Episode 19

A sense of fear spread throughout her body. The possibility that whatever she tries to change would lead back to the games setting filled her with dread.

'No! Let's stop jumping to conclusions.' She shakes her head, trying to ease up her wild thoughts.

'Just because the dialogue is the exact same as the one in the game, doesn't mean that it will go through the same endings!'

"Your majesty, it's best to stop here. Her highness seems a bit distracted by our talk and soon there will be the meeting for the emperors of the different empires."

Seraph notices the most of his surrounding and saw Sakuras small breakdown. He wonders if she understands the discussion or is being effected by the surrounding mood, but either way, it wasn't a good thing, so he stopped the discussion.

He already sent people to look for the women who ran as well as as look for her files and relatives or comrades. Noticing more work will pile up for him. Seraph can only sigh and lightly ease up his headache.

"Seraph... I'm sorry for the trouble that I'm adding."

"Mihk it's fine. Haah~ it's not even your fault. It's just because someone was consumed by their greed and you ended up the victim of it. Especially that child that's in that womens womb."

Watching his surrounding, he made sure that other guards were sent out, he didn't care about the shadow knights or the childhood friends of theirs. Because they will only care for the emperor. And for the shadow guards, not even the emperors offspring will mean anything to them unless their emperor tells them that child will be the next leader of this empire.

"If we are able to bring her back, what will you do? Allow the child to live or have the maid meet an unfortunate accident." Seraph's tone was cold, only a calculated look was seen in his expression, he didn't even seem like he was talking about the murder of a maid.

'Damn, this man is cold. No wonder he was great for the high minister position. But then again, his family has a long heritage of high ministers, so they were trained young for this position.'

Sakura rests her back on her dad and starts to gently kick out her legs, while waiting to hear what her fathers answer would be.

"I think this is best to discuss when she isn't here." He didn't want to say anything that Sakura would understand, and didn't want to scare her, so he tried to stop the discussion there.

"Mihkael. I think it's best you think of it now. Understand that this can change the future for Sakura, especially if that child is born a male." Seraph needed to know now, so he can quickly act in any type of disposal plan.

He knew his lifelong friend means for his wellbeing, and didn't want him to worry about this any longer than needed. But he can't say to go and get rid of the fetus. Even when it was created out of greed of its mother and by his drugged state, it was still in a way an innocent creature.

Sakura looks at her father and can only sigh.

'He is coldblooded and ruthless to those who go against him, but this weakness of his for family and friends is the one thing I can say is the worst trait he has. As an emperor, even I can tell that will lead to his downfall if he wasn't physically strong or wasn't surrounded by trusting retainers.'

While understanding her fathers dilemma, she had a foreboding feeling and closes her eyes, knowing full well what her fathers choice will be.

"Haah~ if you find her, bring her back and leave her in the lower area of the harem palace."

"So you will give her a title of mistress?"

"No" Mihkael's eyes narrowed and he had no emotions in them.

"She will be allowed to live there until the birth of the child, unfortunately she will end up losing her life in bearing the child."

He didn't think twice in his answer and already condemned the womens faith after she gives birth.

'Too bad in the game she lived on long after giving birth.' Sakura smiled in a mocking way.

"I bet she met that asshole already. Who would have thought the bitch had a one use teleportation crystal to the 'divine' kingdom.'

While forgetting her surrounding, she sneers at the luck this women has to actually find the right man who has the power and resources to hide and protect her till her child grew older.

"Sakura?" Mihkael was going to give Sakura to Azrael and Ariel today but the moment he looked down to tell her, he sees the sneer and her eyes filled with some type of disgust. 'Did she understand what I said!? Is she disgusted with my decision?'

Mihkael was in shock from the look she had, and he wasn't the only one. The others who listened on with their friends discussing the womens fate all noticed the cold look on Sakura's appearance. Gabriel frowned a bit and walked toward her, he knees in one leg and holds her hand, catching her attention to him.

Finaly snapping out her thoughts, what appears in her sight was a kneeling Gabriel, his face with an perturbed look, even when he shows her a small smile. "sakura, do you understand what is happening right now? Can you tell me how much?"

'Ah... was I too obvious with my emotions? I wonder what would be the right thing to say' Noticing the looks of the others, she can tell what they are thinking, and she knew they were misunderstanding why she was like that.

'So they think I feel disappointed that my dad wants to kill someone? Ha! If they truly knew what I thought, then they would know I'm colder than this man.' While those thoughts filled her mind, the outside shows a confused child tilting her head "I'll have a sibling?"

