Survive As The Brute's Wife

Standing at the place where everything went wrong, her memories from her past life returned.

As she closed her eyes, she saw the blooming tree in front of her. And there it was... a bright orb purer than the summer sunbeam lighting up the noon sky, leaving the tree and coming to her.

Just where the bright orb left, she saw tears of red dripping out. And it was then she realized something.

Rather than returning to the creator to have eternal rest or to have the next life as he pleases, Tubby's soul is searching for her even when he left his body.

She wanted to give him a choice when she left first. She wanted to give him a choice to have a new beginning and to have a choice if he wants to have the next life or enter the eternal rest. 

That was why she left early, because she always has that choice and she knew it; she has the choice to start and end her life whenever and however she wants to. Ending her life and beginning another is nothing for her. It's as simple as changing her clothes. Like one would change their clothes if they felt like it, she can change her life if she pleases. She can choose the time period she born again but she cannot live the same life twice.

After facing the betrayal from Luke, she wanted to leave the life where she made a lot of stupid decisions by following her blinded love-ridden heart. She was so ashamed of herself and was bereaved that she failed to accept Tubby's counsel, that she lacked the courage to face him. That's why she failed to update Tubby of her ability to choose life, but that ended up to be the reason that made Tubby come after her, thinking that she is dead and he won't be able to see her again. 

And that is why it affected her deeply and she changed her decision.

Till then the feelings she had for Tubby were rather ambiguous and leaned more towards being a family member than that of a lover. But seeing his soul reaching for her, her mind changed in an instant, as her heart became clear. 

[I am not going to leave Tubby! He shall be my husband!]

But every time she reincarnated, she risked losing her memories. She had lost the memory that life and that was why she let herself to be manipulated by Luke. She remembered who she was only the day she took her life. And Tubby had followed her.

She wanted to assure that she would end up with Tubby in the next life and she wanted to leave an assurance for her to not forget her promise.

She saw the part of the tree that was bleeding and she realized that parts of his heart where some of her blood touched, didn't petrify and is still bleeding. 

She knew what to do. 

She plunged her translucent hand inside the tree that was forming from the rock and tried to grab the part that was still flesh. But she couldn't.  She still couldn't touch anything physical.

She was very disappointed and she still wasn't willing to give up. It took a lot of effort to gather up her strength to cast a spell without her physical body and she was losing time. By letting loose of her emotions, she had caused a lot of calamities and she knew that the Dragon King would be angry at her and would call her up for an explanation.

She put a powerful spell that hardened the heart to a stone with ancient runes imprinted on the stone. That was the stone - the Aion stone she created. It was made of the heart that was filled with love; love for her, combined with the blood and powerful magic of hers.

And through other spells that she could muster up the strength to, she sent the stone to someone reliable; someone who hated her but loved Tubby like a brother. 

Theodus! 

It was then she saw... the travelling Aion stone getting closer to a familiar figure.

At that time, her soul was summoned up to the Heavenly Council and she saw Luke kneeling at the distance. There was no island back then, just a hill and a gorge formed around that was getting filled with water.

Luke couldn't see her but his eyes were focused on the tree forming on the top of the hill. Or he was probably looking at her dead body.

The stone was getting closer to him. She wanted to hide it.

She saw Luke trying to get closer to the hill and she didn't like the idea that anyone can be able to get near Tubby's body. Her body would disappear once she choses her next life. And she didn't want Luke's ugly paws to touch her body either. 

With the little strength she had left, she lifted the hill and carried it to the sea. She wanted to take it where no one could reach, like the middle of the sea, but she didn't have any strength left. And so she left the island just a little away from the shore. 

Before she could settle it and create spells to protect the island to not let the humans reach that place and dirty it up, she was spent. And she was pulled up to the Heavenly Council to stand before the Dragon King before she could track the stone.

And bits and pieces of her interaction with the Dragon King came to her memory. 

'You shall not go back!'

'Insolence!'

'I forbid you!'

'Defiant Child!'

The familiar voice was rebuking her with authority and a familial love. But she wanted to return; return for Tubby. 

Alexandra opened her eyes. 

"So you protected this place for me, sister," she kissed Cathlyn on the cheek.

"Ah..." Cathlyn took a step back and observed Alexandra squinting her eyes. "Can I trust that you remembered it all?"

"I am not sure..." Alexandra let out a sigh. "I..."

Her eyes ended up at the sword lying by the side and picked it up. Holding that sword in her hand, she took in a deep breath. She finally felt that she is complete. In her hand, the sword let out a bright glow that reached the skies signifying the world that the keeper of the heavenly sword has returned.

Joy filled the hearts of lots of people who expected the return of their savior. While at a not-so-distant land, the Dowager who was in her nightwear and taking a stroll at the flower garden as sleep escaped her, saw the hound's tree sapling with a small bud. 

It was just a small sapling with the leaves barely discernable as the Hound's tree and no plant this size should be having a bud but this one did. 

'When the unthinkable happens, and when the hound's tree in your garden blooms, know that it is the beginning of the end for Lethusia as you know it!'

The Dowager remembered that prophecy she received when she brought her infant son to the temple to get blessing.

"Who's there?" she screamed.

"Your Highness..!" the gardener ran to her and bowed her head for she didn't know what went wrong.

"Who... Who is responsible for weeding? I told you there should not be any Hound's tree in my garden unless you want your entire family to perish!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. 

"But..." the gardener panicked as she made sure that there is never a Hound's tree anywhere in there. She doesn't even gets near a Hound's tree fearing she might bring a seed to the Eirene Garden, angering the Dowager.

Her eyes ended up where the Dowager is staring and she was petrified seeing the little sapling at a spot she missed for just a day. Before the gardener could form an answer, the Dowager lunged at the plant to destroy it.

It still hasn't flowered. 

"Ugh!"

The yelp of the gardener made The Dowager's eyes squint. She saw a ray of light reflected in the gardener's eyes.  The bright light splitting up the sky at the dead of the night made everyone including the Dowager to turn and have a look.

The light was gentle as the moonbeam making one wonder if the moon goddess is descending on the earth. There were many yelps of wonderment among the onlookers. The guards forgot their duty for a moment as they stared at the wonder in the sky.

Seeing the location of the origin of that ray of light, the Dowager's heart trembled with fear.

The light signified the arrival of the enemy she was warned against. She tried her best to avoid the inevitable. 'At least, not when I am alive' was her thought in this matter.

But everything has started to crumble right in front of her eyes.

"I'll still crush this!" The Dowager screamed and turned at the plant. She thought if she crushed the bud, the inevitable would be avoided. 

But she was in for a disappointment.

The bud had already bloomed to a white bloom and was releasing golden dust in that night that had a divine light brightening up the sky.. A gentle breeze blew, caressing the flower making it nod.