A lone maple tree stood by the forest behind the private cabin Arius owned. Cool wind made the trees dance as if to celebrate the man's arrival.
In this place, Arius is no king. He is just another human, greeting nature with his presence.
Found in the outskirt of Nimeria, almost close to the border of Noirn, Arius kept the same house he shared with his mother many years ago.
Even back then, it had been a sanctuary for both of them. It was the only place they could hide from the people who wanted to covet the throne his father left.
The house was more than a shelter. To Arius, it was the chest of his memories with his beloved mother. From the front yard, the stone path, to the back door, the dock, and the lake, all of them contained something to reminisce each time he went here. Although he maintained most of the parts, he had renovated some of it and replaced old furniture with new ones when needed. Despite not being used much, he promised himself he'd never let the tiny cabin wither away, for it held too many important things.
Who would know that even after all those years, it was still a place he can retreat to? The circumstances were different, but it was still the house that would welcome him whenever he felt too overwhelmed with his work or if he felt lost. It was his safe haven before—when he was only Arius, son of Mnea. And still, as King Arius, it had been serving the same purpose for him.
So, here he was, standing in front of the maple tree he planted on the day his mother died.
He never had the chance to do a proper burial with all that happened. Her body was never found, only what remained of her. He mourned and grieve without even having to send her to a resting place. And so, he resorted to planting her favorite tree instead. A solace he could find in the circumstance was that the tree could live for hundreds of years, accompanying him through his immortality. Though, there was still the bitter truth that he would witness its death one day. To prolong the time before the maple tree too would say its "goodbye", he made sure to give it the best care, another excuse for him to leave the palace.
Today, the breeze felt comforting. The sun was high above, yet it wasn't too harsh with the way it shone. Leaves of green, orange, and red danced with the wind as it carried them to places they should be. The lake was as serene as ever, giving a moment of peace to remember, to reminisce Mnea Arkin. It was also the day to look back at the time when Arius lost his everything, his mother.
How ironic. In a few days, he would be gaining something that could be his everything, but…
Despite his eagerness to go through with the wedding, seeing the files about House Ruby made him reconsider. He still felt he wanted to marry Zinnia, the woman who seemed to awaken something within him. That never changed, but it felt like it was too selfish.
Recalling his days with his mother made way for a kind of doubt he never possessed before, one that wasn't for himself. It was for Zinnia. He already had plans on how to deal with House Ruby, but nothing for Zinnia. As much as it was possible, he wanted to omit her from those plans. No. He had to treat House Ruby and Zinnia as entirely different matters.
That's why he had been asking himself what he could do to make sure to spare Zinnia from the brunt of the chaos that he was about to unleash. However, no matter how hard he racked his brain, there was only one thing he can come up with: let her go.
He disliked it.
He hopped onto his car and retreated to the part of the nation where no one will have prying ears and eyes. Even Xerxes was not allowed to such a private place.
The man smiled at the view he owned at the moment. One hundred and some years had passed, yet the red maple tree still thrived. He wished he could still see its firm dark grey trunk and the vibrant red Autumn leaves next year in his annual commemorative visit.
He allowed the Fall's ambiance to embrace him as he sat below the tree and fell into his thoughts. He let his mind wander, reminisce, and even imagine, relishing the brief time of peace he could afford.
Lifting his head, Arius couldn't help but be amazed, yet again, with how the tree towered over him, spreading its branches far and wide, even reaching over the lake. Gorgeous red symbolic leaves would fall every now and then, joining the ones that had rested below the tree's shade before them. Birds perched on the trees around paid their stay on the branches with melodies akin to a mother's caress. Guileless gust delivered a calm touch, promising better days. Dried leaves swirl in the air, playing like children without a care in the world and ended up in places forward, backward, and everywhere else.
Never in his long life would he disregard the effect of this place on him. It always brought the feeling that even if the whole world outside this sanctuary went insane, this haven will keep him safe. It was a gift from his mother he'd cherished until the end of time. And he knew, having the place was like still having a part of the woman who brought him to the world and loved him the most.
However, every bliss comes to an end. The setting sun will pause for no one.
The mix of orange and red painted the sky. It was time for Arius to leave the fleeting moment and face the outside world's troubles.
Once he stepped outside the front door, he dialed a number without activating the holo-vid function, concealing even a glimpse of the place. A familiar voice came out from the other line.
"Arius?"
"Krye, I'm at the border. I'll be there shortly."
A deep sigh answered him, "I don't think I'll have a choice in the matter. I'll let them know to expect you."
"You're the best," after hearing a scoff from his friend, Arius hopped on the driver's seat and proceeded to activate the main control of the mobile. The AI greeted him in his name and asked for the destination. After receiving the location and other instructions from its owner, the black sports car whirred its engine alive and embarked on the journey.
