Arcanum 158 Secrets and Regrets

"So soon?..." Ashley asked with a giant smile.

"Thank you Commander Paul and Commander Scarlet and everyone else for the fine evening.... but I can't have rumours spreading that I've spent the night with my House Leaders main rival..." She respectfully informed us.

"He considers me a rival?... I'm surprised I'm held in such high regard…." Paul laughed and nodded to Yuna.

"Thank you Commander.... personally.... I think you'll cream him." she smiled and made her exit.

"Ummm Yuna..." I said quickly catching up with her at the door.

"Yes Emilia?..." she smiled.

"Umm..... Thank you for saving me..." I thanked her earnestly.

"No problems... it was my duty and my orders...." She smiled.

"I am really thankful..... You was ready to give your life up for a stranger you didn't even know..." I honestly said to her and began to tear up.

"Emilia..... You are a student of Atlantis.... we're family now..... Besides you was only holding me back, trying to protect you and fighting was cramping my style." She joked and wiped away my initial tears. "You've got a strong soul and a good heart.... You'll do great things." She smiled giving me a jab on the arm forcing me to laugh and smile a little. "Have a good evening... and know that each Atlantis student would have done the same." She smiled and left the room.

I closed the door turning around seeing everyone getting along like one big family... like stopping a war and risking your lives was an everyday occurrence..... Paul and Ashley exchanging things chatting away... Daisy and Scarlet seemingly having an eating competition..... Sven and Jay undoubtedly having some sort of intellectual conversation.... and lastly Grace still debating with Helen what drink to get Travis. Paul looked at me noticing me standing at the door for a few seconds and began to wave for me to come over.

"Hey you alright?..." he asked as I walked over to him.

"Yeah just you know... the whole thing is so overwhelming.... and crazy.... just a few weeks ago I was an ordinary person..." I said to him taking a seat on the floor leaning my back on the wheels of his wheel chair.

"I know what you mean..... I felt the same when I first left Earth..." He said giving me his hand to hold.

"You're hands are still smooth and girly..." I joked feeling his hands with the both of mind…. "They really haven't changed at all…" I said quickly holding his hand tightly as he tried to pull it away.

"..... I am really sorry you got caught up in all this..." He apologised to me softly.

"It's kind of my fault for trying to protect the refugees..." I admitted to him.

"You did the right thing...." He replied I could tell he was smiling proudly at me.

"So if I was to go home..... I can't utter a word to anyone?..." I asked him wondering.

"It is best not to...." Paul answered.

"Why? What will happen?...." I asked curiously....

I'm not sure about the other worlds.... but on ours.... there is a rich and powerful secret organisation that safe guards the secrets of Magic in our world..." Paul answered.

"Like the Illuminati?.." I joked like what he said was absolutely preposterous.

"Yeah pretty much….Don't cross them....." he answered sounding a little serious.

"Wait what…. For real?... How do you know about them then?..." I asked in complete shock unsure if he was joking.

"Let's just say.... your ex-fiancé told me....." He replied.

"Wait who?...." I asked looking up at him trying to wonder who on earth he was talking about, and he just looked down at me urging me to remember. "Wait.... Raj?..." I questioned him in shock after thinking about it..... "Paul….. He's not my ex-fiancé..." I said to him in a serious tone.

"I know..... But you guys were arranged to get married... you parents had it planned since like birth…." He replied.

I slapped away his hand, "I would probably be happy living in Dubai enjoying the sun and sand… instead I'm here… almost died….. And paralyzed.... bullied by a princess…. shimmering panthers that can make an illusion of itself….. alost crushed to death bodies… what else…. Ohh yeah and to top it all off gutted like a fish by a very friendly a Dark Elf off…." I said to him in spite.

"I'm really sorry….. I just know he's not right for you….." he said in a very saddened tone.

"How do you even know.... you never even met him...." I asked questioning his judgment.

"Trust me..... He isn't...." He pleaded.......

"Ohh and you was better?..... Breaking my arrange marriage .... making my parents disown me.... being a meat eater... and someone who rejects faith...." I joked to him knowing if I went back in time I would always pick him again in a heartbeat.

"........I am sorry for everything..... I'll make it all right….... Once I'm back to normal…." He apologised earnestly.

