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“There were no stars in Khaenri'ah. There was only the Sun and the Moon to keep a watchful eye over each and every child of innovation and creation without a deity or a sole ruler to bow to. Every man answered to himself, as things ought to be.
After rumors spread of another world beyond the depths of the underground, a world full of magic, of beauty, and of deities that ruled over their lands with wisdom and with grace, the people of Khaenri'ah began to wish for a deity of their own. As there was no god or goddess in the man-made realm of Khaenri'ah, the people created their own through the installment of a monarchy. This monarchy was rather weak, in the sense of the power it held over its subjects, but for the time being, it sufficed the wandering minds and hearts of the people by giving them someone to look to for answers or inspiration.
For years, the monarchy was ‘chosen’ by the people. Candidates were chosen from those acclaimed to be the ‘wisest’ families in the nation to be raised up in royalty to succeed as the next heir to the throne. This Candidate would dedicate his or her life to acquiring wisdom and knowledge to share with the people and lead them in times of need, which may have seemed to be few and far between at the time. During the last dynasty of Khaenri'ah, there was to be a new heir to ascend to the throne, but on the eve of her coronation, the Cataclysm struck, and she was lost to the destruction that plagued our land, our home.”
“Dain,” the traveler spoke from beside him, reaching out a hand to rest on his forearm, “The night of the Cataclysm. What was it like?”
Instantly he froze, his muscles stiffening up at the very question. It was a night he had spent half of a millenia trying to dispel from his mind, but in the end, it always came back to mind to remind him of his failure to protect his own. He was reminded of it in his dreams, in the quiet moments of the daylight, and in the restless nights where he would lie awake for hours to stare at the stars in the sky above. Oh how you would have loved the stars if only you were still here by his side.
He let out a defeated sigh, resigning himself to reminisce once more the night his world shattered forever. Perhaps a retelling was due.
“The night of the Cataclysm was supposed to be a grand celebration for all of Khaenri'ah. The new heir to the Khaenri'ahn throne had been announced by King Irmin, and she was to take her place as queen that following morning after her coronation ceremony. The palace had invited all of Khaenri'ah to come and celebrate their new queen. There was music that filled each and every hall of the palace from the observatory overlooking all of Khaenri'ah all the way down to the depths of the dungeons where criminals awaited their pending trials and sentences to be fulfilled. The chambers of wine had been opened for this very occasion, and by the time the sun had begun to set over the horizon, many of the guests had found themselves escorted back to their homes by the Black Serpent Knights that watched over the city by night. Even so, there were still quite a few guests left, all hoping to seek an audience with the future queen of Khaenri'ah. However, she seemed to have a different plan in mind.
I had been stationed within the main hall where the gala was starting to come to a fitting end, but my one mission had managed to slip through my fingers almost immediately after her welcome speech towards the beginning of the party. Honestly, she was as nimble as a fox, disappearing into the crowd effortlessly for the duration of the occasion. She’d always been this way. For as long as I could remember, she’d slip out of any and every formal event hosted by the palace, often winding up in the nearest library or exchanging knowledge with just about anyone she came about. It was endearing for the most part, but tonight I had one duty, to protect her, but how was I to protect someone I couldn’t find?
When I finally did find her highness, I found her leaning over the railing of the balcony that overlooked the illuminated city streets below. Her eyes followed the setting sun that disappeared behind the mountains that stood steadfastly off in the distance. In the last golden rays of the sunlight, she looked ethereal, as if she belonged to the rumored land of magic that I had heard so much about lately. I leaned against one of the marble pillars, simply watching her for a moment before breaking the silence, “You know, if I didn’t know better, I might think you were about to grow wings and fly far far away from here.”
Her chuckle permeated the air as she shook her head playfully, not turning back to meet my gaze, “I’m considering it, Twilight Sword, but it seems that we as a nation have yet to engineer the mechanics of human flight.”
“Perhaps not yet,” I replied as I moved to stand beside her, “but I suppose that means I get to keep you here beside me for a little longer.”
I had expected her to laugh at such a silly notion, but instead, her head fell, and her eyes shifted towards the railing beneath her fingers. “A little longer,” she repeated as if she were suddenly locked in a trance.
“Something the matter, your highness?” I ventured to ask, “I couldn’t help but notice that there’s been a rather forlorn expression on your face all night, and while I know that you prefer to hide from the bright lights and loud music of galas and balls, I have to admit you seem more wilted than usual.”
