Corel pulsed in reply. For a moment, he admired her phrasing. That was the most coherent set of pulses she had sent him yet.

'Yeah, she's with me now. I think the system sent me somewhere."

"Is she responding? Can you pulse her as you do me? Does that mean I can talk to her right now?" Rose asked, stepping closer, her eyes shining with anticipation. Uh oh. Joe realized, far too late, that he probably shouldn't have mentioned that detail. But Pandora's box was already open.

"Yes?" he admitted.

"Perfect. Tell her I have so many questions," Rose said, bouncing with excitement. Joe groaned as he was somehow reduced to a living messenger pigeon for the next hour. Still… it wasn't as bad as he feared. In fact, he almost enjoyed relaying their messages as the sisters caught up. Rose spoke of her duties in the royal court and her training within the family gates, while Corel recounted clan meetings and the punishments she had doled out.

Joe hadn't realized how ruthless Corel could be toward clan elders who tested her patience, and once again, he thanked his stars that he had never been the target of her wrath. Rose laughed uproariously at one particularly shameless display of discipline that Corel described. Joe shook his head in dismay. About halfway through, the conversation took a turn, and he became the focus of their shared amusement.

"So tell me," Rose asked sweetly, "what sort of trouble has he dragged you into?"

"Hey!" Joe protested. He knew exactly who she meant.

"Oh, hush," Rose said, swatting him lightly on the arm.

"Ask her." With a suffering sigh, Joe relayed the question. Corel, of course, gave a very thorough and far too detailed account of all his foolish stunts. By the end of it, Joe was convinced that being bonded to two women was a mistake, no matter how beautiful they were. Soon, the conversation wound down. Corel excused herself to calm an upset Sarah, who had assumed Joe slipped away without saying goodbye.

"Where even are we?" Joe asked, relieved to talk about anything other than his so-called blunders.

"I don't know," Rose replied, glancing around the strange forest.

"This place is unfamiliar. It seems fate has left us somewhere new."

"Fate? I thought it was the system that pulled us here." Rose shook her head.

"No. This is fate's work. Bonds of fate move outside the system's reach. Anything that happens within a fated event is free of its control."

"Huh," Joe nodded like he understood, though only half grasping her meaning. Rose caught his confusion, of course. She giggled and jabbed a playful finger into his chest.

"You don't know much about fate, do you, my pet?" Rose asked with a teasing smile.

"I don't," Joe admitted.

"Think of fate as a power equal to the system," she said, gesturing with her hands.

"A force that nudges every path toward its destined conclusion. The system is obvious and heavy-handed. Fate is subtle, threads pulling quietly in the background."

"Is it something we can see or interact with? Like the system?"

"No," she shook her head.

"It isn't tangible. The system is an ancient, omnipotent being of unknown origin. Fate… just is." Her playful tone faded.

"That reminds me. Be careful the next time you meet my mother. She's… very angry with you." Joe swallowed hard.

"She is? What did I do this time?" Rose shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them with a hint of reluctance.

"Were you visited by the system? Did it… torture you?"

"Yes," Joe said quietly, forcing the memory down.

"When it did, the pain you felt bled through the bond. I felt it too."

"Shit!" Joe winced, guilt flashing across his face.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think anyone else would be dragged into that." Rose waved her hand dismissively.

"It wasn't unbearable. But my mother was furious. So… try not to anger her again, if you value your head." Joe nodded fervently. He had no intention of repeating that mistake.

"What was it about? Why did the system target you?" He hesitated, then decided to tell her. After all, if fate had thrown them together like this, maybe she was meant to know. And since she'd shared in his pain, he owed her the truth.

"I saw something I shouldn't have," he admitted.

"A giant eye in the void… and a message saying a devourer slumbers." Rose pursed her lips, thoughtful, then shook her head and quickly latched onto his arm.

