The priests dressed in white placed offerings along with an armful of yellow Daeyen flowers onto a small boat and released it into the stream. Together with the chief priest, they prayed, wishing for people’s wishes to come true. They also didn’t forget to pray for the health of the empire’s citizens.
Ordinary citizens of the empire also visited the river. Those gathered at the riverbank floated flowers on the water, each containing their own wishes. Flowers of various colors, as diverse as people’s wishes, followed behind the small boat.
It was a modest event compared to other festivals or banquets.
But this year, the situation was slightly different. Both the Emperor and the Crown Prince attended to watch the priest offer prayers to the gods. Afterward, they too, like the people gathered at the river, placed flowers carrying their wishes onto the water.
“Aren’t you curious about what I wished for?”
Assad, who had placed three flowers on the water in succession, asked his bride who was still holding his flower. And immediately, he added a word.
“Even if you’re not curious, I’m going to tell you.”
The masses of bright yellow or pure white light floating in the air following the gestures of the magicians made Assad’s golden hair look even brighter.
“No, I am curious.”
Looking up at Assad bathed in light, Cayden smiled faintly.
“On one flower, I wished for the health of the empire’s citizens, on another, the health of you and the baby, and on the other… I made the selfish wish to be loved by you for a lifetime.”
Despite looking like he could hardly bear the embarrassment, Assad conveyed the truth as it was to Cayden. Because he wanted to.
Cayden found Assad’s wish strange. Someday, if ever, even if a day came when Assad no longer loved him… he would love Assad until the end. So that wasn’t even something that needed to be called a wish.
“Cayden. You’re not thinking something strange, are you?”
Half-caught in his thoughts, Cayden couldn’t give an answer but smiled again. He simply couldn’t think of what to say.
“Whatever it is, don’t think such thoughts.”
“Yes. I won’t.”
Cayden meekly answered his partner with the sullen face, the man who understood his heart so well.
“You…”
Assad, who had briefly lowered his gaze, closed his mouth. But he quickly added a word.
“You still have a wish left.”
“Ah…”
Cayden’s gaze also followed Assad’s downward. He naturally took in the bright yellow flower in his hand. It was the one flower that remained because he couldn’t think of any more wishes.
During the brief time allotted to him, Cayden’s wishes to the gods were no different from those Assad had announced. He prayed for the health of the empire’s citizens and wished for the health of Assad and the baby. He carefully floated the Daeyen containing his sincerity on the water.
But the last wish…
“I still haven’t found a wish to attach to the remaining flower.”
Cayden said. He felt foolish for not being able to honestly show what he wanted even to gods who weren’t human. He felt needlessly embarrassed.
“Really? I understand. It must be because you don’t trust the gods. You might also wonder when they’ll ever fulfill all these people’s wishes.”
Assad, who clicked his tongue lightly, added a few words.
“Then, make your last wish to me, not the gods. I’ll grant it, whatever it is.”
“…”
“Why? I don’t say empty words. I don’t just talk without showing action—that doesn’t suit me.”
With a confident face, Assad continued speaking, meeting Cayden’s eyes as he gave him a straightforward look.
“So I’ll be the one to grant your last wish, not the gods. I like that.”
Caught in Assad’s eyes, Cayden thought about the wish he had left. Again, nothing came to mind. He didn’t even feel greedy.
It was natural that his greed had dimmed. Cayden felt he was living in a dreamlike time. Every day, he felt happiness to an excessive degree. Because Assad was with him.
‘And yet…’
Suddenly, one desire seized Cayden. He found himself thinking something extremely embarrassing and absurd.
“Cayden. Tell me anything.”
Assad’s gentle urging pulled at Cayden.
“You said you would grant whatever wish, but… it’s alright if you don’t.”
After hesitating, Cayden finally opened his mouth.
“I’ll grant a thousand, ten thousand wishes. Don’t worry.”
A crimson shadow fell across Assad’s face, standing at the end of day and the beginning of night. The color, not cold at all, made his smile shine even more.
Hesitating, Cayden smiled following Assad. And carefully, very carefully, he handed Assad the single Daeyen flower he was holding.
“For the rest of my life… I wish to remain by your side.”
