Reina opened the huge doors just in time as Raizel removes the seal that binds his power.
"RASKREIA!" Reina shouts at the top of her lungs as she lunges at her sister. No one dares to move as her immense power covered the whole shrine, the power of the Noblesse and the blood of the Lord.
Instinctively, even if they do not recognize her, all of the Clan Leaders fell onto their knees and bow their heads. All of them are confused except for Gejutel who stares at the girl he believed to be sleeping.
"You are-- " The Current Lord had no chance of finishing her sentence as she was attacked by her younger sister with a tight hug.
"What nonsense are you two doing?" Reina angrily asks, gesturing the broken seal on Raizel's fingers and the Ragnarok on Raskreia's hand.
"You are alive?" Raskreia touches the side of Reina's face. The girl smiles at her and nods her head.
"You really are alive?" The Ragnarok disappears and she clutches her sister in her arms trying to comprehend that this is indeed real. She can never deny the power that is flowing out of this girl.
"Sister, stop this please." Since Raskreia always had a soft heart towards her sister, she sighs in defeat and nod at her.
"Sister?" Rozaria asks Ludis that is equally stupefied. They didn't know that the Lord has a sister.
"Why are you here, traitor?" The Lord turns to Raizel while clutching her sister in her arms.
Traitor? Reina is confused. Raizel... a traitor?
"Your father left me something that belongs to you." He lifts his right hand and a swirl of red energy revealed a Ragnarok.
"Is that... Ragnarok?" All of the Clan Leaders are shock, along with their Lord.
"There's a second Ragnarok?" One of the Clan Leaders asks, confused if whatever they are seeing is real and not just an illusion.
"Ragnarok? How... " The Lord is dumbfounded as she grab the Soul Weapon that is floating towards her.
"Why do you have this... Ragnarok?" Raskreia asked with gritted teeth. A moment of silence reign among them until...
"Because the Previous Lord left it to him." Frankenstein said as he bows to the Lord.
"Please forgive my belated respects. Someone told me to wait outside because of her long awaited family reunion." Frankenstein glares at the girl in Raskreia's arms, which in return, the girl stuck her tongue at him causing him to smile.
"Frankenstein..." Raskreia regards him.
"I ask for your understanding of my present discourtesy."
"Frankenstein, quit the useless formalities." Reina said, annoyed at his antics.
"Explain what you meant, the Previous Lord left this to him?"
"Exactly how it sounds. The Ragnarok, my master handed you was left to him by the Previous Lord. It was left at our house... along with your sleeping sister. They were resting at master's temple."
"Do you see this as some kind of a joke?" Kei Ru angrily gritted his teeth and clench his fists.
Frankenstein turns to look at him...
"Joke? Do I look like I'm joking?" He said glaring at the Clan Leader.
"Frankenstein." Reina warns him as Kei remains silent. Frankenstein heaved a deep breath and continues talking.
"Normally, it would obviously seem absurd. But, who said anything about normal? I told you, the Previous Lord dumped it at the house. You all should know what I mean. Or did you not know him well enough?" The Clan Leaders understand what Frankenstein is trying to imply as they remember the actions of the Previous Lord.
"I can vouch for his statement, Raskreia. I woke up to the temple myself. I never thought that one could sleep for so long... " Reina's face is etched with sadness, realizing how much of her time was wasted...
Raskreia's arm around her tightened in a comforting way.
"We arrived home for the first time in several hundred years... and there we found them. It came as a surprise to us, too." Frankenstein sighs, he remembers how much surprise it caused him.
"You didn't know?" Raskreia asks Raizel who was silent the whole time.
"I did not." He said looking straight at her eyes. All of them felt the sincerity in those three words.
Reina stares at Raizel, maybe she can ask him how to be believable.
"LORD!" a loud shout was heard at the entrance of the Previous Lord's Shrine.
Everyone turn to whoever shouted and see Karias running with Regis dangling on his shoulder. He runs straight to where Raskreia and Reina are standing.
"Lord, are you safe? Are you hurt anywhere?" He asks with voice full of worry. He then notice the girl Rakreia is holding.
"Uhm... Excuse me... Who are you?" He asks the giggling girl.
"Sir Karias, Come here!" Rozaria whispers trying to gain the man's attention. Fortunately, Karias looks at her and decided to go towards them, disoriented.
"How can there be two Ragnarok? Even if the Previous Lord intended it, how was it made possible?" Raskreia trailed off, not minding the tactless Clan Leader and the Pure Blood dangling on his shoulder.
