Flower Prince - Corpsekkuno

- Chapter 39 -

Everyone exchanged hugs and greetings. Toast especially. Toast broke down in Sykkuno's arms while the herbalist soothed him by patting his head.

"You guys aren't dead?" Edison said in disbelief.

"Nope, we got exiled." Corpse answers.

"How can you say that so casually?"

Ludwig stumbled out. He leaned against the doorway, and Sykkuno rushed to his side. "What happened to you?" Ludwig asked.

"We were exiled after Nox ratted us out."

Ludwig scoffed at the mention of his name. "What an asshole."

Sykkuno looked to the side and saw the woman he'd seen at the market a while ago. "Hey, Poki, right?" he wondered aloud. The girl nodded and waved. "Seems like everyone I come across is an Anchor..."

The group stood still for a moment before Leslie spoke. "Where's Lily and Micheal?" she asked. Ludwig perked up and looked at Yvonne.

"Lily told me that she and Micheal were going to have a meeting with someone. They should be arriving soon," she said.

"With who?"

"Dan."

"Oh! The Miner!" Sykkuno said.

Yvonne nodded. "Lily went to ask him if they could travel through the cave system in case the town needed an escape."

"So, she told Dan about The Anchors?" Corpse assumed.

Yvonne nodded once more.

Toast sighed, "Well, no matter. We still need to get going."

"We need more people on the battlefield anyway. Sykkuno, Corpse, come with us. We'll tell you the plan on the way."

◈◈◈

Rae returned to the castle. She was cautious since she believed the guards would have noticed her disappearance along with Ludwigs. But no one said a thing to her. They must have been so focused on Ludwig, they forgot about her.

For the first time in her life, she found relief in being ignored.

Meanwhile, the others had made it to the middle point. They ran most of the time, only stopping for water breaks. Toast made it a priority that they made it there before Offpire.

In the distance, they saw the army of Ambrose riding in. In the front, The King rode on his horse, keeping his posture perfect. Although, Emma and her mother aren't hither. The group walks up to the horses that now stood still. Corpse is the first to speak to The King. "We are ready." The King nods before looking at Sykkuno. "I heard they executed you."

The herbalist shook his head. "No sir, banished." The King hums, "Well, at least you're not dead."

◈◈◈

Everyone waited, their bodies covered by the trees and bushes. They tarried until the arrival of Offpire's army before slipping into the mob.

To kill time, Sykkuno finally decided to read the letter Gertrude had left him. As he pulled the letter into his hands, he noticed they were shaking. Gertrude was a parental figure in his life, and he decided to leave without a trace.

Sykkuno scooched away from the group and felt along the edges of the letter. He opened it, careful not to make too much noise and began to read.

Dear Thomas,

I missed you. If you ever return to Ambrose, let's talk things over.

If not, I wish you every bit of luck I can offer. Just know, you're presence has made me feel so happy. I'm sure others feel the joy around you too.

I apologize for the brevity of length in this letter as I don't have much time.

If you have the time, please write to me. I want to know how you're handling these times.

Regards, Gertrude.

It was short, so very short. But Sykkuno couldn't help but feel impacted at the moment. He wiped away a tear and smiled, silently promising himself to see Gertrude again after this is all over.

He placed the letter at the bottom of his bag and sat against a tree. Corpse took note and sat down next to him. Everyone else was too fixated on the road coming from Offpire to notice. "What are you thinking about?" he rustled. Thomas shook his head, "Nothing really," he answers. Cadáver hums and stares off into nothing with the boy.

They linked their hands together and waited. Both of them knew there was no guarantee of their survival. It was a sad truth they accepted. Cadáver's father wouldn't show mercy to either him or his friends.

He understood his father's intentions, but The King portrayed it in such a frail and twisted way. His family despises him, even with his ranking of King. Cadáver has learned he married his way into royalty despite his parent's disapproval. They told him it would cause him to be "self-indulgent" and "greedy," and it did. To gain his family's validation, he gave them the riches that lords would be jealous of. But nothing worked, and his family refused all gifts sent to them.

"Guys! They're coming!" Leslie says quietly. The group lays flat on their stomachs and watches the arrival of Offpire. "Alright, the medical unit is considerably large, so we should be able to slip in easily." Toast concludes. "And, it's at the back of this parade," Edison adds.

After waiting for the medical unit to pass by, everyone walked behind them. Sykkuno's heart was beating uncontrollably. Toast had made it clear, he was to heal Ambrose's soldiers and poison Offpire's. They stood up in sync and jogged behind the unit. They all said nothing to each other, but Sykkuno had remembered something he couldn't keep hidden. He slipped beside Toast and spoke, "In exile, we saw Hafu again." he murmured. "She misses you and wishes you well." he smiles. "Just thought I'd let you know." Sykkuno steps to Corpse's side once more and catches a glimpse of Toast's grin. The herbalist had very little knowledge about their friendship, but he knew they cared deeply for each other.

Soon enough, everyone comes to a stop. A confrontation is being held by both kings. However, the group was too far away to make sense of what they were saying.

The two-man shook hands and backed away. And Sykkuno looked to Corpse in fear, and the other looked back. He grabbed his lover's hand and caressed his palm. It was as if to distract Sykkuno from the chaos to come.

But, neither of them prepared for the battle ahead. They would stay on the sidelines most likely. It didn't bother Corpse, however, as it put both him and Sykkuno at less risk.

They looked at each other as the turmoil began.

◈◈◈

IT IS ALMOST THE END

Just would like to say, I know this isn't the story wasn't what people were expecting, and I feel a little bad about it. I find enjoyment in writing stories with a major plotline that doesn't involve much romance. But I promise I will make more romantic stories in the future!

Question: In your daily life, what is something that you find irritating?

have a good morning, afternoon or night!

-fai