"How Long Until The Crown Breaks?"

19. When Dusk and Dawn came back into the Nokinian border, landing right at the port of the flyers in the outskirts of Jaro, the Nokinian capital city, where they got down from the creature, standing there next to each other, covered with blood and looking of complete devastation.

And from the bright suns orange rays shining over them, it made it way too obvious of what just occurred an hour or two before.

 "I see them." Dusk points out, looking towards the ten Nokinian guards rushing their way. Dawn looks at them too, but as soon as she does, five of the guards surround her and five surround Dusk, leading the back over to the palace to get cleaned up and taken care of.

....

Making their way into the palace, the guards make sure to hide Dusk And Dawn especially as not to arouse the people of any chaos and confusion just yet. So going into the palace from the back way, the two of them make it inside as the handmaidens and Dusk's men give them large cloths to help clean up the blood on their outfits.

"Come on princess, I'll get you to your bath once we take care of this wound." Looking back at Dusk while the maidens take her away, she can see that his men are doing the same for him, taking him the opposite way to his room and bath.She

In the bathroom, the maidens bring in the doctor who helps seal her wound, but through the flinching from pain and the adrenaline that is finally calming down in her body, Dawn turns to the large doors to see her mother rush in.

"Dawn!? Are you okay?" Rushing over to her and grabbing her face and arms, Dawn says to her mother "I'm okay and Dusk is too, I'm just really tired after all the fighting we did and is not really sleeping when flying back here."

Suna nods, "well you seem to be doing just fine, once you bath and heal your wound, I will need you to rest, okay?"

"I will, mama." Dawn smiles, but Suna doesn't, she can tell from the look in her eyes that Dawn is still troubled. "Baby, about everything...I deeply apologize for throwing you into this, it's all apart of our custom, but for it to go this way; you didn't deserve to see our real with that."

"Nebin didn't deserve to die." Dawn states, " he was better than the environment he grew up in, yet, that was his fate."

"Dawn..." Suna holds Dawn's hands, "it's going to be okay, to me it even looked like he was ready to face whatever he needed to express his love for that woman, so don't lean on it, we'll do better for you." 

Dawn softly smiles, "ouch" She suddenly says from the doctors touch. "Sorry, my princess."

"It's okay." Dawn smiles, "I'll be okay. "

Suna stands up and says to Dawn, "please heal up okay? Your father and I will get in contact with the Lesothians and let them know about the Arcillians." Suna kisses Dawn's forehead and walks towards the door, "I'm going to check on Dusk now and help calm down Jema." She nods as Dawn says, "okay."

As Suna leaves, Dawn stands up and walks into the large bath, going down amongst the steam coming up, she lays against the tub, trying to completely relax as she closes her eyes.

.....

It wasn't until days later when Marlo and Suna had sent for both Dusk and Dawn to meet up with them at the palace entrance, standing with all their workers, Suna turns first when seeing Dusk And Dawn make their way over to them.

Suna smiles, "you two doing any better?" 

Dusk smiles, "I am." He looks at Dawn, "what about you?"

Dawn looks back at Dusk and their mother saying, "I'm fine, I even had time to think over somethings, so...I'm ready for whatever we are doing."

Dawn smiles right as the sun shines on her beautiful brown face, but Dusk could tell from her shy like body language that something was still wrong, but before he could ask her anything else, Dad and his wife Jemastuit come outside as well.

Jema leans on Dusk, and Dae asks how they are doing.

"They are here!" One of the palace watchers shout, from this, Marlo turns around to everyone and says "Okay, come forward everyone!"

As they all do, they watch as a spectacular and sapphire colored flying creature comes down, landing down to where there is room to do so. Getting off of the creature is Prince Morlagon, coming down with about twenty guards, three messengers, and his handmen by his side as well.

Morlagon bows to Marlo and Suna and everyone before him, then they all bow to him. Noticing Dawn right at the corner of his eye, he proceeds to say to Sovereign Marlo, "my father and mother have seen your letter, they are making their deals with the Arcillians as we speak, so I myself have come to send this letter to Dawn herself."

He shifts his eyes to her for a split second before saying to Marlo, "it is from Emperor Takashi."

Whispers start to go around, and just then Marlo says to him, "well go ahead." He turns around to see Dawn walking up to him and Morlagon.

