Chapter 109: 109: New Goals
I’m not hurt at all. I saw it coming. It was bound to happen.
That’s what Anna told herself as she watched Drax walk right out of her life.
It was bound to happen anyway. His wife is dead. He knows this. I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t....
Still, tears stung her eyes. Her heart hurt, painfully so, like she just lost someone she loved more than life itself. It hurt so much that she grabbed her chest, hoping to ease the pain there.
Every fiber in her being wanted to call out to Drax. Prevent him from leaving. Beg him to stay.
This isn’t me. It’s Princess Orchid’s memories. It’s her residual feelings.
She loved him, not me. I’m just...
A low version copy of her.
Right. I’m a...
A gentle hand rested on Anna’s shoulder, pulling her out of her spiraling thoughts. She turned to see Ray’s gentle eyes.
"Are you okay?"
Anna forced herself to nod. "Yes. It’s just...very sudden that’s all."
Kai took her wrist, causing her to turn to him. "Don’t even think about him, alright? He’s stupid. He doesn’t know what he’s doing."
A bitter laugh escaped Anna. "I’d say he’s quite smart. I’m not a princess anymore. I’ve got nothing and...he’s right to leave and—"
"He’s stupid." Kai said firmly. "I said what I said."
Anna rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, I get it."
"Say it with me. Say it. He’s stupid."
"I...he’s..." Anna trailed off.
But Drax wasn’t stupid. Anna understood why he did what he did.
He’s grieving. He came out of captivity to learn that his wife is gone and replaced with a stranger. Heck, I’d say he even reacted calmer than I expected.
Anna shook her head wildly. "No! Forget about it! Don’t you have somewhere to be?"
"Yeah, now I’m worried about you are you sure you’ll be fine when I’m gone?"
"I’m here with her," Ray cut in . "She will be fine."
"What will you do if there’s an attack? Echolocate your way to safety?" Kai snapped.
"Not everyone is a barbarian that bites their way through everything!"
"It works, doesn’t it?"
Anna turned and walked away, heading to one of the rooms. Ray and Kai abandoned their squabble and followed her.
"If you’re going to insult each other, don’t even bother!" Anna snapped over her shoulder.
"I’ll be on my best behavior, Anna. Although I can’t say the same about him." Ray said.
"That’s rich coming from you, batty. As if I don’t—"
Anna walked in and slammed the door shut. "Goodnight!"
She leaned against the door, but she could still hear them bickering behind it. These men are going to be the death of me.
But deep down? She liked it. If nothing else, she knew she could count on them being by her side.
Then a traitorous voice whispered.
What if they leave?
Anna tried to imagine it. Kai looking at her with dead eyes, announcing he wanted to divorce her. And Ray, who she’d never seen cold or angry, suddenly turning to ice and serving her papers.
The image made her shudder and immediately throw the door open.
Both of them paused and turned to her.
Anna’s chest heaved. Fear clouded her mind and she couldn’t breath properly, her chest tightening. "Will you...will you leave me too?" She asked looking frantically between the both of them.
"Never." Kai said.
"No, I’m not leaving." Ray added.
"A-are you sure?"
Kai was the first to move. He pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on her crown. "Cutie, I’m not leaving you. Not now, not ever."
Ray snatched Anna from Kai’s arms and hugged her too, wrapping his wings around her to prevent Kai from snatching her. "I’m not leaving either." He said.
Anna grabbed his shirt, her panic turning down a dial. Her eyes watered and she hid her face into his chest, breathing in his calming scent and letting his warmth wrap around her.
"Thank you..." she whispered. She worried she might come off as pathetic or desperate. But she couldn’t care.
She couldn’t imagine being all alone in this world. She just might as well die if she’s going to be alone.
****
Later that night, Anna couldn’t sleep.
Kai wasn’t back yet from whatever he went to do in the city. Anna could feel Ray somewhere in the cottage, she instinctively knew that he was wide awake.
The cottage had a back door that led to a barren backyard garden. Anna went out, wrapped in warm blankets, her short hair tied into an even shorter ponytail.