"It's okay.. I was only joking…. I'm sure in ever universe there is out there… I will always pick you…" I smiled.

"Maybe.... when we get back home for holiday..... You can ask Raj and he will tell you everything?..." He suggested.

"Why can't you just tell me??.." I questioned.

"I made a promise to him and your family I can't speak a word of it to you…." He explained…..

"You and your stupid rule." I sighed but it was quite reassuring that he never breaks a promise.

"Promises are law." He said to me looking down at me with a smile.

"Are there any more secrets that you keep from me?..." I questioned.

"I'm sorry I can't be completely open to you.... there are things I cannot say even if I wish to...." He answered.

"It's okay... I know you're a good person despite annihilating hundreds of dark Elves." I said to him.

"I spared many.... like I explained before .... Dark Elves cannot be reasoned with... I needed to make them fear Atlantis...." He explained.

"So what would happen now?..." I asked.

"I recover in week... Convene with the council of the city..... Negotiate terms on how much I need to pay for in repairs......" He sighed.

"Wait you saved everyone... and then you need to pay for repairs?..." I asked in shock.

"Yes.... Atlantis is a separate entity.... the state will not pay for the repairs... so the city will need to pay for the repairs themselves.... and Atlantis.... ergo me..." He replied.

"But if you didn't intervene they would have lost the city...." I argued against his decision.

"But that is not what happened... so I need to bear the burden." He replied.

"What would have happened if you didn't intervene?..." I questioned.

"Well..... Sadly I was kept behind to defend Atlantis...... so once the word reaches me that defences and Atlantis was overrun... I would have arrived much later.... there would have been innumerable casualties... and well I would have been forced to use something more devastating.... He answered.... "Then that would be the spark that would eventually start an endless flame.... The Dark Elves would see Arcadia as weak.... and will constantly pillage and kidnap innocent people in small skirmish raids all over the region." He explained.

"So in the end through sheer luck the best thing happened?.." I asked.

"Yes.... the series of events did result in the best outcome." He smiled.

"Paul..." I questioned him wondering I should tell him about my vision.

"Yes Emilia?...." he said in a very caring tone.

"...........Can you try to stay alive?..." I pleaded ultimately choosing not reveal my vision to him.

"Like I said..... Now that you're here.... I won't be so reckless..." He answered in a sincere truthful tone.

"Promise?..." I asked him knowing that he will never break a promise.

"...... I promise I'll try and stay alive." he chuckled.

"I'm serious!!! Promise me you'll stay alive." I asked him.

"Emilia.... As strong as I am....even I don't possess immortality.... I will die eventually...." He replied chuckling a little.

"I just don't want to wake up one day to hear you died on a mission or doing something crazy...." I said trying to prevent the vision shown to me.

"I'll make the promise again... I promise I won't throw away my life stupidly." He promised smiling

"Okay...." I smiled feeling a little more relieved.

"Are you okay?.." He asked me.

"Yeah why?..." I questioned.

"You seem a bit off..." He questioned.

"....... I Think I'm okay....." I answered him.

"I'm here for a week at the least..... If you need me for any reason let me know okay?..." He requested.

"Yes..." I answered him.

"I know you hate the thought of being a burden and find it hard to ask other for help..... But trust me.... talk to me.. Or at least Scarlet.... at least okay?..." He requested.

"I'll try..." I answered.

"As long as you try..." He smiled.

"I'm happy to see you're doing well here." I admitted to him.

"Well..... Maybe if I take my money reputation and title with me back home maybe your parents might see me as a real person and a legitimate suitor." He chuckled.

"Don't be like that.... they are just stuck in their old ways....." I pulled his finger making him jolt in pain. "They are still my family you know...." I added.

"The measure of a man is not based on his fame, fortune, name or religion... It's his heart that is most important...." he said as if cursing them and their way of thinking.

"Sadly…. Our difference in race and culture is also a big problem to them….. I confessed to him….."But all that didn't matter at the time... that's why I picked you....." I replied to him, I could feel his hand holding more tightly not wanting to let it go.

"........ I'm sorry for hurting you...." He apologised in a hushed tone.

"I know...." I said squeezing his hand back.

"I'll make it up to you..." He said with a smile.

Chapter end