Aetherian Rhapsodies
Stanza II: Mingling Roads
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Stanza II: Mingling Roads
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It took only a few moments before strands of gold started to move across the violet sky. Zane sat on the rooftops waiting for the sun to rise. “It’s pretty early. I shouldn’t have to worry about any guards trying to arrest me at this time of day, but it wouldn’t hurt to keep a sharp eye out.” Zane could not specifically recall when he fell in love with the sunrise, nevertheless, it has indeed become one of his favorite pastimes, that is to say, if he ever wakes up to catch one. He did not receive much sleep the night before, but even so, he felt rejuvenated. Zane pulled out a slice of pie that Dyne had given him, and then he pulled out the contract he had received from the nobleman. Many things had happened in the short span of two days; furthermore, today would be the day when everything came to a head. Zane rolled up the contract and put it back in his pocket as he gazed at the sunrise for just a little longer. He then turned to a white box that was next to him that had the insignia of Dyne Dyne’s Bakery. Zane smiled briefly; he did not know why, but he felt a feeling he had not felt in a long time. A feeling of purpose. Zane recalled the events that occurred before this point in time.
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Zane woke up in the empty bakery. Today he was officially a Dyne Dyne baker; tomorrow he could officially be dead. Zane scanned his immediate area to see if Dyne or Molina had come in; however, silence was the only answer he received. If Dyne were there, he would certainly be laughing and baking with spirit. If Molina was there, she would be scolding Zane for being alive. Since he could hear nothing, he assumed he was all alone. “It was pretty nice of Dyne to let me stay here. The only downside is that I have to resist the temptation of all these desserts.” Zane got out of his makeshift bed and changed his clothes. Before Zane could open the door in order to get some fresh air, it appeared to open on its own. Molina stood in the doorway as she looked up at Zane with a hint of disdain.
“Zane.”
“Molina.”
“If you’re heading out, make sure you’re not out too long. We’re going to open up soon.”
“Well I guess there’s no point in me going out now. I’ll just stay here and help out.”
“Oh, by all means go right ahead. You’re not doing me any favors, and I would love nothing more than to have you gone. Well, I guess I can withstand your presence for two more days.”
“You-, what the heck did I do to you?! We’ve just met!”
“Nothing really. I just know people like you, and I don’t have any time to waste on good for nothings.”
“Listen you really don’t know me at-“
Suddenly, the door was flung open again, but this time it was replaced by the jolly Dyne. He was carrying an assortment of tools without the aid of a cart. Most people would not be able to carry the amount of items he had at that moment, but he walked around as if they were mere bags of feathers. The assortment of items included ingredients, cooking tools, and a couple of dolls. Even though Zane knew this was a good man, he still could not get accustomed to his jovial nature. Zane looked towards Molina then decided it would be best if he did not continue their conversation. “So Dyne, I know why you bought the other things, but what’s with the dolls?”
Dyne placed his belongings on a nearby table and searched for the dolls that Zane was speaking of. When he found them, he held them forward as if he himself was the one who meant to sell them. “Well I didn’t plan on buying them, but I saw a kid running with one in the street. I asked him where he got it, and the rest is history.”
“Yeah, you have to give me more details. I don’t want to know how, but WHY you bought the doll.”
“HA HA! Well that’s easy. These two dolls are the captain and vice-captain of the Red Rose Knights. Molina has a huge crush on them; in fact, she actually has a whole collection of famous knights in her bedroom, so I knew this would make her-“
“Okaaay Dad, that was a good prank.”
“What are you talking about? These weren’t easy to find, and they weren’t exactly cheap either.”
“DAD! Can you shut up for a minute-“
“WHAT!? Mrs. No Smile plays with toys?! This is too good to be true,” Zane said as he laughed himself into a chair. For the first time in a few days it seemed like luck was on his side. He had wanted to get Molina back for how she had been treating him, but this was even sweeter. Just as Zane was about to say something else Dyne’s shadow was cast upon him, and all of his luck evaporated.
“What’s wrong with my daughter playing with dolls…”
“Um…nothing sir….I’m actually jealous. I wish you could find some for me…yeah..jealous.”
“OH, WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SO! If I see another one then I’ll get you one too.”
