Butterfly Prince

by Britannica Tany

  It was odd not getting a call from Aiden, not having to check in on him at the castle, not having to warn him about what would happen if he didn’t treat Kael right. Aiden wasn’t here and hour after hour, he was starting to realize that.

  The loneliness wouldn’t catch up until later.

  “Micah’s here?” Kael questions and Janus nods. “Aiden…was his bestfriend…”

  “How is he?” Francis asks and Janus lowers his eyes to the ground with a sad sigh. “He’s like all of us; I don’t think he’s realized it yet…I don’t think any of us have.”

  “It’s…really…really …” Kael struggles to find the right word to describe his emotions and instead skips over it to say. “I just loved him so much, you know?” his voice cracks and goes hoarse, Jenna rubs his back and leans her head on his shoulder. The snow was falling now, caking the ground in bright white and resting on the shoulders of everyone standing outside. “It looks…beautiful.” Jenna murmurs softly and they all nod. The snow had come early this year and was as beautiful as ever. “Well,” Janus begins. “Shall we start?”

  The sky opens up and shards of light splinters down and onto them. Janus and Micah open the back of the van and with the help of Gene and Caleb they take out the casket. It looks heavy with its charred black wood and bouquet of chrysanthemums placed atop it. Janus and Micah hold the handles walking slowly towards the greenhouse entrance. Their shoes crunch in the grass and Kael watches with heavy eyes, his head held high. “Goodnight, Aiden.” He murmurs softly and Jenna takes his hand in hers. Together they hold onto each other and stare at the casket that held Aiden’s beautiful body. Glossed and cleaned and suited in his bodyguard attire as though he were taking a quick nap.

  “Hey, Kael,” Kael turns to look at his boyfriend. “Wake me in five.”

  “Five minutes?” Kael questions with a slight gasp and Aiden nods. “Five minutes, a short little nap and I’ll be back on my feet in no time.” He shoots Kael a quick wink before laying his head on his boyfriends shoulder and taking his hand. Kael looks down at him and shakes his head with a soft smile. “Okay,” he rests his head against Aiden’s. “Five minutes it is.”

  Janus and Micah pass them, their expressions blank but Kael could read the sadness in their eyes and sense the pain with their steps.

  One: say a prayer

  Two: make a wish

  Three: close your eyes

  Four: hold him close

  Five: let him go

  A breeze passes by fluttering Kael’s coat and Jenna’s hair, they all look to the sky and time momentarily pauses. The guards hold the doors to the greenhouse open and it looked as though they were holding their breaths waiting for a cue to breathe again. And when Kael’s hand slips out of Jenna’s as he falls to the ground, they breathe. As Kael clutches the ground, the dirt caking his nails, Janus and Micah step into the greenhouse. One-two-three, one-two-three. Kael’s jaw trembles and he screams. The sound is heart shattering and Jenna covers her mouth as she turns away. The tears came down in relentless streams and he looks to Aiden’s coffin and reaches out a trembling hand hoping that maybe…Aiden would reach back. Janus sinks his teeth into his bottom lip to keep from crying and Micah keeps his eyes ahead, afraid that if he looked at the coffin in which Aiden’s body lay his legs would give out.

  “May he rest and may he sleep,” Caleb begins to recite. “May he not be forgotten and may he live on in our hearts.”

  The silence was replaced by suppressed sobs and Kael’s muttering of his name. “Aiden.”

  The greenhouse shimmers against the snow and Kael stares in awe. “Aiden…” he calls again and once more the greenhouse shimmers with life and light.

  “I’m always here.” The rays spoke to Kael and he slowly rises to his feet, Jenna helps him up. “Never far, always near.”

  They are transcendence; they live and breathe a bond—they are existence. And Kael knows that now, he may not understand it, but at least he knows.

  Kael looks to Aiden’s casket and to the greenhouse and then to the sky. He reaches a hand up to the clouds and opens his palm up to the sun. “Kael?” Jenna looks to him with worry. “I…” he smiles. “I feel him.” His hand closes and he closes his eyes. “Right here.” He squeezes Jenna’s hand. “In you, in me, in the air.” Kael inhales. “I feel him.”

