Lunette- The Tales of Moonlight

Better Fates, Worse Futures

Request: He had failed Cinder, he promised to talk to everyone to be together and they did not approve of their commitment so he had to marry someone else and not the love of his life.

Summary:

"Well, he failed at one thing he wasn't  supposed to so what's the use?"

"I don't think he failed. He tried his best but fate had better plans for him."

"What's better than you, then?"

 Now that caught her off gaurd: 'what was better than her?'

Had she been asked this question 10 years ago, she would have sarcastically replied, "What's worse than her?"

....

A small insight of two lovers talking after their losses: with too much to mourn between them but too little to say. Sometimes all you have to choose between is letting go and holding on and the choices that you make might live on to haunt you forever. Longer than usual chance encounters force Cinder and Kai to discuss their present lives with each other.

__

//Cinder's Perspective:

"Are you happy, Kai?", she prompted.

She wanted to know if he was drowning in the same misery just like her or had he moved on and found someone else and made love to her-- the vet thought brought a pang of jealously but it was the bitter truth. Kai was no longer hers. His happiness was not the same as hers- not anymore.

"Do you really have to ask, Cinder?" He sighed.

"I want to know"

"I'm not sure, sometimes I feel happy- other times I feel guilty and when I don't feel these two emotions I feel regret over the possibilities of future."

A future- our future together was left unsaid. A fantasy never becomes a future- a cyborg never married a prince and a love story never had a happily ever after.

"Well, I can understand-"

"You don't really, Cinder. I gave my word to you and later broke it. I betrayed your trust in the with form and I'm so sorry, you didn't even get a chance-"

"Kai, it's all things of the past now, we both have moved on and I guess it's better if none of us brings our past together up."

Moved one- her foot, she had placed the order for the 'cinder and cinnamon' cologne that he uses just again yesterday for ahe misses missed his smell.

"I'm happy to know that you're happy."

"Who said I'm happy?"

"I just assumed."

"I'm doing better, yes. Better than last year but I'm not happy. I haven't been happy in a while now. Honestly, happiness is overrated." She retorted.

"Happiness is a shitty feeling."

They sat in silence waiting for the other word leaders to show up. Cinder tried to break the awkward silences with more awkward questions. Had Iko been present here she would have strangled her- not that it won't be justified.

"How is diplomating going?"

"Hectic per say, but it's okay. I'm  used to it."

"Expected from the best diplomat in the world," She complemented without thinking through.

"Well, he failed at one thing he wasn't  supposed to so what's the use?"

"I don't think he failed. He tried his best but fate had better plans for him."

"What's better than you, then?"

 Now that caught her off gaurd: 'what was better than her?'

Had she been asked this question 10 years ago, she would have sarcastically replied, "What's worse than her?" However, Kai made her feel like she was the best thing in the world for over 9 years now.

She  asked herself, what's better than her? That was a little bit narcistic to say, that she was the best thing that happened to Kai.

But in all stars reality, what was better than them  being together?

Although, it had taken a lot of effort to convince herelf that she was dating The Emperor Kaito of the Eastern Commonwealth in the beginning, once her mind had absorbed this piece of information- She had never really thought of an alternative future where they won't be together.

Being without her was better than being with her, in multiple ways as well. She had noticed the breakdowns, anxiety issues and akipping meals, dark circles under his eyes in the last days of their relationship. She had tried to reach out, to help him and soothe him but there wasn't much to offer when she was the 'misery'. The guilt ate him up and in the end unsaid bitter words and broken promises resulted into a turmoil of holding on and letting go. There wasn't much to hold on too to begin with- a love of two royals against the prejudices of million citizens. Alas, majority wins and heartbreaks happen and the royal lovers pretend to be strangers.

She replies to his question at last, "In the eyes of the million, I assume it's Ms. Chen Daiyu."

"Cinder, I'm just seeing her as a public stunt- My Inner Circle thinks it's the right time to get married and I'm unable to oppose it. I'm not willing onto this."

Chen Daiyu was all what she had seen all over the news for the last week.Too bad her newsfeed was really in her own retain scanner otherwise should have broken every other screen showing the two lovebirds and the speculations of their engagement and all the times they were seen together. 

"Engagement doesn't seem like a public stunt to me, Kai."

"Cinder, it's not what-"

"Please Kai. Don't pity me now, I'm happy you have found your one." She said a rather too bitterly, he didn't deny the claim not like she expected him to.

"I did find my one. I found her and loved her and lost her to my own shortcomings. You are my one, Cinder. You always will be."

What episodes of 'Heartbreak and Confessions" was she walking into. Iko loved that drama when exes met after some years and confessed about how they were still in love and just bullshit happens and they get back together.

They were Kai and Cinder , just ex-lovers still in love with each other. Even if their eyes shone  with devotion for each other and their hands longed to hold each other, the burden of royalty broke a bond of 9 years, in months- in seconds at last. In the end, it was a simple 'I can't take it anymore' that forced her to leave and him to stop trying.

Talking with him, she realized it was necessary to break ties and be actual strangers than just pretend to be one. It was going to hurt a lot and she would feel numb and heartbroken when she would see him with someone else, married and happy. Yet bitter pills need to be taken to cure the ailment.

Rising from a seat, she said, " I was the one, Kai. I'm  not your future anymore. Ms. Chen Daiyu seems like a lovely lady. I wish you happiness with her. You can ask Torin to seek me when all the world leaders gather on time. It was nice talking to you. Take care-",she was thankful she couldn't cry, "- Congratulations."

She walked away. He didn't stop. Her words were the final closure for both of them- she was allowing him to move on just as much as she was allowing it to herself.

Her grief came back six months later- this time it was in the form of a wedding invitation.

.....

Thanks for reading! I'm sorry if you cried as a result of my words, the next one is pretty angsty too. Be sure to leave kudos and comments! :)

See ya,

Tyla