In a matter of an hour, Arius already entered the main city of *Noirn, passing by sceneries of the floating vehicles and heaven-touching skyscrapers. The streets were populated by structures in mixed styles of modern simplistic vibe and European touch. Digital billboards donned with realistic holographic images towered over some buildings in a wide variety of shapes.
Noirn was like Stygia when it comes to advance technology, only ahead in a few generations' measure. Without being conflicted with war had a lot of perks. And gaining a lot of miles ahead of all the nation when it comes to progress was one of them.
The white tall gate of the Noirn palace disappear to the sides after the automated security scan confirmed Arius' identity.
Compared to the palace back at Stygia, Noirn embraced modern times with the technologically-inclined structure of its palace. There was still a touch of ancient history in some of the corners, but the cybernetic parts dominated. There were no humans seen loitering around to attend to their jobs, only androids to do the menial tasks.
Arius even walked the halls of the palace with his steps echoing in the hollowness of it. Once he got to the king's study, he was welcomed by an auburn-haired butler with a cordial smile and a respectful bow.
A deep voice boomed in the room from the seat, "Let's skip the pleasantries. Why are you here?"
Nell immediately left without a word as soon as Arius stepped a meter inside. The dark wood panel slid back to its place in the door frame.
Arius' long legs casually meandered to one of the modern white ball seats and sat on the dark blue cushions. He regarded the new setup his friend had.
Instead of physical books, the shelves contained holographic buttons to operate. There was a levitating golden ball within a circular metal frame. It must be the new speaker he heard was installed recently. Krye's table surface is lidded with a user interface screen, showing opened documents and tiny details all around. The Noirn prince closed some of the files, setting them aside with the touch of his fingers.
"I heard you're going to be married soon?" Krye's emerald eyes settled at Arius with seriousness.
The king of Stygia only smiled with glee. There was something about people addressing his marriage that made him giddy. Though with a turmoil of emotions about how to proceed with it, the thought of marrying Zinnia really excited him.
With his silence, Krye continued to give his remarks.
"You should've seen Nell spit his coffee the morning I announced it in the council meeting."
Arius' hearty laugh echoed in the room. But the other man only gave a sigh.
"It was a bit too sudden for my taste too. But you won't be Arius without all of the sudden shenanigans," the prince shrugged as if it was the only thing he could do about it, "So, I guess you do you."
Arius wore a wide grin. He knew Krye always had his back even though there are a lot of matters to deal within Noirn. Speaking of… "How's the King Selection going for you?
"I don't know what they intend to do with it. There was something about a woman named Ohmee involved. But to avoid any kind of bias, they never disclosed anything more. I'm not going to disqualify myself by prying further." Krye frustratingly raked through his indigo hair, the natural color for those who bear the Noirn curse just as grey eyes were a mark of the Stygian curse.
Arius' brow raised, "I highly doubt you'd be disqualified. You're the most strait-laced guy I know. And if my opinion would have merit in the process, I'd say you're more than qualified to rule this nation."
"The Noirn Council would say otherwise. But I'll leave it to their impartial methods." Krye tapped a certain panel before the UI screen blacked out, leaving only a black glass as the top's surface. He, then, setted his clasped hands on it.
"Good for you to have a reliable and upright council. Unlike mine…" Arius' grin became a wry one, bitterness tasted in his mouth.
"They're still out for your blood?"
"Oh, you have no idea," amusement immediately replaced the wry form, his grey eyes had a glint of danger as the words left Arius' mouth.
The other set of eyes wandered to the wide bay window, showing the scenic view of the ocean, "It's a pity they chose to be on your bad side, even resorting to turning everyone against you. Those history texts of theirs were as nasty as ever."
"They won't even be afraid to use all things related to me."
Krye returned his gaze to Arius and held it there for a few seconds of silence before speaking, "You got something?"
"Xerxes is still as reliable as ever," Arius beamed proudly.
"That's the Brassen network for you. So… what, or rather, who is it this time?"
Arius' features shifted to something even more dangerous, "House Ruby."
Meanwhile, Krye's eyes were in a wide shape of pure surprise, "That's--… Since when…?"
"Apparently, a lot of hidden agenda was inserted over the years it operated."
Krye's lips became a thin line, seeming to try treading the topic carefully, "What does… Alona has to say?"
The other only tried to reassure him with a confident smile, "You don't have to worry too much about it. Things are already in place."
"I can't imagine how you're furious about this. Using your mother's legacy against you? That's just playing dirty."
"Oh, I'm furious. Beyond furious," yet Arius' facial expression was anything but furious. From a stranger's point of view, he might've looked like he was enjoying the current circumstance.
"What's their plan this time? Is it another one of those assassinations?"
"The classic…"
An incredulous sigh escaped Krye as his hand covered his face in a dumbfounded manner.
"So, how do you plan to deal with your executor this time?"
The question posed like a provoking shiny little thing to Arius. He wasn't only enjoying the fact that his enemies are running out of creative ways to get him, Krye's dumbstruck reactions were really fun to watch.