“Gee thanks Dyne. I’m looking forward to it.” When Dyne walked away to the back of the bakery, Zane breathed a sigh of relief only to be snatched away by Molina mid breath.
“Zane, if you tell anyone about this you’re dead.”
“You forgot to say ‘in two days.’”
“Zane!”
“Jeez, calm down. Even if I want to, who am I really going to tell anyway? I’ve seen weirder things in my life.”
“Just making sure we’re clear.”
Molina walked off with an awkward confidence until she tripped over a loose floorboard which caused her to stumble slightly. Without looking back, she composed herself and continued to walk again. Tears nearly came out of Zane’s eyes as he tried to hold in his laughter. “Ah…sweet revenge.” Zane got out of the chair and followed them to the back of the bakery to get the shop ready. He stubbed his toe in the process and then tripped head first into a wall. It took a few minutes for him to get upright, but he was finally able to follow Molina and Dyne to the backroom. “Okay guys, I know we have to open and everything, but don’t we have an important thing to do tomorrow?”
“You’re right. That’s why we aren’t open today, for today we’re going to cook for the King of Rohanis,” Dyne exclaimed.
Zane scratched his head as he pondered what he had just heard. “But Dyne, why would we cook now? We will prepare the food at the castle. Shouldn’t we use today as a way to rest?”
“HAHAHAHA! You’re still too young to understand the pride of a cook! (Also, I’m trying to keep you alive, idiot.) If we are to prepare a dessert fit for a king; we will need to practice before hand.”
“That’s right Zane,” Molina interrupted, “We’re going to spend most of this day trying new skills and perfecting it. More importantly, we will need your skills as a cook to improve so you don’t drag us down. You might be the one who will be paying the ultimate price if we fail, but if he doesn’t like our dessert, the Dyne Dyne Bakery will have a tarnished reputation.”
“Again, thanks Molina for your concern. You certainly have a heart made of gold,” Zane said with a frustrated sigh.
“Well, I’m glad you agree.”
Zane continued to smile through his frustration. He had a couple of unpleasant thoughts that he kept to himself, but as it stood, Zane had an intense dislike for Molina. He walked over to a counter where Dyne was working. Crumpled up papers were scattered everywhere. “Dyne, what are these?”
“Those are different recipes I’ve worked on. I’m trying to figure out what recipe would work best.”
“Why don’t we just work on all of them? Better yet, let’s do something no one has tried before.”
“Spoken like a true amateur.”
“Well I do just deliver food…”
“WHAHA! That’s true. Anyway, to have the best chance of impressing the King of Rohanis, we would do better by cooking one or two things absolutely perfectly instead of cooking many things with mediocrity. As for your second suggestion, trying something new sounds like a great idea, but that is too risky. Especially since the customer holds your life in the palm of his hands. It’s best to go with what you know.”
“I guess that makes sense.” Zane paused for a moment as he continued to ask himself what he actually knew about this King. That is when a switch went off in Zane’s “Dyne, I’ll be right back!”
“You better not be trying to get out of work Zane,” Molina scoffed. “You do know that we technically don’t have to help you at all.”
“Don’t worry, it’s going to be a big help. You just continue to work on the recipes you think he’ll like.”
“Zane get back here-“
“Hold on Molina,” Dyne said as he scratched his chin as if he was pondering something of importance. “The kid may be on to something. If he thinks he can help us this way, then we should let him follow his instincts.”
Molina sighed as Zane bolted outside. “If you think he knows what he’s doing then I guess I can’t argue with you.” Molina then looked outside a window to see what position the sun was in. “Sorry Father, I also have something to do. I’ll be right back!”
“Wait a minute! I’m not doing this by-“ Before Dyne could finish his sentence he was interrupted by the sound of the door being slammed shut. He could only sigh as he continued to perfect his recipes while Molina and Zane ventured through St. Rose.
Zane ran through the streets of St. Rose while shifting his eyes in search of someone. “Rohanis, and St. Rose are fairly close to each other. There has to be someone here that’s from Rohanis. If so, they might know more about their King than we do and they might also know what kind of foods he likes and dislikes.”
