YM778.TV Chapter 678: You Are My Heart’s Eternal Spark
During the journey, the princess quietly hugged her best friend from behind as they flew through the sky on her flying broom.
Joanne\'s eyes were red and moist because both of them had cried for quite a while before leaving.
Ramona was her first real friend.
Someone whom she had acknowledged as her equal.
Joanne had grown up only playing with her dolls, and talking to her Other Half inside her mind. She had no other friends, so parting with the only one she had was very painful for the young lady.
Ethan had a calm expression on his face, but deep inside, he was feeling really sad.
This was the second time he was going to leave Princess Ramona behind, and it was more painful than the first time he had done it.
The travel time to the City of Zentris from the Magdar Kingdom was only thirty minutes, but they weren\'t in a hurry so it took them an hour to arrive at their destination.
The Allied Tribes were very surprised when they saw the Tidebringer again because they thought that he had left already.
Ethan talked briefly to the Chieftains and mentioned that Princess Ramona would become the Saintess of the Tidebringer Religion.
Naturally, all of them were on board with this idea and looked at the young lady with admiration and respect.
Princess Ramona\'s act was befitting of her position as Princess, and she took everything in stride.
Illumina also appeared, stunning the Allied Tribes with her beauty.
Perhaps feeling mischievous, Illumina introduced herself as the Tidebringer\'s consort, which made Princess Ramona pout.
The people, of course, were overjoyed because they were finally able to meet another one of the Tidebringer\'s lovers.
They were also ecstatic when Ethan introduced Joanne as his sister, making everyone look at her fondly.
Their talk lasted for two hours before Ethan led Joanne, Princess Ramona, and Illumina to the top of the Pyramid.
Only those whom Sebastian had given permission to enter the Pyramid could climb its stairs, so the tribesmen could only watch them from the ground.
"The Allied Tribes will now be a part of your strength," Ethan said as he lightly patted Princess Ramona\'s head. "They will also be your devout supporters, so if ever something comes up, don\'t hesitate to ask for their help."
Princess Ramona nodded, knowing that Ethan was doing all of this to ensure that she would be safe from harm.
A hundred Shadow Rats were also currently hiding in her shadow, ready to attack anyone who would dare to harm her.
Little did Ethan know that Joanne had also laid out the foundation for best friend\'s protection by charming the Princes, as well as the other influential people of the Magdar Kingdom.
Even if she would no longer be there, the Charm would still be in effect and would last for many years. The people who had been charmed wouldn\'t act out of line but they would think that protecting the Princess was something that they should naturally do.
"I\'ll meet you in the future," Illumina whispered in Ethan\'s ears, while Joanne and her best friend were hugging each other. "Don\'t worry. I\'ll look after Ramona and ensure that she will live her life to the fullest."
"Thank you," Ethan replied.
The young man had created multiple layers of protection for the young lady who loved him, but hearing the Mermaid Princess\' promise gave him more peace of mind.
Joanne, whose eyes were red and puffy, continued to hold onto her best friend, who was surprisingly calm.
Perhaps having already cried until she had no more tears to shed before coming here, Princess Ramona\'s gaze was calm and a smile hung on her face.
"Don\'t worry. I\'ll make sure to build a statue for you," Princess Ramona said as she lightly patted Joanne\'s head while hugging her tightly. "I\'ll make it so big that even you will be surprised when you come and visit the Magdar Kingdom in the future."
"Un! I\'ll definitely visit!" Joanne replied. "I\'ll visit the Magdar Kingdom even if I have to come on my own!"
"Don\'t come on your own, silly," Princess Ramona replied. "Bring Ethan with you. You\'re his sister. He will definitely accompany you if you ask him."
Joanne, whose tears were falling like rain, only hugged her best friend. She was truly reluctant to let her go, and if possible, she really wanted to bring her in the future with them.
But, it was not meant to be.
Ethan allowed Joanne to hold Princess Ramona for as long as she wished. Only after about half an hour did she reluctantly take a step back.
The Princess then wiped the tears on her best friend\'s face. She kissed the girl\'s cheeks and planted one more on her forehead.