"I don't know anything about that. But there was another case of a Soul Weapon that was divided and given to two people." Frankenstein explains, looking at Reina before nodding. The Princess then commands Lazark to enter the shrine.
"I thought this will be a family gathering so I told the two of them to wait outside, I didn't know that this is how it'll turn out." Reina gestures Lazark to come forward.
"Lazark, is your Soul Weapon divided into two?" Raskreia asks the Clan Leader, who bows his head at the Lord.
"Yes, Kertia's Soul Weapon was divided into two. They were given to me and to my little brother, Rael."
"What?" Surprise were written all over their faces as they heard his confession.
"How did Kertia's previous Clan Leader do that... ?"
Raskreia stares at him, her hold on the second Ragnarok tightened.
"Why didn't you tell me this?"
"Apologies, Lord. My previous Clan Leader did not wish it told." Raskreia's eyes turned sharper but she remains silent. Frankenstein used the opportunity to talk...
"It is the first time we have returned here in several hundred years... Because ever since Master's disappearance... He had been asleep. We had no plans to return here so soon, however, Master was worried about Gejutel."
Realization showers them as they try to grasp the weight of what Frankenstein is implying.
Reina registers everything that is happening around her, processing the information the she, herself does not know.
"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, were you genuinely in a period of sleep for 820 years?" The Lord asks, seemingly not trusting Frankenstein's words.
"Yes, many things seemed to have changed in that time." Raizel utter with sad eyes.
"The Previous Lord gave this to you..." Her hand clenches around the Soul Weapon.
"It was yours from the beginning."
"Father may have a very sensible reason." Reina states with determination as she stares at her sister, knowing whatever is in Raskreia's mind will poison her.
"You-- I cannot believe this, how are you so close yet--" Raskreia broke down as she hugs her sister.
"Father announced your death. We grieved... I thought the Noblesse murdered you... Or that human abducted you..." Raskreia ramble on and on, her tears keep on spilling.
"I'm here, Raskreia. I'm alive. I'm safe." Reina kept on whispering comforting words and rubbing her sister's back affectionately.
"Reina--" All of the Clan Leaders stares at Frankenstein as he calls out the said Princess without any respect.
Gejutel clears his throat to gain everyone's attention.
"Sir Raizel, if you may... " He said gesturing the young Princess. The Noblesse quietly nod and look at the Clan Leaders and the girl.
"Reina." He calls her attention to which she irritatedly responds.
"Raizel, I am in an emotional reunion right now."
"I am to introduce you."
"Fine, fine." She grumble as she removes herself from her sister, Kei Ru immediately went beside the Lord to support her.
"Erga Kenesis Di Reina, the Royal Princess of the Nobles."
"Greetings! Her Royal Highness!" They all exclaimed, kneeling with their eyes on the floor. Reina held her head high. The feeling is familiar yet different all the same.
"It was sadening that I was not able to at least say goodbye to my mentors, but it was pleasant to meet the new generation of the Clan Leaders."
"Are you alright now, Princess Reina?" Gejutel asks worriedly.
"I am done resting, Sir Gejutel. I had wasted a lot of my years."
"It is your body's way of protecting you, Reina." Frankenstein glares at her.
"Human! I will not let this pass! How dare you address a Royal Princess with such amount of respect!?" Kei Ru said, clenching his gauntlet-clad fists.
"Kei, it's fine. The two have a very deep relationship." Gejutel explains, causing them to look from the Princess then to Frankenstein who are glaring at each other.
What kind of relationship... ?
"The Previous Lord left Master a message in our house." Frankenstein said, changing the subject.
"A message?"
"Yes, it was a message alerting us to the presence of another message, to be found in this shrine." He explains, eyeing the top of the stairs.
"However, I have something in mind." His stare then move from the top of the stairs to the Princess.
"Your father mentioned a theory. Like a true love's kiss, he said." Frankenstein states, his eyes lost in his own thought.
"Did you kissed my coffin?!"
"No, of course not. What I am saying is that I think your father may know that you'll wake up once Master and I show up in the temple." Frankenstein frustratedly said to Reina.
"Hmm... you may unto something, Frankenstein." She looks at the top of the stairs with a serious face.
"Let's see then." Raizel nods at her. They both pour out their auras toward the coffin of the Previous Lord. It responds to their auras until a flash of bright light shone above them.
The Clan Leaders stood stiff under their feet as the imprint of the Lord ethereally floats in front of them.
