Recollection

The morning had arrived. The monarch regains consciousness with the assistance of the priest, who stays up at night looking for and mending the exhausted king.

Themis awakens in terror. Asking the priest at his side where Her Majesty is, hoping to see her.

"Your Highness, could you tell me what happened to you and why you are strolling in the middle of the night holding the princess?" the concerned and worried priest Damayanti asked.

"Why aren't they here?" the anxious king said in a mournful tone. The priest looked at him puzzled. The events that occurred in the palace never reached Damayanti and his people.

"He's back," the king said with a distraught tone, confusing Damayanti.

"Casimir is here to kill my daughter. He wants to revenge Hygeia by simply killing the princess," said the stressed king.

Damayanti was rendered baffled by what he had heard. Remembering how Casimir traumatized the king by killing his father in front of his Highness. Damayanti was still perplexed as to why the vicious Casimir had not killed the young Themis.

"Dillon, Alaunos..." the king halted, covering his face with his palm. Stopping himself from crying in front of the priest.

Damayanti is concerned and heartbroken as he watches His Highness in pain and anguish. After all, he was the one who raised Themis after Casimir Hadeon murdered the former King Keres.

Themis was only eight years old when he went to Ariadne's tower in the middle of the night. He was crying and heading toward Damayanti, who was startled and shocked to see young Themis drenched in blood and looking distraught.

"My wife, Her Majesty, was fighting alongside Dillon and Alaunos for the sake of my life, and...." The king paused, struggling not to cry. "And the Princess," he added as tears poured down his cheeks.

The priest watches his Highness sobbing. Looking concerned. He sits next to the grieving king and taps his shoulder, remembering how his Highness cried like that when he learned of his father's demise.

When the King stops crying, Damayanti begins to question him about where the four battled. So, they can retrieve the body or assist if the four are still fighting. However, as the sun rises, the four can't continue battling; either Casimir or the three have been defeated.

The king gave him an answer.

The priest excused himself, summoning 5 of the magicians and instructing them to locate and recover the bodies of Queen Dera, Dillon, and Alaunos.

"I want to see my child," the king muttered out of nowhere with sadness in his tone. The priest carries out the king's request.

"She's as beautiful as Her Majesty," the priest murmured, attempting to console the stressed-out king.

"She did look like her mother," Themis added, cracking a smile. You will feel the king's anguish through the tone of his voice.

As the two continue talking, one of the mages barges in with a troubled expression on his face. When the mage noticed the priest talking to the king, he immediately knelt and sought his highness for forgiveness for his rudeness.

"Raised your head, what happened?" King Themis demanded; nervousness written on his face, not wanting to hear the news.

"N-No body was found, Your Highness," replied the mage, leaving the king and priest taken aback.

"There are some traces of blood, but we did not see Her Majesty, neither the knight nor Master Alaunos" the mage went on to say.

Damayanti glanced at His Highness, who appeared devastated and outraged.

"We will continue to look for it; please excuse me, Your Highness," the magician said, frustrated.

The king signaled him to leave and appeared crushed.

The mage departed, leaving the king and priest completely perplexed.

Damayanti volunteered his hand to hold the princess so that his highness could spend his time. Themis gently handed down the princess to the priest, and Damayanti summoned one of the maids to take care of the princess, so he could speak with the king alone.

"I knew this was going to happen," he said with remorse in his voice.

"I shouldn't let her fight," Themis said, blaming himself.

The feeling of regret,

Sadness,

Agony.

This was all the king felt after receiving the news. The thought of living without the one he had always protected and loved was no longer on his side.

a decade prior.

The joyful laughter of four children may be heard in Basilia Palace's Garden.

"Priest Damayanti!" exclaimed a young boy as he ran towards the priest, beaming. The small boy's golden hair and pure blue eyes are fascinating, but it is his bright smile that has captured the heart of Priest Damayanti.

The priest smiled back.

"What is it, Your Highness?" the priest said softly.

"Can I marry her grace, Dera?" the young Themis questioned with gleaming eyes, waiting for the priest's response.

"Of course, Your Highness, you can marry whomever you want," Priest Damayanti said with a smile.

"Really!" exclaimed Themis, excitedly.

The priest smiled and nodded in response.

The child, Themis, dashed back to her grace, Dera, with delight and joy on his face.