"I'm going to marry her."
"You're what…?!" As expected, Arius was met with a look of absolute astonishment.
His lips curved wider, not bothering to clarify, "I'm marrying her."
"You mean…?" The Noirn prince started fumbling for words, unable to express how baffled he is with the way Stygia's king is handling such matter. And this wasn't the first time. "Is that why you're suddenly going to have a wedding?"
"Exactly," the impish man had an impish grin on his face the whole time.
"I know your methods are unconventional and a bit too wild for me. But even for a man like you, don't you think this is a bit extreme?"
Poor Krye, Arius never spared him from the twisted humor this king has when it comes to seeing his friends at loss for words in reaction to his antics. In fact, the man only burst into a roaring laughter.
Of course, this earned a glare from the poor victim, "And I'm not even joking about that. I can't believe you can still laugh like that. Just the thought of literally needing to sleep with one eye open at night… It's already too exhausting for me."
"Oh, it'll be fun," the other one said, sounding genuine.
"How are you… How are you going to deal with her?"
The air in the room was instantly filled with tension when the translucent pair of eyes reflected seriousness all of a sudden. Krye met him with a similar expression but with anticipation.
"Well, that's where you come in," Arius' voice was quiet.
Krye's closed lips became a meaningful grin. "I see. I knew you wouldn't be here if you're not going to ask favors."
"Hey. I invite you to fish sometimes!"
The prince averted his eyes to frown, "Wasting time to look at fishes who will ignore you for hours is not the kind of hobby I'd like to indulge in."
Arius raised a mocking brow this time, "You just don't know how to do it right."
"Yeah. Whatever." After rolling his eyes, Krye couldn't just let the serious topic go, "So…? What is it that you need me to do with her?"
"Give her a free pass to Noirn."
"And…?"
"That's that. Let her live here, incognito."
For the no-one-knows-how-many time in the same day, Krye was left grasping for understanding how and why his friend would come up with such ideas. Arius never failed to surprise him, mostly shocking him. And it seemed he won't be stopping any time soon.
"I still don't understand what you're trying to do here. Are you going to bribe her with a new life? Is that it?"
"Not bribe, I'm giving her a choice, an option she can freely choose."
Krye only fell into silence which prompted Arius to continue.
"You're the only one I can ask of this. Nyx is still in chaos with an MIA king, and *Kruos is still in constant war with *Fotia. Right now, even with the King Selection ruckus, Noirn is stable, and I'm certain you'd keep the peace even if it's the last thing you'd do."
The silence stretched for minutes. Both men in the room tried to gauge each other's thoughts. It was Krye who broke the flow of dead air, but he did with such words that sounded like an anvil to Arius.
"Could you just clarify one thing for me? Who is she to you?"
Arius didn't understand the question, nor Krye's intention for asking.
"I have to know. If I'm going with your plan, I have to know where this is going. Or else, I might unintentionally break the trust you're giving me without much of a care," the prince leaned back to the cocoon-shape backrest of his seat, heavy with anticipation.
As usual, Arius' headspace turned into a large body of water as they always do when he had to access a part of him that wasn't actively showing. A man of the ocean, it helped him sort out the inner workings of his mind. He always felt he could be in control if he likened the process into familiar territory.
His thoughts dived deep, past the confusion settling on the surface of this whole new ocean. Figuring out what Krye wanted and how to answer his question, he's at loss for words. Would a simple reason such as not wanting her to end up like his mother suffice? Who knew he'd have to mull over it like this? He usually had an answer for everything, a reason for whatever he did. But at that moment, coming up with anything satisfactory to himself proved to be difficult. The question only echoed in his mind without summoning anything.
Krye picked up on his friend's unusual behavior. They've known each other for a long time. The sight of his usually unbothered friend getting fazed by such a question was a little bit too fresh from what he was used to. Besides, this was Arius they're talking about.
The grey-eyed man finally spoke after a few minutes, "I don't know, Krye. I just know this is the right thing to do." Lost, it was the best word to describe what reflected in his eyes, considering he acquiesced to the fact that he had no answer.
Arius could see in the sea of emerald eyes that the answer he gave brewed a lot more questions. And if he was being honest, for the first time, he didn't know how he'd handle them should the Noirn prince choose to ask away.
Funny how he was so determined a few days ago, thinking big about the one to steer his journey. But how will he proceed if he got stranded so early in the game? He made a self-deprecating laugh.
Oh, this was bad. So bad.
Hundred and thirty years of building the confidence he wore more than his actual crown, yet it could only shatter this easy.
The ocean view beyond the window pulled his eyes for distraction as his thoughts brought him to wish that Zinnia would be cooperative once he put his offer on the table.
Because if she refused that offer, he knew it'd probably be the end of him. For better or for worse, he hoped he never had to find out what that would entail.
Damn. The ocean became suddenly scary.