⊰ chapter seven ⊱

To happen to think that Dara was going to find her way back to the Cursed throne, it sent shivers to the three soldiers but to know that she deserved the inch of greatness, they had no regrets leaving West behind. It ached Seokjin to see Dara's indecisive eyes wandering back at the traces from the West as they were ready to abandon their horses. They rode for hours, across the meadows, the rocks that made rainfalls, the forests and only if Dara was correct, she could smell South from where they were letting their horses go back to West. Seokjin sighed, walking to Dara who watched the horses run back, "You think Jungkook will be able to ride them back here? What if the horses can trace the ways to South?"

The wind blew against them, Dara's eyes squinted as she spoke, "He won't."

Dara promised Jungkook was hopeless of her. For the best.

Skovier grunted, "I was sort of liking the West, not going to lie."

Jimin, Seokjin and Dara looked at Skovier as if he was an insect when Jimin spoke later, mumbling almost, "Who signed this bitch up as the soldier, anyway."

Seokjin grabbed Dara's hand, "Let me carry you, you look tired."

The red hair smiled at Seokjin, squeezing his arm, "I am tired. But I can still walk. Hold my hand for now."

There was a restless and disappointed look on Seokjin's face as Dara started pulling him towards their destination, the sunlight was blocked beautifully through the patterns of leaves, the trees big, "Did he deserve an explanation why you have left West?"

"He didn't," Dara replied instantly, fighting the pain to speak about him at all, "He is the blood heir, maybe he should have known what was happening on his lands. At the same time, he didn't deserve a single explanation of why I have left. Somethings arent meant to be."

Seokjin nodded, rubbing Dara's wrist, "You deserve some peace, My Queen."

"I am no Queen," Dara smiled at the soldier, "Yet."

The constant bickering of Skovier and Jimin lead the two peaceful adults into a swarm of annoyance at a point that Seokjin had to eye them down to shut them up. Skovier rolled his eyes historically, mumbling, "Must feel so lucky to hold the Queen's hand like that, sly snake."

"Jealous much?" Jimin mumbled back.

"At least I didn't dye my hair to look like the Queen," Skovier muttered and gained a glare from Jimin who later ran his fingers through his hair heroically. Seokjin glanced at the two talking before them as they walked through the silent forest, "Seokjin must be very close to the Queen. Is it because of Jungkook? Jungkook and he were bestfriends."

"Seokjin feels as betrayed as the Queen," Jimin said, "They grew up together. They were close to brothers. Seokjin would come to West too―he had no family to visit. But he did not expect West to hide such a dark secret from him for the past twenty years. The wound is deep. And his closure to Dara...hmm, Dara killed Jewel―he was in love with Jewel."

Skovier nodded, "So it's, devotion."

"We soldiers were made from devotion. We serve the family like they are our Gods. But ever since Dara came to take the throne, I felt valued. We saw hope for women, children, and old people. People weren't this crazy for Arver the way they craze for this woman. Of course her birth is sacred, or a sorcery but it brought us light." Jimin whispered, "Jungkook being the blood heir did not send her to envy, but a broken heart."

"Do they love each other―,"

"Are you dumb or did you have to say that to confirm it?" Jimin gave Skovier the look of a ghost, "Ghaaa, you are such a knucklehead, aren't you? Heard great tales of you fighting in the West during...oh, did you meet your family in the West? Aren't you a Western?"

"That Jeon Jungkook did not even let me see my family," Skovier sighed, his lashes lowered, "My family lives at the lower caste. He wouldn't let me go there, saying I was making excuses to flee. My sister lost her child a month ago, and due to duties I couldn't go see her as well from the North."

"Dude, that's so bizarre of him." Jimin whispered, "What an idiot. How did he even hide his Northern mark for so long? Didn't Dara notice once?"

Skovier shook her head, "He used the blue powder to disguise him. When you use the blue powder, it's almost impossible to track your intentions, blood mark, origins and of course, it hides his Northern mark which is actually the mark of the blood heir."

