Crown

Lyka Biarves-Quiet Joys

Cheng stopped at the end of the long rock formation that Astrid sat on. She didn't say anything. She just stared at the water in front of her, waiting for him to speak. 

A long sigh escaped his lips. "Astrid. I'm sorry. I know it feels like a deceived you by not telling you my intentions upfront but I promise you, I have no ill intentions."

"Do you even like me?" Her voice was calm, like the waves that rippled at her feet.

He scratched his arm nervously. "I had wanted some time to try and get to know you first. I wanted to build a bond with you. I apologize for my unsightly behaviour yesterday. I was just...just jealous...a man's jealousy is an ugly thing. I am sorry about that. If anything, it let me confirm that I was indeed attracted to you."

Astrid sighed and the rippling water in front of her swayed back as she exhaled. She could hear the sincerity in his voice, though she did question if his attraction was genuine or simply because he wanted an alliance. She was happy to hear that he was as attracted to her as she was to him, but the political implications of it made it feel strange. She pushed herself off the rocks and into the water. Cheng watched her retreating form disappear into the water. He waited for a minute. Soon one minute turned into two minutes, then five. When ten minutes of nothing but the sound of gentle waves and not a ripple in sight had gone by, he decided to climb onto the rocks and make his way over to the edge. He got down in his knees and peered over the rocky ledge.

"Astrid?" He called.

A few seconds more of the same silence had him beginning to think that she really did just swim away and didn't want anything more to do with him. Before he had time to question what he considered to be her surprising pettiness, a sparsely scaled hand shot up from the water beneath him and pulled him in. He gasped as he crashed into the water.

•~•~•~•~•~•~•

I

llya and Diana were quietly chatting when the doors clamoured open once again. The first to enter was Sora. Right behind him was Gilgamesh. Seibel closed the doors behind them and they walked down the long aisle towards the two women.

"How rare for you to call me. I was told it was an urgent matter." Gilgamesh's smooth voice clearly resonated in the large room.

Sora stood beside him. "Seibel told us the gist of the situation on our way here."

He looked over at Diana with an expression that she couldn't quite make out. Nevertheless, she smiled and waved at him and he did the same. After all, he's the man that would have been her father had Illya not miscarried. Illya stood up and walked down from her throne to greet the both of them. She turned to Diana and urged her to carry on with the rest of her explanation.

"Shiki and Henaer raised me for the sole purpose of using me against mom, but I want no part of it. I never asked to be created so I don't have any obligations towards them. I don't want to bring about the destruction of those who have done me no wrong, much less my own mother. For eighteen years I've been treated like a tool, like nothing more than their property. My life may not have been my own these last eighteen years, but my feelings and my heart, that's all mine. I don't want to live as someone's tool. I want to live a life of pleasure, a rewarding life of doing what I want without anyone holding me down or telling me what to do."

She shifted to look at Illya. "I'm sorry for kidnapping my brother and his friend. I had to catch your attention in a way that made it seem like I was still plotting against you since, as you've probably realized, Shiki has been watching."

Gilgamesh observed the girl in front of him. He reached forward and brushed some hair out of her face.

"Beautiful and stubborn, definitely our daughter." He said with a smile.

He would never admit it, but even though he had accepted the fact that he would never have Illya's heart, he had always longed for a connection to her. When she gave birth to Sora's children shortly after getting married to him, he found himself occasionally contemplating what it would be like if he had caught her eye first, then maybe the triplets would not be Sora's but his. Needless to say, he was more delighted than he let on, that a being such as Diana existed.

Sora stuck a finger in the air as if a lightbulb had just gone off in his head. "Well, in that case, why don't we make it seem like you've gained favour with us and we've taken you in, but in reality, you would be living with Gil. You can pretend to give Shiki reports on us but you'd be under the protection of your father. In exchange, you could work as a double agent for us!"

While Diana claimed of wanting to just go about her life in a leisurely daze with no one to order her around, it was clear in the way she spoke and how she acted towards them, that she held high respect for her parents, but ultimately, it was her decision to make.

"Unfortunately I was always kept in the dark about their plans unless it directly involved me. Any information I have came from other pawns before they were disposed of. I don't really have anything more to provide."

"Well in that case. We'll just have you move in with Gil. We already have the arrow we shot from the prophet. We're bound to snuff him out eventually."

"Yes, I like that plan very much!"

Illya glanced at Gil. "You're a father now Gil, it would be nice to bond a little with her since she'll be living with you now."

"You want me to lavish her with gifts and affection? I don't think so. She must earn her gifts. ”

His smirk contradicted his rejection of her request. Perhaps she was simply testing him, but Gilgamesh did not care. Without so much as glancing in Diana's direction, he reached into a small glowing portal and ripples of gold formed above Diana’s head.
Something soft hit the crown of her head…then another…and another one almost immediately after. It wasn’t long before it was quite literally raining cats and dogs and rabbits, birds, and various other rather round-looking creatures, or at least inanimate and rather fluffy versions of the said creatures. Sora reached down and picked up one of the plushies. Just by touching it he could tell that they were made from the finest of materials.

Illya laughed to herself. She noted how both men seemed to have a habit of spoiling their daughters rotten. Diana picked up a little owl plushie at her feet and marvelled at it. The way her preciously regal and confident conduct faded into a bright-eyed, cheerful display told them that she liked her gift.
"She has your childish tendencies Illya." He mused. Illya rolled her eyes in response.
The guard Diana had brought with her was still in the room, though he was forgotten and hadn't even been acknowledged when she first walk in. He accidentally stepped on a plushie and Diana whirled around, throwing the owl at him.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE STEPPING YOU FOOL!"

"...and your temper too it seems," Gilgamesh noted amusingly.

Illya punched his arm. "What temper Gil. I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

Sora grabbed her and swayed with her in his arms to calm her as he laughed at her little flare. Gilgamesh chuckled, it was a while since he had felt so unmistakably happy. However, it turned out to be a short-lived satisfaction that ended the moment he peeked over to catch more of Diana's reaction. Gilgamesh had always been observant, so the teddy bear with a needle and yarn still clipped onto its side lying just beside her left leg immediately caught his attention. It wasn’t particularly missing any limbs, just any semblance of a tail.

“Ah–”

He silently prayed no one noticed him mentally willing the poor bear back inside the portal. It’s been a while since he had invested time in that hobby so he must’ve forgotten about it. It was too late though, Illya had already followed his panicked gaze to it and slapped a hand over her mouth to avoid bursting out in laughter. She didn't think that the oh so fearsome and renowned King Gilgamesh would ever have taken up knitting as a hobby. As Sora and Illya continued to stifle their laughter, Gilgamesh groaned, silently cursing them.