She shook her head once more, lifting her gaze to meet mine. “It’s not that, surprisingly enough,” she replied. She spun around to glance at the remaining guests dancing across the ballroom, all still waiting for her return to the party. “Call me irrational, or crazy even, but I can’t help but get the feeling that something has gone terribly wrong.”
For her to say that something was wrong was quite out of the character for her. In all the years I’d known and guarded King Irmin’s successor, she’d never been one to speculate, not unless all the facts were laid out before her. She left speculation to the imagination of those around her, particularly to the alchemists and engineers that pushed the bounds of alchemy and innovation with each passing day. They could afford to be wrong, to have failed experiments. She however felt as if she couldn’t, as if any sense of failure might tarnish the expectations she upheld as a Candidate.
I moved to place my gloved hand on top of hers, “What could have possibly given you that idea? Your people, your nation, they could not be in safer hands than your own, my lady. If it were not so I would have shared it with you.” I hoped she could see the sincerity in my gaze, to know that she needn’t worry for even a moment.
“I know, Dain, which is why the idea alone feels so preposterous to me. Still, this dreadful feeling persists, as if it is a warning of sorts that I cannot seem to decipher.” As she glanced up to me, I saw the dark bags underneath her eyes that told of sleepless nights at the library. What had worried her so much as to make her lose sleep like this? What had she seen and heard for her to reach the point of speculation like this?
I couldn’t see inside her mind to know what thoughts were racing through it, but I thought I might be able to convince her that she was safe and sound, that whatever was worrying her was only a passing thought. I gave her my most convincing smile and said, “Ah, I see what it is.”
Her eyes lit up with familiar excitement and anticipation, “You do?”
I nodded, “I do.” I pushed a strand of hair away from her face, “You’re lost in the pretty little mind of yours again, aren’t you? You’re consumed by the worries of your people and how to best serve them as you twist yourself into a bind to please them.” From what I could gather, it was my best guess. This coronation ceremony must have really been getting to her for her to take up the habit of worrying herself sick.
Her face fell immediately, her eyes suddenly flickering with the first flames of frustration, “Dain, I’m being serious.”
I huffed, folding my arms over my chest, “As am I. Look, you give your all each and every day for the good of your people, but you neglect to think of yourself and care for your own needs. Here you are on the eve of your coronation, worried about what choices you will make tomorrow, and the next day, and the next.” She turned her face away from mine, once again sparing a glance to the musicians and dancers still in the main hall. I followed her gaze before holding out my hand to her and offering a compromise, “Take my hand, and let me take you far away from the doubts and fears of tomorrow. Let’s focus on today and spend the little time we have left in it together, shall we?”
She hesitated for only a moment before her smile returned little by little until she took my hand in hers, “Since when did you become such a romantic?”
I folded one arm across my chest in a proper bow, giving her a wink as I rose back to my full stature, “Only for you, my lady.”
I started to lead her towards the center of the hall, feeling the watching eyes of the guests and fellow knights standing vigilant guard around the room, but just as she turned to me, draping one of her hands over my shoulder, there came a shudder from the ground beneath us. There was no warning, no way of knowing what was to come, but in that moment, the only thought racing through my mind was the woman before me and the resigned look that crossed her face. She’d been right after all.
As the ground broke open underneath us, I kept the hand still enclosed in hers iron-tight. The other hand was trapped underneath fallen rubble from the roof. I couldn’t move it, and I was already starting to fear the worst as the rich, crimson blood began to trickle down my entrapped shoulder, staining my coat a deep carmine. I spared a worried glance down to the princess, helpless to watch as she clung to me for dear life.
As the blood began to run down the sleeve of my coat, it started to pool where our hands were connected. I desperately tried to readjust my grip, but I couldn’t risk it, not with her still grasping my hand so tightly. Almost immediately, she began to understand our dilemma. Her eyes found mine, tears already threatening to fall as she struggled to find the right words. “Dain,” she started to speak, her voice shaky and uncertain, “You can’t hold us both.”
“That’s not true!” I argued through gritted teeth, ignoring the searing pain that tore at my shoulder and my outstretched hand. I forced myself to believe I could endure the pain, even if my body was beginning to scream in agony.
Her hand began to slip just slightly, but I was able to hold onto her by my fingers, desperate not to drop her into the abyss below us. She looked up to my trapped arm and sighed heavily as she tried to hold back her tears, “Dainsleif, my Twilight Sword, we both know the truth. You can’t pull us both out of here. Your right arm is trapped, isn’t it?
