A Blossoming Flower (Falling Petals)

A Promise.

While both people had different thoughts, a low grumble filled the room. Sakura froze up while Raphael suppressed a chuckle from leaving his lips.

"Well look at the time. We should go and get something to eat shouldn't we."

Him acting like nothing happened made Sakura feel even more embarrassed from her stomach growling so loudly.

"....yeah."

She hid her face on his shoulder and didn't want to look at him from embarrassment.

He didn't bring up what occurred and just got her dressed in another set of clothes. Sakura already felt numb to the thought of a handsome man changing her clothes. She lost all care and felt she should use her time caring for her survival rather than her pride.

'I should be thankful I arrived here when she was at the age of three. I would have died if it was a baby who needed to be changed and fed breast milk.'

Just the thought of Raphael changing her diapers made Sakura cringe.

'I would have really lost all integrity if that happened to the 25 year old me.'

After Raphael finishes combing her hair and tied it in a sky blue ribbon, he lifts her up and begins walking toward the dining area. He takes out a communication crystal and sends a bit of magic through it so it can connect to who he is calling.

"Raphael? Is something wrong!?"

A deep yet soothing voice answer the call and quickly asks if something is wrong. It was Gabriel that Raphael seems to have called.

"Everything is fine. Her highness woke up right now."

Raphael quickly spoke so Gabriel doesn't say anything he shouldn't with her highness up and awake to hear.

"Oh! That is great news, I'll tell the others. Is that why you called?"

"Her highness woke and seem to be a bit hungry, so we are heading to the get her some food. I'm just calling to see if you guys are still eating."

"Ah! Yeah, everyone is still here, except Mih- his Majesty and Seraph. They are still with those people."

From his tone, you can tell he dislikes those that Mihkael are accompanying right now, which is the Divine kingdoms high priest and the holy knights.

"I see, then I'll bring her highness to eat."

"Um I don't think that's a good idea now."

Gabriel through the other side is looking at the children who are eating in awkward silence and doesn't feel that having Sakura meet them is the right thing to do. Especially because the moment she saw them was why she ended in such a state.

However Raphael didn't know that and found Gabriel's response strange.

"Why? Isn't it fine to take her to eat, she is quite hungry."

He held a confused expression and wanted to know why it wasn't a good idea.

"Raphael, can I talk to Gabriel?"

"Oh? Yeah, here. Gabriel her highness wishes to speak with you, so wait a moment."

Gabriel was supposed that Sakura wanted to talk to him and waited in anticipation of what Sakura wants to say to him.

"Gabriel! You there?"

"Haha yes your highness, I'm right here, what do you wish to tell me."

"I wanna eat with everyone, so can I go?"

"Uh... but your highness, are you truly well to? Won't you feel better to just eat with Raphael today."

It was mostly a statement rather than a question, he knew how attached she was to Raphael. From today's incident it seems she just needs Raphael around to feel like she is safe.

"Yeah! I wanna eat with everyone. Can't I?"

Through the crystal he can here the disappointment and sadness in her voice that in the end Gabriel quickly agreed and told her they will be waiting there for her.

"Yay~! I'm so happy. See you there!"

After hearing the cheerful voice of the child, the crystal turns off and the connection is broken.

Gabriel looks at the crystal and regrets his answer.

"You sure that was a good idea?"

Ariel is sitting next to him with a wary smile which Gabriel returns.

"I already regret my decision. I just can't say no to her."

"Haha I know what you mean."

Both men smile in defeat and then glance at the kids that are eating.

"I hope that she won't get another episode. Watching her cry is such a way already broke my heart once."

"I hear ya Gabriel. I don't wanna see a kid cry in such a defeated way ever again either. It really seemed like she lost everything that very moment."

Both men can only sigh and hope she is in a better shape to meet the others. Uriel and Azrael are sitting beside the children and hear the conversation. They wonder as well if she will be alright or not.

A few moments later, a knock was heard and a maid went and open the door with only enough space that she can see. The moment she saw who it was, she quickly opened the door while doing a light bow.

Raphael walks though with Sakura right in his arms. She had on a sky blue bow in her hair and a emerald colored dress that had a puffy feel from the skirt part of it.

Her hair and eyes contrast the dress and bow, making it pop out even more. People can only admire and can already see signs of how beautiful she will be when she becomes older.

