Chapter • 49

♱ •⋅ 1750 B.C. ⋅• ♱

I looked in the mirror before going, that was the most "common" sweater in Asra's closet; at knee level, the only piece that was not transparent.

The fit was perfect - but that wasn't new, I considered it impossible that something didn't look good on Asra's body, but that particular sweater made her almost 'adorable'.

I sighed.

I still had a lot of exposed skin, but nothing I couldn't solve, so I pulled out a little shawl I had there - a pretty shawl with embroidered golden flowers everywhere. That was the most delicate embroidery I'd ever seen.

I wrapped myself in the scarf and finished braiding my hair, a fallen braid and half loose to the side.

When I got to Loren's room, Calisto was already there, lying on the bed next to the child; he had a dark leather book in his hands.

"Asra" the little one called me "you came! I said daddy!"

I raised one of my eyebrows.

"Your father said I wouldn't come?"

Calisto opened his mouth, but thought better and then smiled.

"Just said... you might be tired and fall asleep in your room."

What a lame excuse.

I snitched.

"I don't want deals and I told Loren I would come," I said as she approached me to the bed. The child smiled and stretched out his arms to me.

"Can you hold me while Dad reads to me?"

I felt my chest sway.

Was there anyone who could say no to that child?

"Sure, dear," I said lying next to him and hugging him.

Loren's little body was small, fragile and thin - and I couldn't help but think that maybe it was the curse that was constantly attacking him.

Loren was just a little child and deserved to grow up healthy and yet... still he was subject to pain, suffocating processes with needles and doctors.

I slipped my fingers down her little face.

"You're a very beautiful child, you know?" I said as I kissed her cheek and Loren blushed.

"Am I?" he asked as if he didn't know that and I smiled.

"Of course it is, you're a beautiful child and one day..." I felt my throat tighten, because that might not be true - but I would make it - one day you'll be... a very handsome adult.

The bicolor eyes shone.

"As handsome as Dad?"

My eyes fixed on Callisto and my lips arched briefly.

"Much prettier than Dad."

Loren's eyes widened wide.

"More handsome than Dad?"

"Better looking than Dad."

"That seems impossible," he said sincerely and I laughed.

"No, it is not... you are very pretty and when you grow up you will devastate hearts."

Loren looked at Callisto.

"Do you devastate hearts, Daddy?"

The king seemed lost.

"What is it?"

"Asra said that I will grow up to be a more beautiful adult than you... and that I will break hearts, so... do you ravage hearts?"

Calisto didn't know how to respond. I didn't know how to answer because Loren was just a little child, because he was asking something relatively serious for the first time and he couldn't be sure about it.

He had never claimed to break hearts, but was it not common for everyone to do so at a given time?

The truth was that any existing being - and that includes me -, has already broken some poor heart, because unlike what you can read in the little prince: you are not responsible for what you captivate.

The feelings of others are responsibilities only of those who feed them, if all you did was exist or be educated, how can you be forced to bear the expectations of others? It was ridiculous, it was an inhumane ideal.

"I don't know..." Calisto said as if he was going through every moment of his life in his mind.

"So... why would I destroy hearts if Dad doesn't?"

Smile.

"Good" I kissed the tip of your nose "you don't have to destroy or break hearts out there, actually... I hope you don't, but... it's natural when you're as beautiful as you are" I muttered "it's natural that they fall in love with you, it's natural that they want to be with you."

Loren blinked as if she was trying to understand.

"Just because... I'm beautiful?"

I settled.

"Many people see only beauty" I said "but there are many others out there who see who you really are and these..." I held him briefly in my arms "these will want to be by your side for being kind, sweet, sweet and so adorable, these people will want you around for who you are."

Loren looked at Callisto.

"Like Dad being a whiner?"

I held the laugh.

"Yeah, like daddy being a whiner."

"Loren..." Calisto protested "we've talked about this."

The little one put one hand over his mouth.

"I'm sorry... I forgot, Dad."

The dark one sighed.

"It's all right" he said as he stroked the boy's head "but what Asra said is right, you are a prince and one day you will be someone of superhuman beauty, it is natural that many want to be by your side and try to have your favor."

"So be careful, little one" I said taking a lock of black hair from that pale little face "you can't trust someone just for being kind and if someone says they love you, always ask why."

He nodded in the affirmative.

"Okay... I'll ask and I'll only believe it when Dad says he loves me," he said holding Calisto's hand between his and pulling her close.

The king smiled, a gentle and sincere smile.

"Okay... okay, honey, now... how about we start the story?"

I looked at the moreno and then to Loren, it was sweet, it was warm and cozy.

"Yes!! Asra is here, now you can start."

As soon as Loren said these words, Callisto took a deep breath and passed one of the pages as he began to read.

"There was once in a world long forgotten, the love that spawned the seed for the whole multiverse; the name of that love was Aether, the name given to the romance that arose between eternity and chaos."

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