Chapter 1: The rain brought the storm.
Chapter Text
“Leave, Lennarius! Leave and never come back!” Casus’ sorrow-filled screams overpowered the raging storm. Her green dress had the imprints of her lover’s blood, a dark shade against the blossoming green found in forests. The rain would wash it away eventually, but it would still be there. It would still exist. The flashbacks of the king dying in her arms, the wound in his chest, with the same red blood gushing out of it. The memories of him, the memories of everything, it would never disappear. Left to always torment her mind, always exist in her wake nightmares. It would eventually be the end of her.
The pavement glistened in the moon’s gaze, as the droplets hit it hard. The sound of it was muffled by the screams, covered by the two’s rage. “Casus, how can you be this blind?! How could you not see that Vorago was leading this kingdom to its fall?!” Lennarius yelled out, his blue glasses laid shattered on the ground. And they would continue to lay there till a wave would come and sweep them away from the surface. And into the depths of the seas, one last act by the King of the depths.
“You killed your brother, Lennarius! He was your king!” The queen cried out, tears rolling down her face, mixing with the rain. The rain that had started mere seconds before she had walked in on the morbid scene. Vorago, cornered by their brother, who had held a sword in his tight grip. “He might’ve been my brother. But he was a fool, an idiot!” Blood strolled down his face, eyes manic and hands stained red. Here he stood, the once right hand, the once general, a traitor. “You traitor! You bastard, Lennarius. And we trusted you!” Casus’ legs threatened to give out. The woman had never felt so weak before, so unbearably vulnerable. Betrayed. And she was called the Queen of Luck… What a lie. What a sweet, beautiful, lie.
Thunder rumbled over them, as blue hair stuck to her forehead. The same blue as cornflowers, those blood-stained cornflowers that still rested lifelessly in Vorago’s hand. He had been planning to give them to her, something that would never happen. They would instead grow on his grave. A dark blue against a cold piece of stone.
“I hereby exile you from The Telchin Kingdom. May you meet your doom soon, Lennarius!” Casus watched the man in front of her, he stood far away, but surely could hear everything. Her yell was heart-shattering, breaking, ungodly to hear. A totem of undying could break by her voice, and her voice only. And it seemed to do so, because from that day, luck had left Lady Luck. ‘Lucky’ became ‘Unlucky’, The Queen of Luck without any to spare. Luck seemed to run out, not enough to spare the woman. It seeped through her fingers like water, leaving her grasping at nothing. Leaving her grasping frantically for something everyone else had, except her.
The blood from where her lover had rested on her chest, seeped through the material of her dress. Staining the pale skin beneath it, red. The brown corset was blended with an almost black colour. The once warm, thick, liquid, was now cold, and starting to dry out. She wanted to throw up, wanted to forget. Only if Casus was closer to Fable, maybe his kid could stir up a potion of forgetting?
Lightning struck down around her, as she watched the man leave in the thick fog surrounding the island. A fog that partly swallowed him, as he walked away. Embracing the traitor in an airy hug. Only his footsteps could still be heard, the slow stomping against bricks. The sound got picked up by winds, which carried it around castle walls, and up towers. Making it echo back to Casus. The Queen of Luck collapsed on the ground, knees scratched from the stone. The mere stinging was nothing, compared to her tormenting feelings. Blood stained the bricks, but it was hers. She didn’t care about it, if it was hers. Blood seemed to stain everything, didn’t it? Metal landed beside her with a high-pitched clang. It rolled over to the side. Casus’ crown. Dull, scratched, metal and nothing more. Meaningless. If the depths wanted to take it, they could. The depths deserved so much more than what they got. Vorago had deserved so much better. Then to die in her arms.
The sad smile, the way his pale hand had shakily grasped for hers, the way he had nuzzled into her, before dying. Just like that, and he was gone. Casus had hunched over him, protecting them from any more of Lennarius’ cruelty. She had swore to protect them, but she had failed. Luck had left her together with her lover. Vorago had been her luck… Casus swore she felt his weakness in those sorrowful moments, those moments before his body went slack in her arms. Before their hand that held the small bouquet of cornflowers hit the hardwood floor, with a thud.
She cried. She cried onto the pavement. She cried to the sea and the depths. She cried as the wind would listen, as the waves washed over her. She cried as her whole world collapsed in a blur of a day. Casus was abandoned, alone to take care of Vorago’s kingdom. She could only manage so much, only manage to go so far before it all ended.
Some months later, a letter was written, then signed, then sent. Sent to someone in the ocean. The queen sighed, resting the quill weakly against the desk. She blew out the candle that had been lit for a little too long. The flames danced for a flickering second, before grey smoke arose, and evaporated in the air. She took off her crown one last time, with a sad smile as the heart of the sea flickered once more in rays of sun. She put it on the desk, letting it rest, letting dust settle on it. She then walked over to her bed, and fell asleep one last time. An eternal sleep, as the last bits of her powers disappeared.