I couldn’t lie to her, so I opted to stay silent, but even so, it only confirmed her fears. No matter how much I willed it not to be true, she was right. I couldn’t hold this position forever, and I wasn’t sure I could pull myself up to level ground, much less the both of us.
She called my name to pull me from my thoughts, but I noticed the way her voice was more tender than before, “Dain, you have to let me go.”
“No!” I immediately interjected, unable to even consider such a thought in this situation. “There’s got to be another way, just give me time to think!” I cried out, not willing to believe that she was right yet again, too stubborn to accept the reality I was faced with.
By now, the blood pooling in our hand had started to seep through each of our fingers, causing her to slip through my fingers with every passing moment. I gripped her hand with every last ounce of strength I had left, but even I could tell that it was not enough to hold.
Before she slipped through my fingers for the very last time, she whispered a promise, a promise to be with me wherever I went in life or in death. She then took one last breath and let go of my hand. In that moment she didn’t cry. She didn’t shed a single tear for herself as she fell through the air. In fact, though the sight lives on only in my memory, she smiled, just like she had for so many years that I had been at her side, knowing this would be the last time.”
The former knight paused his story there, unable to continue as grief washed over him. He’d lost everything that night: his home, his family, his friends, and his purpose, but what hurt the most, was to know that he wasn’t strong enough to save Khaenri'ah all those years ago, and that now, he had to settle for avenging the nation and every last citizen struck down by the archons’ power. He knew it would never be enough to undo his own failure to save you, to protect you like he swore to as a royal guard, but perhaps you could forgive him if he could find the answer to why the gods chose to strike down his homeland and his only love.
The rustling of the bushes in front of Dainsleif alerted him that he and the traveler were no longer alone. The newcomer began to clap, slow and loud as he revealed himself, ““That’s quite the story there, but I’m quite curious. What became of the knight in your story?”
The traveler’s mouth opened wide in shock as they recognized the newcomer in question, “C-Captain Kaeya! What are you doing here?”
Kaeya ignored the traveler’s question, intently awaiting Dainsleif’s reply, “Surely there was more to the story, no?”
Dainsleif sighed, folding his arms over his chest, “He’s roamed the ravaged land as a wanderer for years to come, silently holding out hope that his beloved might someday return, even if it is quite foolish to entertain such a thought. He’s spent the rest of his days searching for her in the stillness of the night, underneath the twilight sky.”
Kaeya began to chuckle, shaking his head disapprovingly, “That’s no way to end a story, now is it? What are the chances the princess survived and clawed herself to unlikely victory? What if the princess were to take on the role of avenger for her fallen nation just as her dutiful knight has done?” He then shrugged, “It’s just a thought though. I would hate for such a romantic story to end on such a somber note after all.”
For a moment, there was the faintest flicker of hope in the former knight’s heart, but it withered away as soon as it had sparked alight. Kaeya may have liked to push other people’s buttons for fun, but as a descendent of Khaenri'ah himself, he knew better than to make light of his homeland in such a way. This was not just another story told for the sake of being told, and the cavalry captain knew that. Still, Dainsleif also knew that the traveler was still unaware of Kaeya’s less than noble heritage, so he’d play along, for now.
“If such a possibility were to exist in this story , where might the knight find her? That is if it were possible she survived the fall into the abyss? Hypothetically of course,” he asked with a pointed glare.
Kaeya stroked his chin, as if in deep thought, “Hmm, you mentioned in your little story that she always wished to fly away like a bird following the setting sun. If I were the knight, I’d look for the princess where the sun meets the sky, at the peak of the highest mountain west of the wind.”
The highest mountain west of the wind? That automatically eliminated a few possible places. West of the wind suggested out of Mondstadt, so that left…
Dainsleif chuckled to himself, “How fitting.” He then turned to leave, not giving the traveler or Kaeya a moment to interject.
The traveler glanced between Dainsleif’s retreating figure and Kaeya, who wore a rather proud smirk on his face, “I’ll be off now. Traveler, why don’t you accompany me back to Mondstadt? Jean has a new project for the Knights of Favonious that just might interest you.”
The traveler lingered, sparing the former Twilight Sword one last glance as he disappeared into the sunset, “What about Dainsleif?”
Kaeya didn’t look back as he replied, “Don’t worry about him. I’m sure he knows where he’s going.”