Just as Zane decided on a person he would talk to, the sounds of trumpets blowing brought everyone to a halt. After a brief silence, a man started to speak over the murmurs from the small crowd that started to gather like moths to a flame. Zane could faintly remember this voice. Since he, too, was a moth, he decided to push through the crowd to see the owner of this voice. What started as faint sounds eventually became clear speech. “Whoa, it’s that nobleman from earlier. So, the King of Rohanis is already here?”
A large man wearing a hooded cloak turned to Zane after he heard him speak. “Life is strange is it not? Have you ever dreamt that you were a King.”
Zane looked over to the man and then back at the parade like entrance of the Rohanian King who was being carried by his servants. “A few times, but who hasn’t. It doesn’t seem like too much work, yet it has all the perks of life.”
“Sometimes, our dreams are just within reach if someone sets the wheels in motion. Perhaps one day…we can all be kings and queens.”
“Listen, don’t get your hopes up. I already have my hands full being a baker. Word of advice, whatever you do, don’t sign any weird contracts without reading it.” Zane turned to his left only to see that the cloaked man that was previously standing next to him had vanished. “Weird, where could he have gone? Well, I have enough problems already.”
The parade finally made its way past Zane. He tried to view the King of Rohanis as he passed. He overheard some people murmur the name ‘King Loris’, so Zane assumed this was the King’s name as he tried even harder to see into his chariot to no avail. “Well, I’m not getting anything done here. I should continue my search.”
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The noble district was buzzing with excitement as the King of Rohanis made his way toward the gate into their district. The Noble district was the only district out of the three closed off by a gate. This kept the commoners out as well as the few denizens of the lawless district who would make it this far. However, there was no gat dividing the Lawless and Common district. A dozen Red Rose Knights and archers stood at the gate to greet King Loris.
“All hail King Loris!”
During this time, Loris’ carriage was set down and a purple carpet was rolled out for him. His servants stood on the sides of the carpet as they bowed down in respect to his crown. Eventually King Loris stepped outside and revealed himself as the gate was opening. He was fairly short, and looked as if he could stand to miss a few desserts; however, his size only lived up to his reputation as a fan of the culinary arts. He and King Wyvern made up two thirds of the triad that ruled over all of Xelania. Between their respective cities, St. Rose has always been more prosperous even though they were both constructed at nearly the same time and location. This can be attributed mainly to the Sword of Destruction being located in St. Rose along with other technology that was excavated in the immediate vicinity.
“I was wondering when I would receive a proper greeting. What took so long?” The middle aged king took a bite out of what seemed to be a graham cracker sandwich with marshmallows and chocolate on the inside. “What is this concoction? Who handed me this?!”
“Um no one sir. They were separate assortments that you made into a sandwich so you could consume it faster,” said his chief servant.
“Well, it is utterly disgusting; however, the commoners might like this. I shall give this a name. It is smushy and leaves you wanting more. I will call it…a Smush More!”
“(He’s still eating it….) Perhaps you could call it a s’more your majesty.”
“That will never catch on. I will deal with this later, for now lead me into the St. Rose kingdom.” He said this as he seemingly pulled out another snack out of thin air. It seemed to be some kind of animal on a stick. “By god! Honestly, it seems like you can roast anything on a stick and make it taste wonderful.”
The noble district contrasted the other two districts completely. Many nobles were outside, along the path to the castle greeting King Loris. Some even went as far to applaud his arrival. This was not a simple crowd gathering, but a formal greeting set up by the nobles of this district. Even with this greeting, King Loris looked slightly displeased as he continued to eat various snacks while occasionally making grunts out of frustration. His actions were in part due to his inferiority complex.
When he finally made it to the castle, Prince Wyvern and Aurora were waiting for him; however, even this was not enough to impress King Loris. “Hmm, the king sent babies do greet me at his doorstep. The mighty King of St. Rose could not be bothered to greet me himself.” Of course, he did not say this too loud for anyone else to hear. He was not so ignorant as to outright disrespect the future king and queen of St. Rose.
“Welcome to the St. Rose kingdom King Loris. Hopefully everything is going well in the Rohanian Kingdom,” Prince Wyvern said.
“Rohanis could not be doing better. In this season we are thriving in all major areas.”
“Perhaps we should visit Rohanis soon then.” Prince Wyvern said this with what appeared to be an innocent smile; however, he knew that King Loris was exaggerating the success of Rohanis.