Lady luck, Lucky, Queen of Luck or what you want to call the woman now left to history, would watch over couples for eternity. Making sure that nothing would happen, just like what had happened to her and her lover. The king betrayed by his brother. Vorago.
The history of The Telchin Kingdom. Written by: [Redacted]
Chapter 2: A saying referring to the past
Notes:
I’m currently a swimming instructor at a summer camp, and don’t have too much time to write. I tried my best with this chapter
Please mind the TW’s!
Death/passing at the start, mention of violence later on.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Epros, Epros please don’t leave me.” Enderian sat by the bed, holding the hand of the dying advisor. “Please don’t leave me…” Her voice broke, tore apart as her head fell against the mattress. The usually steady, confident tone was now no more than an unhearable whisper. Black strands of hair fell over voids body, over the patches of obsidian black skin that had formed on Epros’ weak form. Orchid stood in the door frame, hands holding the walls gently. She watched her lover crumbled on the floor, completely broken. Epros had helped Enderian a lot, in her time of ruling. Voi had guided her through some of the toughest times. The right hand meant a lot to the Queen of Mind, and now voi was dying right in front of them. The other queen heard a gut-twisting sob, feeling awful for her lover. She fixed on her yellow dress and crown, straightening the flaws with her hands. Before she headed over to the other, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Enderian…” The woman stroked her back gently, as the other didn’t look up. Epros’ pure, white eyes fluttered open one last time. “Find someone who will help you now…” The sickness took over the advisor’s body, skin turning black, like the void. The body was the void, the eyes were the stars. Void’s eyes closed one last time, hand going slack in Enderian’s grip. Voi knew that Orchid would take care of the queen, in the next few whiles of mourning.
The fall of Epros. Written by: [Redacted]
“Ae- Rae?” A voice pulled him out from his reading, forcing his mind to be conscious again. The story was just finished, so it didn’t matter. “I’m here!” The king called out, leaning to see who it was. Caspian came around the corner, holding a bouquet of orchids just for him. The light cyan was distinct against his navy blue shirt. Their smile was brighter than the sun itself, as they basically glowed in the light that was led in from the windows. “Cas… you didn’t have to.” Rae said softly, putting the book away. A faint, rosy coloured blush appeared on Caspian’s cheeks when being called the nickname. A nickname only the other king was allowed to use. “Alright, alright, pretty boy, maybe I should take them back then.” He joked, hand running along the wall as they got closer to Rae. “Wait- no, I want them.” Rae had paused for a second, before stretching his hands out to reach the flowers. Caspian handed them to him, watching the soft smile that formed on his lips. Rae got caught up with smelling the flowers, as their strongest scent was in the mornings. The King of Knowledge looked around, seeing the book that had been put away. “What book were you reading?” He asked, curiosity laced his voice. “The fall of Epros.” The King of Wisdom replied, still having the orchids close to his face. Light blue petals complimented the black patch of skin, the part of enderman in him. “Again?” Caspian held up the book gently. Black cover, details in white metal, and stars pestered across the leather made up the book. It was truly a work of art, like seeing into the void that was the End portal. With the same stars floating around in a vast space of never-ending darkness.
“It brings me a weird sense of comfort…” Rae replied, interweaving the small flowers into his hair, just like his mother had used to. The other king placed the book away, before settling beside him. Another pair of hands joined to help with the orchids. “Orchid was a lovely person, that’s for sure.” Caspian twirled one of the flowers between his fingers, reminded of the woman. “She was great…” The King of Wisdom quietened down, hands slowly stopping in the middle of a movement. The beauty of the day was nothing compared to the way Rae looked with the flowers. The blue placed over his ear, going around to the back of his head.
It was like looking at a tempered painting of the past Queen, but instead of her, a son appeared. A son that looked like her, but again not. With the hair and an eye of Enderian, but the personality and smile of Orchid. He resembled the taller queen from the outside, but many whispers went around that he behaved like the other.
His lover tucked the flower behind his ear, with a mesmerised shine in their eyes.
The pillars behind him each had a flower pot attached to it, underneath the ceiling. The hanging flowers spilled over the rim, falling towards the ground, finally blossoming in multiple hues of blue. It was the most beautiful season of the year, within and outside the kingdom’s walls. Roses crept upwards the castle walls, the red flowers delicate against the thorns. Birds sang across the meadows, down riverbeds and high up in the trees. Kids played outside till the sun fell for the horizon, until the last rays of sunshine found their young faces. Painting them with orange then red colour, revealing the untampered skin.
It had taken a lot of time and work into forming the Ender Kingdom, for it to be what it was today. But none of the two kings would change anything. Rae would never take back the request he had made to Caspian one starry night. They had been stargazing, when they found a constellation that resembled a crown, Rae could’ve never been more certain of what he was about to ask. And Caspian would never regret accepting the position, as he had swore to always stand by his lover’s side. Till death would do them apart.