Trying not to avoid Assad’s eyes, Cayden spoke. The tips of his ears turned as red as the sunset coloring the sky.
“I’ve made all my wishes.”
Though his gaze quickly fell downward from embarrassment.
However, under the shadow created by Assad, Cayden found himself meeting his eyes again. Assad took the flower from Cayden’s hand into his own. Then he briefly kissed Cayden’s cheek.
“I’ll grant that wish.”
“…”
“But, withdrawing a wish is impossible.”
Assad whispered to Cayden. With his remaining hand, he caressed Cayden’s right cheek.
Cayden was surprised. He hesitated again. But finally, he placed his hand over Assad’s hand on his cheek. And briefly kissed Assad’s palm.
“I’ll look forward to it.”
As soon as Cayden finished speaking, Assad embraced his bride. It was an extremely careful embrace.
Feeling Assad’s hair tickle his cheek, Cayden closed his eyes.
The bright yellow petals of the Daeyen, and both of their hair, swayed in the darkening desert wind. Somehow, he felt a strange feeling that the wind would carry their wishes to the gods.
However, his last wish would return to Assad, not the goddess Tara. Cayden was certain.
Cayden embraced more tightly the one who would fulfill his wish, his new world. As always, that embrace was warm.
Side Story 3. Dog
“…”
Cayden silently looked at the picture, or rather the code, that Assad was holding. As if he had become a scholar who must solve an ancient riddle.
What was drawn on the thick paper was something round and flat. More precisely, it was something made up of large and small round things gathered together. It was difficult to even name.
“This is…”
Faced with the somewhat strange-looking shape, Cayden swallowed his words again. He couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence.
The strangest part of the strange drawing was the front. Inside the largest circle among the overlapping circles, three large dots were engraved in an inverted triangle shape, and below the bottom dot, for some reason, two round circles were attached one on each side, left and right.
“What do you think?”
“Is it… a drawing used in temple ceremonies?”
After pondering for a long time, Cayden barely offered an answer. His face showed he had no confidence in it.
“…”
Cayden’s answer brought silence between the two facing each other. Assad’s sparkling eyes darkened in an instant. Because of this, Cayden immediately realized that the answer he had given was not correct.
Could it be a pattern I don’t know? No, if it’s a drawing of a specific object? It could be something religious, or something related to the imperial family. Or is it bread? Maybe it’s a monster living in the desert.
Cayden continued all sorts of speculation on his own. He wanted to somehow solve the riddle Assad had presented.
“…This is a dog.”
But he never thought that the answer to Assad’s riddle would be a dog.
“…”
“…”
“…I see. Somehow, I thought it was cute.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Hearing Cayden’s answer, Assad smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth. As he did so, he placed his hand on top of Cayden’s hand, which was seated in front of him. Thanks to this, Assad’s drawing was placed on a small table nearby.
“It’s a white dog. Small body but lots of fur, and its snout is pushed in, making it look stupid. Maybe because it came from the north, it’s very different from Mat’s dogs. Its personality also seems like cra—no, it seems prim.”
Assad spoke with narrowed eyes, as if recalling something.
“Did you draw it looking at a real dog?”
“Yes. The envoys from the north left a dog behind. It wasn’t one they had raised themselves, but they gave it as a supposed gift. They say it’s incredibly smart.”
“Ah…”
“Cayden.”
Assad, who had been moving his lips as if he had something to say, suddenly called Cayden.
“Yes.”
“Since you like dogs. I… was thinking maybe we could raise that dog in the separate palace. It looks terrible at guarding the house, but well, when I have to be away unavoidably… it could be beside you.”
Assad spoke, meeting Cayden’s eyes. Along with a hesitation in his voice was a contrasting straightforward gaze.
“But what’s the use of my thoughts? Your wishes are most important to me above all. So I wanted to ask for your opinion.”
“…”
“Bringing the dog in front of you and asking if we should bring it to the separate palace is close to coercion. You would be surprised too. So instead… I drew this.”
It was a story Cayden couldn’t have imagined.
“Well, I know I can’t draw.”
“Ah, n-no. The dog Your Highness drew is really cute too.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