"Enough of that. Look… I think I spotted a gorgeous flower over there. Come," she began, tugging him along, her finger pointing toward a distant bush. Joe let out a breath and was dragged along. Clearly, she wanted to change the subject, and he would let her. They walked together for hours, admiring the strange plants and watching unfamiliar fish dart through a nearby lake. Joe noted that this was the longest he'd ever spent with Rose alone. She was acting nothing like the princess he knew. Was this her true self?

When she wasn't being watched, judged, or bound by expectations? He didn't know, and maybe never would. But he found himself enjoying her company far more than he'd expected. For once, he was at ease, and she saw him unguarded. They weren't royalty and Progenitor. They were just two people, drawn together by fate, making the best of it.

"So…" Rose began, her tone mischievous.

"Are you and Corel together now?" Joe nearly choked, caught off guard. It took him a moment to recover.

"Honestly? I'm not sure. Whenever… that happens, she refuses to talk about it after. Things just snap back to normal. We're definitely not an item, not right now, at least."

"An item?" Rose tilted her head, confused.

"That means a couple, in a relationship," he explained. She nodded, mulling it over. Joe's smile tugged wider. From the way she asked, he was beginning to suspect the little princess had no romantic experience at all.

"What about you, Princess? Any suitors vying for your hand?" he asked, voice playful. The horrified look on her face made his soul swell with triumph. Almost enough to balance out the slaps he'd endured earlier. Almost.

"No!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flooding red until she looked as bright as the God of Eludia herself.

"Mother has not chosen a… partner yet. She says a union can wait until after I reach the peak of D-grade and ascend to C-grade."

"She decides for you? You don't get a choice?" Joe asked, genuinely surprised. Rose nodded.

"Yes. Is that not how it is on your world?"

"Not anymore, at least not since ancient times. Though… I suppose kings and queens used to have arranged marriages back then, so I shouldn't be too shocked."

"So… you get to choose who you join in union?" Rose asked softly. Joe nodded. Rose sighed wistfully.

"I wish it were that simple in Eludia. At least then I could force my brother to marry Daisy and put an end to the awkwardness between them." Joe blinked.

"Your brother is in love with Daisy?" he asked, louder than he meant to. He'd only met her brother briefly, at the banquet. A tall, blond Mortifi, ridiculously handsome even by Mortifi standards.

"Yes. They both are," Rose admitted.

"But he hides behind duty as an excuse to deny it. Maybe I should ask Mother to choose Daisy for him… though if I did, she would never forgive me. Ugh! Why does that stupid brother of mine make everything so complicated!" Joe chuckled as Rose puffed out her cheeks, glaring at him indignantly.

"What are you laughing at… pet?" she growled, the words dripping with menace. His chuckle slipped into a full laugh, right up until her fist connected with his cheek. When he came to, rubbing the sore spot, Joe made a very firm mental note: don't push his luck with a D-grade princess. Not long after, they sat together at the lakeside, the sun sinking low as dusk painted the sky. Both of them could feel it; their time together was nearly over.

"You know," Joe said, skipping a stone across the water, "when I realized fate had pulled me here, I was sure it meant a battle or some trial. But nothing happened." Rose gave him a sly look.

"You really don't understand fate at all. Not everything is about fighting. Sometimes fate simply brings two beings together… just to let them get to know each other better, my pet." She flicked him on the forehead. Joe winced and rubbed the red spot, grumbling.

"I guess that makes sense. Still, sorry again about the system pain. Hopefully it doesn't happen again."

"Psh. A little pain is nothing. I'm sure what I felt was only a fraction of what you endured," Rose said lightly. Joe hoped so. What he had experienced had been more than enough for one lifetime.

"Any last message for Corel? Before I go?" he asked.

"Just one," Rose said, her lips curling in a smile as the world around them began to darken, signalling the end of their meeting.

"Tell Corel I'd like to know what it felt like when you two…" Her words cut off as Joe's brain promptly imploded.