Aurora stood by the prince’s side; however, she did not say anything. She only looked down at the ground while the other two carried on their conversation. King Loris would occasionally glance at her as if she was committing an offense toward him personally; however, due to her status, he let her get away with her disrespect.
King Loris entered the kingdom after King Loris motioned for him to go inside. Aurora hesitated for a moment before following them inside. Prince Wyvern noticed this and approached Aurora. “What is troubling you Aurora?”
“He was eating something on a stick…but the stick is gone.”
“You don’t think…”
“Well…”
All the prince could do was chuckle as he held back the roar of laughter that rested inside of him. “Heh, heh. All we can do is go inside. Try not to think about it.”
When they walked in King Wyvern’s audience hall a knight was speaking with him. It didn’t seem to be about anything too important.
“King Wyvern, I hear it is the latest fashion. Even the princes of other nations are wearing it.”
“I’ll consider it. You’re dismissed.” After dismissing the knight, who walked away with a sense of accomplishment, he noticed King Loris had entered the room.
“Oh, hello Loris. How are you doing on this day?”
“Just fine. I was held up shortly after some of my guards showed up late, but other than that everything has been swell.”
“It brings me joy to hear that. Hopefully the city of Rohanis is also doing just as swell.”
“Without question.”
“Good, anyway Loris I received the letter you sent before your arrival. You stated you wanted to come see our artifacts, but more specifically you wanted to see the Sword of Destruction. Am I correct?”
“Even in your growing age, your mind is as sharp as a sword. Rumors have spread that the chosen one does not even exist. You have been trying for a long time after all. It is only natural that such rumors persist.”
“Nonsense, if it is the will of the gods to reveal the chosen one, then he will be revealed.”
“And I could not agree more. Perhaps you are merely searching in the wrong area. I think it is time we search outside of St. Rose-“
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“Somewhere like Rohanis perhaps? I appreciate your concern for the sword, but it is my responsibility. You need not concern yourself with these matters. The chosen one will appear in St. Rose no matter his origins, nor should it matter. Need I remind you that the three kings rule over Xelania as one? Our individual desires should not impede what is best for all of Xelania, or are you saying my priest is false.”
“Oh of course not, and I agree wholeheartedly; Xelania comes before any of our own selfish desires. I was only trying to help in any way that I could, King Wyvern.”
“I am certain that was all it was. If you wish to help, keep St. Rose in your prayers, and remember the souls who sacrifice themselves for all of Xelania.”
During this exchange King Wyvern had not changed his authoritative, yet relaxed, expression. Anyone in that room would be able to tell he was in complete control. In total contrast, King Loris went through an array of emotions as he attempted to hide his frustrations. At times he even looked completely flustered and befuddled. He seemed to choke on his words as he held back whatever he intended to say and replaced it with an awkward nod.
“A new person will be chosen to go through the trial.” King Wyvern said after nodding to King Loris in return. It was as if he had read Loris’ mind and had begun to answer Loris’ questions just as quick as he thought of them. “Tomorrow, you will be able to see the sword, and hopefully, the chosen one as well.”
“At this rate, your great grandchildren will not even lay eyes upon the chosen one, nor the promised victory.”
All of the air seemed to have been sucked right out of the room. King Loris did well to hold his tongue throughout this ordeal; however, the soul of a person cannot be hidden so easily. A drop of sweat ran down the back of Loris’ neck as he realized his mouth had once again betrayed him. Even the stained glass windows, and the royal carpet seemed to look toward King Wyvern, expecting a show of wrath, or authority. King Wyvern only smiled and then spoke clear and softly.
“Then it will have to be my great great grandchildren who shall set eyes on our promised victory.” It was not a grand speech, or a sentence of great complexity. However, everyone in the room felt a comforting warmth. For Loris, however, it was uncomforting, but he felt it nonetheless. Still looking into the eyes of Loris, King Wyvern called forth two of his knights from the elite Black Rose. As was the custom, each of them was wearing a silky, jet black, cape. Their armor seemed to shine brighter than those of the Red Rose knights. “Would you two please show King Loris to his quarters?”
The two knights bowed to King Wyvern and walked with the frustrated King Loris, along with two of his own Rohanian noblemen, to his room. When he was finally out of sight, King Wyvern placed his hand on his forehead and rubbed it gently. “Are you not feeling well your majesty,” Aurora said with a look of concern.
