I FELL IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

Episode 21

The sun from the east was in a calm atmosphere as usual in the Eastern Assyrian Kingdom, but not the case with the atmosphere in a simple wooden house not far from the Deep Forest which is full of dew grains in the morning. Vortes could not close his eyes last night to accompany Faye to face King Atlura. The man just sat pensively without the slightest sound at the dining table, accompanied by Kyrion. Vortes' eyes looked very heavy and tired, but his overly chaotic thoughts did not allow him to fall asleep. He could not stop worrying about his daughter, who was locked up in his room. Vortes felt so helpless and weak as a father that he was unable to help alleviate his daughter's suffering.

Kyrion looked at Vortes concerned, the normally cheerful man was now very messy and depressed. He tried to calm Vortes down, assuring him that Faye must be strong and that everything would be fine, but the fyriel shook as if she had not heard his words. Kyrion sighed slowly, staring at Faye's locked room door from inside.

Faye.., I know this is hard on you, but I'm sure you're capable of dealing with all this. You still have people who love you out here...

The soft rays of the sun woke Faye up. His eyes still felt heavy and wet when he tried to open them. The girl cried all night to sleep because she was tired. Faye groaned softly and rose from sleep with her face and disheveled hair. Instantly it was also the memory of last night's events repeated in his newly perfectly conscious brain. A feeling of tightness, heaviness, and distress ambushed him again. Suddenly Faye is afraid to face today, her first day without Eugene. And uncontrollably, the mind of the fyriel imagined the next thousand days without the young man she loved.

"Hey."

Faye was surprised, turning to a corner of the room, in the direction from which the voice called. The fyriel's lips were flabbergasted. As she got all her strength back, Faye jumped down from the bed and ran to the corner of the room, hugging a black-robed young man with shiny silver buttons. Faye's fingers clutched the back of the young man's robe, hugging so tightly as if not allowing him to move away in the slightest.

"I've been lying, Eugene. "I told them I would, but I couldn't. I can't without you...."

"You don't have to do it, Faye." Eugene let go of his embrace slowly. A tear drenched the girl's rosy cheeks with both thumbs. Faye looked at Eugene's red eyes full of question marks while the devoile fingers brushed her messy hair with tenderness.

"But if I don't do it, your father...."

"Fuck him," Eugene interrupted in a fierce tone. "He will continue to attack this kingdom."

Highlight was shocked emanating from both of Faye's eyes.

Duk duk duk!

"Faaye!!!" Eugene and Faye gasped at the loud bang on the door. Faye knows, it's her father's voice.

"Devoiles! I know you're inside! Don't touch my daughter, damned creature!!" Faye glanced towards Eugene full of anxiety. Fear prompts her instinctively to get into Eugene's arms seeking refuge. It was never imagined that in his lifetime he would seek refuge in darkness and fear this kind of light.

Eugene nodded to convince Faye. "Alura's bodyguards must have kissed me. But relax, I'm not running. I'll do whatever I can to stay with you." A glimmer of happiness illuminated Faye's heart upon hearing it.

Bra!!!

The door to the room was forcefully opened. Vortes and Kyrion immediately entered with faces flushed with anger. Anger further exploded in the chest of the two as they saw the dark purple glowing devoile hugging Faye. Eugene immediately shifts Faye's body backwards, protecting the girl with his body. Seeing Vortes wielding Escudo's spear at him, the devoile pulled out both of his black swords.

"I can explain everything, Mr. Vortes."

"Shut your mouth, Devoile!" snapped Vortes rough. "Go now or we'll kill you! The bodyguards are already surrounded outside, so don't even think about making a mess!"

"I'll drop my sword if it makes you listen to me." Eugene placed both his swords on the floor without hesitation. "I want to tell your king something."

Kyrion slams his Escudo sword. "What more do you want?? Go, stay away from Faye!! You will only bring destruction to our kingdom!"

"Dad.., Kyrion..,"Sela Faye was scared in the middle of the men's commotion. "Please, listen to Eugene. He's got something important that King Atlura needs to know, for the sake of our kingdom." Vortes and Kyrion were still tightly clenched in their respective weapons, staring onwardly at Faye and Eugene.

"Please, give him a chance..."

