A Blossoming Flower (Falling Petals)

Throughout the whole day the only thing Sakura had heard was the whispers and worries of servants and guarding knights. The air of the palaces displaying all the turmoil the people are feeling from what had occurred. Yet for Sakura, she didn't feel much and just remained quiet and spoiled by her Ariel. She acted as a child and remained acting with her nannies.

They didn't question it, rather they took it all in happily seeing her acting her age. They knew how rare this moment was so they enjoyed those moments very much.

A week has passed since then. Her father had recuperated and held a meeting of his own with the other leaders. They discussed a few things here and there but she wasn't really given the full details other than that they subtly spoke of their decision to remove the goddess of light from their praying rooms in subtle ways.

Understanding such things Sakura noticed that through that week she felt different, she couldn't place her hand on it yet she could feel a shift in her emotions.

She was... calm. As if what happened a week ago and before was just a small thing that didn't mean much. All the worrying and emotional struggle she felt the week prior seemed like a joke at this moment.

"Did I finally break? Or is it just the atmosphere that feels better?"

Muttering so she kept her eyes trained to the sky. The usual bright sun that lets out burning rays seemed even docile to her this week as well. The wind blowing soothing cool air, making the day seem as if nothing could ever go wrong in such a beautiful world.

"Yet I'm not naive enough to believe that illusion... The world is never truly peaceful. only a beautiful cover on a horrible world."

"What do you mean by that?"

She heard a voice speak close by. She didn't flinch by the sudden noise as if she knew of the presence. She turns her head and looks at a boy who was just a few years older than her. His dark onyx hair seemed beautiful when the sunlight hit it. Different from when the first time she had seen him , giving the black color a halo of sorts rather than the dull black from mistreatment. His smile held a curious tone, a beautiful light smile that revealed how charming he would be when older.

His clothes finally fit him without the baggy image it did a few months ago. His face and body holding more meat in his bones than the haggard desolate image that malnutrition had given him from a long time of abuse and mistreatment.

"Azazel..."

Yes. The boy she met in that kidnapping incident was standing before her, a few feet away while Sakura rested her back on a tree trunk. The grass swaying between them while she uses it as a soft cushion. The tree branches filled with lush leaves become a cover from the sun, casting a shade to protect her from the light.

Yet even so, her own beauty was hard to hide. The golden hair lightly cascading down her back and shoulders, appearing like a cover while her skin glistered as if she was just an apparition.

Azazel looked at Sakura and felt as if he hadn't met her before and knew she was the princess of this empire. He would have mistaken her for a tree nymph by her otherworldly looks.

"Is it fine to speak for a moment?"

She looked at him but didn't speak. She moved her head away to look at nothing again, but her hand moved down from her lap, lightly patting the ground beside her. Giving her permission for him to sit beside her.

His smile showed a bit more, revealing a small dimple. Revealing itself after gaining more weight. He walked over and sat beside her. Crossing his leg over the other and placing his arms on his lap, he turns and looks at where she is looking. A full view of a beautiful garden and the sounds of birds and critters living their day to day life, oblivious to the two sitting under this tree.

Sakura was sitting in a way that a doll would, her hands on her lap while her legs outstretched, the dress she was wearing just a few inches below her knees.

Noticing something different. Sakura turns her head and tilts it a bit in front, she checks the spot by Azazel and then moves her head to look where he was standing. A confused look giving more emotion to her listless face.

"Looking for Amar?"

She moved her eyes to his and he was looking down at her a few inches away leaning on the tree trunk.

"He decided to stay with the stable man today. He now branches out from me and my dad and is getting more used to going on his own."

"That's good. He's opening up to others."

She finally spoke and revealed a smile. As if a doll became human. While Azazel thought that he felt a stuffy sensation in his chest and began to cough. He looked away and the cough became stronger. With droplets of tears beginning to stream and his pale complexion reddining from the strength of each cough.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the sudden healthy boy who calmly spoke change to suddenly having a coughing fit that sounds painful.

"Are you unwell? Here, I have a cup with water here."

Sakura grabs a bottle beside her given by Ivy when she heads out on her outings on her own and handed it to Azazel who was hunched over from the coughing fit. He shakingly takes the open bottle and drinks the water while Sakura rubs and lightly pats his back.

"Cough!... ha- haha, sorry you had to see that. I'm fine so no need to make that face."

He lightly chuckles and gives her a reassuring smile when noticing her brows knitted in worry.

"I think it's just the change of the weather or maybe the pollen of the plants being stronger this season. But I am fine."

"... okay."