“It is nothing. King Loris can be difficult…at times. He visits frequently, yet he expects a festive greeting at all times. Sometimes, I wish I could just hand St.Rose to him. I would finally be able to bask in the peace within Rohanis.”
“Father, you are the only man who could have lead St. Rose to the prosperity it has now. If King Loris were to value his role as the Rohanian King, and one of the great Kings of Xelania, he could do the same for Rohanis.”
“It is true my son. However, a man who hungers, is a dangerous man…”
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In the streets of the lawless district, a few people were outside. Many people were still afraid to wander outside even during the day, but this was most likely their only opportunity to do so. Among the people outside was the large cloaked man who had terrorized the organ harvesters the night before. He was carrying a large brown sack that seemed too heavy for any mortal man to be carrying. He arrived at what seemed to be an abandoned house and knocked on the door in a strange and unique manner. The door opened and the man was greeted by a faint light entering from holes in the roof. “He has arrived, as expected,” The large man said as he placed the bag on the floor. “I have brought all of the items you asked for.”
“Boralis, you’re early.”
“I am merely eager to help as much as I can to usher in the new era. Since you did not assign me to this mission, this is the least I can do.”
“You must not apologize for being a good son. You have already proven yourself countless times which is why you sit at my right hand. Tomorrow your brothers must overcome their trials. Trust in them.”
“Yes father.”
“You’re such a ‘good’ son Boralis. If you keep this up, the rest of us might get disowned,” said a mysterious voice. Another cloaked man appeared from the shadows. He was fairly tall himself, but he still couldn’t compare to the large stature of Boralis. He lifted his cloak revealing a smirk that he had been hiding underneath the darkness. There was a large scar running across his forehead to his right cheek. His eyes were hazel and his hair was jet black with a single strand of silver.
“Brother Cain.”
The leader of this organization walked over to Cain and stood by him. “Boralis, I have put Cain in charge of this operation. I understand he has a history, but his transgressions have been forgiven.”
“Yes father. I possess no ill will toward my brother.”
“Cain, have you decided who you will take with you?”
“Yes, I already gathered my team. In fact; the mission is already in progress and everything up to now has gone as planned.”
Boralis moved out toward the door to leave. He paused at the entrance and turned back to Cain and his father. “For five years we dedicated our lives to becoming the sword of the hopeless. Father, you have done so even longer than that. I would have never dreamed this day would come. The Shade Syndicate might finally be able walk in the light of the sun.”
“I knew you wouldn’t leave without a philosophical speech.”
“Cain, Boralis only longs for justice. It is an admirable trait. We all have our purposes and we must walk according to our destiny.”
“Thank you Father. I will take my leave; it is dangerous to gather during the day.”
Boralis left the abandoned home, and Cain followed suit after putting his hood back on. They walked in opposite directions. Even though they were walking away from each other they both muttered something to themselves simultaneously.
Their father remained in the broken warehouse looking at the ground he stood on. A single phrase escaped his lips as he vanished into the darkness. “The gears are turning…”
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The day had ruled for a time, and now it was the night that took its rightful place in the sky. By this time, Dyne was sleeping in a pile of recipes and uncooked dough. Zane opened the door, not knowing that Dyne was sleeping. “Sorry, I was out so late Dyne. Things did not work out so well.” Dyne did not answer immediately even though he was starting to wake up. “Dyne? Molina? Are you here?”
Dyne knocked over many different pots and pans as he tried to overcome his dreary disposition. “Oh…oh Zane is that you? Did everything work out?”
“Not at all. I couldn’t find anyone from Rohanis.” Zane drooped into the nearest chair unaware that Dyne resembled a drunkard, for he was lost within his own disappointment. Dyne noticed that Zane looked pretty down, and he himself was getting dizzy from standing up to fast, so he sat down to remedy both situations.
“Why were you looking for someone from Rohanis?”
“I thought that if I found someone from Rohanis, they would be able to tell me more about King…uh I think it was Lowrisk?”
“King Loris?”
“Yeah, that’s the one. Anyway, it doesn’t matter now. I didn’t find anyone, and now my life is in the hands of a guess.”
“Well Zane, I don’t know if I should be telling you this, but I do know someone who is from Rohanis.”