The taller leaned into the touch, as Caspian still played with his hair, after the flowers were all placed. “Let’s stay here for a bit, before the day’s tasks get to us.” They spoke softly, letting Rae lean against him. “Hi.” He whispered with a smile, turning his head to meet the other. “Hi.” Caspian smiled back, arms wrapping around the man. With Rae’s back against the other man’s chest, the pair laid there in a few moments of peaceful silence. They enjoyed each other's company before they both would get occupied with tasks. Days pestered with short run-ins, conversations lasting mere minutes before something else had to get done. Mornings and evenings were peaceful, no one around to disturb the comforting silence.
“There is a saying I remember from my childhood…” Rae spoke eventually, head resting on the other king’s shoulder. “Yeah?” Red eyes fluttered open, embracing the other a little tighter. “It refers to Epros… I wasn’t around yet to meet void but as a child, I used to hear people talk about the night voi died. They told stories about the night, the sky and the stars. They swore that the night Epros died, they saw stars falling down from the sky.” The King of Knowledge gazed towards something beyond the walls, beyond the kingdom. Something far away, that far away that it was unsure if anything even existed there. “Is that where the saying ‘We’re friends until the stars fall’ comes from?” Caspian spoke quietly, afraid to disturb the ‘something’ Rae was watching behind the horizons. “Yeah…It’s sweet, I wonder what it actually looked like that night.” The king’s voice became longing, it itself sounded far away. “That’s beautiful.” They whispered back, snuggling into the embrace, knowing someone would soon show up and drag them away from each other for the day.
The general walked through the halls of the kingdom’s library. A few letters in their damp hands. Glasses were about to slide off their nose, the red lenses tinted everything around him. The hanging blue flowers seemed purple, covers of leather bound books were odd-coloured, and quartz pillars were slightly pink. Aax fixed them with one finger, pushing the glasses’ bridge to his nose again. The general was always seen wearing them, as they covered over the scar that kept him awake at night. Over the constant reminder of how he had miserably failed at saving his home. Homesickness and guilt had seemed to lace itself into every possible feeling, mixed into every moment of their life. Aax wasn’t from the Ender kingdom, he wasn’t from so far south. Rather from the west, from the Telchin kingdom. He was one of the Telchins, or used to be. He had been around the day that it almost fell, around for the end of a great time of ruling.
The memories danced around his mind like a solo waltz. Some were faint, some were blurry and some were clear as the clearest days. Only some pieces were set together, the in between felt like a blur of decades that had flown by.
The olm had met their once general in the corridors, while he had been bringing letters just like now. The traitor had held a sword in hand, an expression of pure hatred sewn onto his face. “Lennarius, what are you doing?” The question had come off harsh. The tall man had stopped, slowly turning his head around to face the shorter.
The single movement felt like daggers in Aax’s back. Regret washed over them like a heavy wave on an upset sea. Like those waves that went crashing against the shore under storm-filled skies. How blessed were some people, whose lives held no fear, whose worries and doubts laid deep down. Blue glasses hid obsidian-black eyes, eyes that were worth worrying about. “That is none of your concern, Aax.” He answered flatly, pursed lips formed a single line. “Well it seems to be my concern, because I don’t trust you Lennarius. None of us do. Not me, not the Telchins, not even Casus. You should be happy that the king is your brother, because if it was up to me, you would’ve been exiled years ago.” This was not the first time that Lennarius passed them with murder on mind. “What did you say?” “You heard me.” Aax’s voice was as cold as his, but they felt small under his gaze. The man went silent for a heartbeat, before a smile formed on his lips. “You know what Aax, I’ve wanted to do this to you for a long time.”
It came as a shock, as a wave of pain and horror. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor with blue glasses hovering over him. Blood dripped down their chin, a cut had been made over their nose. Eyes wide, teeth bit together, hand was aching from the fall. Lennarius towered over Aax, white skin was dirtied with a few droplets of red. “This is between the two of us.” It felt like the walls around them were about to collapse, the hallway getting tighter by the moment. Breath quickened, feet scrambled under them. Torches that lit up the corridors blew out, the darkness embracing the shaken messenger in an airy hug. He was too scared to move, too shocked to stop the general on his path. They weren’t brave enough to move. A fool, a coward.
It came as the biggest disappointment, disappointment in himself. The olm ran as fast as they could, across the bridge that connected his home to unknown land. Aax wouldn’t be able to stand Casus. If she found out that the messenger wasn't able to stop the traitor. He was afraid of what she could do.
The general shook his head, the tormenting nightmare disappeared to the back of his head. It was a nightmare they had survived once, not planning to do it twice. It had happened so long ago, yet the images were vivid like never before.
In one of the nooks that branched off the main hallway, sat the two kings in the morning sun. Aax couldn’t keep themselves from smiling, a wide grin appearing on her face. “I hope I’m not interrupting something.” She joked, gazing at the embrace between the two. Rae looked up, slightly startled. He relaxed immediately, gesturing for them to settle down.
