Finding Stardust 115 Therius' Dilemma

As if reading Emma's mind, Xion nodded. He knew Emma was thinking about Therius from the look on her face after she gazed down toward the building.

"Indeed. He is the crown prince," he said.

"Oh ..." Emma had suspected it, but Xion's confirmation still surprised her.

Therius was the crown prince, and the man wanted to marry her to smooth his way up the Akkadian throne. Can Therius get married without love?

"You better come back tomorrow and talk to him directly. He's already asleep. I'm sure he won't mind if you bother him now, but you better go home and think about my words."

Xion took a deep breath and then coughed. His face looked annoyed.

"Ugh ... the air on this planet is very unclean. How can you stand living here?"

He then drifted back to the penthouse terrace and landed gracefully on his two feet. Emma was still frozen in her place. She only watched as Xion went down to the penthouse. Her mind was filled with thoughts about her father and mother.

What should she do?

Why everything looked so bleak and helpless?

Finally, she joined him and drifted down to the penthouse terrace. Once she landed, she walked toward Xion. Her tears had dried up, and now she looked at Xion attentively.

"You ... what is your role in all this?" Emma asked suddenly. "Therius .. will get the throne, I will be able to free my father from the death sentence. Then you .. what do you get?"

Xion was stunned. He didn't expect Emma would suddenly ask him that question. He frowned and tried to think. What's in it for him?

He would not get anything out of this mission. He joined purely only to accompany Therius, as his best friend, the only person whom Therius trusted.

"You might find it hard to believe this, but not everyone has an agenda," Xion finally said with a shrug. He then took a bottle of wine and his gla.s.s and walked into the penthouse. "Think about my words. See you tomorrow!"

He then waved his left hand without looking back. Emma stood quietly in her place, watching him disappear behind the door.

Emma's hands were clenched into fists on her sides. She tried to refrain from venting her frustration by destroying the building where she stood now.

Ah ... Xion was right. She must return home and think.

***

The clock showed it was already 3 am when Emma stepped down on the balcony of their bedroom. She quickly changed her clothes to a nightgown then climbed into bed. Haoran was still sound asleep as she had left him earlier.

Emma stared at her husband's face wistfully before then kissing her lips and laying in her arms.

Instantly, her feelings that had been chaotic began to calm down. Being near Haoran always made him feel better. She wished they could be like this forever.

After she was with him, Emma finally understood what her mother felt toward her father. When you love someone, you just want to be with that other person. Maybe that's why Arreya and Kaos.h.i.+n dared to try defying all odds to be together, even though they couldn't really make it in the end.

Ahh ... she should force herself to sleep so tomorrow Haoran would not be suspicious of seeing her with panda eyes.

With great difficulty, Emma forced herself to close her eyes and sleep.

***

"I'm telling you. You must kick yourself on the head because you didn't want to stay up and accompany me for a drink last night," Xion said when he saw Therius came out of his bedroom.

"You know that I am not a drinker," said Therius. He entered the kitchen and came out shortly after with a pot of tea and two cups. After pouring a cup of tea for himself and sipping it gracefully, he raised an eyebrow and asked Xion. "Why should I've stayed up with you?"

"Princess Emma came here," Xion answered as he glanced at his best friend.

Aha ... He smiled when he saw Therius looked interested.

"Then?" Therius asked. He lowered the cup from his lips and now watched Xion attentively.

"She was so smart. She knew we came here for her, even if she didn't send the messenger s.h.i.+p. She asked why we are looking for her. So, I told her why we came. I told her about General Stardust and asked her to think," said Xion with a grin. "I spoke good things about you. Now, you owe me a favor."

"Why didn't she talk to me directly?" Therius asked, frowning.

"You were asleep, you fool ..." Xion said, raising one eyebrow.

Therius was silent for a moment. He then paid close attention to Xion and asked earnestly.

"What did she say? Did she ask about her parents?"

Xion nodded. "Yes. That's the first thing she asked."

"Then what exactly did you tell her?"

"Whoaa ... you must be really interested in this girl. I've never heard you talk this much," Xion commented. He initially had wanted to tease Therius and keep this information to himself, but unfortunately, he loved talking too much. He cleared his throat and then began his story. "She asked about what happened to her father and mother. I told her briefly what had happened. She cried."

"She cried?" Therius felt his chest tight when he heard Xion's last sentence.

"She didn't cry like those other girls. Only her tears dripped, but she didn't sob or anything. I think she tried hard to look fine, which made me feel very sorry for her." Xion sighed. "She was devastated when she found out her father was facing a death sentence."

"Did you tell her that I could pardon her father when I took the throne?" Therius asked.

"That's exactly what I told her. But she said that she was already married and she loved her husband."

Suddenly, the teacup in Therius's hand was breaking into small pieces.

"Wow ... don't shoot the messenger!" Xion said, glaring.

Therius sighed. Ever since he knew the girl was married, he had been facing a dilemma. He was a man with pride and would never even think about s.n.a.t.c.hing other men's women. But this was not just any woman.