The wedding proceeded as one would expect.
The area was heavily guarded by the champions that won the tournaments over the years, whilst the king got to enjoy the day staring at the most beautiful person in the world. Amelia's wedding dress was crafted by the greatest designers that could be found in the world. Making a sparkling masterpiece that stunned the world with her beauty, raising the standards for royale weddings by several miles. Her brown hair that was straightened highlighted her emerald eyes that sparkled at Rangan with an undying love.
"I love you…"
The two of them shared their wedding night together, but before they could be left alone. There was one thing that Rangan wished to discuss with Soth and Ditor.
"Should the worst happen, I wish for you to take over, Soth."
Rangan dropped a massive bombshell on Soth who couldn't even think of such a thought. His mind sent spiralling into a whirlpool of uncertainty and anxiety. It was common for the next in line to be blood-related to the king. But after hearing the explanation, it was understandable.
"Amelia can't get pregnant."
"My lord if I may suggest finding someone else to have a child with…" Ditor proposed but only got rejected.
"No, I love Amelia and would never do such a thing."
"So you are not having any kids? The line will end with you?" Soth couldn't understand what he was hearing, unable to comprehend how this is a good idea only seeing the Easts downfall as it was passed onto him.
"It won't end with me. It'll be up to you."
"I… I don't understand…" Soth muttered with wide eyes, staring at the dedication of the man in front of him.
"When I'm gone, the east and west will join together, under one king, you."
Soth stumbled back at the shock. Resting on the closest chair he could find. His reaction was to be expected. His life was being changed massively and the future that he saw crumble in front of him, was quickly climbing back up but on a half damaged ladder that was torn apart by his worry.
However, in the corner of the room, stood Ditor. A man who was trying to contain his excitement. He covered his mouth with his hand to hide the saliva that was falling with his crazed eyes at the opportunity that he saw. The plan he wanted to achieve years ago, was finally coming true.
# # #
"What a wonderful day," Amila said as she collapsed on her bed next to Rangan.
"It was a lot of fun." Rangan jumped down next to her and climbed under the covers, staring into her eyes.
"Let's go to sleep…"
The two of them spent their first night together. They spent it, and every other night, in each other's arms, unable to let go of the future they wished to create.
Back in the West, Soth sat by himself, regretting every choice he ever made.
"Maybe If I confessed this wouldn't have happened… if he knew I liked her they wouldn't have gotten married and the East line would continue…"
"There's no point brooding over it, your majesty." Ditor walked in as if he was listening from the outside, waiting for his cue to enter. However, he didn't enter alone. Next to him stood a little boy, who looked as if he was picked off the street. Hiding behind Ditor's legs, tightly gripped on his trousers and peering round to look at the sunken king.
"Who is this?"
"His name is Venenum, we caught him patrolling the area. I was going to kick him out, but I've taken a liking to him. Reminds me of you when you were younger."
Soth didn't question the boy. The boy wore the clothes that all homeless people in the west wore and assumed that he was after some food, leaving Ditor to deal with him.
"I'm going to bed… leave me for now…"
"As you wish, your majesty."
# # #
The days passed until the turn of the new year, several months after the wedding of Rangan and Amelia. The East continued as normal with the West still hanging on for survival. However, the peaceful days of the Tanban kingdom were slowly changing, with the announcement of the queen falling ill.
"What do you mean you can't figure it out!" In his room, isolated from sunlight and the rest of the world. Rangan stood above his pale wife who was quickly falling asleep, whilst he was yelling at the clueless doctor, who had tried everything he could.
"It seems to be some sort of poison… a magic curse even… there's nothing we can do."
"Curse? You really believe that?"
Rangan, who was too busy with the doctor, didn't turn around.
He didn't turn his head, to face his wife. He only had to do it slightly.
Only an inch.
And if he did, he'd see her. Lying on his bed. Already in the next life, without him.
The funeral was held quickly. Soth attended along with Ditor who brought along Venenum. Soth stayed with his friend who never spoke. He didn't say a word at the funeral and never addressed the nation.
His communications with Soth slowly changed. With the king never leaving his room, he never spoke or even saw him. He only heard his voice through the thick doors that trapped him in his bedroom.
The next time Tanba would hear about the king of the East, would be that he had passed away. although the nation declared it as suicide, the nation had no reason to believe such a story and quickly worked out that he was killed by the same curse that took his wife.
As he stood over their graves. Soth muttered to himself as the snow started to fall on Tanba.
"I swear… I swear I'll be a good king. I'll build Tanba from the ground up and create a place even better than the place you made."
Behind him, with an umbrella protecting him, Ditor stood with a smile behind Soth's back. A smile of ecstasy.
The new king was declared quickly; only a few days after the funeral. Soth reigned for 5 lonely years. And in those 5 years, the people loved him. He met a woman who was slightly older than him, fell in love and married her. She quickly became the queen of Tanba.
She ruled alongside Soth until his final days. Decaying the same way as his two closest friends. A curse that took the three of them.
The queen was the only one left, grieving at the thought that she was next to be killed.
The bloodline was called cursed and no one would want to marry into the family or even call themself royalty, people outside had hoped Tanba would die without a ruler. Tourism fell as no one wanted to be cursed, and the rulers of the other countries and cities never mentioned Tanba to anyone.
But the queen didn't worry, for she was to remarry. And she didn't wait around to do so. As if prearranged, she married less than a year after Soth's death.
The man that she married would become king. This man would become king of the East and the West in hopes to rebuild and fix the curse.
With a king from the East and a queen from the West, it was expected for them both to thrive. However, it was not known to the public that both king and queen were from the West.
New rules were put in place and the positions were swapped. The East crashed while the West continued to rise. Eventually, the walls were built. Separating the two sides in history. Rewriting it all from the beginning.
The Tanban Empire was born under the eternal blizzard that quickly settled above the once bright nation.
The blizzard that could actually have been a curse. A curse caused by the current king's actions, but he didn't care, as his plan had succeeded.
For the Tanban Empire, ruled by King Ditor, was forever rising.