"Sad." With a hateful look, Kyrion finally lowered his sword. "It's only because Faye asked for it, Devoile!" The fyriel turned around in a haughty manner, then instructed the guards outside not to attack. Vortes' purple eyes stared blankly at Faye and Eugene, making Faye's feelings suddenly feel uneasy.

"Dad..."

"We're leaving for the palace now." Guilt and disappointment pierced Faye's chest. Vortes didn't look at him just now, didn't give him a chance to talk. The man left her out with a back that looked cold and lonely. Eugene captures Faye's heart through the girl's face. Faye's hand was held affectionately.

"Everything will be fine" he said with a warm smile. "Trust me, Faye."

Eugene's gentle caress on the head made Faye feel calmer. "Eh." He nodded.

Eugene and Faye joined together with Vortes, Kyrion and the bodyguards who were tense-faced as they stared at the dense darkness enveloping the devoile prince's body. The group moved towards the East Assyre Palace, passing the umun road crowded by the people. The fyriel, centaurs, dwarves, and elves on the morning move suddenly swarmed, looking at the red-eyed devoile in the group of light creatures holding Faye's hand. Whispers full of wonder and expectation came out of the lips of all the people along the streets. Not stopping at Eugene, now their eyes began to strip the figure of Faye anyway. Out of nowhere, Faye thought it seemed like the news of her relationship with Eugene had spread to the outside of the palace. The fyriel's shoulder shriveled and his head slightly lowered as a sharp glare continued to pierce him. Kyrion let out a heavy sigh finding Faye's almost turtle-like shape that would hide the head in the shell.

"Can you take your hand off?? It was really disturbing," Kyrion pint at Eugene in a fierce tone. "Are you deliberately looking for a sensation here??"

Without answering, Eugene immediately took off the armband from Faye, then raised both hands with an innocent face that seemed to make Kyrion even more upset. The Devoile snorted amusedly after Kyrion did not look at him anymore.

"He seems to like you" Eugene whispered in Faye's ear. Kyrion looked back quickly. The fyriel's folded face only Eugene responded with a casual whistle.

The Devoile was trying to enjoy his journey towards the Eastern Assyrian Palace even though so much of the light of the fyriel made him feel stifled, it felt like an intimidating air. Eugene did not want to show his discomfort because it was certain that it would only make Faye worried.

It felt a bit relieved when entering the palace, because there was no more crowd like on the road earlier. But when faced with the powerful light of King Atlura, Eugene again felt uneasy.

"So you're Zodic's son..." The king's emerald green eyes traced Eugene from the tip of his hair to the tip of his foot.

"My name is Eugene. There's something I have to tell you, "Eugene answered steadily, making sure everyone in the big room could hear it. King Atlura tilted his head. "About?"

Everyone in the room was whispering. Tense and disbelieving rails adorn the faces of the fyriel. Faye stood with Vortes and Kyrion, not far behind Eugene.

"He won't attack if you don't see Faye again, Eugene" said King Atlura. "Because of that, I'm asking you to get out of here right now."

"What's? You're going to let my father take your territory so easily??" Eugene couldn't take it.

"Go away. Zodic would obviously attack if he knew you were standing here any longer. Please understand, Devoile," the royal adviser replied to his king. "Don't be stubborn, you're just alone in our territory now. King Atlura was already kind enough to forgive your mistake yesterday, kill our six bodyguards, so don't make trouble again."

Eugene growled in annoyance. "I never killed your bodyguards! The other Devoile did it!" his yell.

"What can make you believe me?? I'll do it!! I really don't want this war, but my father will never stop until he has conquered all of Assyre! He never cared about all the deals you made! If only now did he attack, it was not because he had ever kept the agreement, my father was just waiting for the right moment to pick up his glorious victory!"

Silent. There was not a single voice responding to Eugene's efforts. The young man felt as if he was just a big loser being harassed, no one looked over even listening to him.

"I believe!" All heads turned towards the voice. "I believe in Eugene." Faye stepped steadily towards Eugene's side, facing the Atlura King. "Eugene came here against his father not for us to suspect like this. Please, Your Majesty. We must protect this kingdom. Believe that...."

"I believe him." Vortes followed forward next to Faye.

Faye was shocked, almost unable to believe what she saw. Vortes smiled gently at him, as if the cold-faced mask that had covered the man's face had now been smashed into pieces. It felt like Faye wanted to hug her father while crying happily, but it was not the right thing to do at a time like this.