Outside, she sat on the back porch and stared at the sky.
Is this the same sky from home? She wondered as she stared up at the stars and the half moon. Even after thousands of years, some things are constant after all.
Like heartache. Love and loss.
Truthfully, her chest still hurt. Even though it had reduced significantly.
"I didn’t love him. That wasn’t me." Anna chanted the words to herself. And yet the more she spoke them, the less she believed them.
She felt someone sit beside her, a wing draping itself over her shoulder. Instinctively, she leaned into his warmth.
"How are you feeling?" Ray asked, his voice a low murmur.
Anna hummed. "Much better now that you’re here,"
"I...I like that."
She lifted her head and stared at him. In the low light of the porch, his cheeks were pink. Anna giggled softly, resting her head back on his shoulder.
"You’re very quiet, you know?" She said.
He was silent for a while before he said. "I don’t usually have much to say, especially when the...the others are around."
"You mean Kai?"
No reply.
"I’ve noticed you don’t like him."
"It’s not that I hate him, he’s just too loud. Always."
That made Anna laugh. True, Kai was loud. But she liked that too. Having someone to fill the silence was good. Especially since she didn’t have music to recluse herself back into.
But Ray’s silences was golden too. Especially in times like this when she needed calm.
"Do you worry about Azul?" Ray suddenly asked.
Anna’s face fell. "Yes. I do."
"This may not mean much, but I don’t think he’s going to leave."
Anna turned to face him. "What makes you say that?"
"Just a guess."
Anna’s eyes narrowed as she observed him closely. Then she sighed and shook her head. "If he leaves, I’ll understand."
"Why do you say that?" Ray turned so he was facing her. "You say things like you expect everyone to leave you."
"Yeah. Because I’m a horrible person, Ray. I did things that hurt you and everyone else and—"
"But that wasn’t you. That was—" Ray started to say and cut himself off.
Anna frowned. No way, did he...does he know I’m not Orchid?. "What did you just say?"
Ray rose to his feet in a flash, avoiding her eyes. "It was nothing."
"That wasn’t nothing. What did you mean by that?" Anna grabbed his sleeve as he turned to leave. So far, only Drax and Kai knew her secret. Drax somehow figured it out and Kai, well she told him.
Ray?
How did Ray know?
Her heart began to race, lodging into her throat. "Ray, tell me—"
[Ding!] a cheerful ding echoed in Anna’s head. The sound was so sudden that she lost grip of Ray’s sleeve. He used the opportunity to bolt.
[Ding Ding Ding my favorite host ever! How are you feeling? Super excited for your goal change huh?]
"Ray! Get back here!"
[Um, hostie? I’m talking to you?]
Anna huffed, stomping her foot in frustration. "Damn it! He knows something!"
[HOSTIE!]
Anna screamed, stumbling back and nearly falling on her backside. She caught herself in time, grabbing onto a pillar.
"The fuck do you want?!"
[Oh, so you can hear me alright. Why did you keep quiet?]
Anna, caught between going after Ray and listening to the sadistic system, chose the later.
She sat down on the porch, drawing the blanket closer to her body. "What?" She hissed, not hiding her anger. "You got me exiled. The whole fucking East thinks I’m a sister killer!"
[Yes yes, but now you have a goal change! Isn’t that wonderful?!]
Anna’s brows furrowed. The system sounded like a cheerful child. One on a sugar rush probably. It was weird and Anna didn’t like it one bit. Everything about it was suspicious.
"What do you want?" She asked coldly.
[Your goal change has been successfully approved. Your new goal is: Operation Regain Your Crown! Isn’t it wonderful?! You’re gonna make your way right back to the palace!]
Anna stared at the space in front of her.
The words, Regain Your Crown, echoed in her head like a botched magic spell.
A bitter laugh punched out of her. "I’m sorry, can you say that again?"
[I said your new goal is—]
"I fucking heard you the first time! Regain my what?! You must be running mad, System. You’ve lost your mind!