Caspian and Rae were each handed a letter, damp circles had formed on the paper where their fingertips had held it. As Aax sat beside Rae, gaining a kiss from the King of Knowledge, he observed as envelopes were opened. Eyes skimmed through the text, one’s facial expression visibly more excited than the other’s. The tallest man spoke first, still holding the paper gently in his hands. And a smile on his lips.
“Ocie will be paying us a visit.”
Notes:
The ending was a bit rushed, but guess what. It’s Ghaae.
Chapter 3: The Ocean's Far Away Travels
Notes:
I'm very happy with how this turned out!
Tw: Yelling.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Queen Oceana?” A voice seeked out for the ruler. Pulling her out of the deep dark forest that was her mind. It felt like she had ran in it for an eternity, getting lost miles deep with no way to return. She had entered the abyss of darkness for a reason, but now forgetting why and what, when and where. But the voice dragged her back, all the way back. All her effort to find, all the effort spent seeking was thrown away. As she was dragged backwards, only being able to gaze at the path flashing past her. She knew that there would be a next time, and a next time after that again. Where her mind would spend its time, walking that path again and again once more.
A sharp breath brought the queen back to reality, the shock and lingering panic faded away as fast as it appeared. Ocie gave out a sigh of defeat, turning away from the mirror. She could see from the corner of her eye how the fish gradually disappeared. From the smooth, reflecting surface. “Yes?” Her unpleased tone made the servant shudder, feet shifting notasibly on the calcite tiles.
“I was just- I just wanted to ask how you are?” Christian Codathy looked around the open tower. Pillars of dark prismarine reached for the sky, ivy tore through it. The plants carved into the stone, leaving marks where the stems had grown in between the cracks. The walls around were non-existent, open space with constant wind flowing through. Flooring at a short height over the sea level would get yearly flooded. It was the closest Ocie would ever get to the ocean, the closest she would ever get home. “I don’t know, how could you really be?” The queen sent a longing gaze towards the waves of power and strength. The unbothered sky with a few clouds that pestered the hues of light blue. The deep darkness that hid underneath the fooling surface of peace.
“Queen Oceana, with all my respect. Why do you still miss the seas? This is your home now.” Something in that sentence of lies triggered her. “This is not my home. The closest this will ever get to a home is a house. And it will never be more than that!” She wanted to blow up on the servant. Wanted to grab them by their shoulders and shake some common sense into them. “How can you be so blind, Codathy?! How?! With all the decades spent here by my side, and you think that I’ve settled down? That I have accepted this?” You know, with decades of ruling the same kingdom, you would’ve thought Ocie felt safe. It should’ve felt safe. Everything should’ve been fine by now. But to her, the castle and towers were meaningless pillars of stone, waiting to fall for its doom. It meant near to nothing. “But I still have to rule this place, someone has to be in charge. And it somehow has to be me, because Casus chose to. And I can’t end up like her.” The queen of seas had swore to never end up like the woman in history.
“I didn’t mean- I didn’t mean to offend you. But you have to see that-” The servant flattened out the imperfections on their brown skirt that reached to the floor. They were cut off in their sentence. “Codathy, get out of my sight before I-” An unholy shriek echoed around the primarine, a flash of black covered the sun before disappearing. A fury of obsidian black circled around the tower. Another shriek pierced the air, a sharp scream that tore the angered silence. It circled once or twice more, before diving between two pillars. It led out a bird-like sound, a caw? It was a crow. It was one of Rae’s crows. Ocie stuck her arm out, the crow immediately shifting its course to it.
The landing was elegant, the feathers on the crow were nothing less than perfect. Except the four that were gliding to the ground, lost feathers, a distinct dark against white tiles. Gold shone in the rays of sun casted on the bird. All the anger seemed to evaporate into thin air, everyone mesmerised by the crow. A necklace, with a water drop-resembling blue stone, and a chain on its foot clattered with its movements. “What is that- Who's bird is that?” The servant asked in distraught, standing further away. The queen grimaced when the crow dug its claws unintentionally into her pale skin. “It’s King Rae’s.” She answered in admiration, untying a note from its foot.
“Dear Queen Oceana of The Telchin Kingdom, me alongside King Caspian and General Aax would be honoured by your visit. We are awaiting your arrival, and I wish you a safe trip to the Ender Kingdom.”
The crow ruffled its feathers, and looked up at the queen. “I’m leaving for a trip, Codathy. You’ll have to take over the kingdom for a while.” She said it straight up, watching their expression change drastically. “Me?! What?! Queen Oceana, why do you think that I’ll be competent to rule a kingdom?!” They exclaimed, argumenting against managing in Ocie’s absence. “Christian Codathy, when was the last time you’ve seen someone other than us walk the halls of the castle? There is no one else than us on land. We- I rule over a kingdom of seas, and the people. The people, Codathy, are also in the sea. You’re the only one here, and you currently have no choice. Final.” An expression of stone, hands as cold as ice, still as a statue. The tension rose, not a single word was said. It was quiet as long as Oceana stood still. Only the howling wind raging outside filled the soundless air. The servant stared at the queen for seconds that felt like years, before despair tinted their eyes. Defeat washed over them like a wave straight from the ocean. They lowered their head, nodding to the queen. They were a servant after all, they had no say in what the woman decided. “Yes Queen Oceana…” Codathy bowed to her, not daring to meet her eyes. “Good, you may leave now.”
