Chapter 10: Farewell...

"Are you sure?" the emperor asked me and I nodded, "Yes sir. More or less, it is something we decided from the start, and I am just following it"

The Emperor touched his forehead and sighed.

"My son had taken a great liking to you. That is something anyone can learn of, without asking him. And I am sure, that you noticed it, as well. Fiore-kun…" 

His eyes are looking at me with a slight glare that is showing his happiness and envy, at the same time.

"Well" a chuckle left my mouth. "I did noticed it" 

The Emperor stood up from his chair and crossed his arms, behind him and approached me, who was in front of his desk.

"I will grant your request, but don't you ever forget that you can always come back here and play with him, or maybe tease him" he tapped my shoulder.

My shoulder raised up, as I smiled.

"That will be once I managed to solve the mystery of his body and state, your majesty" I beamed a slight grin to him, which made him raise an eyebrow.

The Emperor then put his hand off my shoulder, and laughed.

*

It's been a year, since Fiore became my tutor. 

Yawn left my mouth, as I got off my bed. And as usual, Maria helped me changed my clothes, and I am now heading to the dining room with Zack.

Just before we went down the stairs, I saw a blue butterfly flicker around.

It frolicked around me, as if telling me to follow. As I took a step down, the butterfly went ahead and went downstairs.

My feet dragged me off and followed the butterfly. 

And soon, the blue butterfly stopped right in front of Fiore's room and fluttered around the door, as if it was telling me to open it up.

I opened the door, and saw Seria inside, with some bags lying down the bed. 

The butterfly went inside the room, and sat down on one of the bags before disappearing, as if a gust of wind blew it away.

"What're you packing, Seria?" I asked her and she answered, "It's Fiore-kun's packages, your highness"

I tilted my head to the side, before asking, "Is he going somewhere or something?" 

Seria turned to me and asked, "You didn't hear it yet?" with a surprised face, and I asked her back, "Heard what?" 

She looked at me, before going back to packing. 

"Fiore-kun had suggested his own retirement to the Emperor, yesterday. More or less, it was already decided from the start, when he became your tutor"

My body freezed still.

As my eyes unconsciously widened up, the question, "Fiore's gonna leave..?" left my mouth, like a heavy pant. 

"Unfortunately, your highness" 

My feet moved back, on its own and I mumbled, "W-what are you talking about?" with my voices shaking and breaking, a bit.

Seria looked at me, with a stern face. 

"I know that you wouldn't like it, but we can't stop him, Ed. After all, it is his own decision, so we should respect it"

I can't comprehend at all with what you are talking about…

Nor would it strike to me that the teacher I had thought was stubborn and annoys me a lot is leaving. 

I stuttered, "I-I…" and soon heard a familiar voice, "Ed?" 

A red haired guy, with blue eyes that looked like the sky was there, wearing the clothes he always wear when leaving.

Fiore looked at me and I sniffed, as I run away from them.

…

I aimlessly run with all my might. For some reason, my feet brought me to the gazebo we always sat down. 

I grunted, "Damn it!" as I hit the wall of the gazebo with my clenched right fist. "It hurts…" my hand fell down my side. 

"Sorry, I didn't mention it to you" a familiar voice spoke from behind,

Upon looking back, I saw a red haired man, and that sight of him made me grit my teeth and clenched my fists.

Why did he even bothered to chase over me..?

I looked away from him, "It doesn't matter…" and he did, as well. "I was planning on telling you, but I couldn't bring myself to do so" 

Quickly, I turned to him. 

With my grip tight enough to make a hole on my hands, I shouted, "Like I said. It doesn't matter! None of it matters! Not one of it!" 

"Ed…"

I looked down, trying to erase his sight, out of my mind.

"Why did you made that promise if you're gonna leave? How am I going to keep it? How! If I'll continue on to hate you more because of this?! Tell me, just how..?"

My voice slowly break, as I shouted at him with tears falling down my eyes.

Ah, what should I do? I can't control my own voice, surely I will say lot of bad things to him and surely I will hurt him. 

