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Upon their arrival to the world, their fates have already been determined. Such is proven by the peculiar markings on their hands—children of fate, as what others refer them to be. The prophecies surrounding them have also been proven to be true—made evident by their recent victory against the War God. The occurrence paved the way to the once-riven continent to be united; thus, the One Kingdom of Valentia was born. The children of fate themselves took the responsibility of governing over the kingdom, and with their bond growing stronger than ever, their wedding was inevitable.
Both growing from humble roots, both Alm and Celica decided to visit the village where everything started. For seven years, bygone days of laughter, simple lifestyles, and frolicking in the fields under the tepid sun continue to be remembered. Since the war and the clash between the sibling gods have been finally laid to rest, now is the perfect opportunity to return to the village. Without a moment’s hesitation, the couple began to travel back to the southernmost part of Zofia, alongside the rest of their friends.
As they arrived at Ram Village, the queen immediately scanned the area, still relieved to see the beloved place unchanged. The people were also in high spirits upon seeing the champions who saved all of Valentia from peril. Of course, those who were witnesses to their childhood days were ecstatic to see the children of fate return to their simple village. Alm, in particular, was almost in tears. The anamnesis brought forth overflowing emotions—enough for a stalwart warrior like him to be emotional.
Their childhood companions—Kliff, Tobin, Gray, and Faye—were also beyond happy to be back to their own families. Hence, they each spent their time in their respective homes, bringing tales of chivalry and the unseen wonders of Valentia.
As for Celica, she made her way to the flowery fields where she spent most of her days in the village. The white flowers were still bountiful, as if the Goddess Mila, albeit gone, continues to provide for her people. She picked one that swayed gracefully with the wind, smiling at its beauty. She also reminisced making a flower headband, although she did not wear it herself, but instead, gave it to Alm.
After a few moments of being alone, her husband entered the scene. Alm also remembered the days of spending his childhood in this particular meadow, usually with Celica. The flowers were beautiful and fragrant enough to attract people, which explains why the two spent more time in this particular place compared to anywhere else. The king approached her queen, smiling at the flower she held.
“So this is where you’ve been the entire time,” he initiated. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t expecting you to be here.”
“Well, we’ve spent a lot of time together here when we were little,” Celica replied. “I also wanted to see if everything here was still the same, compared to how it was before I left the village.”
“I don’t see any difference at all.” Alm smiled. “Which is totally a good thing.”
“Indeed. It’s as if Mila continues to preserve the beauty of her land.” The female walked towards a particular tree to the east, where the shade was wide enough to cover the two of them. The male followed her.
It has been a couple of months since the battle that ended all strife occurred. Details of it come flashing to the two occasionally. Despite the sense of accomplishment, there was this feeling of minimal fear. After all, they both now carry the entire population of Valentia over their shoulders. The immense responsibility they have to take care of was, in a way, intimidating. Compared to the power of the gods, they were mere mortals. Would they be able to provide for an entire continent? Undoubtedly, it was a cinch for the gods.
However, they can be sure of one thing—unlike the unavoidable destruction of the gods, such fate is not in store for them. They would not delve into the darkest recesses of the human mind that would cause their inevitable ruin. And they would be together for eternity, side by side.
Celica sat on the verdant carpet. The same scene unfolds in her mind—joyful, carefree days of innocence with Alm and the others. Although she was a stranger to them at first, eventually, she was able to gain their approval and friendship. Above all, it was Alm whom she truly felt connected with, and the marks on their hands must be the invisible force that persists to bring them together.
“You know, Alm, I’ve been thinking… What if we never had these marks on our hands? What if we weren’t the ‘children of fate’? What if the clash between Mila and Duma never happened? What if grandp—Sir Mycen never brought me here? Would we still be together, like now?”
Alm paused. He had not considered these things before, and such questions require profound answers. He did not know how to respond. Eventually, he sat down with Celica.
“That… Well, I honestly don’t know. But, I can be sure of one thing—I’ll find you. I don’t care where that’ll take me. I’ll come to find you, no matter where you are, and we’ll be together.”
“You’ll… come to find me? But we’ve never met before, supposing that were to happen.”
“I know. But there must be something in my heart that longs me to see you… To look for you. Maybe you’ll appear in my dreams. Or maybe we’ve already met before. Like, way before when we were born during this era.” Alm scratched his head. “Honestly, those were very difficult questions. But I’d rather not think of them, because I have you now, and that’s all that matters.”
A smile was planted on the female’s visage. True, none of the questions mattered, because they have each other right now, in the present. And that was enough for the both of them to be thankful for the fates they were born with.
“You know, you’ve been holding that flower for a while.” The male said.
“Huh? Ah, you’re right…” Celica giggled. “I didn’t notice that until now.”
“I think it looks best if you put this here.” Alm took the flower and inserted it in between the side of the female’s head and her ear. “There you go… You look more beautiful, Celica.”
Celica blushed. “You’re very sweet, Alm. Thank you.”
Seeing the smile of his beloved brought forth a warm feeling on his chest. Such held the power the wash all the thoughts that bothered him away. He held her hand and smiled before coming closer to her, landing a kiss on her lips afterwards.
“I love you, Celica.”
The saccharine words that he let go of drifted away into the wind, together with the blissful fragrance of the flowers that surrounded them. Of course, the female made sure to respond.
“I love you too, Alm.”