"So you both are here at last, Cadis Etrama di Raizel and my precious Princess."
"Father... " Reina stares at her father.
"How long did it take for the two of you to finally come back? A hundred years? Two hundred? No... perhaps over a thousand. It does not matter. The flow of time is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that you both are safe. I expect finding Ragnarok and Reina at your house came as a surprise, Raizel."
"Surprise? It nearly gave me a damn heart attack." Frankenstein murmur as he quietly walk towards the trembling Princess.
"I warned you, you know. When you rejected my proposal so many times, I did tell you I had a plan."
"If he had any sense in his head, he would not have orchestrated this mess. Is he really your father?" Frankenstein whispers on Reina's ears causing goosebumps to form in her arms. She irritatedly elbow his torso which did nothing.
"If that pet peacock of yours is with you, Raizel, he'll be busy insulting me or teasing my daughter. Or maybe both."
Frankenstein flinch, his hand stopping mid action from intertwining with Reina's. The girl laughs as his expense.
"That guy has a pretty twisted personality. I thought something was wrong with my daughter when she told me about her feelings for him." The Lord laughs while Reina glares at the imprint of her father. Frankenstein smirks at her which earns him a pinch in his hand.
"It was fun watching him bare his teeth at me. It's okay, he's not even a Noble. I'm generous, so I let that peacock be impudent every so often. I can forgive him, I'm a cool Lord!" The Previous Lord let out a breathy laugh then smiles.
"It also makes me happy that even for just a short while, he showed Reina how to live a normal life. To love and to be loved not because of your blood or your power. She will need all of the support that she can have because of her duty. Contrary to popular belief, Reina isn't here just to be a Princess or a Lord. I burdened her with a heavy responsibility that no one can ever take other than her. For this, my daughter, I am truly sorry."
Reina bows her head to hide her tears. She remembers the reason why she is alive, why she is in this world.
"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel... Many things have changed since your disappearance. I do not mean humanity, which is in a constant state of change; I mean that we, the Nobles, have begun to change... more so than ever before. I cannot recall how long I have existed. I have not bothered to count the days. The only thing I know for sure is that I am no different than I was several thousand years ago. I am not the only one. We, Nobles have always been unchanging, immobile. It is common saying among us that the human race never ceases to change. Compared to their short lives, they cause too much change. We always see them hurrying through life. I wonder why? Their time is short; why not spend it in relaxation? But maybe it is the brevity of their lives which causes this. Perhaps this is why they differ from us Nobles, for whom eternity and life are synonymous. Watching humanity live its life, I started to wonder..." The Lord pause as his face turn more serious.
"... were humans really needed our protection? Perhaps it was never that simplistic. If we Nobles used our strength to protect humanity, perhaps humans were there to teach us how to 'live'."
The Clan Leaders who are listening keenly were startled by his words...
"For far too long, our existence has remained static. Thousands and thousands of years... And now, the time has finally come for us to leave the positions we have held for so long. Our descendants will take on our matles and lead our race. So I decided it is time for my eternal sleep. The Clan Leaders share my thoughts; they will come with me. Then, there will be a new beginning. It is time for us stuffy elders to get out of the way and pass on our responsibilities to the young. I have great expectations for the younger generation." A smile blooms on the face of the Lord...
"Personally, there's one called Karias. I like the way he chooses to live. I like his personality, he doesn't act like a Noble. He reminds me of myself when I was young. I'm sure you'll get to see him later." Other leaders stares at the man mentioned by the Lord. Reina giggles, noticing that the Clan Leader himself do not take the statement as a compliment and starts to wonder if there is something wrong with his personality.
"The reason why I left you the Ragnarok is because... I want you to become Lord. It really isn't much. The Kertia Clan Leader and I put our heads together. We went to some trouble to make it, of course." The imprint let out a hearty laugh once again as his listeners stay silent.
"This is because I want my daughter to be free of the burden of being Lord. It is a terrible thing, to live such a long life alone and saddled with heavy responsibilities. And the coming times will result in much solitude and suffering for the one who leads our race. The modern world does not require our presence... Now is the era of human domination. To be Lord in times like these, one must lead us through countless changes. I cannot let fate drive my daughter down a road like mine... no, an even crueler road than mine. It is the same for the Clan Leaders. We cannot expect our descendants to walk the same road we did. Now is the time for change. And so we have chosen eternal sleep, for the sake of our children. For the hope that they be able to live in freedom. We want them to live their lives according to their own choice, not fate. But it is natural that great confusion will arise if all of us enter eternal sleep at once. To reduce that confusion, I have personally asked Gejutel to stay here and help the children. However, this will dishonour him; even to my last breath, this troubles me. If you can do anything about it, please do."