Please, hurry up and go away… Fiore!

"Ed, do you know that there are a lot of fireflies here at night?" he asked me, as he looked around.

The words, "I don't know, what the heck you are asking at times like this" left my mouth, while I wiped my tears off and looked up at him.

Fiore crouched to be par with my height and grabbed my fists. 

"Next time, let's look at how beautiful this place become, once fireflies gather around" he softly smiled at me.

The word, "Huh..?" left my mouth, like a cold breath.

"What are you saying?" I sniffed. "You will be going away. How am I going to see the fireflies with you? There will be no next time, you know"

He grinned, and stood up.

"I've told you right? That everything follows a certain cycle, and because of that, a lot of changes had and will occur in our lives" 

I rubbed my nose, "What the heck are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is that we will meet again. After all, a cycle changes everything and will turn everything back again, and repeat for many times" 

Fiore patted my head and I giggled. 

"What's with that optimistic attitude of yours?" with these words, his lips formed another soft smile.

Fiore took his hand off my head and asked, "About the promise, can I change it into something else?" 

I asked him, "To what?" and he looked at me.

"Instead of don't hate me, I would like it if you won't forget me" he stated, as tears kinda flowed from his eyes.

A blush appeared, along with my soft smile.

"I don't think I'll ever get to forget a person who broke into my life, without a permission, you know" I boastfully said.

Fiore smiled. 

Although that smile of him was not like his usual smiles which are filled with malice, but a true smile.

I can no longer stop my tears. But they aren't shed for sadness and regret anymore, but for happiness.

Once, I was taught that everything has an end, such as happiness, sadness and life. And after an end, there is always something waiting to begin.

Since, when have I forgotten about that? 

That day, I bid farewell to Fiore, believing that we will meet once again and believing that the cycle would repeat again.

I sealed all of my tears and melancholies to move forward instead of staying in that place. 

But I still remembered everything like yesterday. After all, I have no intentions of forgetting it or erasing it from my mind. 

Someday, I sure will have times of forgetting it, but I am sure that fate will work to make me grasp that memory again. 

Those memories of the time I spend with my beloved teacher. 

…

Since, then 3 years have passed, and I turned 12. 

Seria opened my room's door and called me, "Edward!" I turned to her. "Your Father's calling you. He said it is an urgent" 

"Okay!" 

I nodded and tidied the things in my desk, before leaving my room. 

As I went pass my own bedroom, I came across my two caretakers, Zack and Maria, who were bickering, as usual.

"Can you two spare a day, without fighting with each other?" I asked them and they looked at each, before saying, "That's impossible, your highness"

I looked at them, with a blank stare and said, "Yeah, I know it is"

After leaving the two of them, I soon arrived at the courtyard and saw Connor, so I called out to him, "Connor!!" and the young man turned to me.

"Good morning, young master" he greeted and I smiled at him.

A familiar voice spoke from behind, "Your highness? What are you doing there?" I turned and saw Yer, behind.

"Good morning, Yer. I am on my way to Father's office, when I saw Connor" I told him, before asking, "How about you?"

Yer looked down, with a smirk and I tilted my head to the side.

"I am off to find a new person to taste the new recipes I've thought of" he stated, with a boastful tone.

Suddenly, I felt a gaze behind and looked so, and saw Connor's eyes glittering as if he saw a gold, in a mine.

"Why don't you ask Connor, here?" I pointed at him. 

Yer pressed his chin and asked Connor, "Would you like to?" and the latter nodded, like his head was a dog's tail.

"I'll leave you then"

…

I walked the hallway that I walked that day I first talked with Father, that day Mom died and that day Fiore became my royal tutor. 

The statues I saw that day came into my vision as usual. As I saw them, for some reason, I felt very nostalgic more than I've been the last time I came here.

I knocked at the door and my father permitted me to come in. As I come in, his usual menaceful aura came near my field. 

I stood straight and asked him, "You called for me?"

"Yeah, I have a matter to discuss" Father stated and I asked him, "What is it, your imperial majesty?" 

