ARIA

Chapter Twenty-One

Aria quickened her moves, turned her head to the left and then to the right, as she was searching for Noah. "Noah!" she yelled. But no one answered her. She called his name again, but no avail.

Again, there was no answer.

Or she just could not hear him because she was at a busy street.

Aria quickly regretted her decision to join them for the festival.

What should I do?

Everything around her seemed like a new place to her. Not that she never went there before, but the decoration around her made it like she had never been there. She didn't even know how to get back to the palace.

The embarrassment that she had was still in her mind. She was tempted by the street food stalls there. Well, she never had street food before. When she already bought one, she realised that the prince and her younger sister were not with her. What would she say when they meet up again?

Can I just go home now?

"You seems like you're lost right now, young lady." Aria startled when she saw a man of her age standing in front of her.

He was indeed handsome, almost rivalled that of the crown prince. His appearance did not seem like a commoner but more to a noble who tried to disguise himself as one but failed.

"From which house are you, my lord?"

The young man laughed. "Do I look like a nobleman to you?"

"Yes."

"It seems like I cannot disguise well. Just like this noble lady here." He teased.

"I do not think that this is funny."

"You're a wild cat. I like that in a lady."

"Excuse me." Aria walked away from him. Any more minutes with him would make her blood boiled. She did not want to be with this flirty man.

"Wait, I was just kidding, my lady. Don't take my words too seriously." The young man quickly blocked her way. "I am on my way to meet a friend of mine too but I got lost. We can search our partner together."

Aria awkwardly looked away. His green eyes were beautiful - a rare colour. She did not want to be so obviously admiring his eyes.

The man chuckled as he still put his gaze on her. He knew Aria was admiring his eyes. "My name is Arthur. What is yours?"

"I am a—"

"I do not want to know your family name." He interrupted. "I gave you my first name. I want to know yours."

"I am Aria."

"Aria. Nice name." Arthur reached out his hand to her as if he want her to hold his hand. Aria who did not get the hint, just stared at his empty hand.

"Hold my hand, Aria. So, that you will not lost. I'll help you find your friend."

Just as she was about to hold his hand, a very familiar voice called out to her. When she looked back, she saw a man looking like he was in his early 30s, called out to her again.

"Aria."

She did not know him but she felt like she had met him before. But where?

"My friend, there you are. You seems to know my new friend Aria here."

"You know him?" Aria asked Arthur.

"He's the friend I'm looking for."

"Aria, come here." The mysterious man called her again.

"Aaaahhhh! You're the one we must capture." Realisation hit Arthur. "Too bad, I'm hoping for a war. This is too easy."

"What?"

What did he just say? They want me? Why?

Aria took few steps away from Arthur. Her look of disbelief was so clear. Arthur sighed when he saw her expression.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. Let's go."

Before he could grab her hand, a commotion occurred. Everyone ran away — yelling the same word "dragon". The very dragon was on the sky of the royal capital.

The creature that was long gone came to that capital. A creature that was just a myth came to the capital.

"Aria, do you have to call your child for this happy occasion?" The mysterious man smirked.

What?

"Aria!" Prince Noah ran toward their direction. "Get away from that guy!"

"Woah. I better get going. I don't want to meet him now." Arthur quickened his move away from Aria, back to the mysterious man.

Noah quickly pulled Aria into his arms while still looking at Arthur - the man he used to consider as his friend.

Noah was afraid. Afraid of what his old friend would do to Aria. Thankfully, he finally had Aria in his arms. Aria could hear his heartbeat. His hug was warm but she could feel that Noah was feeling anxious.

The black dragon roared from sky above as if it was giving warning to the mysterious man and Arthur to stay away from Aria.

"Aria, do you have to be like this to me?" The mysterious man spoke again. "I just want your help."

"I don't know you." Aria released herself from the hug to face them.

"Oh you know me. It just that you don't have the memories. All the memories will come back to you later on. But for now, put your child away from here but I kill him." His gaze turned to the black dragon.

The black dragon roared again.

"Aria?" Noah called out to Aria who now had a change of expression. Hers now was of anger. She was like a different person.

"Oh, that was fast.Hello again, my dear child. My divine child." The mysterious man laughed aloud. "That look of yours, hmmm. Are you trying to kill me again?"

"Father, it's been a long time."

A/N: It's been quite a long time right? I am sorry this long hiatus. I am back but I am terribly sorry for the short and fast-paced update with so many grammatical errors. But no worries, once this is completed, I will edit this story again so that it will be more understandable.