After that, the young lady held Joanne\'s hands and said words of blessings to her.
"May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
I pray that you will be well and happy."
Joanne, who had just recovered from crying, hugged her best friend again tightly, making Princess Ramona smile helplessly.
"She\'s strong," Illumina said through telepathy so that only Ethan would be able to hear her.
"Yes," Ethan replied.
After a few more minutes, Joanne finally recovered.
This time, it was Princess Ramona\'s turn to say goodbye to Ethan.
The young lady made a gesture for Ethan to crouch down so that she could bid him farewell as well.
Ethan knelt in front of the princess like a knight and looked up at her.
The young lady then kissed both of his cheeks, which Ethan reciprocated by kissing her cheeks as well.
The Princess then cupped the young man\'s face, who was looking up to her, and said the words that came from her heart.
"You are the peace of all things calm,
You are the place to hide from harm.
You are the light that shines in the dark,
You are my heart\'s eternal spark."
"You are my Lord, and with me still,
You are my love, who keeps me from getting ill.
You are the light, the truth, the way,
You are my Savior this very day."
Princess Ramona then lowered her head and slowly closed her eyes.
Ethan, who understood what the Princess was going to do, also closed his eyes.
Her soft lips touched his forehead, and they stayed that way for a few seconds before she reluctantly pulled away.
"Don\'t forget about me," Princess Ramona said softly. "For I certainly will not forget about the two of you for the rest of my life."
Ethan stood up and reached out to hold the Princess, but the young lady took a step back and shook her head.
"I\'m doing everything in my power to not break down and cry," Princess Ramona stated. "Please. I don\'t want you to see me in a broken state before you leave to return to your time."
Although her words were clear, Ethan could tell that she truly was doing her best to stay strong.
\'She\'s really an amazing girl,\' Sebastian replied. \'It\'s a shame. Truly a shame.\'
\'I wouldn\'t mind if she became one of Ethan\'s consorts,\' Ethan\'s Other Half replied. \'Sadly, it\'s not meant to be.\'
Illumina, who had watched everything, suddenly reached out her hand to cup Ethan\'s face. She also planted a kiss on his lips, taking everyone by surprise.
A few seconds later, she pulled back with a slightly reddened face.
"It\'s all Ramona\'s fault," Illumina stated. "I just went with the flow."
Ethan smiled faintly and nodded his head. He then held Joanne\'s hand and waved farewell to Princess Ramona and Illumina.
Joanne also waved her hand as tears made her vision blurry.
Princess Ramona and Illumina waved back and bid them farewell with smiles on their faces.
\'Let\'s go, Sebastian,\' Ethan sighed in his heart.
\'Very well,\' Sebastian replied.
A white portal then appeared behind Ethan and Joanne, which would lead them back to the present.
"Goodbye, Ramona," Ethan said softly as he turned around to enter the portal with his sister.
But, before he took that step toward the portal, a voice filled with affection and love reached his ears.
"Goodbye, My Love," Princess Ramona replied. "I wish you happiness, wherever you may be."
Ethan almost turned around to look back at the Princess, but he knew that if he did that, the young lady doing her best to keep the smile on her face might lose her composure.
"Let\'s go, Joanne," Ethan pulled his sister, who was still wiping her eyes with her free hand.
A few seconds later, both of them stepped into the portal, leaving behind the young Princess, who would remain in their hearts forever.
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[End Of Volume 3 - You Are My Heart\'s Eternal Spark]
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A/N: I think I need two more days to semi-recover, and until then, I will only be posting one chapter for Strongest Warlock - Wizard World Irregular, and System\'s POV.
Truth be told, I hoped to finish the Magdar Kingdom Arc before this month was over so that we could return to the Academy on the first week of July
But, it is what it is, and I am not able to reach my goal because of things that were outside of my control.
Once again, thank you for your support, patience, care, and understanding. I am truly blessed to have readers like you, who are always there to support me and my stories.
May all of you have a blessed day, and I\'ll see you all in the next chapters!
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