Dara was overhearing all of it, skipping through whatever Seokjin was suggesting and it clicked to her why she never traced Jungkook's intentions and ambitions all this long. Dara wished she told Jungkook the part of her infertility, especially when the two had been witnessing progress in their relationship. But a part of her resembled relief since their marriage was called off anyway and Jungkook showed his true colors. At this point, it was too much to carry for Dara; Jungkook and his revelation, the unsteady reveal of her infertility and her sudden journey to the South. Dara herself did not know how sure she was about the Curve. But she believed the elf.

The elf was an Outern.

He had been waiting.

Waiting for the Curve's rule again.

"Maybe we shouldn't have let the horses go," Skovier sighed then met Seokjin's strict eyes this time, Skovier scoffed, "Just a thought."

Hours of walking through the silent forest, Dara's thoughts made her restless while strength ran out of all of then. Dara stared at her compass as the soldiers unwinded and stretched their backs, resting their legs. The hands of the compass flattered, ticking to the Southern direction. Dara felt a soft breeze, a warm smell pass through and under her nose. She looked back, following the direction of the melodious, uplifting wind. As if the wind had it's own tune but only Dara could sense it. Jimin followed Dara, the lost heir walking to an unknown direction of the forest. He noticed how reluctantly Dara's feet took her to the edge of a hill, exactly where the forest ended and before Dara slipped without taking account on where she was stepping which was vacant air and below was a flowing river and rocks, Jimin grabbed the red hair by her waist and pulled her in.

Dara bumped back, her mouth and nose hitting Jimin's armed body. Jimin panted, "Are you crazy?"

But Jimin followed those green eyes as they looked back at the direction she was following. The compass ticking at it's final destination; the last realm. Jimin's brows eased once he realized what those red flags meant. He squeezed Dara's shoulders, a throbbing smile taken over their lips. Dara could clearly see the Southern soldiers guarding the wooden gates of the Southern camp, the red flags so high, as if they were for their lost daughter to find. And by high, Dara meant, really high up in the sky. She smiled at the golden star drawn amid the red flags, and she knew exactly what that meant and who would do that.

Jimin rushed back to tell the rest when Dara stood there, wanting the wind to sway her away to the Southern camp. Below those mountains, between the ponds, was the sacred South. The epitome of strength and the home for the best craftsmen, sword makers, crown builders. This was the lowest caste of all realms yet their creations outstood at the North and abroad. This was the home for labours, the workers, the menders and Dara only wondered, if the red hair was just an excuse for her birth here. What lived behind those walls, she was only and yet to be introduced.

So Dara lifted her compass up in the air, facing it to the sun as light reflected back to the gates of the South. When the wooden gates had no source of metal to reflect the light, Dara angled her compass tot he flags that were glinted with golden stars. She smiled, tears drowning her face as the Southern guards noticed the constellation made by the holy compass. There was a loud mess of guards yelling and shouting, the outburst of shock and joy once seeing the constellation created by the red hair above the mountain. When Seokjin believed Jimin's words and came back to look into the view, his eyes widened at Dara and the village below, back and forth. The mythical camp was now a haste of people running to prepare for the return of the lost daughter and Dara could feel it in every step and every heartbeat as they advanced towards the camp gates.

Skovier wouldn't believe any of it if he did not see it with his eyes. He believed Southerns had no power to make magic but he was extremely sure too, that those white pigeons flying in with lotuses on their beaks were waiting for this moment the way the Southerns were. With every step Dara took towards the Southern gate, she looked down to find her compass create further constellations with the ground, lining the paths that she was walking on and disappearing behind her the moment she walked further. The soldiers and Dara witnessed the guards with the dark red hair immediately sit on their knees, heads low, a head commander as it seemed like blew a loud whistle and the wooden gates were pulled down. The travellers stood in their positions, Dara's compass still making constellations, the only source of magic in her body that she could feel. Alas, no more magic ran through her body so she must use her raw mind to think her next steps. Something told Dara that this is were everything comes back together, from the broken pieces.

