Chapter Text
Eterno. Life went as usual, but its economy grew upon the reign of Hope. The leader of the Burst Roar also pointed out about how their markets has become livelier. But not a little longer, the man who've gone missing after the star sphere incident knocked on his highness' door and came home. A happy end for the King of Eterno to be reunited with his foster father.
Lama. His highness, Orion has nothing special going on. Except that he's embracing society more and learned to communicate with people. One proof is how he and Bestia's king, Fang has kept in contact, and noted to visit the star of the fiery sands to suffice the king's loneliness. As for Erin... You'll know soon! Teehee. ♡
Sirena. Things just being the same as how things are going with Eterno. With the planet being more welcoming, and the people appreciating the music produced by Shinkai's flute. And with King Sardinia, being more hospitable.
Bestia. Just Fang retiring as Burst Roar's Leader and appointing his subordinate, Coda as its new leader. Still him, being the king of the planet— and still them, helping out and visiting Hope back in Eterno at times.
Mistero. Nothing much was heard about what happened between the two men who represented the star planet. Except the star sphere protector, Vega's awakening. And how glad Capella was upon this event.
and lastly, Alba.
Yeah... The star planet that was the ‘cause’ of everything.
After Curse, the creation and protector of the star sphere has successfully broke it down to pieces in order to prevent the planet stars to break. The one responsible of the almost end of the world, King Carnelian ended up stepping down the throne, ashamed of his actions. Sure that he was to suffer alone, his loyal and faithful aide, Lazu came along to protect him still. With them ending up to live by the countryside.
If you look from afar, one is able to say that this is a typical ‘happily ever after’. Everyone found peace and is now living without concerns along with the people they cherish. Haah, what a heartwarming story.
But in the eyes of a man, a man who've always viewed the world in a different perspective, it is never a happily ever after.
—
“Your highness, King Hope and Coda has offered you an audience.”, still unchanging, Lazu spoke without color and tone.
“Ahahaha! No need to put ‘king’ on my name, just call me Hope like you all used to, okay?”, the King of Eterno gigglingly responded as he heard the taller's words.
Carnelian sighed at Lazu's formalness, he went near the aide and asked him to crouch down. After this, he received a bonk from the smaller.
“Lazu, how many times did I told you to stop referring to me as ‘your highness’! I'm not even the king anymore...”
“Oh, but don't you think it's hard for Lazu to drop the formality that easy? He's been used his whole life seeing you as his wicked highness.”, a red head butts in the moment he jumped from a tree to the window sill; with tea in his hands...
“Again, Erin with his crazy entrances. Could you please use the door? Also, how rude can you get?”, the bestian, Coda immediately chirped in, defending the smaller who was jokingly criticized by him.
Everybody laughed at Coda's retort to Erin, including Carnelian who rarely gave a smile to anyone.
After a little chit-chatting and catching up, everyone was startled upon the arrival of a person. A knock was heard on the door. Lazu was about to get it but for Hope who was near the door, he insisted to get it and immediately ran towards the shabby hut.
“Hello, who may it be?!”
“Hope, it's me.”
Upon hearing the speaker's voice, Hope internally panicked before he fixed himself. As the others heard the small thuds near the door, they all went to check it out. They then saw a Hope who's nervously sweating, shaking tremendously as the knocks on the door keeps on reverberating.
Carnelian got impatient for whatever may have caused the older's ‘fear’, brushing everyone in his way before opening the door.
Oh...
Oh.
‘Ah, it's him again.’
Standing in front of the shabby hut was a fairly tall man with pale complexion, and eyes as radiant as a sapphire. He wore the usual intimidating yet gentle expression on his facade. Sapphire slowly peers down onto Carnelian's, examining the facial features of the man.
“My, Your highness Carnelian. It's a pleasure to meet you once again.”, Carnelian nodded as a response, yet still with his eyes stuck onto the features of the man in front of him.
Now looking back, he realized that he never saw Capella up close back when they fly to Mistero for the kings' gathering, or when the time the star sphere incident occurred. He never noticed how good-looking he is for a man. The way the glowing lights from Alba kisses the unblemished complexion, how jewel blue eyes with pride shone more than the lights around, the way his short, slicked back golden locks adds in to the color of him, and addition to it is his stand. In other words, he was beautiful. In Carnelian's eyes, he was, is and would probably always be.