She had left a day ago, and she had never felt more free in a long time. The castle’s walls had taken everything from her. Her freedom, her home, loved ones, family, the surroundings she grew up to know. Everything to the last aching bone in her body.
The Ender Kingdom towered in the distance, on a cliff by the Aether river. Ocie didn’t remember the last time she had visited, probably being at the coronation of Rae, later on, Caspian’s. That made her think about old times. The times when they were heirs, or nothing at all. When they were just around. The group of people she had learned to love like family, the group that would always be there for each other. That would stick together till the end. The last sentence was a lie, a thought of the forgotten deal made years ago. It was made when they had no understatement of the world or the world’s worries. When they were kids playing until the sun set for the horizon. There was no painting or photograph to prove these times. Only old letters, most thrown away at this point. Memories that only Ocie still thought about, and imprints in the ground of where their feet would once run around.
Did anyone even remember those times? Or were they all too caught up in their own ruling to pause and think about how it all started?
The castle got closer and closer, far away walls became detailed pieces of deepslate stone. Towers with purple roofs showed their glory high up towards the sky. It was not only a breathtaking sight, but also a heartwarming one. Rae alongside Caspian and Aax had made this place a welcoming home for so many, truly. It truly deserved its beauty, its residents and travellers’ mesmerised eyes as they adventured through. It was good to know, it was good to know that her friends made the right decisions.
Narrow mountainous creeks laced themselves in between the path’s trampled grass. The noise filled the silence, not a rare sound for her ears.
Queen Oceana could spot the main gateway from her point on the road, where the path continued, and turned into stone stairs behind the gates. She would soon have to hike, remembering the steep roads inside the walls. She used to wonder how the residents managed to get around, but soon realised most of them were endermen, with the ability to teleport.
The open fields around let her be easily spotted, as the two guards fixed their posture, spear in one hand. Seeing Rae’s crow on her shoulder the guards relaxed slightly. “Ah, Queen of the Seas, welcome to the Ender Kingdom. What brings you here today?” One of the endermen spoke up, giving her a respectful bow. “Thank you.” Ocie nodded back, “Just a peaceful visit to the Kings.” She smiled, but watched uneasily the corners of his mouth. It was almost like the black skin was torn apart, though some parts stayed sewn shut. It created holes exposing the back rows of his teeth. Something all endermen had, but it just didn’t feel right with Ocie. She shook her head to stop focusing on it, turning her eyes to the path behind bars.
The gates were opened with a screeching metal sound, and the guards gestured Oceana to continue her adventure. She smiled one last time, before stepping inside the Ender kingdom’s property. It felt different, a good different. Because it felt safe, it felt so weirdly safe. Was it the walls? Protecting from the nightmares outside? Was it the presence of people and creatures? That made it feel inhabited, not abandoned like the Telchin Kingdom. Or was it just an unusual feeling, that the queen had forgotten how to feel. She stood there, gazing at the mountain of stairs in front of her. That, that would take years to walk. The other guard behind her had clearly thought of the same, a chuckle letting out. “Raven, get up. Take The Queen of Seas to The Kings.” They talked to someone, the woman didn’t know to who; before a quiet melody stopped playing. It had been soft in her ears, not noticeable at first. The lack of it was more present, as she already missed it.
Something moved in the corners of her eyes. A teen leaning against the tower’s door put away an acoustic guitar. Their eyes were golden, black feathers grew by their hairline, and mixed with the hair. Large patches of black covered their pale skin, and their fingertips were stained with gold as they reached out for the queen’s hand. It wasn’t stains, it wasn’t stains but something else. “Hi! I’m Raven, and I’m a crow and endermen hybrid.” Raven talked, but it was past Oceana’s focus. She had seen the golden stains before. Somewhere far away, she had seen them. It was- Then it hit her. It had been at the coronation of Sherbert. A common mark in the residents’ were golden stains on their hands and arms. Raven had once fled the kingdom, now seeking refuge here. “Queen of the Seas?” The teen asked, concerned. As the woman whipped her head around. “Yes, I apologise, I must've zoned out.” Their hand was taken, and Raven seemed like they were about to do something but paused momentarily. “Hold Roo in your hand.” They spoke softly, a smile forming. “Roo?” Ocie asked, looking down at the young runaway. “The crow is named Roo…” They looked at the bird, then back at her with blank eyes.