“Really? Who? Do they know anything about King Loris?”
Dyne, who was usually a jovial spirit, seemed to display true sadness as if he was reminiscing about something. “You should ask her yourself.” With that said, Dyne stood up, looked at the roof, and walked back into the kitchen. Zane sat in complete confusion before the proverbial light switch went off in his head. When he made his way outside, he discovered there was a ladder propped up against the shop. “Seriously, he could have just told me where she was. It is too late in the day to ask me to solve riddles.” Zane climbed the ladder and peered across the rooftops in search of someone. Once his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could see that Molina was gazing at the sky. “Molina,” Zane said as he began walking toward Molina. “Sorry I’m late. I was searching for someone; I guess you can say, I’m still searching.”
“It’s fine. I actually just got here myself.” Zane immediately wondered what reason she would have for leaving, but more importantly, he was surprised that she did not criticize him for being alive. Zane walked over to her, and stood beside her, staring at the night sky for a few minutes. She handed him glass of wine as she turned to him and smiled.
“Both glasses were actually meant for me as I was not expecting company, but since you’re here I might as well share.”
Zane took the glass carefully, and sat down slowly. He eyed her closely the entire time as if he was an animal attempting to locate a predator. Something was definitely different about her, but Zane could not pinpoint exactly why she would suddenly behave in contrast to what seemed like her very nature. Many thoughts raced through Zane’s mind including all of the rumors about demonic possession running rampant. In response to this thought, he crossed his middle and index finger whilst holding the wine glass to his nose to see if it was poisoned. They sat in silence, looking up at the night sky as Zane tried to wrap his mind around what was going on. Zane turned to her once more, and then quickly turned away. He had surmised that she was not drunk, and that it was something else that changed her aura. Normally, Zane would not spend this much time in deep thought, so eventually, he just shook his head and decided to break the silence. “You know…I was searching for someone from Rohanis.”
Molina did not even turn around to acknowledge this statement. “Did you find anyone,” she said halfheartedly, as if her mind was drifting in another realm.
“No, but I think I might know where I can find one. I hear that you’re from Rohanis.”
Molina turned to Zane as if he had offended her. Her whole demeanor had changed, and perhaps the reason for her strange behavior might be related to the words she had just heard. Until now, her face had been masked by the dark, but when she turned to face Zane in the moonlight, it was clear that she had been crying. She knew this was evident as well; however, this news shocked her to the point that this fact escaped her mind. Zane met her harsh, confused, sorrow filled gaze, with one of worry. Zane could not imagine what would cause such a reaction, and was at a loss for words. Although he was sure any information she had on King Loris could help him live for another day, he was willing to forget everything because of how she looked at him that night.
It was only a few seconds of silence, but that was enough time for Molina to realize her pain was illustrated all over her face and clear to Zane. She turned away to cloak her emotions into the night while Zane turned away. “I-I’m sorry…I’ll just…”
“Zane, wait…why did you want to speak to someone from Rohanis? Why do you need to speak…to me?”
Molina was still facing away from Zane. Her painful expression was still etched into his mind as he hesitated before speaking. He decided it would be best if he spoke to her normally, as if he did not know she was hurting as it seemed she was not ready to talk or display her personal feelings. “It was a long shot, but…I wanted to see if anyone knew what kind of food King Loris likes. It sounds dumb, but I had to do something right?”
“Zane, I want to tell you, but…”
“It’s okay Molina. I think we can figure something out tomorrow-“
“No! I-I have to tell you.”
Zane answered her reply with silence as he watched her fight through the pain she was struggling to hide. Molina gathered herself once more, and then looked up to the stars only to stare down into her drink as if it held the words she wanted to say.
“King Loris, is a cruel, evil beast. It is true that I lived in Rohanis. I moved here to run away from all of the memories…”
“You were running from your memories?”
“Yes, I used to have beautiful memories. The kind you that would make you smile whenever you thought about them. They were vibrant, and full of hope, but King Loris took it all away…for no reason at all.” Molina looked back into the sky as she sighed into the passing wind. “I thought I had finally got away from it all. The memories were always there, but they were well suppressed, and forgotten. I never thought I would be involved with him again.”
“What happened between you and King Loris? What happened in Rohanis?”
