FALLON

(4 years ago)

"My queen, please don't be sad. In my departure I want to bring your smiling face with me." He wiped the tears of his wife's face.

"Then why don't you remove mother's head and bring it with you?"

"My god, Fallon. Why do have to be so sarcastic, dear?" He said weakly.

My mother glared at me for interrupting their moment. I just chuckled weakly with tears in my eyes. I had my husband beside me and our little son, Louie. My husband, King Marion, was an apprentice of my dad and loved him dearly.

King Jethro, my father.

He was well-known in many ways. He was known for his kindness, sagacity, and how he is always happy. He comes up with festivals, and balls so that everyone in Sorah, our beloved kingdom, and even foreigners from other lands, will enjoy.

Being one of the greatest kings in the kingdom, his portrait hangs in Sorah's Hall of Greats along with the kingdom's greatest rulers.

During his reign, never was there an attack nor did Sorah engage in war with other kingdoms. He was the first Sorahian king who didn't need to win a war to prove his greatness.

Even in his death, he spoke as if he had a lot of breath left in him. He still made us laugh. He had a weak body and we knew, even with the best physician, he wouldn't last long. We lost hope but we didn't show it in front of him. He didn't get rid of his smile, that I adored ever since I was a child, even on his death bed. Being the eldest, I had the longest time with dad, and for that I am thankful.

My sisters, Genevieve and Blair, came to me and we comforted each other as mom was speaking to our dying king. When she was done, dad kissed her and she wept. Her tears never left her, no matter how hard she tried to stop them, as she sat on the edge of his death bed.

Finally, the time for his most important words has come. He called my brother, the youngest among us.

Aspen, our only boy, went forward with tears and knelt down in front of him and kissed his hand, "Father." He whispered.

Aspen loved our father for dad spent the most time with him. He personally trained him. He has always adored our father and was aiming to be like him in all ways.

He placed a hand on my brother's hand, and focused his eyes sternly on him.
"My boy, a son born from Sorah's own flesh and blood. The time has come for you to take my place as king of this nation." He said in his once mighty voice. "I am proud that I am able to leave this kingdom a king who has power in knowledge, strength, wisdom, discipline, justice, faith, but most of all... a heart."

"You forgot looks, father." Aspen jokingly said, trying to smile at a great man's death. We all managed a light chuckle except for dad, who laughed heartily. It's true that he got his looks from our king, who was a very handsome and dashing man. Blonde hair, chiseled teeth. Everything. The two of them resembled each other any more ways than one.

"I see in you a prosperous Sorah, my son. I raised you to be a wise and strong king and I know that you will love, lead, and serve this kingdom well. Yet, I don't want you to live in the shadow of greats, Aspen." He was catching his breath, feeling weak. "I want you to be your own great for you can never have someone else's. Sadly, I don't have enough days left to watch you surpass me." A tear fell from their eyes as father said that.

"Just remember every word of mine. I know they'll guide you. Oh, And you must also remember..." Then father whispered something that we weren't able to hear. Whatever it was, it made the both of them laugh and smile before he shook his brows.

He'll be the first man in history to be able to joke this much in his death. I mentally face-palmed but I quickly shrugged it off and smirked lightly.

He looked at Aspen intently, " Aspen, never forget...-"

"A great man isn't always a king but a great king is always a great man." They both said and smiled before father added, "And that's what I really want for you, my son. For you to be a great man."

It was dad's life motto. It served him well. I've known it ever since and I've always said it to Louie. He's gonna be king too someday. I want him to live by that. Whatever my father was, the world needs a lot of it, that's why I want my son to be more like him. Marion also wanted that.

After they said that, father placed a hand on Aspen's head and said a silent benediction. It was a tradition every time the crown was passed on to it's rightful heir. The king gives his blessing to his son.

"Now, take this." He took his crown that was beside his bed and placed it on my brother's head. Aspen bowed his head as the crown was placed.

"Your highness." Father whispered. "My son, I am so proud of you."

"I haven't even done anything yet, father."

"You were born, you became my son. You don't know how happy I am because of that."

Aspen cried. His tears were streaming down his face. The sight of them warmed and broke our hearts. My husband embraced me as I watched the scene.

Aspen took my father's hand as his voice started breaking,
"Father, I promise. I'll be a great man and a great king. I'll lead Sorah in your honor. I promise you."

My father nodded. Then he gestured to all of us. My sisters, my mother and I went to him. We embraced him and he held our hands and he cupped mother's face. He looked at us with tears. I placed my head on his chest, hearing his heartbeat weaken.

"Because of you, I am able to greet death with a smile. I wanted more days with all of you. I wanted to see Louie grow up-" He touched my son's face- "I wanted to see my future grandchildren, I wanted to see my son, and my sons-in-law rule their kingdom and prosper. Still, what we've had is more than enough for me."

Our husbands fell on their knees and knelt down as a sign of honor, which was indeed suitable for my father. We tightened our hold on his hand.

"As I depart, please smile. And keep on smiling. Through that, I can always be with you."

Even if it's hard, we'll try. We'll try to live on as if he was still alive, because he is and he'll always be.

A tear fell from his eyes as he said his final words," I love you."

Then...he breathed his very last.

I felt it as his heart stopped.

I felt it as his breathing seized.

He closed his eyes and stopped moving. It took us mere seconds to wake up from the heartbreaking stupor and finally accept that our loving father is now gone.

Like every loss of a loved one, it was unbearable. It was like a canon firing. Now, our father is no longer, and it destroyed us.

Although a king, his last words weren't for his kingdom. It was for his family.

Not a moment too soon, we started crying, grieving, whatever you do to show the pain and bitterness you feel. We howled as if were being skinned alive. We tried to cry quietly but the more we suppressed it, the more it wanted to come out.

We were ready for this day. But, turns out it's more painful than we expected. My sisters, my mother, my brother, my husband, my sisters' husbands cried as if they never cried before, and so did I. It was just too painful. We wailed, hoping to ease the wound. Tears weren't enough to heal though.

"Goodbye, dad." I said silently.

I stood up and went to the window. I saw General Eric, Blair's husband, on the flat roof of the castle where he let down the flag of Sorah and raised a plain black one. The people knew what that meant. That's what we do every time our kings die.

When the people saw, they stopped what they were doing, knelt down, and grieved. The Sorahians loved my father. You won't see one standing up right now. All were down on their knees in respect to King Jethro's death. Carriages stopped moving, the soldiers stopped their training for a while. All you can hear on that day was wailing, mostly my father's name.

"Your Majesty!"

"King Jethro!"

Then, it started to pour. Even the skies are crying. But, no one moved. They were still on their knees. They cried over the kingdom's loss, over the loss of a great ruler.

It was a very sad day for Sorah.