“Prepare.” Raven said, not letting the queen ask for what before they both, alongside the crow where teleported. They fell into an abyss of black, a split second where they were in mere nothingless, a void where existence was a lie. A dizziness flashed over her, making her want to throw up instantly. Only purple particles were left behind the two, which soonly evaporated into thin air. Ocie shut her eyes, feeling how the ground beneath her disappeared, then appeared once again.
There were wooden planks under her feet, a difference from the tiles in her castle. She could hear some commotion around her, but didn’t dare to open her eyes. Feet unsteadily shifted on the floor, threatening to fall before someone grabbed her arm. “We’re here.” The teen spoke, teleporting away again.
“Roo, love. There you are, I’ve missed having you around.” A soft voice cooed at the crow, who flapped its wings and ascended into the air. The bird led out a caw, and landed on Rae’s cape, nuzzling into the fur. “Welcome Oceana.” The man said with a smile, giving the queen a bow. “I apologise for the teleportation, it takes some time to get used to it.” Ocie did a curtsy, smiling when it finally hit her that these were her old friends. Her gaze moved to the king of Knowledge, who stood right beside. “Pleasant to see you again, Oceana. It's been a while.” They bowed as well, the golden crown shifting on top of their head. “Yeah, it’s truly been a while…” she curtsied again, her blue eyes scanning the room she was in. Two thrones on an inclined base, one cushioned with red, the other in a mix of purple and dark blue. Quartz pillars rose to the ceiling, blue flowers falling down in return. Walls plain, besides a big painting, decorated with a golden frame. It was a portrait of Rae and Caspian, with a third person in the middle. Someone Ocie did not recognise.
A person came suddenly running through the large dark oak doors that separated the throne room from the castle’s halls. They looked similar to the one in the oil painting, except the serious face expression in it was the complete opposite from the smile he currently possessed.
“I apologise for being late. I’m Aax, the General.” He bowed nervously, eyes shifting, not looking at one thing for too long. “Oceana, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Aax.” Something about that name sounded familiar. It lingered around her mind, a blurry waltz dancing around the mist that was her memories. “I see you also are amphibious.” She hoped to get to know them better, maybe then. The familiarity would become explainable. The General went pale, smile disappearing immediately. Now, the fact that he could get pale was a surprise in itself. The skin white like snow, only pestered with small scars here and there, with the big one drawn across their nose.
His name sounded so familiar even if Oceana wasn’t around for that bit of history.
Notes:
Sorry for taking so long. My life was a rollercoaster of events dragged straight from the deepest depths of hell while writing this. But were back!
Credit for the crow’s name goes to Moonlight on discord:)
Chapter 4: I Heard a Good Captain Goes Down With His Ship
Notes:
Part 1 of 2 for this chapter! I made them separate as I really like the title for the next one.
The chapter will be shorter than usual.Anyways, school is back, I've gotten a job as an swimming instructor so life is busy. But I will always make time to write, as it truly makes me happy:)
No TW's.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“Everyone get out! Run away!” Alerion gave out orders to his people, who started to flee the Aether kingdom. The rain had gotten too much, it was nothing he could do. Only stand and watch as their life’s work was torn away. The castle, the kingdom, everything would be washed away by the wave. The wave which destroyed the king’s everything. Epros had helped the residents, but now disappeared into the running crowds. God watch over void, that they’ll be safe. “A good captain goes down with his ship…” The voice lingered around their brain, it rang in their ears. “A good captain goes down with his ship” It went over and over again. The dam up higher had broken under the pressure of the rains, eventually flooding everything on its path down the mountain. The pillars would become parts of the new river bed, the debris would wash up by the Telchin. A river would carve its way through the whole world. A constant reminder of a mistake.
Alerion would have to turn his back eventually, to this failed dream. Either that, or stay. Alerion’s people would die on foreign fields, on land that did not belong to them, as they fled the remains of Aether. The king could be one of them, die like the rest. They could go down with their kingdom, or betray the sacrifices of it. He could turn around now, and never come back. Start from scrap again, recreating his dream.
It felt numbing, watching everything crumble in the span of a few seconds. Like someone had tossed him into freezing cold water. It felt like an end no one could do anything about. There was no sorrow, no grief, only a simple end to the kingdom, and ultimately its people.
“A good king goes down with his kingdom” The voice in his head tormented him till his resting days. How could one so easily turn around, abandon their people who had put all their trust in him? He had tried, but it hadn’t been enough. They had tried to be a king, but the day was the first of two mistakes they would make. This one had not cost him his life, but Alerion would not always be that lucky.