"!... and what else" the atmosphere tensed up, Gabriel and Seraph were already planning what to say if she brings up the disposing of the maid after birth.

"What else? Ah! Her mother isn't my mommy?"

"Her?"

'Shit! I forgot that the gender wasn't known yet' panicking in the inside, Sakura had a childlike smile and giggled "yup! I feel like this lithle sibling is a gurl. So that's why I say her."

"Oh.."

"Yup! I actually hope ith's a her. I rather have a gurl than boy. I can play house with her." She giggles in her hands, giving an innocent and clueless attitude to knowing her sibling will be her half sibling.

"We all hope it's a girl too, if not, you'll have to really fight for the throne.." Seraph mumbles in the back, earning a glare from Gabriel and Mihkael. He raises his hand in sorry.

"Haha! Well it's getting late Mihk, the meeting should be starting soon. So hand your daughter over." Ariel laughs off the atmosphere and walks toward Mihkael, doing a 'give me' hand gesture outstretched toward Mihkael.

"Are you exhorting his daughter or something?" Seraph can only tiredly look at this man's antics and wonders if he will ever act his age for longer than 5 minutes.

"But this idiot is right, who cares if we waste our time normally, but right now it's a meeting with all the other emperors so we should go in haste."

".... fine" Mihkael was ready to give Sakura to Ariel, but before he did, he turned her to him and looked her in the eyes "remember father loves you the most and your mother. No one will ever take that place from you."

'....I wonder if you'll say the same after meeting the lovable heroine.' Sakura smiled at him, but there was an unexplained feeling coming off that smile. Before Mihkael can ask anything, Ariel lifts Sakura to his shoulder and jumped down the steps.

"Watch it! What if you scare..." before he can finish his sentence, Gabriel can hear the laughter of the toddler and her squeal of pure joy.

"Looks like the princess is quite fearless. Reminds me of Aurora." Seraph can only chuckle at the child's joy, while he watches her, it brings memories of Sakura's mother.

"Gabriel, did you guys find anything in your research?" Seraph looks on at the happy child, till the moment she leaves through the door with Ariel and Azrael following along.

"I'm sorry. No new discovery can be said to have been found. I'm actually planning to call Uriel to the mage tower to check on what can be found. That's why I won't be able to visit for a while."

"I see... then no found cure for what Aurora may have." A downcast shadow loomed over Mihkael and Seraph.

"But don't worry! It's only been 3 years. We may find something soon. We tried the basic solutions and couldn't find any results, so now we'll begin a new method, we will cooperate with the healers to search for a solution this time!" Fretting for his downcast friends, he tries to cheer them up a bit.

The two men nod yet it's easy to see it did not help their mood.

"I'm sorry..."

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry for marring your cousin. I'm sorry for falling in love with her and allowing her to suffer the position of being my empress."

Mihkael looked pained when he said those words, he looked at Seraph and seemed to believe it was his fault she ended up in this predicament.

"Don't be, I should actually thank you. If you didn't marry that old hag then most likely she'll end up with no one till this day." Seraph smiles at Mihkael in a reassuring way and lightly pats his friend in the shoulder.

"If you haven't loved her, than most likely she'll never have her treasured child or found someone who loved her for herself."

"Haha remembering her, I still can't believe she called Mihkael a 'fucking snot nosed brat' haha! She didn't have any fear." Gabriel chuckles a bit from those times. A nostalgic smile spread in his lips.

"Ah... that's right, your first meeting wasn't in the greatest of ways."

"Yeah... but I think even when she called me that, I already feel in love with her at first sight." A soft smile appears in memories of his bold wife.

"Well enough revising the past, you have to go now or else well get scolded by the dwarf emperor. Or even worse, the elfen leader." Mihkael chuckles a bit and nods while standing from his throne.

"We should, I don't want those old coots to pester me about being on time."

"Then I'll go and begin another round of research. See you guys another time."

"Yeah, goodbye Gabe, till the next time." Seraph waves Gabriel off and follows Mihkael to the meeting area.

"Well princess! How you wanna spend today?" Ariel gently sways here and there with his steps, causing Sakura to giggle in joy.

"Leth's go to a garden!" She claps her hands to show the joy a child wanting to head to a flower garden.

"Ah! Wanna see flowers? Sure then. Let's go to the west garden."

"Is that the right choice, Ariel? Isn't the west wing-"

"Shh~ let's surprise her highness." He placed a finger over his lip, indicating to shush and follow. Azrael wanted to say something but decided to follow along.