  The snow falls, its white flakes kissing the tip of Kael’s nose and whispering in his ear. “Beautiful butterflies collect beautiful flowers.” Kael opens his eyes and looks to Jenna and Francis. “You aren’t alone.” An icy tear rolls down his cheek. “I wouldn’t leave my Prince alone now would I?” he laughs to himself. “That’s right.” He wipes his tears. “You wouldn’t.”

  His wings are hidden like a shield in his heart.

  Unfurling only for the one that comes to love him.

  Opening up to his forever Prince and his forever love…Kael.

  “Spread your wings, remember me and fly.” Kael whispers to the sky as the world becomes shrouded in pure, lovely white snow. And somewhere in the distant sky he hears the same words repeated back to him.

  Epilogue – Dancing Wings

  A week has passed since Aiden’s death and his father’s funeral. He’s been getting through the days by talking with his mother and meditating in his room. He writes in his notebook now, he writes about his thoughts and his memories and when he wants to read something, he reads through Skye’s journal. After finally gathering his courage and talking with Janus about it, he had opened the pages and read into her heart. Her handwriting is loopy and nice to look at. Her words are beautiful and Kael finds comfort in them. But the loneliness is beginning to weigh in on him, he feels it knocking on his heart and invading his mind. It tells him to go to sleep, to close his eyes forever and to not think about anything. “Just sleep, all you have to do is sleep.” The voice says and it sounds so tempting, so easy. And sometimes Kael comes so close to giving in and giving up the fight to continue on without Aiden by his side. To continue on as King. But then he remembers that this is what he and Aiden worked for and if he gives up now, all that fighting and Aiden’s death would be for naught. Kael couldn’t let something so tragic come into fruition. He loved Aiden, loved him like his very own breath. And just like his breath wouldn’t stop, just like his heart wouldn’t stop—he couldn’t stop.

  There was an interview with PRESS magazine at 3pm, an hour from now and Kael was prepping himself for it by running his fingers through his hair and wearing his very comfortable, very un-king like clothes and just being relaxed. He wanted to show the people of Melia that he is a young King with a young mind, but is willing to make the necessary changes for his people if they will forgive his shortcomings and not reprimand him, for he is still young and is still learning. And like the recent headlines have read he has lost “his rock and his shield but continues to fight with his heart.” He liked that headline the most and because he liked it so, he cut it out of the paper and glued it to the front of his notebook. He had found a solace in being able to write his thoughts down onto each page—he didn’t feel as alone when his thoughts were grouped together.

  He turns on the heels of his boots and heads out of his room. From time to time he would catch himself calling out to Aiden and reaching for his phone to dial his number and then seconds later he would realize and shake his head with a sad smile. Kael knew that it would take some getting used to, but he wouldn’t give up the fight just yet. Just like he had fought to remember his memories of Skye, he will fight to never forget Aiden. He walks down the dark hall looking up at the uncovered pictures of his father and smiling sadly at them. He wished, in the deep depths of his heart, that he and his father could have gotten a better start on things. That maybe, maybe if his father wasn’t so selfish he’d still be here, Skye would still be here and Aiden would also still be here. But what was the use in blaming the dead? It wasn’t time to move on from the past, but to remember it and learn from the mistakes.

  “Good afternoon your majes
ty.” Hyde, his new personal bodyguard greets him and Kael smiles. “Afternoon to you too.”

  “Janus came by earlier to check on you, but I told him you wanted to be alone.” Kael nods. “I’ll talk to him soon…there’s a lot we must discuss.” Kael planned on giving Janus his position back, but with newer freedoms and lesser limitations. Janus deserved it, Francis deserved it. “Do you want me to call him for you?” Hyde asks slipping out his own phone and Kael shakes his head. “No, I’ll do it myself.” He laughs lightly to himself and Hyde eyes him curiously. “Aiden would have tried his hardest to get me to not call Janus.”