A man with the same red hair as Dara walked out of the crowd of people that Dara couldn't identify since they all gathered far away inside the walls of the South. Seokjin stepped forward, demanding to speak to the man approaching them before Dara did. The red haired man, with his white clad glanced at Dara before lowering his eyes, "Are you Deborah Koveski?"

"She is," Seokjin sayed, Dara's body hiding behind his broad shoulders. Jimin's eyes skimmed the people gathering inside the camp, everyone curious of the visitor and if they were mistaken; was it really the lost daughter of South?

"Who is your father?"

It fell silent. Seokjin looked at Dara.

She swallowed before saying the names that Arver had forbid her lips to ever pronounce for the first time, "Lord Zurien. Lord Atlas Zurien Koveski."

The man looked at Seokjin and the soldiers, "Unarm yourself. We will allow no foreign blades inside our realm," then looked at the red haired and offered a warm smile before curstying to her, head bowing and the rest of the realm behind him followed, "Welcome home, Princess. South has been waiting for you."

Dara's heart skipped a beat upon hearing the title for who knew how long.

The heads stayed low even when Dara entered the realm, the gates closing behind the four and all Dara realized was, she had no idea how to keep herself steady infront of these people.

Because everyone had red hair. And somehow, it looked odd. And odder.

Skovier found himself hypnotized between the scarlet colour. Not a single head in the village of people bowing down to Dara had a different hair colour. But for sure, Dara had much of the vibrant red while the Southerns here had a faded colour. There's no doubt Dara's hair was an outstander because of the hospitality it stayed under as a royal asset back in North and the Southerns probably don't even get proper water to cleanse their hair. But it still did not make a difference to Dara. These were Skovier's personal speculations right at that moment as he thought it would be important to lay out theories to keep his Queen outstanding.

"R-rise," Dara whispered. The silence made her low voice audible but she hated how weak she sounded. But did not blame herself. It was matter of time and wounds she had received.

The heads rose. And Jimin immediately found a pair of arms in the crowd and ran into them. Seokjin and Skovier stepped back with arched brows while Dara stared at an old woman pulling Jimin into her embracement. And it hit her. It hit the three.

The red hair was never dyed.

Before Dara and the soldiers could come up with more theories about Jimin, Dara's attention was seized when the crowd parted. People bowed again. But Dara was as clueless as the soldiers. A staff supported the man they bowed to, he had long red hair but frizzy, his eyes so green and his skin so pale. Wrinkled eyes and a dry mouth, those eyes spoke pain when they met Dara's eyes. His brows arched with agony, Dara watched him drop his staff before his arms were trembling enough to reach for her.

"Father," Dara said immediately and left no ounce of seconds before throwing her arms around the man. And once the warmth of the man embodied hers, she melted in. Those longing arms that was finally resting after decades of waiting for the daughter of Southern soil to return. His scent was like pure lotus from the waters, his tears were the evidence of his painful times in his death bed but as if Dara was the reason death feared approaching him.

She was here now.

"My beloved," he kissed her forehead painfully, holding her face into his wrinkled palms, "Oh, my dearest."

The pain of Jungkook's betrayal, his lies and his secrets, her fates and plans collapsing—it all came to pace right there, in that unknown chest of this man. By the way his heart rang, how warm he was and how his tears were unstoppable, Dara knew she was home.

He was Lord of South. He was Atlas Zurien Koveski. The widowed husband of Illari Koveski and, the only father of Dara Koveski. Nothing felt more real. Nothing brought the people's body hair rise to it's maximum that they had to grab themselves to avoid feeling the chills.

Zurien pulled away from his daughter, to take a better look at her. He shook his head, agreeing, "Exactly like Illari. Just like her. Even the nose."

