Chapter 6: Alexis is Dead II

"What a pleasant morning, Rosan,"

He gave small greetings to the Queen of the Voneveir Kingdom, his wife, who gave him nothing but a small, cold reply.

"Good morning."

In front of him, countless dishes were prepared on a long table. All seats had extravagant decorations, specially created to be solely used by the royals.

Soon, the door opened, revealing Allan, their son, the sole heir to the throne, and Rosan's beloved son.

"Good morning, Mother. Just seeing you reassures me that it will be a pleasant day."

He smiled brightly as he received a sweet and loving reply from his mother.

"Take your seat now. Let us enjoy the food while it is served hot."

"Yes, Mother."

Smiling at the sight, Alexis found this scene familiar, as it was what he always saw each morning when they all gathered for breakfast.

Marrying Rosan to have her family’s support was a mutual contract. He would have Rosan as the Queen to help him lead the kingdom, in exchange, she would have the power as the Queen. Even her family would have power as they were the family of Voneveir’s Queen. But not all marriages end up having love. Even though they already had a child, Allan, who was now of the right age to lead, he was born out of the responsibility to bear an heir who would lead the Voneveir when the time came.

"Allan, how was your study?"

"Good, just like what they are reporting to you."

Wanting to get closer, each time he tried to, he ended up building more walls that separated them. Until he no longer knew that those walls would one day be the reason why Allan was able to do a horrible thing to him.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

The head maid of the palace shouted, wanting to catch the attention of the king. But the guards wouldn’t let her get any closer. For having that attitude, she was under suspicion for not giving greetings before speaking.

"You have to see Her Majesty! She… she… fell from the tower! Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Queen…"

Problems after problems, he was not able to come up with a plan to address the drought that was happening in the west, and the soldiers were in panic as the other kingdom was raising their troops as if they were getting ready for a war. Adding up what he heard, his mind could not take it.

Shivering, he never thought that the day would come and this would happen. It was not part of what he hoped the future would be.

"Bring me to where she is."

He firmly said as he held his composure to not break.

Even if it was not love that led them to this marriage, even if he knew that she did not love him any bit, there was no way that Alexis would deny that he cared for Rosan. She was the most beautiful woman he ever met. She was the most calm and gentle flower he ever saw in a garden full of thorny ones.

But even if the marriage happened and he knew that Rosan did not like it any bit, he kept his thoughts saying it was for the kingdom. It was a responsibility that they had to fulfill. For the bright future of Voneveir. 

It is for the greater good.

Walking at a pace faster than usual, clanging sounds of his garments could be heard hitting each other. On a fine day when the sun was so bright and shining above, birds chirping with their singing sounds, he saw the sight of the most beautiful flower he ever saw… covered in red with her own blood. Hands wide open… as if she accepted her fall.

"R-Rosan…"

He mumbled with his shaking voice. That is when Conor gave the order to let anyone else in here be gone. From what he saw, it was the very first time Alexis had that sorrowful tone. Not at the funeral of the former king, not even at the funeral of his mother, the former queen.

On a fine day that none would have ever thought something tragic would happen, on such a wonderful day that anyone who saw it would tell that it was a perfect day, no one would dare agree that it would be the best day for someone to die.

"Why…"

"M-Mother? Mo-Mother!!"

Pushing Alexis away, even if Allan was just a prince and Alexis was the king, it seemed like he had no care for what he was doing. Pushing him away, he caressed Rosan’s body, kissing her forehead as he let tears fall from his eyes.

"Mother, wake up! Mother! You promised to travel with me… didn’t you? Who did this to you? Who did this!!"

Shouting as he sobbed, he then had his face turn mad as he looked at the guards.

"What are you doing standing still?!! Didn’t you see??! My mother was hurt! Go call the physician right now! Call the mages, the healers, call them in this instant!!!"

"Allan…"

He called, wanting to wake up his son who still had hope that Rosan would wake up if those he called would arrive. Indeed, he did not wish to accept the fact that when someone loses their heartbeat… when someone stops breathing… all things are gone.

"She is gone…"

Hearing those words from his father, whom he never even recognized as his, he could not help but explode in anger.

"You… this is all your fault. This is all your fault!! If not for you then Mother would still be alive!! What good are you as a king if even you can’t save her life??! Tell me!!"

"Allan… I never wanted this to happen-"

Slapping his hand away, his son’s eyes filled with nothing but despise looked at him. As if he was looking at the most horrible sight of a being he could ever see. As if he wasn’t looking at the king… or his father.

.

.

.

Looking at his reflection with his face having cotton on his nose and a bandage on his elbow, Alex was well aware of how useless he was. Even as a king, he had no power at all. He didn’t even know how to protect himself and those that he wanted to protect.

"I am useless…"

He uttered, making Cielo hear what he said.

"Even a sword is useless when not sharpened. Is it not?"

Cielo was now wearing clothes that were his usual. With Frank sleeping on the only bed they had in that room, he was leaning on the corner of the stairs while looking at Alex.

"Brother Cielo…"

"What?"

"Help me."

"What??"

Confused by what Alex was saying, it was his first time seeing those eyes in others. As if they were shouting in determination that no one could even stop him from doing so. 

'Seems like this kid finally found his goal.'

"I want you to help me… help me be strong."

'Did I have those eyes when I made my decision to go here and earn money?'

Cielo chuckled at his thought, thinking that what he was feeling might be the same as what his mother felt when he made that big decision he knew no one could hinder him in doing so.

"Get strong?"

"Yes, teach me everything you know. I want to be strong… enough to protect myself so that no one will protect me…"

'So that no one will die because of me…'

"And so that I can protect those I cherish…"

His words were carved in Cielo’s mind.

"Protecting those you cherish… I like that. Sure. But let me remind you, kid, that getting stronger is not like sleeping and waking up. You must remember that you have to get through lots of hell. Lots…."