"In my opinion, we should immediately prepare the troops, Your Majesty." Kyrion followed with tazim. "It just so happens that Dad has a sharp war strategy that has been waiting for a long time for trials. Aren't you.., Dad?"

Emerio who was standing in the ranks of the royal higher-ups immediately stuttered as all eyes were suddenly fixed on him. For a while the blond-bearded man seemed to be weighing. But while capturing the powerful radiance from his son's proud golden eyes, the fyriel nodded at King Atlura.

Suddenly the echo of the sound of ivory trumpets blared throughout the kingdom. The heart rate of all who heard the sign seemed to stop for a moment. Emerio's face that had been still blushing red suddenly turned deathly pale.

"Your Majesty!!!" A guard broke through the door of the halfway room. "I'm sorry for my indecision, but this is an emergency! The supervisor in the tower had already seen the Western Assyrian troops in the forbidden part of the Deep Forest! They are sure to be moving towards here in large numbers!!"

King Atlura stood on his throne. "You can predict their numbers?"

The bodyguard took a breath in the middle of his puff. "About five hundred thousand, Your Majesty. Consists of devoile, minotaur, goblin, chimera, troll and griffin."

Emerio immediately moved to take control. "We have two hundred thousand soldiers ready for battle. Command the troops to secure the elderly, women and children to the underground protection barracks. Gather men and youth, as well as elves, dwarves, golems, centaurs, unicorns, and pegasus to help our troops. Kyrion, gather commanders of all sectors and make sure my combat strategy is understood. Everyone has to move fast!!"

"Good!" Kyrion immediately ran out after saluting King Atlura. Emerio followed him later.

"I must also join the army, Faye," Vortes' voice resuscitated Faye amid the panic within the palace. "Make sure you're safe in the protection barracks." Faye nodded and hugged Vortes for a long time before the man finally joined the other fyriel-fyriel preparing for war.

"Let me join your army." Eugene looked at King Atlura straight.

"Why should I allow you?" King Atlura asked back while wearing the war clothes his servant had prepared. Eugene smiled.

"Certainly because you need me. The number of your troops will still lose even if added to the power of your people. My father had such a large army because he forced the entire inhabitants of the forbidden section of the Deep Forest to join him" he explained. "You won't regret it. Without even Escudo, I could finish off a thousand devoiles by myself."

King Atlura only glared at the devoile's arrogance. Without replying, he gestured for a servant to give Eugene a battle suit. After the death of King Atlura, Faye approached Eugene who was putting armor on his body. Eugene smiled slightly, he could already understand what Faye was going to say just by looking at the girl's worried face.

"How many times have I said that?" Eugene pinches Faye's cheek. "All will be well. My father's army will definitely lose. Devoile and Fyriel can live peacefully again afterwards, and we can continue together."

"I'm worried about you" Faye sighed softly.

"You have to trust me, Faye. Can I assume that it's also part of love?" Faye was stunned for a moment, then a smile broke between her two blushing cheeks. "You learn fast, Eugene."

"That's all thanks to you." Eugene hugs Faye, sipping the calmness of the fyriel before joining the tension out there. "Jaga yourself. I promise to pick you up when the war's over." Faye nodded, the tears that melted on both of her cheeks were warm amidst the cold air. Eugene smiled again seeing that cry.

"Ah, I'm thirsty."

Faye had not blinked yet, and had already frozen when Eugene's thin lips touched both of his cheeks, sipping his tears gently. The Devoile blinked one eye before turning to leave Faye. "Two tears are quite refreshing. I'm not thirsty, so don't cry anymore." Faye laughed softly. That was Eugene, always able to calm the turmoil in his heart.

Goddess Freya, please. protect Daddy and Kyrion...

Please protect our kingdom...

Please, protect Eugene...

Maybe to others he is darkness, but he is the light of life to me....

In the midst of the fyriel who had taken refuge in the underground barracks, Faye clenched both hands in front of her chest. Closing his eyes, imagining the Goddess Freya in front of him and he pleaded with all his heart.

The atmosphere of the sanctuary was so gloomy, filled with the cries of children and*********worry from the lips of the women who thought of their family members in the war up there. But the glow from their bodies illuminated the place, indicating that there was still such a high hope of victory.