'Wait, what's with all the secretive act?' Raising an eyebrow, she looks at the back of Ariel's head and was a bit vexed that he didn't allow Azrael to finish his sentence. So she went and smacked the back of his head.

"Ow! Princess !? What was that for?"

"There was an annoying bug in your head."

"Oh? Then thank you princess for getting rid of it."

"Your welcome." She didn't feel anything wrong with the shameless response she gave him, even the 'your welcome' didn't faze her even when she knew there wasn't any bug there.

"Your highness." Azrael calls her, causing her to flinch.

'Did he catch me in the act!?'

"Do you miss your mother?"

'My mother? Where did that come from?' She tilts her head in confusion.

'I never met the women. She should be in a coma at this state of the game, so not even Sakura remembers her mother. No wait... there was that secret ending in the game; The ending of Sakura's point of view after death.'

***

I remember... I remember one moment in my childhood of my mother... I remember crying my lungs out. Was it because I was hungry? Did I accidentally hurt myself? Or was it because I was calling for someone?

But I remember being taken by Raphael to a different room altogether.

I remember being handed to a women resting in a grand bed. She held me with such tenderness. I felt a soothing sensation fill me that I ended my crying. I can hear the chuckle of the women when she embraced me with all her love.

I wonder... even when I was maybe a year old or less... how did that memory stay with me till this day? Maybe because that may have been the first time I felt her love... or maybe it was the last... yet that moment of tender love filled my lonely days. I would always remember that moment when I felt discarded, or hated.

I always hoped for my mother to wake up, to knock some sense into father whenever he pampered Rose, always praising her when he never did so for me. He always believed it was a matter of fact that I surpass others or worked harder than others. He never thought once that I wanted to just hear his praise, or even just a pat in the head. Was I too selfish to ask for that?

But now it's too late... I already feel my mind grow hazy..... my memories are flashing quickly.... I'm reliving my mistakes in this moment, I wonder if I should have acted differently here or there. But it's no use wondering anymore.... or is it because I have all the time in the world now to wonder, that I should just wonder...... It has gotten cold now.... I see nothing anymore....

I'm scared... I feel so alone... please... please... won't someone come for me? Please.... ah! I can hear someone calling for me... a beautiful and tender voice... a voice that I heard long ago.

"Sakura~"

Ah... uhh

"What's wrong Sakura? Why is my angel crying all alone here?"

I was waiting... I was waiting for you...

"Haha! Let's go my angel. Mama is here. I won't ever leave you again. Come here"

In the end credits. It shows the image of a child with silver blond hair jump in the embrace of a beautiful silver platinum haired beauty, both walking toward a field of flowers, away from the darkness the girl was in moments ago.

***

"Princess!?" Sakura woke from her stupor. Feeling a gentle brush of a finger in her cheek, she looks toward Azrael. His face having a trace of worry and panic.

'What? Ah.... I was thinking of one of the hidden endings of the game... the one after Sakura's death....'

"Your highness... do you miss her majesty? Is that why your crying?" Ariel holds Sakura's hands in a show of comfort. He can feel drops of tears fall and knew that was what Azrael worried about too.

'I can't really tell them that I was crying for the bittersweet ending I saw in my past life. So it's better to just agree for now.'

I awkwardly nod my head, allowing Azrael to gently brush away the few tears that left my eyes.

"I'm sorry your highness... I shouldn't have asked such an irresponsible question." Azrael had the look of a kicked puppy, his eyes downward with a feeling of guilt and remorse.

"N-no! Ith's fine Az- uhh um Azth. Uhh~ Aza! Ith's ok Aza." She couldn't say Azrael yet so she improvised and went with Aza.

'He wouldn't hold it against a three year old to not know how to say his name right?'

"Aza.... I shall change my name to Aza from now on your highness!"

"Wha-!! No! I only call you Aza, don'th change it!"

'If you change it, I'll feel the long lost shame creep up. Don't you dare change it!'

"Hahaha! Isn't our princess quite possessive, no one but her can call you Aza. Now Azrael, be honored to receive a nickname from her." Ariel laughs till the point tears can be seen in his eyes.

And Azrael doesn't make it any better with that look filled with pride being given a nickname by his princess.

Sakura lightly hits Ariel for laughing to much, causing him to laugh even more. And like that, they arrived at the west wing garden. The garden the Emperor especially made for her majesty, the empress of the Eternity empire. Empress Aurora Ardor, who is the cousin of the high minister Seraph Ardor, the adopted daughter of the past high minister. And the mother of the princes of this empire, Sakura Serenity.

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