  “Hmm, why?” Kael laughs gently to himself walking ahead of Hyde and outside of the castle. “Just because…he liked it when we were alone.” He smiles to himself, a look of sadness flickering in his eyes. He sighs taking the steps two at a time. “C-careful!” Hyde calls out to him. “I’m not going to fa—“ Kael does in fact end up tripping, but thanks to Hyde’s quick reflexes, he doesn’t fall on his face. Hyde catches him, his expression wild with worry. “Your majesty that could have been bad.” He says breathlessly, but Kael only laughs pushing away from Hyde and taking his time the rest of the way down. They drive off towards the café where the interview was to be held and Kael thinks back to his visit to Aiden’s house just the other day.

  When the front door opens, Mrs. Kim smiles, happy to see him and takes him into her arms. Kael was flustered for a brief moment and then melted into her arms. She smelled like flowers and faintly…like Aiden. “Come on inside.” She opens the door wider allowing for Kael to slip inside. The house smelled of cinnamon and candles and Kael’s gaze lands on the fireplace. There were two memorials now and it broke his heart upon seeing them. The door clicks shut and he turns around dropping to the floor and bowing deeply. Mrs. Kim stares down at him with wide eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  “K-Kael, you don’t.”

  “You can blame me. You can curse at me and I know what you’re thinking, you probably don’t ever want to see me, but please.” He keeps his head down as he speaks. “Please allow me to visit from time to time, to see you, to pay my respects and to go into his room.” It hit Kael that night after the funeral, the many things he and Aiden never got the chance to do together. I’ve never been in his room. We’ve never celebrated Christmas together. I never got to this or that or even that. He didn’t want to think about it, but when it came down to it, it hurt Kael the most to realize that their time together was so short. “I just…I just…” his words broke off as Mrs. Kim bent down to pat him on his back. “It’s alright.” Her voice was warm. “Lift your head.” Kael does as he’s told. “We’re both adults, so we won’t blame a child who is already blaming himself.” She smiles softly at Kael. “I’m glad you came and I’d be even happier if you continued to come,” she pauses to think. “Maybe one day you and your mother could come over for dinner.” Kael’s eyes well up with tears.

  If Kael were to define forgiveness, he’d put Aiden’s mother as the definition. “Thank you, thank you.” She laughs gently ruffling his hair and smiling.

  The snow has stopped, but most of Melia was glistening in white and Kael found it magical as though he were existing in a different world from the one of just last week. The snow is like a time machine taking him to a cold yet comforting place. A time machine where Aiden—sadly—no longer exists. “Your majesty,” comes Hyde’s voice. “You can call me, Kael.”

  “Ah,” Hyde nervously places a hand to the back of his neck. “Kael, I don’t mind you holding my hand but…” Kael’s eyes widen and he looks towards Hyde, sure enough he was holding his hand. “Oh, I’m sorry, it’s just…” Aiden would always hold my hand in his. “Sorry.” Kael mumbles turning away shyly.

  ~*~

  The café was completely empty due to Kael’s presence and role as King. “Can’t have any accidents now can we.” One of the cameraman said, nudging Hyde jovially, but the stiff guard found no humor in it, instead his eyes were focused on Kael who was sitting in a caramel colored chair and across from him was a young woman with bright eyes. “Before we begin, I thought I’d introduce myself.” She smiles. “My name is Irene,” she extends her hand towards Kael. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your majesty.” Kael dips his head down and flashes a charming smile. “The pleasure is all mine.” Her cheeks color red, but she quickly covers her fluster by signaling to the camera man. “I only have a few questions for you.”

  “Okay.” Kael crosses his legs as the interview begins. “So what is it like walking the halls of the castle?” she asks her first question and Kael looks to the ceiling as he thinks and then it hits him. His eyes lock onto hers as he speaks. “It’s haunting. I walk those long and empty halls and the quiet is scary, it’s scary because I suffered from isolation when I was younger.”

  “What type of isolation?” Kael has to choke back a bout of laughter. “Type of isolation? It was both mental and physical. I don’t want to put damage on my father’s image or that of my mother’s, but they left me alone…not by choice—well sometimes—but because they were busy.”

  “How did you feel?”

  “Lonely of course.” She jots something down, Kael wonders what it is and then she asks the next question. “What do you see for the future of Melia?”