[The Day of the Aether River. Written by: Redacted]
“Caspian? Have you been alright lately?” Rae asked concerned, “you’ve seemed kind of off ever since the letter Aax handed you.” The king of knowledge sat hunched over a spruce desk, pinching his nose bridge with eyes squeezed shut. Wax from a candle that had been lit for a little too long dripped onto the surface. His head shot up, turning to meet him. “Yeah, I’m… I’m alright, Rae.” He looked back down again, the white streak in his hair glowed in the dancing lights casted by the flame. “Are you sure, love? Caspian, you sound like you are trying to convince yourself more than me…” The taller man got closer, his hand now resting on his shoulder. Caspian was quiet for a few seconds. He knew he could trust Rae, he knew he could feel vulnerable around him. He could feel safe. But yet something was stopping him. “No, I’m not sure at all. Rae, the letter was from Will.” The hand on the man’s back went still, like a photograph from the past. “Will?” The weak voice echoed through the room. Darkened shadows danced across the walls, eventually forming forms of terrors. Everything seemed darker, scarier. The pair suddenly got more cautious, like a threat was lurking in the unlit parts of their bedroom.
Will had recently become the king of the Arctic Kingdom, after the unexpected death of King Alerion, the King of the Skies. Rumours went around that he had killed the now past ruler. But if these sayings were true was unknown, rumours could change a lot from the end of a compass direction to the other. Even when Will himself had spoken up about the matter, his own people did not believe him. Then why should anyone else do so?
“What did he write?” The King of Wisdom asked, draping his cape across the other’s shoulders. The purple material seemed fully black in the evening’s sunless sky. It was supposed to feel safe, and it did, but the letter created doubts. Caspian wanted to feel safe, wanted to feel at home, wanted the worries to go away. “He wants me to visit.” ‘
Maybe all the rumours were wrong? Maybe Will was rightfully chosen as the heir, in the last living moments of Alerion? Maybe he just wanted to meet an old friend?
“Do you want to visit?” The man towered over him, gazing down at the hand-written paper. Caspian looked up, helplessness in their eyes. “It’s your decision, Caspian. Not mine. I can only support you.” Rae reminded, as much as he hated to say it. It was true. This was Caspian’s decision to take, not his.
Maybe, just maybe, the worries were for nothing. Yeah… Caspian was probably worrying about nothing, he could at least hope he was right. For once, it mattered more than ever that he was right.
“I- I think I will, after Ocie’s visit.” He sighed, realising how worn out he was from today. “After Ocie’s visit is good… Now come on, let’s get some sleep.” It felt like a loss, like a burden, Will’s letter. Like the loss of Alerion had somehow been inflicted in the words handwritten by another king. It brought clouds of darkness to the kingdom, almost a curse. As much as it felt like that, Caspian still tried to ignore it, to push the gut feeling away.
He got up, feeling how the tiredness embraced each bone in his body. Mind was clouded by worry and exhaustion. Feet felt like set cement. The day felt longer than it had been. For Rae, for Aax and Ocie, this day would be meaningless. Or probably for only Aax and Ocie. While Caspian had spent every wake minute by the desk, concerned about Will’s morals. The letter had been reticent, the lack of signs in it pained the man’s mind.
The king didn’t realise he had already laid down, underneath the covers of the duvet, when sleep started to grasp for his nerves. It dragged him into an abyss of darkness that soon became unrecognisable.
Rae turned around on the bed, observing the silhouette that was Caspian. His breathing was peaceful… Everything about him was peaceful. So quiet and undisturbed, in the glance of the moon. Why was sleep required to make peace? To give them rest. He supposed that it was what sleep was for. But it was unjust, that you could not rest in a conscious state. That the sun had to fall, that all the energy had to evaporate from the body, before someone could take a break, before one could rest. Maybe it was just him, and his life flashing too fast in front of his eyes. It was unjust, unfair, that some had all the time in the world, while others had to scramble to keep up. He at least had the night as comfort, as peace and rest. Where most of his life’s worries would disappear, and could be ignored for as long as the rest lasted.
Rae felt his eyes close, sending him into a deep sleep. Tomorrow's worries were for tomorrow, today’s had been for today.
“Rae, child. What are you doing here?” Orchid smiled, holding a basket of apples in hand. A villager besides her gave the heir a politeful bow. The smell of fresh baked goods came with the wind. Sounds from villagers and their children, the fountain’s running water and the busy life of the village filled his ears quickly. Sounds he hadn’t heard in a while. But yet stayed familiar. Enderest was one of the Ender kingdom’s villages, one which was Rae’s favourite.
The woman took a quick look at her son, before her eyes softened. “I see your soulmate visited again.” Rae became flustered, the blue orchids in hand were a dead give away. The traveller had given him the flowers right when he came. He was so common in the kingdom that guards would let him right in, Rae’s other mother had stopped asking questions and the residents had gotten used to him. They all seemed to know something, and that little something was the hope that he would eventually become the king by the side of Rae. The then prince had rarely heard Orchid call Caspian by his name, always referring to him as soulmate. “Yes, Caspian, visited. He’s lovely…” He gazed quickly at the man who stood further away in the village square. He had started talking to a cartographer, explaining how he didn’t understand maps. “He really is, I’m glad he makes you happy, Rae. I’m really glad.” She tilted her head, her once little son had become a tall prince so fast it almost hurted. “Now go, your soulmate is waiting.” The sentence was a whisper, getting quieter and quieter. Further and further away from reality.
