A Wish

The wish bubble leaned slightly, then gave into a full roll towards the two men surrounding Asha's body. The wish bumped against King Magnifico's knee, but he couldn't even bring himself to look at it until he noticed Asha's image in the bubble. He picked it up and realized that it was a wish for Asha...for her to be safe. He showed it to Earendel, who lifted his tear-stained face to examine it. He gasped and took it from him. "Can you grant it?" The king asked. Earendel cupped the wish in his hands and closed his eyes to focus. He put everything into making this wish come true. Silently, he begged for his queen to help him grant this wish. The bubble began to dissolve into a blinding glow until it completely disappeared. Earendel looked at his hands, then down at Asha, who began to breathe. Awestruck, Earendel laughed in relief. King Magnifico's eyes flooded with tears. He feared he would never see Asha's beautiful brown eyes ever again. Asha sat up. She looked at her father, who turned away from her to sob. She looked at Earendel, who smiled at her again, crying happy tears. She noticed the broken crystal next to her. For a moment she smiled in disbelief, then her expression became fearful. "What happened to the last wish?" Earendel smiled. "The Queen and I granted it." He placed a hand on her shoulder. Asha realized that someone had saved her with their wish. "But, who's was it?" "The only person who hadn't made one yet." "Dahlia..." Asha held back tears as she embraced Earendel in a tight hug. Earendel held her, promising himself he'd never let her go again. The king remained distant from them, until Earendel stood up and held out his hand to him. "It's time to address your subjects," Earendel said to him.

The townspeople were amazed at the sight of Asha and the king being flown down from the tower by a mysterious, glowing boy. "Asha!" Dahlia ran to embrace her friend, who hugged her tight. "You saved me Dahlia, thank you." Dahlia looked over at Earendel, who nodded at her thankfully for trusting him with her wish. "What...is he?" Dahlia asked as politely as she could. Asha noticed the other townspeople staring as well. Before she could answer, she heard the queen's voice. "Asha!" Asha ran into her mother's arms. When Asha looked up at her, she noticed Queen Amaya giving King Magnifico a hard gaze. She grabbed her mother's hand and turned to face him, as did Earendel, Dahlia, her grandfather, and all of the townspeople. Everyone was staring directly at the king, waiting for something, but they weren't sure what. Possibly an apology or an explanation, or even an excuse. They just wanted to hear from the king, who had never addressed them this intimately before. Who had promised to protect their wishes. Who was assigned by the stars themselves to guard their hopes and dreams. And who was the reason Rosas had nearly been destroyed. King Magnifico looked upon his subjects. Some were bruised, many looked tired; the guards and servants were still shaken up, Queen Amaya still felt dizzy from the dark magic's hold, Earendel held himself, having missed his glow and remembering the immense pain of the dark magic's strikes, and Asha was sad, but she was also alive, when just moments ago, she wasn't. King Magnifico knew that there was nothing he could say that would ever excuse what he did to his people, his family, and the stars. He knew the punishment he deserved, and he was more than willing to take it, knowing that the world would be safe...from him. "I...am unfit to be your king any longer. I have proven myself to be weak in the presence of a great temptation, and Rosas deserves someone strong, selfless, and unfailing in her love and care for her people." He looked over at Asha. "I hereby dismiss myself from the throne, and crown Asha as your new queen." The king motions to Asha, who looks at him in shock. "I also sentence myself to life in the dungeon, or to whatever punishment the queen seems fit." King Magnifico hangs his head as the crowd gasps. Asha's eyes fill with tears as her mother squeezes her hand, also doing her best to hold herself together. The guards reluctantly put King Magnifico in chains and lead him away, but not before he is able to give Asha a loving glance and whisper an "I love you" to her.

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The following months consisted of much rebuilding, much learning, much trying and failing, but also much hope. More wishes came in, and Queen Asha gathered them into what is now called the wish tower, where the wishes would be examined by a guardian assigned from the stars, and sent to the stars to be granted. Those that were not granted were still kept safe inside the tower. Both the guardian and the queen made sure of that. "Nicely done guardian," Asha teased. Earendel grinned and continued working. Most days were full of royal duties and studying, but Asha always made time to walk among her people, and to have dinner in her best friend's home. She even had a smaller table placed in the dining hall, so that she, her mother, and even the guards and servants could be closer to each other when they ate. And more often than she would admit to anyone, Asha went to visit her father in the dungeon beneath the palace. Sometimes she talked with him, sometimes they only shared a few words, but she didn't want him to feel forgotten, especially not on the day Earendel decided to become human and wed her. It appears that stars can have wishes too. They were wed in the small chapel in the town square, where the Queen of the Stars granted Earendel's wish and he became fully human. He and Asha kissed and everyone in the very crowded chapel cheered. A star for a king and a hero for a queen. It was clear to everyone that Rosas was going to be in good hands.

Asha and Earendel held a ceremony down in that dark dungeon as well, so that her father could see his daughter wed. She never stopped visiting him, as if her way of saying that she forgave him and that she still loved him. And one day Asha and Earendel came down for another reason: to show him that his family was not destroyed...but growing. The former king cried happily as he touched his daughter's baby bump through the bars of the cell.

🌟The End🌟