Central Village

The chieftain requested for a conversation with Darryl in the great hall, in front of the council and other important tribesmen. Darryl arrived this morning alone while Xhemin was left in the Somer lands.

​​

Darryl made some bows and while he did, he saw that the Chieftain was on a good mood. Seeing how good he had been since the last time they saw each other, Darryl kind of relaxed.

"How were the past months been doing with you and the princess?" The Chieftain eagerly asked.

"It had been great. Thanks to the rations of the palace, we had never been in need." Darryl responded gratefully.

"Good," The Chieftain responded while caressing the tip of his braided beard. "Princess Song and the healer had been constantly communicating through letters, so I know she was perfectly fine. Seeing you now in great shape, I could tell marriage suited you best,"

"Thank you, Chieftain," Darryl gave him another bow "It was because of your favor that we had been greatly blessed,"

"You flatter me all the time hero of Somer Isles," The Chieftain laughed. "By the way, I'm sorry for dragging you back here but since the marriage season was about to past, the council and I wanted to talk with you about our future plans,"

"You can just tell me how I can be of help and I will sure do my best," Darryl assured the old man. From what he had seen with everybody's reaction and demeanor, it seemed that the Chieftain and everyone who was present in the room had agreed in a certain matter and that probably was the reason why Darryl had been summoned back to the Chieftain's presence.

"A month ago, we had started discussing about your cause and your bridge" The Chieftain started. "After thorough discussion, the council and I decided to give consent to your bridge,"

The words that Darryl heard was a total bomb. After three months of staying in the Manggan Island with Xhemin, he had never once thought that the Chieftain did consider his previous proposition and took it to heart. Right then, he was happy that he can continue building his bridge but something also within him feared what was about to come. If the bridge will be connected, change will then be inevitable and he feared that the life he had built with his wife in the Manggan Island will also change together with it.

"You seemed not happy about it," The Chieftain hollered when he saw how Darryl's expression suddenly turned dim.

"I am happy my Chieftain," Darryl denied right away. "Believe me I am. However, the news came as a surprise I did not once thought you would heed my request."

"I see," The Chieftain nodded. "Truth my child is that, I am already planning to give the seat to Enoch and wanted to do one last contribution to my people. The bridge as we had weighed out cautiously, will probably bring us so much advantage and I don't want to deny those advantages to my people,"

"I understand," Darryl politely answered. "If that is what everyone wanted. Then I would be very glad to work it out"

"Good. I know we can rely on you" The Chieftain smiled again, very much pleased as to the changes he hoped for. "I was thinking that it might be too early to send you back to the mainland to finish what you had started but I'm an old man already. My days are running out and I feared that I may not see how you finished the bridge and open the doors for my people,"

"Please don't say that my Chieftain. You might be old, but your sun is still so bright and I'm sure you had more days to live," Darryl tried to sway off the Chieftain's negative thoughts "Don't worry, the bridge will soon be finished and I'm sure you'll be there to welcome new beginnings"

"So be it!" The Chieftain declared and announced, "Let's have a toast to the new beginnings!"

***

"Brother Dee I'm so glad you are about to finish your masterpiece," Enoch joined him on his table while everyone was drinking. "I can't wait to see it! Congratulations!"

"Congratulations too, you'll soon be the Chieftain!" Darryl responded as he joined Enoch's toast. Both their faces were blushing red as they both drank enough liquor in that gathering.

"You have said it in way that seemed you are not too trustful of my capabilities" Enoch laughed as he confronted Darryl's lack of seriousness. Truth was Darryl wasn't in a great mood that time as he doesn't know how to explain to Xhemin that he had to leave for a while.

The Chieftain had given him consent to leave the island to make some arrangements for the bridge continuous construction. Of course, he had to bring and show the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs the chieftain's consent. Apart from that, he had to be there to supervise the bridge's construction, so he was sure this wasn't the only time he had to leave her. It might be only a short time but still, after three months of being together every single day with her, he doesn't know if he can endure being away from her again.

"After you stole some wild gin, I had already been distrustful of you," Darryl responded as his mouth curved into a smirk.

"Shhhh…keep low…somebody might hear," Enoch hushed and laughed about it. "Well since you opened up about the wild gin… tell me brother… how was the effect?"

"I had no idea what you are talking about Enoch," Darryl dismissed the question.

"Denying will do you no good" Enoch hollered, amused on how their conversation was going. "I heard the wild gin can make one's knees stronger"

"My knees are already strong," Darryl replied.

Enoch laughed harder this time. Darryl was such a good companion and he was very thankful of his presence all the time. For all the times they spent together, Enoch came very accustomed to some of his mien and he knew that despite how lively the gathering was, something was bothering his brother.

"You don't want to leave, don't you?" Enoch's voice turned serious. He saw that Darryl's cup was already empty, so he poured him another cup.

"Perhaps, but that is not the thing that bothers me most Enoch," Darryl confessed and heaved a deep sigh in front of his brother.

"You feared what's waiting for you at the other side after all these times, am I right?" Enoch said straight to his hazel eyes.

"Yes," Darryl didn't hesitate to answer, "I fear that whatever is out there will separate me again from her,"

Enoch saw the look on Darryl's face, and he knew by then that he was in a mess. The last three months with Xhemin was like a long dream and now he had to wake up and face the reality again. He thought he could just leave everything behind and live happily with her. But things weren't as easy as that, because no matter what he do and no matter how much he ran away from it, the fact that he was the Lagdameo heir will pull him back to the reality that there was an L Empire waiting for him. So was the great responsibility and expectations that goes with it.