"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, I also want you to live your own life. But I know you will choose not to. That is why I wanted you, even against your will, to live the life of a Lord; not the life of a Noblesse. Because even the life of a Lord would be better... than the life that you must lead as Noblesse." The Previous Lord was quiet for a minute then release a tired sigh.
"Now, that I think of it. It is kind of unfair. I wanted to lift the heavy responsibilities off of Raskreia's shoulders while I am putting a much heavier burden onto her younger sister. Reina, my Princess, the responsibility that I left you is something that you can refuse. You have a choice to decline this burden and live a normal life. I am sure that as a smart girl, whatever decision you make will be for a great cause..."
"Cadis Etrama Di Raizel, protect my daughters... protect the children. And lastly... Don't come too soon. Take your time; enjoy."
"Erga Kenesis Di Reina, I now set their lives unto your shoulders. Protect the Noblesse." The last line baffled everyone, except Gejutel and Reina. All of them stares at the Princess...
"Reina..." Frankenstein whispers unconsciously as he tries to process whatever happened.
"Reina, what does the Previous Lord means with that?" Raskreia asks her silent sister.
"The existence of Princess Reina-- its sole reason is to be the next Noblesse. The Previous Lord wanted to release Sir Raizel from this burden and live a normal life that is why he did everything in his power to think of a solution to this. Seeing that Sir Raizel continuously declines the position of the Lord, the Previous Lord thought that it'd be better to just strip his title off of him."
All of them stares at the kneeling Clan Leader. His statements should be unbelievable but because of Reina's reaction it seems that they are true.
"Princess Reina's biological mother is the very first Noblesse to ever walk on Earth. The Previous Lord found out that she is resting in the deep caves somewhere in Marianas Trench. He told her the dwindling population of the Nobles and the death of another Noblesse leaving Raizel the only Noblesse alive. He also told her that Raizel never went outside of his house and that the future without a Noblesse scares him. He told her a lot of things that almost cost him his life. She rejects him immediately and leave the place. But the Previous Lord is persistent, he did not leave her alone..."
Frankenstein notices the loosening grip of Reina's fingers on his. He lifts her up with one arm under her knees and the other on her back.
"Thank you, Frankenstein." She leans on him, closing her eyes, relaxing and burying herself in his intoxicating scent.
"Reina stayed with her mother for a few years until her time came, the first Noblesse entered eternal sleep. But not after instilling the responsibilities of a Noblesse to Reina. The time when Reina enters Lukedonia, she was just over a hundred years, too young to shoulder the heavy burden of the title. So Raskreia's biological mother nurtures Reina like her own until the Previous Lord decides that she's ready. However, that time did not come. Reina was attacked, no one know how or by whom. There were no traces of battle, just her power. Rayga found her coffin in a small island outside Lukedonia, just after Raizel's disappearance. The Previous Lord feared that if he is to announce that the Princess is in ephemeral sleep, whoever wishes harm upon her will finish what they started. So he announced her death to everyone. I loathed Frankenstein for accusing us of traitors, but because of that accident I harbored doubt in my heart. Until the Lord and the Clan Leaders entered the eternal sleep, we did not know who to trust. But the traitors show themselves and drag Sir Raizel's name with them."
Raskreia looks at her sleeping sister in Frankenstein's arms.
"Rise, both of you." The Lord said to Seira and Gejutel. The heavy handcuffs fell to the ground with a loud clang.
"According to the will of the Previous Lord and Leaders... I will start everything anew. Gejutel, would you help me... us... in this? We are still in need of you. However, this is not coercion, I will respect your decision, whatever you choose... even if you choose not to acknowledge me as Lord." Raskreia said with all sincerity.
"I will serve you." Gejutel kneel in front of her.
"I offer this to you all. Whatever decision you make, I will respect it."
Every Clan Leader in the room kneel and exclaim...
"We will serve you!"
Author's Note:
This one is too long. I think it's because the Previous Lord had too many things to say and I insert the information about Reina. I hope you all read them well since they are kinda crucial. So Reina's purpose in life is to prevent Raizel from entering eternal sleep and to let him live the life that he wanted, also she is to protect all Nobles... Will she be able to accomplish these?
Did you enjoy this chapter?? And if there's a typographical or grammatical error don't be shy to let me know, okie?