I bring my knees towards my chest and place my hands on them, resting my head in my hands. I closed my eyes and felt the wind cover my body.
...
"Milagro."
I looked up at the hands as pale as the clouds surrounding us caress my hair. His platinum hair adored with the golden crown and jewels fell behind him till his waist and his gray eyes that could see the whole of the galaxy looked at me with a soft expression.
His gentle but sharp facial features truly made him the Heavenly Emperor.
Since he did not say anything I redirected my focus on the book I was reading.
"Milagro." He called again but this time he removed my hair pin that father had put in my equally long golden white hair and placed it in the book as a bookmark. He closed the book and kept it on the table next to him.
He pulled me up from my seat and placed me on his lap. As a nine year old -in angel age- I was treated as the most valuable treasure.
"Why is your hair tied in a bun again?"
I looked up at him with my crystal blue eyes from behind my gold rimmed glasses.
"Father does not like my long hair and it also gets in the way of my reading so it's fine if it's up like that."
"Oh is that so..."
"Milagro!!" I heard Nikos as he dashed in the heavenly court where we were seated.
"Goshhh Nikos don't run."
I saw Nikos and the Demonic Emperor enter the hall.
Nikos's Black hair was short and his blue eyes were a deeper shade then mine. On the other hand, The Demonic Emperor's black hair was long -till his shoulders- holding his red and black crown and his red eyes burned like hell fire itself. A long vertical scar from the right eyebrow to the chin made him a scary figure.
It has been a few decades since I had last seen my cousin -plus my best friend- so I tried to jump down from His Majesty's lap but a firm hand gripped my waist, preventing me from even moving. I gramice a little from the pain but stayed quiet.
Nikos on the other hand seeing this stood beside the Demonic Emperor as a proud soldier.
"What is he doing here without permission, D?"
"It was his wish to meet his highness Milagro. You already know the merit system in the underworld, with the amount of points he has collected I had to fulfill his wish. So, H it would be better to let the kids meet and play for a while."
They talk like it was everyday business but me and Nikos both know how much scheming they do behind everyones back.
The Heavenly Emperor's grip tightened for a second before he let go of me and placed me down on my feet. He patted my head and said "have fun today but I expect you here tomorrow for the next lesson.
I bowed respectfully and ran down the stairs towards Nikos. I came in front of him and he nodded. We gathered everything in one firm eye-to-eye conversation and went out of the hall and the palace.
I held his hand and teleported to the Hope domain, My home.
"Dad, I am home."
"I can see that," I heard him say from somewhere in the house, he waited for a while as we sat down and then continued,"Milagro... use the healing leaf from the box you are bruised."
"Yes dad..."
I have no idea how he knew but indeed my waist was bruised from the grip the Heavenly Emperor had on me.
"Hello Uncle."
"Good to see you too Nikos."
After healing my wound and spending a whole day with Nikos I was happy for a bit.
"Then I will be going, Milagro."
"Sure, next time I will try to visit you instead."
"Haha sure I will be waiting for you. Ah! almost forgot a message from Arwan 'You better be growing stronger and not lazing around.'"
I chucked at the message and told Nikos to tell him I was stronger than him even if I was being lazy.
Nikos nodded and waved his departure. I waved back and headed inside the house and in my room. I got on my bed and layed down exhausted from the whole day.
"Milagro wake up."
A hand shook me and I woke up to the smell of burning. I opened my eyes and rubbed them to clear my vision.
The house....
The house was burning.....
"Milagro....."
"Kaan...."
"MILAGRO...."
"KAAN!!!!! WAKE UP."
I jolted awake.
I was panting and trembling.
"Kaan are you alright. What are you doing on the rooftop so early in the morning? Shit!... you are freezing."
Jasper draped a thick fur cape on my shoulder and covered me. I saw the morning sun rising from the horizon and realized that I had fallen asleep and just had a nightmare.
The warmth from the cape sipped in and the bitter coldness left me in seconds. He came and sat beside me in silence.
"Jasper....protect everyone."
"I will...but if there ever comes a time when I have to choose between you and everyone else....my choice will always be you."
A smile unconsciously left my face and I bathed in the morning rays of the sun, signaling a new beginning.
'The past may haunt me and the future may be scary but the present is for me to overcome and I will win this battle.'
***
A grand office within a castle, filled with ornate furnishings, maps of the kingdom on the walls, and a large wooden desk stacked with scrolls. The king, dressed in regal attire, sits behind the desk, while I stand nearby with a notepad.
His majesty leaned back in his chair and said "the time has come. We can no longer keep Kaan hidden from the world. His existence has to be revealed."
"Yes, Your Majesty. But the manner of his revelation—how do we present him to our people?"
He while stroking his chin said, "I want them to see him for who he truly is. The epitome of royal virtue, strength, and wisdom. He is not just our heir; he is a beacon of hope."
I flipped through my notepad and said "I agree, but there's a concern. The public may have been skeptical of our decision to keep him from the light for so long. We need to prepare for any backlash."
"I understand. We must present his upbringing as a necessary precaution. A way to protect him from those who would wish to harm such perfection."
I contemplate a little before suggesting "Perhaps we could host a grand ceremony in the Great Hall? A celebration where the people can see him in all his glory—and we can tell his story."
The king's face brightened up "That's a splendid idea! A festival. After the war a party like this will truly show everyone our power. We can add music, dancing, and a declaration of his birthright all together. We can invite dignitaries from surrounding kingdoms as well."
"Yes! The more grandeur we inject into the event, the more the people will rally behind him. They will see him as part of a proud tradition."
"And we can include a moment where he speaks. Let the public hear his thoughts—let them feel his presence. It'll shatter any doubts they may harbor. Go on Ryu, make the preparation and make sure this stays between us."
"Yes your majesty." I bowed and left to fulfill his wish.
'Sorry your highness but an order is an order.'