The Ancients: Light of Truth [CRK]

4

I put my staff on the silver floor as tears land on my white robe, giving it a visible stain.

"You are not alone, Your Majesty. Your kingdom is here for you whenever troubles weigh on your heart," I say. "The weight of our worries can feel overwhelming, but sharing them lightens the burden. I care deeply about what you're going through."

Elder Faerie gets up from his silky bed. He opens a drawer next to his bed and pulls out tissues. He dabs his eyes with a dry tissue.

"Don't try to comfort me, Pure Vanilla... I have hated myself for as long as I can remember. When I gave up my life for White Lily... it was to end mine."

Tears well up in my eyes, and I try to hold them back.

Elder Faerie trusted and cared for me... but I couldn't help him when he needed it.

First, I was never there for White Lily. Now, I was never there for Elder Faerie.

He puts down the soaked tissue and gets a dry one. "Even though I deserve my self-hatred, it hurts and stings like a wound..."

I wipe my tears with my robe again. When I look up, it's stained with tears. 

Tears of guilt.

I give him a bittersweet smile. "Remember, Elder Faerie, even the mightiest trees bend in the wind. Your struggles don't cut you down; they make you capable of enduring any wind."

He frowns. "Pure Vanilla..."

"Your people don't see you as a burden, Your Majesty. They see you as a Faerie, just like them," I sigh and stand up. "Hardships are meant to be shared."

Elder Faerie turns away from the window and stares at me. He looks hurt—his cheeks catch my attention because of his dried-up tears.

"Do you truly think so, Pure Vanilla?"

"Of course, Your Majesty. Allow us to stand by your side, as you've stood by ours. We will face whatever challenges come our way together."

"Together...? Is this a promise?"

I can't hold back anything anymore.

I run to Elder Faerie and give him a reassuring hug as I cry. The second I hug him, I feel him stiffen like a statue...

Then he slowly hugs me back, dropping his tissues in the process.

We remained silent, hugging each other for minutes. Elder Faerie softly whispers, "Thank you, Pure Vanilla... for being the first person to comfort me. Thank you... for everything."

I smile, not pulling away yet. My cheek can feel his tear-soaked robe. "It's nothing, Elder Faerie. I'm happy to help you."

Everything was wholesome and quiet until my heart came to a screeching halt.

Because Elder Faerie has stopped breathing.

I immediately pull away from him and look at him from head to toe. His eyes are shut, his face is relaxed, and his chest has stopped expanding and contracting.

What on Earthbread happened to him!?

My heart is pounding against my chest and adrenaline is inside my entire body.

I scramble to get a hold of his left arm. Elder Faerie is wearing a robe, so when I'm holding his left arm, I roll up his long sleeve and press my palm on his wrist, checking for a pulse.

I don't feel anything.

Did Elder Faerie crumble in my arms?

A memory cuts through the panic rushing in my head. Back in my kingdom, the Vanilla Kingdom, I always used my staff to check if a patient was unconscious or crumbled.