Alisha's POV
I turned back, looking at Taria, and asked, "Is there anything else?"
She took a deep breath, seemingly struggling with something. Then she looked sharply at me. "Do you know about the prophecy concerning Louie?"
I shrugged and calmly replied, "If you are referring to the one that he was unable to find his mate, then my answer is yes. He has spoken to me about it. So, there is no need to use that reason to prevent us from being together. Honestly, I don't think whether we are destined as mates matters much now."
Archie and I were mates, and although we discovered it too late, our marriage still ended in failure. It proved that being mates wasn't a panacea for a happy marriage. "If there is nothing else, I should go. In case Louie wakes up, I need to be there for him." I opened to door and prepare to leave.
Taria continued to gaze at me and said, "Didn't you ask me why I dislike you? I can tell you the answer, but you have to promise me that our conversation will never be revealed to Louie."
"Sorry, I can't promise that."
"You!" Taria snapped.
"I care about your attitude towards me only because you are Louie's mother. I am going to enter a marriage with him, so I won't hide anything from him at your request."
"Absurd! Can you guarantee that you won't tell him a lie? Even if you can do it now, can you promise to always be entirely honest with him for life?"
At that moment, I lowered my eyelids. Yes, I had hidden something very important from Louie...
"At least I can assure you that I have always wanted Louie to be happy. He is truly a wonderful person," I replied lowly.
Hearing my words, Taria seemed to let out a long sigh. Then she appeared exhausted, moving to sit on the nearby couch, speaking faintly, "I didn't tell anyone about this. The prophecy about Louie, it's actually... a lie."
At this point, I turned with a frow. "What do you mean?"
"Do you know my mother is Silent Witch Shaunda?"
I nodded.
"Louie is my most beloved son, so I wanted his life to be healthy and safe. When he was very young, I asked my mother to predict for Louie, to see... when the most dangerous moment of his life would be. I wanted to prevent danger and ensure his safety."
That sounds very crazy to predict someone's life. It was too... unbelievable...
"Shaunda initially refused. She said such prophecy isn't allowed by the laws of nature. Moreover... moreover, she said she didn't have the ability to peek into Moon Goodness's arrangement for everyone's fate."
Upon hearing that, I felt relieved. Otherwise, Shaunda's Gift would be too terrifying.
Taria looked at my expression and gave a sarcastic smile. "Do you think I'm insane? That's because you don't have any idea how powerful Shaunda is. She used her Gift during wars, helping Golden Crest defeat their opponents, predicting their attack routes and timings, saving us from crises multiple times. It was because of her that Golden Crest defeated our enemies and gradually unified the entire East."
I never expected the kind and gentle old lady Shaunda on the island to possess such amazing power! She had helped her pack become rulers of the East.
"Now that she could predict a war related to so many people, why can't she predict Louie's fate? So, I begged her to use her Gift just once for her grandson, my child, Louie. She finally agreed and then told me, only that one time. The result... she saw..." Taria suddenly bent over, holding herself tightly, appearing immensely pained, choking as she continued, "She saw Louie ultimately dying while protecting a woman... dying in her arms..." She seemed unable to continue and paused, seemingly trying to control her emotions.
"My beloved Louie! I absolutely cannot tolerate such a thing happening! I cannot let that woman take his life! So, I lied to him and to others, telling Louie that he would never encounter his mate in this life. I wanted him to stay away from his deadly love!"
Looking up at me, Taria's eyes filled with despair, "Everything was fine. He was indifferent to love, engrossed in music and art. I thought I had successfully kept him from his fate. But then you appeared! You don't know, when I learned he got hurt while saving you, my heart almost stopped! Please, leave him! I just want my son to live!"
From the moment I heard Taria reveal Shaunda's true prophecy, I was deeply shocked. In my mind, the scene from Black Furies flashed: he shielded me from Joey's retaliation, frail and vulnerable, touching my face weakly, saying, "It is a pity I won't be able to protect you anymore..."
That scene haunted me. Even though he could be here with me now, but...
I felt like I suddenly understood Taria. If you knew the person you loved would die because of someone else, you would hate her undoubtly...
"Alisha, I can sense that you care for Louie. So, for his sake, please leave him. Otherwise, if you continue to be together, he will … will … because of you..." Although Taria didn't say the word outright, we both understood her implied meaning. "Please forgive me, it's a mother's request!"
Facing her request, my heart started to ache and entangle. I opened my mouth, throat incredibly dry, and uttered a single word, "I..."
Suddenly, Louie's voice came from outside the door, "Alisha, if I can't be with you, every day of my life is like death."
Hearing Louie's voice, I knew he must be outside. I quickly opened the door. Sure enough, it was Louie standing outside, near the two guards. He had draped a thin coat over himself. I wondered how long he had been standing there and how much of the conversation between Taria and me he had overheard. Have he know true prophecy about his future?
"Louie, why are you... here?" I asked him uneasily.
Taria also nervously stood up, "Louie, shouldn't you be resting in bed now?"
Louie smiled at me, "I came to find my fiancée."