“Ahem.”
The shorter one's thoughts was then interrupted after he earned a fake cough from Capella. He slightly blushed out of embarrassment, thinking that he may have been caught staring into him.
“Your highness, Carnelian.”
“Please just call m—”
The shorter's words were cut off when Erin butts in right after sighting Capella.
“Oh, it's Capella! Hope! Hope! Your best buddy is here!”, he happily exclaimed and pulled Hope to Capella's direction. But Hope resisted, holding onto Lazu to stay inside. Capella decided to enter the shack.
“If you may excuse me, sir.”
“Yeah...”
...
Carnelian kept his eyes fixed on the door from where Capella went from in, he slowly tilts his head and watched Capella approach the group of people behind him. As to what he can make up, Hope is crying in animation, earning a laughter from Erin, followed by a worried Coda who tried shutting the red head off. And Lazu— nothing new, just him being him.
But what caught his eyes was still the same man who entered his tiny home. His eyes was still fixated on him, intensely staring as if he's carving every single detail and movements on the back of his mind.
Carnelian sighed in disappointment as he watched the man afar from him.
...
‘Hey wait, why am I disappointed?’
—
It has been a long day for the group of people in the old shack, and the visitor has decided to already leave.
“I shall be taking my leave. I bid you all, farewell.”, Capella waved with a smile, before turning his back from the group— a sign that he is now to leave, followed with the door shutting.
As the blonde left the shack, a certain someone had their eyes stuck into the direction of the door, with a frown and unpleased emotion. Which didn't go unnoticed by his servant.
“Your highness, you seem to be in a bad condition. What may have seem to happen?" Would you like to rest?”
“No, it's nothing... I'm fine.”, Carnelian immediately responded to reassure him, yet the other didn't buy it.
“But yo—”
“Yeah, King Carnelian doesn't seem to feel well. Hope and I shall be taking our leave for you to be able to rest.”, Coda joined in the conversation with great worry in the tone of his voice, tugging onto Hope during the time.
“And you too Erin, you're coming with us. King Orion has been looking for you.”, the red head animatedly moped in annoyance for the bestian's line.
The shortest lowered his head.
“Ah, you guys. No need to call me the king...”
“But—”
“It's okay, I deserved it...”
In his voice, you will be able to hear guilt and regret, a fragment from the day it occured.
...
‘Will I be able to meet him again?’
—
Seconds became minutes, minutes became hours, hour became days, days became weeks, weeks became months, and months became years.
Along that period, an unstoppable phenomenon occurred in the life of the ex-king of Alba.
Death. He never asked for it to come yet it just let itself in like an uninvited guest. Despite that, he never minded the fate he received. Still guilty with what he done back in the past, he embraced his fate with open arms as he lays in his death bed.
“Your highness...”, his loyal servant throughout the years started, with a hint of grief in his voice and a tear by the side of his eyes.
“Lazu... I'm sorry...”
“No your highness, you have nothing to apologize for.”
“But the—”
Lazu places a finger on the dying man's lips, wanting to shut him up. For Carnelian's own good, and probably for his too.
“Past is past, and your reason was valid as to why you had to do that.”
“But... The regrets of d—”
“Doing that still lingers around?”
“I know your highness, I am well aware of that. I've been with you all my life, serving you silently.”
The taller paused for a while, taking that opportunity to look into the eyes of his master.
“And it... It pained me, seeing you carrying that burden for that matter for the rest of your life. And now, even on your death bed too...”
Carnelian's gaze softened at the sentiment, yet it ached his heart more that it already has been.
“La—”
His line hasn't been able to be finished as he coughed, continuously without rests, worsening as the time runs, and later on with blood...
“Your highness?!”
Lazu repeatedly called out to him, making the man stand from his seat and hold the king in his arms, gently shaking him to receive a response. But the man in his death bed did not dared to answer.
Carnelian only saw the mental image of a certain blonde man whom he met once, and those ocean eyes who pierced at him with anger, pleading and uncertainty. With his eyes slowly fluttering close, and his vision turning black. He knew to himself, he wished for one single thing.
“Please, please let me meet Capella once again...”