A KINGDOM OF DEAD HEARTS [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 19: THE WARRIOR & THE CHILDREN

The next day Xander's mood was lighter. He smiled, albeit sheepishly, more often. His intense blue eyes seemed to relax a bit more, and he managed to utter more words than what was absolutely necessary.

Maybe being able to draw again, being able to help Airin with her writing, and being able to let Airin roam in his mind to see elegarii the way he would like her to see it, in the most beautiful state – maybe all these had helped him feel better. Maybe.

There was still so much that Airin did not understand. What had happened to Xander in the past? It must have been something so dark, so brutal, so traumatic for him that he lost his ability to draw for some time even though he had such a great talent in drawing.

The darkness of his past that had prevented him from using his gift to let people roam into his mind, to show them the wonder of Halgard, as well as preventing him from using his gift to inspire people like he helped her with her writing. Those were beautiful gifts!

And why did she feel like there was more to Xander than just those gifts? A secret of sort. A burden in his eyes. A load that he could not, or would not, share.

Airin tried to chase away the thought from her mind.

Something special was happening in front of her. For the first time ever, Xander got closer to her young students when school time ended. He kneeled next to Lyanna at the school yard, and Lyanna was busy introducing her friends to him. Each kid chatted with him in a cacophony of questions and laughter and stories. Airin decided to stay away and just watched from inside her classroom which had a direct view to the school yard.

Lyanna looked so happy. She jumped, patted Xander's shoulder, and seemed like she was singing something, followed by a couple other little girls, Tasha and Allie, who also started patting Xander's shoulder. Airin became interested in what game the girls played with Xander, so she went out to the yard and stood a few meters behind Xander.

A wide smile broke on her face when she heard the little voice of the girls commanding Xander to do stuff ...

"I am Princess Allie, now you are my soldier, ok ... you have to bow to me, ok? I am the princess of all countries! All! I can do magic too, and I have a pink horse!" Allie first, she looked at Xander in all seriousness, and Xander lowered himself to the ground, kneeling in front of the little girl.

"Yes, Your Highness Princess Allie. It is an honour to serve in your court," Xander announced as he bowed his head to Allie.

The girls all laughed and each wanted the same treatment, including Lyanna who seemed to have forgotten that she was, actually, a princess.

Airin laughed. The fact that a real royal warrior in all seriousness kneeled for the little girls to act out their childhood fantasy did touch her deeply.

Xander kneeled in front of the girls, and each girl was busy telling him their imagination. Tasha thought at some point last week that she could turn into a unicorn. Then she was busy telling why she thought she could turn into a unicorn.

Another kid came running to join them. Robbie. The boy happily chimed in with his own story of how he thought he could be a dragon. "My dragon will fly high!" that was what Airin heard he was saying.

And Xander just listened. His eyes widened in awe, and when Tasha, Robbie, and Allie had to go because they were picked up by their caretakers, Xander stayed kneeling. Lyanna ran to the swing and started playing there with two boys from class.

"I can say now: You have won the heart of three little princesses. That is quite a feat, Xander," Airin whispered and patted Xander's shoulder.

Xander brought both of his palms to cover his face, shook his head, and said,"Halgard cannot fall to Ares, Airin. Elegarii has to be protected. These children will lose their ability to imagine all the beautiful things if Ares ..." Xander's voice shook, he was unable to continue his thought. "Every day I am here in your universe, I see those orbs ... beautiful light orbs blessing the human beings here with inspiration. These children attract so many of these orbs. They love to come to these young ones ... those pure of heart," Xander continued as Airin lowered herself, kneeling too next to him.