Following the splendid meal, a palpable shift surrounded the palace. Leesa and Bryant returned to their rooms, to think through things off their minds. Meanwhile, Lilian dragged Darrell to the terrace atop the residence's highest floor. As they stepped into the open expanse, a symphony of decorations unfolded before them. The entire dukedom seemed to have ignited, ablaze with lanterns and triumphant banners, a tribute to Leesa's victory.
The celebration was a tide of collective delight. Joy painted smiles on every face, as the air buzzed with conversations drenched in mirth. The victory, Leesa's victory, was more than a personal conquest. It was a beacon that kindled hope, igniting the spark of festivity in everyone in the dukedom. The terrace, a perch of reflection, offered Darrell and Lilian not just a view of the spectacle below, but a connection to the ebullience that defined their people.
At that moment, amidst the glow of celebration, the palace's terrace wasn't just a physical space. It was a bridge, a line that united their narratives into a collective jubilation, a reminder that victories were richer when shared, and joy, like the decorations illuminating the day, was a gift to be cherished.
"Darrell, stop worrying and look up."
The view was enjoyable and pleasant. There was a smile on people's faces, "It is delightful indeed".
"Don't worry too much, Leesa is not a small child anymore. She is an adult now and she knows what is best for her. We need to support her decisions, whatever she chooses, whether to stay or leave. And if anything goes wrong, we can always be there to guide her. Plus I trust her."
"Yes, you're right. I shouldn't let my love restrict her in any way. I think I was getting too emotional back then. Thanks for taking me out for fresh air."
"Of course, I will always do it whenever you need it, Darrell."
As soon as the next day began, it went by in a hurry. Now standing by, Byrant and Lilian were saying their goodbyes to Leesa, who had decided to leave the duke's residence and stay at the imperial palace and serve as Flavian's assistant and bodyguard. Weinne, who was also accompanying Leesa as her maid, was helping with putting and organising the luggage in the carriage.
Lillian hugged her precious daughter and said her goodbyes. And told Weinne to take care of Leesa while staying at the royal palace.
The moment Byrant raised his head, he was crying buckets of tears. Although he had kept his head down for a while, no one noticed. He held his tears back and muffled, "Sister, are you really leaving?".
Leesa nodded with a sad smile, coming closer to Byrant to wipe his tears away. "Yes, I am Byrant."
Listening to this, Bryant started crying even more. He was filled with a pang of deep sadness as he realized he would now be all alone. "Then will I not be able to meet you again? Tell me you will come back home soon or perhaps you will be going on some scary adventures with the crown prince and get yourself injured? I don't like you leaving, sister. Please stay with me. I don't like the thought of you not coming back anymore."
"Byrant don't worry you know your sister better, right? She is not as weak as you think she is. Nothing is going to happen to me and who says you can't come and meet me? Of course, you can come and meet me whenever you want. I will come back home after some time, whenever I get a break or a vacation, believe me."
"Sister, I know how strong you are and I know nothing will happen to you but it's just I won't be able to find you whenever I wish. You would always be in your room or the garden practising your fighting skills but not anymore I guess."
"I apologize, Bryant. I didn't wish it to be this way, but I promise that whenever you need me, I will be there. That's something I've always been doing as your big sister, so you don't need to worry. There is still Father, Mother, and Frederick here, so please don't be sad or cause trouble for anyone. And you can always write to me and I'll reply."
Byrant hugged Leesa tightly, crying as if it was their last time seeing each other. Everyone gathered near the carriage as Leesa was ready to leave for the royal palace. Byrant tried to control himself after making a mess out of him.
As Leesa and Weinne prepared to settle themselves in the carriage, Leesa looked around, realising something was missing. She asked Lilian "Where is Father, Mother? I haven't seen him all this time."
"He has been lying down with a fever since the day of our little celebration."
"What? It has been a whole day. Why did you not tell me, Mother? I would have at least paid a visit to check upon him."
"Sigh, you are better off not paying any heed to him. He will surely hold you back from going."
"Umm, okay if you say so, Mother."
Some voices seemed to come down from the entrance of the palace. "Don't you dare stop me, I need to see my daughter" screams the duke in agony to the servants and the butler who are stopping him by clutching onto his clothes as Darrell tries to take his steps towards the ground in front of the residence, where the carriage awaits.
"My daughter, my lovely treasure, please don't leave me alone," shouted the duke, using every energy he had in store.
"Mother... is this the reason why you stopped me to check up on him? He got a fever due to his overthinking about me going to the palace!"
"Hah, yes," seeing the whole scenario with Byrant and Darrell, Lilian comments "What am I going to do with these idiots?"
"There is no time to waste," Lilian grabs Leesa's arms and throws her into the carriage along with Weinne who also got a bit emotional from all the happenings and orders the coachman to hurry up.