“My mother and father were cooks in Rohanis, and they were well known in our immediate area. We weren’t rich, but we had everything that we needed. One day, a soldier comes to our house and gives us a notice to pack everything and leave our home. They were expanding their army’s military base again, and this expansion just happened to cut through our home and business. It would be too difficult to start over at this point in our lives, so we pleaded to the knights of Rohanis to keep our property. As you would expect, the cries of ‘non-royals’ fall on deaf ears. It just so happened that King Loris was holding one of his ego satisfying parties, during this time. As always, he sent out noblemen to recruit people to cook for him and his guests. My father knew better than to get involved with him, but we were now on the streets…”
“Molina…he…”
“Yes Zane, he signed the contract, just as you did. With the amount of money that was promised, we would be able to remain where we were and live the normal life we had been living up until that point. Somehow…my father made my mother and I believe it was possible. We poured our hearts into the dish we created that night, and when we were finished we knew it was fit for a god. To this day…I never tasted anything like it.” Molina paused once more to hold back the tears forming in her eyes. “Even as cook after cook was being sentenced to death, we remained confident and naïve to it all. Even when he spat out the food we worked so hard to create we still…” At this moment tears were clearly running down her face and she could barely complete a sentence. Even now, she was trying so hard to remain strong and hide her vulnerability. She wiped them away the best she could and continued. “Simply because he did not like our food, my parents were sentenced to death. That’s when I knew..., I knew it did not matter what you cooked, or who prepared it. I knew that no matter what…King Loris is only a sick, sadistic man with the urge to destroy. Our happiness was an abomination before that devil and we were punished. I ran away to St. Rose and Dyne adopted me soon after my arrival. Zane, I don’t blame you, but since I found out that you signed that contract, the memories just came rushing back. Sometimes I sit here and wish I would have died that day-“
“Molina, thanks,” Zane said as he deliberately cut off her train of thought.
“For what?” Once more, Molina found herself turning toward Zane who was now grinning with an outstretched hand; however, Molina could not comprehend such a gesture at this particular moment. Completely bewildered, Molina could only take his hand as she tried to guess what he was thinking. After Zane had helped her stand on her feet she could only shake her head out of confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“You’ve given me a great idea, but we’ll have to talk it over with Dyne first.” When Zane told her his idea, Molina could not contain the decade of tears from the past; however, these tears were different. These tears came from the sweetest memories.
Molina and Zane were in the kitchen speaking with Dyne who seemed to have an expression of concern. “Zane, are you sure this is what you want to do?”
“After talking with Molina, I’m certain that’s what I want to do. It’s not like I’m losing anything. Plus, I’d like to see the look on his face.”
“Zane, you don’t…”
“Don’t worry, I’m not doing this for you. I just think this is our best option.” Zane placed his hand out in front of him as he looked to both Molina and Dyne. Dyne responded with a boisterous laugh that seemed to reach past the realm of the gods while Molina wiped away one last tear before allowing a smile to appear on her face. Dyne and Molina placed their hands on Zane’s. Tomorrow awaited them.
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Zane sat on the rooftop of the Dyne Dyne bakery reminiscing of yesterday. Zane grinned as he saw the royal carriage that would take him to the noble district. He could see Molina inside waiting impatiently while Dyne urged him to hurry. Zane hurried down the ladder that was propped on the bakery as he made sure not to take a nasty tumble in his rush. He entered the carriage only to be greeted by an aura of disapproval emitting from Molina. Strangely enough, he was happy to see her back to normal.
“Are you ready Zane?” Dyne asked with a smile and raised brow.
A big grin formed on Zane’s face as he turned to answer Dyne’s question. “Of course not. I’m going to die today.”
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END
Author's Note
In case you missed it.
Dyne is Molina's adoptive father.
Xelania is ruled by three kings. King Loris, King Wyvern, and another.
King Wyvern never planned a greeting for King Loris, the nobles took it upon themselves. xD
Dyne is Molina's adoptive father.
Xelania is ruled by three kings. King Loris, King Wyvern, and another.
King Wyvern never planned a greeting for King Loris, the nobles took it upon themselves. xD
As always feedback, comments, are appreciated
I'm always happy to answer any questions you may have. Thanks for reading!
Theme Song
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