There was a slight exchange of giggle and Dara finally found herself smiling after what seemed like a hell of long period of time. Zurien studied his daughter, patting her head before his expressions fell at her hair. He touched them, frowned a bit, "Deborah, your hair...it must not be cut—,"

"I know," Dara's heart leaped, she bit her lower lip with regret, "Father. I have been betrayed. I have been tricked and lied to. The Blood throne's heir....turned out to be my own husband and he had been planning to take me down from the beginning, I cannot use magic anymore, there is none left in my body so I left West and now I don't know—,

"Deborah," Zurien grabbed Dara's shoulders softly, his green eyes peering into hers as the tall man bent over to look at her better, "I know. Dearest, I know," then his eyes trailed towards Jimin who was embracing an elderly southern woman into his arms as he looked at the father and daughter from afar. Dara frowned and looked back at Zurien, confused, "I couldn't leave you out there at North alone and stay here with no news of your reign."

Jimin was never a Northern. He was Zurien's spy.

Zurien touched Dara's hair, "Arver raised a warrior out of you, didn't he?"

Dara's eyes broke into tears again as she shook her head, "I have lost—,"

"I think otherwise," Zurien smiled, "With every letter Park Jimin sent me, he wrote of your achievements. The craze of people that were so found of you and I knew you definitely took after Illari enough to be so graceful. You lead a Caucus, Deborah. You defied Northern norms, the discrimination against women, you became light—we know all of it. Ask the Southern wind, we say tales about you. So never say you have lost." Zurien's eyes were still wary with water, "Because you, my one and only, have come to regain your strength so you can go back and win what's yours."

Dara denied at once, "He lied to me, father. He lied to me about his origin—did I not give him enough? Did I not embrace him enough for him to not blindfold me and use me to build a throne that was never mine—,"

"If it's Jeon Jungkook you are speaking of, then we all have reasons to go against the things we cherish." Zurien smiled again, "Your mother left me behind my back to sacrifice herself for you. Did I ask for explanations even though she never existed after that? No. People die for love, Dara. But since you are here, you must also go back once you are prepared."

"I am never going back to West. Nor am I going back to the North." Dara promised, "he doesn't need me. He won't need me once he has the blood throne that he deserves so much."

"Then why are you here?" Zurien asked, "I must not be the only reason why you have come here?"

Dara stared at her father before swallowing, "There's someone summing the Curve. I need to learn how to stop it. They say my last resource of hope and strength is in this realm."

Zurien nodded, then he looked at the people of Southern with a chest full of pride, "People of South. Your wait of centuries has come to an end. Arver's secret heir, my daughter has returned."

Zurien looked at Dara, his eyes gleaming like the sundown at a green forest,"Her name is Deborah Koveski, the last heir of the Curve."

She was home.

This is were the secrets rested. All she had to know was here. The last realm.

And she was the last heir of the Curve.

Was she really the heir when another candidate existed in the shadows? Lurking across the Curve and awaiting her blood?

Everyone had little to conquer. But how big was Dara's little to conquer? Was it as big as her pride or as small as the prices of her broke heart.

She promised herself that she would never go back to him. Jeon Jungkook was one of those white lies found on a dead war zone and she was going to erase him once she had saved Zisk from Curve. If no one else was going to save mankind or did not hold the power to do so, she might as well give her life and die with the knots of pain while fighting for it.

For now, Dara really did not know what she was going to prepare herself for. She did not know how many of them were really on her side. Was she going to fight alone, again? And be trapped in another bath of blood and betrayal?

No. Not this time. She was going to think with her own head.

The last heir of the Curve.

Dara realized how significant those words were as she was in the last realm, having explored all the other realms. It was either the end of all beginnings or the beginning of an unending reign that she had never seen coming.

As the red hair prophecy very much went this way; once she has stepped on all the realms and explored all the treasured memories and forbidden tales, the end will be near as ever.

The end was near.

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