"Let's talk inside the palace." Marlo gestures his hand out and along with everybody else around, they all walk inside the palace, walking into the foyer room where Dawn says to her father and mother, "mind if Morlagon and I talk in the garden?"

"That's fine." Suna agrees while Marlo nods his head to them. 

Making their way to the garden, Morlagon, with his guards standing right beside him, sits down on a golden lot chair right beside a large group of red roses. Dawn takes a seat with him, fixing her peach colored flowery dress, saying to him, "what did he say now?" Sounding only a bit concerned.

Morlagon looks to one of his guards, with the guard handing Morlagon the letter. 

"Here." Morlagon unfolds the letter, "I want you to read it." 

She lifts her brows, "should I read it out loud?" Morlagon nods, "whichever way you want to read it."

Dawn looks back at the beige letter and opens it up, reading these words in her head:

To Dawn

"I mean no pressure towards Dawn's choice, I understand if she says no, but I would love to ask her directly. I will start sending letters to her personally since evading her never felt right in my eyes. I know about your marriage to the Arcillian Prince, but just like old times Dawn, when things go wrong or when you need to talk, I'm here, here in the position I've ever been in. 

You've been there for me during our training days, and you were the one you helps rekindle our friendship, but now is the time that we settle whether we are more to each other or not.

I want to settle this, I want to know how you feel Dawn, that's all...

From Takashi 

"How should I...What should I say to this?"

"Its your choice Dawn, whether or not you want to speak with him."

Dawn shakes her head, "I think...Well I need sometime to mourn Nebin still, just...One more week at least and then I'll make my decision."

Morlagon places his hand on Dawn's knee, saying softly "Dawn, what exactly happened between the two of you back in Southern Island? I feel as if you two had moments like Newen and Ella did?"

"It's not like that, to say it bluntly." She looks directly at Morlagon, "he and I have only kissed, and it wasn't during our training days it was during the last of our days there on th island."

"Nothing during the party we had either?"

Dawn shakes her head, "we just had a conversation, which is how he knew about my marriage to Nebin, but of course...He doesn't know about Nebin's passing that is."

Morlagon puts his hand on her shoulder, seeing the sadness in her eyes, Morlagon says closely to her, "it's going to be okay, it'll be alright, I'll make sure to have him remembered in Lesothia, and for his death, the Arcillians will not be befriending us anytime soon."

Dawn looks up to him, "I'll handle this..."

"You're making this sound so complicated..." Morlagon takes his arm off of her, "listen, you don't have to tell me much about what is going on with you two, but...You seem to have feelings." He leans forward, catching a glimpse of fear in her eyes, "don't let this put pressure on you, like you said, let this week give you the time you need, then send a letter to him or-."

"I'll see him."

Stating this boldy, she looks back at Morlagon and says, "I will still take my time, write a letter to him in the meantime, but...I know what my choice is going to be, I just want to take this time to relax before I make it."

She smiles at Morlagon and he smiles back at her, understanding her as he nods his head and looks over at the garden.

"You have a beautiful soul...Just like these flowers do." He plucks one of the roses, "I know that your choice will defend you well..." He looks at her, handing her the flower.

She smells it and says with a bright smile, "the glowing ones are my favorite, it's golden color, citrus smell, and beauty always drawned me to it."

"It reminds me of you, that must be what drawned Takashi to you all these years." He smiles at her after saying this, and smiling back at him, Dawn eventually looks back at the flower, not long twirling it as she was, but now just smiling at it while thanking Morlagon.

"I thank you like this because these few years of us being back home wasn't necessarily the best for me, I see how Dusk met Jemastuit and how he has been enjoying his time back as how the Warrior, Prince Dusk of Nokinia."

Saying that a bit dramatically while leaning forward, she continues speaking "Meanwhile, I fell into a depressive state and I started taking some of the leaves from our glowing plants across from us, when we steam the golden leaves and seal it in a small tube, we smoke it and it takes into a place of complete relaxation..."

Looking right towards the plants, as if reminiscing the feeling of being high, Morlagon taps her arm and says "You started smoking??" 

"And drinking..." She adds, clearly ashamed now.