  “Well,” Kael uncrosses his legs and leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I see something new, I see choices and freedoms.”

  “Freedoms?” Kael nods. “The personal guard I had, that recently passed away, it wasn’t his choice to protect me, and he didn’t have the freedom to choose his future, so that’s what I want to return to the people. Their freedoms.” Her lips curl into a quaint smile and she finally asks. “This…guard of yours, his name was…”

  “His name was Aiden.” He finishes for her and she nods. “Aiden and he was also your lover?”

  “Yes, he was…” she pauses to contemplate something and then continues. “If you don’t mind me asking, how close were you to him?”

  “If I say that we are lovers, Irene, then how close do you think we were?” she giggles lightly at that understanding what Kael was trying to say. “Point taken.” She swipes a loose strand of hair out of her eyes and places her notepad aside. “Your majesty,”

  “Kael please.”

  “Ah, okay, Kael,” he nods. “Have you ever lost someone in your life before?” his eyes drift down to his hands and he sighs slowly. “Of course…”

  “Whom was it?”

  “Skye…she was my very first friend.”

  “The woman who died in the fire?” Irene questions with disbelief and Kael nods. “My memories of her death were wiped away and I couldn’t recall who she was until a few months ago.”

  “Wow…now, I have another question for you.” Kael gestures for her to go on. “Will you remember, Aiden, your lover or would it be easier for you to forget?” her question hangs in the stale air of the café. Kael leans back and closes his eyes to think. He tosses the question around in his mind and finally says. “The pain of remembering, I will bare it.” He looks into her eyes and continues on. “I will bare it because every moment I shared with him gave to me new found joy and peace. I will bare this pain so that everyone will know…” he pauses making sure that he had her attention and the attention of everyone in the building. “They’ll know that Aiden, my knight, my shield and my love, saved me from falling and showed me my wings.” Kael smiles. “And not only as your king, but as his lover—I will fly.” The room is silent and everyone is watching Kael waiting to see him break but when he doesn’t they all clap whispering amongst themselves. Kael wasn’t saying those words to dress up the interview or to give it flare, he was speaking from his heart.

  Yes, it hurt not being able to hear his voice, see his smile, feel his touch or listen and be comforted by the voice that spoke those two words: “I’m here.” It hurt, but yet it made him feel calm, it made him want to keep living, made him want to be the Aiden for someone else—for someone who was also hurtin
g and needed that voice of hope in their lives.

  I’ll remember you and I’ll carry you with me; this is love and I mourn for you, but this is also our bond and I live for you.

  ~*~

  Janus was sitting on the couch and staring at Francis who sat across from him. He was watching his brother with concerned eyes. Afraid that if he looked away Francis would completely break. Not only did he lose his leg, his ability to dance or Kai, but he’s also lost Aiden. Janus pondered just how fragile Francis was right now and if he should put a ‘handle with care’ sign across his forehead. “Stop staring at me.” Francis mumbles not looking up from the magazine in his lap. “I’m fine okay, I won’t break.” He assures his older brother and Janus runs a hand through his hair with a sigh. “I was just thinking…” he begins slowly and Francis eyes him curiously. “About what?”

  “Kai and you.” This time Francis sighs and he closes the magazine in his lap. “What about him?” there was no longer any ‘us.’ “Well, Gene was wanting to know when or if you would—“

  “No.” Francis says resolutely wheeling himself into the kitchen. “It’s been almost a month since he’s shot me, I’m not over it, I haven’t moved on or forgiven him; I don’t want anything to do with him.” Janus watches him from his spot on the couch and nods. “I understand…I just…when I go back to work whom will you have to talk to?” Francis opens the fridge and looks inside. “I have Jenna and I make friends easily. It’s not like I’m back in first grade when I used to space out.”

  “You still do…space out that is.” Francis scoffs piling into his hands peanut butter and jelly. “But not as much, right?”

  “Yeah, not as much.” Janus agrees halfheartedly and his brother shoots him a glare. “How do you think Jenna is holding up?” Francis asks and Janus shrugs. “She’s focusing more on getting her degree and from what I’ve heard she’s getting straight A’s on all her exams.”