He smiled.

"Well, you see. I am thinking of enrolling you to the capital academy. More or less, I already did" 

As usual, he does things on his own accord, as expected of an Emperor.

Upon gasping, I cleared my throat and mumbled, "The Capital Academy, you say? It is the academy, my older siblings used to study at, right?" 

"Yes, it is the well-known academy in the Doghanik Empire. You are already far more talented, but everything is different when you're in school" 

I looked down and mumbled, "I see…" 

If I remember things right, Altheia enrolled there last year and graduated the same year, which she told me, "What awaited me there was boredom, so I took the test and skipped grades"

"Don't you like it?" Father tilted his head to the side. "Ah, no. Of course not, your majesty" I shook my head. 

Can't say that I was thinking on whether I should trust my older sister, Altheia's opinion about it or not…

"Well, I would gladly accept it, your imperial majesty" 

Hearing these words, Father raised an eyebrow and pouted, which made me tilt my head to the side and think back on my words.

"Your imperial majesty" these words came back my mind.

I cleared my throat. "What I mean was, I will gladly accept it, Father" with these, the Emperor's eyes widened with joy and he nodded, like a kid.

Father had gotten used with interacting with me, after spending 5-6 years together. 

Well, it was kinda fun to see him get nervous every time silence surrounds us back then, so I kinda missed it.

But, well.

Academy, huh..? It has been a while, since I last went to study at a school, about a decade I guess. 

Will I even get some friends?  I hope so… I hope it'll be fun there.

…

"Did you forget anything?" Seria asked and I shook my head. "Nope, I'm all fine" 

She shrugged and said, "Well, then this is it, Ed" with a smile wavering a bit, in sadness. "Don't worry, Seria" I grinned.

"It's not like we'll never meet again. So, stop crying. You too, Cia" I crouched to be on par with my little sister's height.

Elicia had become more attached to me, her brother, ever since then. 

"I'm not crying..." she sobbed, as she hid behind Altheia. "Hahaha, I see. Good girl" I patted her head, which seems to have made her cry more. 

My hands pushed my thighs and stood up.

"Well, take a good care of your body there, Ed" Alfred patted my head and I nodded, "I will, brother" with a smile.

Heldrad tapped my back, as he added, "Train a lot, so we can spar again when you come back, Ed" 

"I'll try everything I can" a chuckled left my mouth, as I rubbed my back.

My eldest brother, Alfred had become a big worrywart, while Heldrad haven't changed and is still my childish big brother.

"Make sure you listen to your professors there" Altheia said and I retorted, "You're the one telling me that!?" 

She glared at me.

"What? You have a problem with me saying it, do you?"  I shook my head and mumbled, "No, I don't…" whilst looking away from her. 

Let's just leave that matter aside for now. 

Altheia, as well had changed. After all, she used to glare at me whenever she sees me, but, nowadays she had started to talk with me about a lot of things.

I guess, she was on the middle of growing up at that time, that's why she acted like that towards me…

"Princess Cia, bid your brother goodbye, now" Hannah told Elicia and she sobbed, "Bye-bye, big brother" and hugged me tight, without any intention of letting me go.

I smiled. 

"Yeah, be a good girl while I'm gone, okay?" I tapped her back and she nodded with a sob, as her hug became more tight. 

It is kinda hard for me to leave when you're like that, Elicia… 

I bid them goodbye and rode the wagon.

Someday, I will meet them all again. I know that, but, if I were to say that I'm not sad, it will be a lie. 

I am a bit sad and motivated, just like what Fiore told me, that day.

"Don't lose to your sadness. Gulp all of those feelings all in one and smile without a care for the world, like this"

A chuckle left my mouth.

Since the day that guy left, I have changed a lot and I will still keep on changing, for sure. But I'm sure that I will still remain me no matter how much I have changed. 

I groaned, "Ugh…" as I got a bit unwell as the wagon started moving fast. "Uhm, T-tran… C-can you slow down a bit?" 

Really, the same old me, no matter how many years have passed.