The king woke up, finding the man beside him. “Good morning, love. I waited for you to wake up.” Caspian spoke softly, as to not disturb the bits of sleep that still lingered around. Handing Rae a bouquet of dark blue orchids, while the sunrise’s glance lighted up his silhouette. “How are you?” The king of Wisdom asked softly, remembering slowly how stressful the hours of yesterday had been. “I’m alright.” He smiled back, the white streak, gold from the early light. Caspian stopped, taking a minute to admire the admirer.
He couldn’t help but feel lucky, lucky to have Rae, lucky to have Aax by his side. The king smiled uncontrollably, happiness exploded in his heart. Even his fingertips felt the pure excitement hidden as tingling. “Hi…” He whispered, laying down beside Rae, where he felt safe. It felt safe, it felt like everything even if it was nothing, it felt like home, it felt comforting. Caspian could truly feel vulnerable beside Rae, without a single worry reaching his thoughts. He could be happy, he could truly be happy. “Hi” The man beside him whispered back, draping the duvet over the other’s body. The once traveller had never been this sure in his life, Rae… Rae was his home.
“We should probably go soon, Ocie will be waiting for us. But for now… for now we can stay…” Rae finished the sentence drowsy, letting the blue petals rest by his head.
Meanwhile-
Notes:
Will be an ominous lad... one might say.
The part 2 to this chapter should be out soon.
Chapter 5: Red Droplets Created Ladybugs
Summary:
A little late Christmas gift from me, picking up Conquering Seas again
Chapter Text
The Primordials ceased peace for as long as the history books could remember. A kingdom of void, a kingdom of energy, each at their end of North and South. Only left for solivagant wanderers to find. But people wanted power, people sought to rule. Thus came the chosen ones. Epros chose one created of space, one created of mind. Alerion and Enderian. Kinaxus chose two, one to create, one to destroy. Fable and Netherum. Epros’ kingdom became soil for the next three. Kinaxus’ became Netherum’s, hidden behind the Nether’s portal.
[some part of this sacred text seems forgotten]
The blood spilled in the grassy fields were the reason ladybugs were created. The pain and struggle made brave men. The silent deaths, the ones that caused sorrow and screams, and those whose deaths were forgotten created courage to speak, to fight, to protect the land that was theirs. The independence costed a greater king, greater people and lives, the sacrifices to freedom. But the Fable Kingdom was left to an even greater heir, a greater monarch. Sherbert. Sherbert the monarch of alchemy. The ruler of the Fable kingdom.
“Sherbert?” A voice brought them back from the text someone, somewhen, somewhere had written. A sacred text, engraved in their mind. They focused back on the fields of bushes, with passerines that sang around, before a flash of brown hair made them somewhat turn around. “Haley? What are you doing here?” The monarch asked their advisor. The woman who seemingly ignored the question looked across their land. “Any new birds today?” She gazed at the yellow-cover sketchbook that rested on the stone railings. “Nothing new, except for Common Whitethroats .” Sherbert answered, leaning over the rough, stone surface. “Better than Charles?” The woman asked back, jokingly bumping into their shoulder. She received a defeated groan, the monarch sighing beside their friend. “Yes, Haley. Anything is better than Charles.” They muttered, gazing back at the empty fields. “Watcha looking for, all the birds are gone for the winter.” Haley rested besides them, looking with no particular emotion at her ruler.
“I know Haley, I know.” They sighed, “it's just empty… without the birds. I miss watching the bushes rustle, mysterious songs escaping their branches. The birds swaying on strands of thistles. It just feels… empty.” Sherbert furrowed their brows, lips forming a thin line. The grassy fields almost felt abandoned without the life amongst it, because in some way it was. It was abandoned for the winter. The advisor stayed quiet for a while, taking Sherbert’s sketchbook and looking through the birds portrayed in it. “Because it is empty, at this time of year. You know, you could make a list of species you want to see when they eventually come back for spring.” Haley looked at them, purple eyes simply looking. “Go spend some time with Charles instead, you can’t just make birds appear by staring at an empty field for eternity.” The monarch got a pat on the back, being once again left alone on the balcony.
The kingdom was empty, of course it had people, in the villages, and guards and… and… It was empty, it was. You didn’t need more to prove it. Sherbert’s boots would collect dust every time they walked a hall.
Maybe it was for the better?
Maybe there was a reason for the kingdom to be empty. Maybe their father wasn’t that great after all? Sherbert paused, furrowing their brows, hands gripping tighter at the railing, skin going white. A breath caught in their throat. A weird feeling made them blink a few times to clear their vision.
Maybe Sherbert wasn’t that good of a Monarch after all?
Notes:
I'M BACK TO WRITING WEEWOO
cottagecore_angst on Chapter 1 Sun 31 Jul 2022 07:26PM UTC
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