Chaos & Order

Chapter 23

Aliyah walked into the dining hall, finding the servants putting a variety of foods on the table. Pheasants and hams, wines and juices, fruits and vegetables. The only time when Aliyah saw a spread like this was during celebrations.

"That's a lot of food." Aliyah commented.

"It really is." Siel nodded as he walked up from behind her.

Aliyah looked at Siel before going to take her seat. Celestia walked in from behind, patting Siel on the shoulder as she made her way to her seat. Siel knew that look. He called it her "I know a lot, but I'm not telling you" look.

"I know that look." Siel murmured.

Once they sat down, the servants bowed and took their leave. Shortly after, Xavier sat down, in his usual kingly regalia. Celestia had already begun putting food onto her plate.

    "Couldn't wait until your husband arrived?" he asked, playfully.

    "I've been in the middle of a forest for sixteen years, Xav. I need to eat this soon." Celestia said.

"Afternoon, father." Aliyah said.

"Good morning, Aliyah." Xavier nodded, quickly giving his wife a kiss on the cheek.

"You went a little overboard with lunch, my love." Celestia said, giving the king a playful look.

"No such thing for my...our daughter." Xavier said.

"For me?" Aliyah asked.

"And...I was thinking a celebration for your mother's return was in order." Xavier said, "We're a family again."

Aliyah smiled a bit, but kept on eat quietly. Celestia looked at Aliyah for a moment before returning her gaze to Xavier, "What kind of celebration?"

"I haven't seen you in years, Celestia. I just wanted to celebrate your return." Xavier said, sitting down.

Celestia laughed at that, "You still celebrate anything good that happens. Seriously, just being home is more than enough."

"I've had fewer reasons to do so, my dear. Let me have this." Xavier smiled.

"There's no winning with you, is there?" Celestia asked, jokingly.

"No winning with YOU, either. But you don't hear me complaining." Xavier chuckled.

Aliyah set her silverware down at that, "I'm finished."

"You barely ate, Aliyah." Celestia said.

"I'm not feeling that hungry." Aliyah said as she stood up, bowing to her parents as she left the room, "Excuse me."

"Is something up with her?" Siel asked.

"I was going to ask you that, old friend." Celestia said.

"I'll check, then." Siel said, following after her.

"Then...we have this for us." Xavier said.

"Xavier." Celestia said, more seriously, "Be honest--would you be against it if they got together?"

There was a pause before Xavier answered, "One problem at a time."

Aliyah walked into the gardens and knelt by her roses. She saw some new ones starting to bloom. A faint smile crossed her face.

"Something up with you today?" Siel asked as he walked up from behind her.

Aliyah paused a moment before looking back at Siel with a small smile. "No, I'm okay."

"I figured, but your parents are concerned." Siel said.

"They have no need to be concerned." Aliyah said before going back to the roses.

"Is there something on your mind?" Siel asked.

"No, nothing." Aliyah replied, keeping her back to him. After a moment, she took a shaky breath, "It's...it's Fang. It hurts...he was my friend. I always counted on him and now...all the annoying things, like trying to get me to behave? I'll never hear it again. And I'm still on lockdown. I don't...I don't know what to do."

"I...I'm sorry." Siel said. There was a moment of silence between the two.

"Nothing can keep me interested for long." Aliyah said as she picked a fully bloomed rose, "I thought that maybe that feast could help, but...no."

    "Grief doesn't just leave, Aliyah." Siel said, "I've seen it before...you won't just wake up one day and find it gone. Every day it goes on, though, it will get better...then something happens that will remind you of it. Every time it happens, though? It gets a little better. It'll be a burden that you have to live with from now on...I won't tell you how to handle it. Just that...it does get better."

Aliyah looked at the rose and sniffed it. She felt another tear rolling down her eye before she said, shakily, "Hey, Siel? Have you ever been to the training courtyards?"

"No, I haven't." Siel said.

Aliyah looked at Siel...he was surprised to see a playful smirk on her face as she led him away, "Let's go have some fun."