"Dillon! Priest Damayanti said I can marry your sister, Dera," Themis exclaimed cheerfully.

"Really!" little Dillon exclaimed; his eyes expanded with delight.

"But I don't want to," Dera remarked with a pout.

"But I want to!" the young Themis countered.

"I will be the king and I will give you everything!" he added.

"No," Dera said, folding her arms and looking away.

"B-but" Themis hindered as he began to cry.

The three were taken aback when they noticed His Highness sobbing.

"Sister!" said Dillon, sounding concerned due to His Highness's sudden tears.

"Y-your Highness," the young Alaunos looked so worried and then he reached out to his highness.

"S-sister," Dillon said, teary-eyed.

"You love his highness more than me?" Dera said, heartbroken.

"I love you both, but you're so mean," Dillon wailed.

"Your Grace, Dera-"

"I know," Dera said, interrupting Alaunos. Knowing that Alaunos and her younger brother Dillon will always support his highness.

"You are both annoying!" she said in an irritable tone.

"Such a crybaby, fine! I will marry you," she murmured, turning away from his highness to cover her flushed face.

Young Themis' face lit up when she heard her grace respond. Both young Alaunos and Little Dillon light up as well.

"Really!" Themis exclaimed, energetically.

Dera just nodded shyly in return, avoiding eye contact with His Highness since she knew his face was beaming. 

"We will live in this palace with Dillon and Alaunos; we will play together, eat together, and never leave your side, your Grace Dera!" stated Themis with a beaming grin.

Alaunos smiles, admiring his majesty. Dillon on the other hand is overjoyed to hear his highness' ideas, while little Dera feels shy.

"You will never leave my side?" Dera said in wonder.

"Of course!" cheerfully responded the prince.

"We will always be together," Dillon reassured her grace, Dera.

"Promise me that the four of us will be together; I don't want to be alone," Dera begged, saddened.

When Dillon saw the sad little Dera, he came up with a plan to cheer her sister up.

"The three of us will protect the future queen!" Little Dillon exclaimed, standing proudly.

"We will not let anyone touch my queen!" His Highness rose and joined Dillon.

Dillon and Themis glance at Alaunos, who is more mature than them. They were waiting for Alaunos' promise to her grace, Dera.

The young Alaunos stood up hesitantly, as the three eyes were fixed on him, waiting.

"I-I..." He halted. He then looks at his highness and Dillon, who is smiling as he waits for him.

Young Alaunos smiled and boldly stated:

"I will study hard and be the greatest mage in Basalia!"

 Dera giggled, pleased to hear their remarks, and the four then exchanged laughter.

We will always be together but I was left alone…

Damayanti joins the search, sending 20 of his magicians to look for the Queen, Dillon, and Alaunos, but they are nowhere to be found.

The monarch refused the awful news, refusing to accept that he had lost not just Her Majesty but also his two dearest friends. Damayanti stopped him for the reason he had planned to go out and look for Her Majesty alone. Damayanti will not put his Highness in danger, considering that he has a child to look after and care for.

"Do you think Her Majesty will be happy to see you putting your life in danger?" asked the priest, disappointed with his Highness's actions.

The monarch began throwing his body to break away from the priest's grip.

"Let me go! I order you to let me go!" he yelled angrily. However, the priest was determined not to let go of the king.

Themis continued to resist, leaving the priest no choice but to request that his magicians use magic on his Highness.

"This is treacherous! I will punish whoever touches me!" he shrieked.

The magicians who were performing magic for His Highness exchanged stares, feeling frightened by the king. But Priest Damayanti is unshaken.

"Damayanti!" exclaimed the angered monarch to the priest who stood in front of him, unfazed about his behavior.

"Fine," responded Damayanti, who had already made a decision. He signals the magician to free his highness.

"Go, leave your child alone," he said, dismayed. The priest then begins walking away, ordering his mages to leave its highness alone.

When the monarch was left alone, he fell to his knees and began crying.

For the second time, he forgot he still had Ayira, her princess.

The queen's child...

"I'm sorry," he said, pleading. Disappointed in himself for being selfish and abandoning his child in the meantime.

"I'm sorry my child."

"I'm sorry, I failed as a father."

"I'm sorry," he says, acknowledging his mistake.

"I'm sorry."