Morlagon stares back at her before frowning and saying with concern, "tell me you have stopped this completely and that you aren't lying to me, remember in the scriptures, smoking and having excessive alcohol is a sin...". He softly places his hand on her arm while saying softly to her, "there is no need to do such thing, it destroys our bodies and then eventually destroys your spirit, your soul, please stay in prayer when you need help, He hears you."

"I know Morlagon." She replies back softly, sounding defeated, "I was just really overwhelmed when I first got back because I just knew that K was going to be married off, and then when it didn't happen immediately it completely perplexed me on what I should do in the meantime."

"That is Nokinian custom, isn't it?"

"To be married off before twenty five? Yes."

Morlagon sighs, "in Lesothia, it's all about love...And when our Creator puts people together. But don't worry any longer, I have been praying about the situation with Takashi, and deep inside, I feel you two should talk this out, not just letters, but in person."

"But he wants me to marry him...?"

"And that is by your choice Dawn."

She looks back at him as he continues speaking, "pray about it, and see where the Creator leads you. I told you how I feel, but my feelings on it don't matter. Take it up on high, and let his Spirit guide you on your choice." 

Dawn nods and then leans on his shoulder, taking in his words. 

.....

It wasn't until later that night when Dawn was overlooking the gorgeous city of Jaro beneath her from her room balcony that Dawn had taken up some time to truly process what happened, having to kill people like that again...It all felt so natural yet...So strange, why would she have to do that? Even for Dusk? Didn't they save the world from the demons already? From the ancient tribe of the Adenians? Yet...The world still assumes it's chaos, battling amongst each other in any way.

Dawn sighed as she lead her head on the railing, trying not to think so hard on everything that has happened, Dawn lifts her head and looks out, singing a little song of praise, trying to just uplift him and not indulge herself in Nebin's death so hard to where it's making her question her warrior status.

"Sister..."

Dawn turns around hearing the voice of Dae. She stands by Dawn's door, the curtains surrounding her from Dawn's room to the balcony, she says again, "mother and father would like to know if you are coming down for supper in another thirty minutes? We will be having dinner with Prince Morlagon before he leaves tomorrow."

Dawn stands up, fixing her dress and hair as Dae moves aside for her, letting Dawn come back into the room and close the door curtains.

"I understand, I'll be down once the food is done. Let mother and father know, for now, I have something I mean to do at the moment."

"Okay." Dae stands there with a smile, as if wanting to say something else.

Dawn smiles back, but saying this truthfully she says, "is there anything you want to talk about?"

Dae sighs, giving up on holding back. She walks over to Dawn and says to her, "with what happened with you and Youin Nebin, I don't want to be sent off to marry some stranger?"

Looking at Dawn with sudden worry, she puts her hands together and goes on saying, "but at the same time, I would love to be married and in an relationship, I just...I'm scared on the horrible things that can happen, you know?"

Looking at Dawn with big eyes while finishing her words, Dawn sits down beside Dae who sits down with her and says while rubbing her back, "life is filled with nothing but paths, but the one hidden path that nobody usually sees is the one our Creator provides for us, with his Spirit, we can handle any situation, regardless if good or bad. For instance, if you are also sent off to be married, just have a relationship with Him first and He'll show you how to handle anything, especially marriage."

"So..." Dae starts speaking, "even if my husband turns out to be a bad or good person, He'll take care of me and help me handle things?"

"Basically I'm saying this because I can feel Him speaking with me, telling me that everything that happens is for a reason."

"Like, that there are no coincendences?" Dae asks.

Daen chuckles, "something like that, I'm trying to explain the best way I can, but I'm still processing what He is putting before me myself."

Dae chuckles with her then proceeds to say, "I understand...I'll pray about it tonight, after dinner of course." Daen laughs with Dawn and Dawn says to her sister, "but...Don't worry about your future, I see the worry in your eyes, it'll be okay, I'll be okay from this."

Dae nods her head, "I'll be alright, I just wanted to ask from you yourself."

Dawn hugs her sister and says to her, "and you have every right to do so, it's okay."

Once they finish hugging, Dae says to her, "I'm gonna go back to my room, dinner will be ready soon..." She says in a songy voice before Dawn says, "I'll be down."

Dae closes the door and immediately Dawn takes out a piece of paper, sitting at her desk as she grabs her finely coated gold ink, then she starts writing a simple and short letter, making sure this will be sent to Takashi as she gives the letter to her maidens right after.