THE PRICE OF WAR [Taka x Reader]

XL. Sun Queen

"Hey, come here! There's room around here! " Ryota yelled, trying to make himself heard in the crowd.

Taka and the others followed him, trying to dodge the growing crowd. They could barely hear each other amid the din. Bells roared, minstrels sang and danced to the music, and people joined them. At that moment Emmeldris was housing twice its capacity. People had come from everywhere, from the farthest realms to the inhabitants that Dryon once banished from their hometown. That day the sun was shining brightly, as if he himself was also celebrating what would probably be the most important day in modern history: the day when your world was once again a monarchy.

The four ex-soldiers climbed onto a small stone ledge of one of the houses located on the same street as the entrance to the castle. From there the balcony could be perfectly seen.
"Mom, Mom! When is the Queen coming out? " a boy asked his mother as he tugged at her skirt and caught Taka's attention.

"Soon, son. Be patient"

"I can't see from here!" he protested.

Taka gave a sad smile and looked straight ahead again.

"Guys..." Tomoya said "Can you believe it?"

"No, I can't," Ryota smiled.

"This is the end" Toru sighed, full of nostalgia and pride.

Taka seemed distracted. It had been like this for several days. Tomoya walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"It's not the end, Toru" he said, looking at his friend "It's the beginning"

"No, Toru's right ..." Taka said sadly.

The three of them looked at each other unsure what to say.

"These days have surely been difficult for her..." said Tomoya "Wait until after the coronation, when everything is calmer..."

"I see you haven't noticed yet..." Taka protested, visibly upset "Yumiko... Aalyn, she's our queen now! She rules us all, and that is something that will take us a long time to assimilate! I know her, and I'm sure she's terrified right now! If I were her, I'm sure I'd be the last thing she would think of right now...! "

"But you love her!"

"No... I don't love her anymore. I hate her"

"No, you don't. You say that because you are hurt"

"You were all right.. I should never have met her... Deep down I'm amused by all this. Don't you realize that destiny hasn't stopped telling us from the first moment that we will never be together? First it was the war, and when we believed that everything was going well, she discovered her power. Then we left Hayltel and it turns out that we meet her lover. We get to Mizumura, and oh my, Hatsumi appears. And if none of this had separated us yet, not even the very death that we have had to face practically every day since we met, she becomes the heir to the throne"

All three looked at him with pity.

"I mean, what has to happen for me to stop loving Yumiko once and for all?"

There was a moment of silence until people started screaming euphoric.

"What's happening?" Tomoya yelled, looking around.

"Look, the balcony!" Toru pointed out.

The four of them looked up at the main balcony of the castle, where two huge flags in the colors of the kingdom had been unfurled towards the ground. A figure dressed in white, apparently a bishop, approached and directed his voice towards a great trumpet.

"Citizens! Say hello... to your new queen! Your Majesty, Aalyn I!

More than one of them came to tears when, to everyone's surprise, you did not come out to say hello from the balcony, but the castle doors opened and you slowly descended the staircase surrounded by an entourage of dozens of people. It was like watching a group of angels descend from heaven itself. Your courtesans and pages wore blue and white, the same colors as the flags on the balcony and the ornaments that decorated the streets in your honor. And in the center, you. In the most majestic dress no one had ever seen. Sewn with the highest quality blue threads, decorated with the best fabrics and adorned with the best jewels. And on your head, the royal crown, in the form of a golden disc decorated with the most exquisit details. You looked like the sun itself, blinding everyone who was blessed to look at you, walking with grace and humility, but aware of your own beauty. Smiling and greeting everyone, walking among them like one more citizen, picking up the flowers thrown at you from the balconies. And it was at that moment that your gaze met again, almost like the first time, with that of the man who loved you. And in that split second, Taka realized two things: that fate had moved its chips again and that he wasn't going to give up either this time.