She moves her hand away from his back and moves back to her spot, but her eyes are not leaving him to see if it happens again.

He laughed a bit into his hand at her attentiveness and reassured her he was fine again.

"Really, I'm fine, your highness."

"Okay. I believe you, but only if you do one thing."

"Hmm?"

He tilts his head, wondering what she'll ask.

"Don't call me 'your highness.' Remember I gave you permission to call me Sakura."

"hahaha! You're right... Sakura. How could I forget."

His smile was one that used to haunt her dreams in the worst ways possible, yet now she finds it isn't as bad as what she had seen in those dreams. It kinda reminded her of Nolan's smile. A kind older brother type smile that can make a person count on them.

"Maybe that's another reason why Amar counts on you so much."

She lightly mumbles. He asked what she said but she just shook her head and looked away.

"So tell me Azazel. Why did you decide to sit by me, and don't say it's because you wanted to chat about the weather or something. I know you want to talk about something else."

"..."

He kept his light smile but looked ahead now too, a moment of silence fell between them again. Maybe he wasn't expecting her to be so direct or maybe he was thinking about the reason he was here.

“Sakura.”

He finally spoke out but it didn't seem he could continue after calling out her name.

“Azazel…? What is wrong?”

Sakura sensed something was different about him today. He was always reassuring and composed in his way of speaking, yet now he appeared to find whatever he wishes to say to be strenuous and the way he clenches his jaw was enough to display that to her.

“What happened?”

She didn't remove her eyes from him, rather; they grew in intensity. Her mind goes through thousands of reasons; possibilities yet even so she needs to know what is the predicament first before she can start her next course of actions.

“... I-”

He turned to look at her and his lips were open, as if ready to spill whatever was in his mind. But the moment he looked at her and gazed at her face. His eyes scanned her own and mirrored the intensity of her gaze. His parted lips shook, as if those words he wishes to let out will come out any second.

Yet she watches him shut his eyes tightly, his lips following after.

“Azazel!?”

“It is nothing… nothing.”

The smile he tried to give with reassurance did no good. What she saw was a boy who was trying so hard not to cry, even without a bit of tears in his eyes. She can feel he was crying inside.

“Azazel. It is not nothing. You can tell me what is wrong. Trust me.”

She places a hand over his but he shakes his head and lightly removes his hand away from hers. While looking away from her.

“Azazel…?”

“I just… I just want you to know any decision you wish to make. I would support you fully to the end. You can count on me.”

His unwavering eyes pierced her own eyes, she can feel that what he just said, he means it by the bottom of his heart, yet she wonders where this came from.

Before she could ask again he smiled at her. Not the disheartening or pained one he gave moments ago, but his usual smile that always made those around him feel calm and peaceful.

“I have to go back now. Amar should be looking for me soon. Even when he is branching out to others, he still tends to get nervous if not around us for too long.”

While he spoke he got up and looked down at Sakura who remained in her position, her eyes reading his movements and his peculiarity today.

He just smiles and reaches out to her. Seeing him lightly bending down and reaching out, she subconsciously reached her own hand and accepted his help to stand up, even when she wasn't planning to get up any time soon from herself brooding under the tree.

“Like you have said Sakura. The world is not peaceful. We have seen how chaotic it is… and how it will soon worsen..”

He mumbles the last parts so Sakura couldn't hear what he said but before she can ask him to repeat himself, he continues with his next words while he gently removes a leaf that has fallen in her hair at one point, her hand still being held by the other one. Removing it he only looked away from her for a moment and once again looked at her with that calm reassuring smile.

“However we do not have to keep living in that world with that mindset. Keep going forward; Don't give up and the next time we see such a view like this-”

He removes the leaf and lightly lets go of it, rather than falling directly to the ground. The wind seems to have picked the leaf from the air and carried the leaf away, her following the movements with her eyes and the view and atmosphere she was seeing a moment ago has changed.

The scene where she just believed was a picturesque of false peace and only held an illusion: was in truth a world that did hold beauty. That it wasn't just a horrible world covered in a layer of beauty; it was beautiful. Only her mind was covered by her negative emotions. And it has twisted her view of such a wonderful scene.

“A world that truly holds beauty. That the light is beautiful and shines through fear and the shadows are calming and protective when needed. The wind gently cools and the water refreshes. The sounds of life big or small displaying their own life. This is another side of the world; we don't have to always remain in the other twisted side.”

After he spoke those final words she felt a change happen again, this time the calmness she felt moments ago changed to a more positive serenity; one where she appreciated what she was seeing. And in that, she felt more hope in this world that she had done in for a long time.