"Princess! A sight for sore eyes."

Ariel leans back and waves at Sakura.

She turns to him and smiles, waving back with gusto, which made all the adults sigh in relief.

"Your highness, wanna sit ov- how about sitting next to Phelan and Hedwig."

Gabriel was going to point at the seat beside Uriel, however he saw that on the other side of Uriel were the other children. So Gabriel then recommended her to sit beside Phelan, who was sitting quite far away from the other children.

Sakura looks at the seat beside Phelan and saw his tail wag in anticipation. But she quickly glanced at the other children and already planned her next action.

"Not today. I wanna sit beside Azrael today." She points at the empty Seat to the left of Azrael, which was her usual seat when she sits beside Mihkael.

The room was silent and the only noises are the children eating, except for Phelan and Nolan who seem to have noticed the atmosphere changing.

"Your highness, are you sure? Don't you wanna sit beside your best friend?"

Uriel tried to change her mind, but noticed it didn't work when she shook her head.

"Today I was supposed to sit beside papa, but since he isn't here. I wanna sit beside Azrael. Can't I?"

She looked disappointed with her lips pouting out and her eyes cast down, everyone couldn't say no to that look so Raphael hesitantly sat her down beside Azrael in her chair.

Phelan pouted in dismay but wanted her to be happy again after seeing her so sad a while ago, so he didn't force her to change her mind and just sat there like a sad and lonely mushroom.

Sakura glanced at him and gave him an apologetic smile and then looks up at Azrael and he looks back down to her.

"I missed Aza! Does Aza miss me?"

Azrael was surprised to hear her call him by the nickname she made a few months ago, she hasn't called him that for a while now.

He looked at her and did a curt nod, which brought a smile to her face.

"Who is that beside you?"

She tilts her head and looks at the boy that is sitting to Azrael's right, the boy was her true main objective for sitting next to Azrael.

The boy looks back at her, his grayish eyes with a hint of rose pink. His ash grey hair had a wavy yet not messy feel. His round almond eyes look at her in surprise, but then turn to a warm hue when he smiled at her.

"Hello your highness, my name is Nolan Ador, I'm 10 this year. How do you do princess?"

He gave off that that reliable older brother feel and may be the oldest kid here.

"Hello! I'm Sakura. Can I call you brother Nol?"

Sakura knew she was moving too quick, but she's going to use the excuse of being a young naive child to her advantage.

Unknowns to her however, everyone knew how mature she really was, except the children.

Nolan widen his eyes and blinked a few times but then had his brotherly smile back and nods.

"I would love to have an adorable girl like you to call me brother Nol."

He had that smile that adults would give a child to appease them.

Sakura was a bit irked that a 10 year old was looking at her in such a way, but she suppressed it and joyfully clapped her hands.

"Yay! I really like brother Nol. And who is the girl sitting next to you?"

Sakura eased her eyes to her next target, the only girl other than herself dressing elegantly and mature.

The girl was the youngest child of Gabriel, a 3 year old girl who had the same hair as her mother and eyes, but inherited her fathers eyes and nose shape. She tilted her head when she noticed Sakura staring at her.

Sakura smiled and waved. The girl seeing that Sakura was waving at her smiled widely and waved back, but with more enthusiasm. She tried to climb over Noland and Azrael so she can get closer to Sakura. But she was in one of the many toddler chairs made for Sakura and couldn't make it half way out.

Sakura watching the girl and felt like clenching her chest and squeal at how adorable this child was.

'This! Not this is a what a 3 year old should be! Adorable, naive and a bit dumb!'

Sakura found the child endearing and knew she herself was an adorable kid, but as well knew that she wasn't as pure and naive as the child right there.

Nolan sees how the girl is trying to force herself out and can only laugh at how adorable it was. He tries to calm the girl and at the same time answered Sakura's question.

"Her name is Adaline. She is the same age as you princess. Do you know how old you are?"

He spoke to her as if speaking to a normal 3 year old child. She smiles and then tilted her head while putting a thinking face on.

Sakura pouts her lips and puts a finger there as if she was thinking of the answer.

"Hmm? I think.... that I'm three!"

Sakura lifts up 3 fingers and smiles widely at him.

He smiles back and claps his hand.

"Correct! Aren't you a smart lady my princess."

He laughs a bit when she saw her puff up her chest in a proud way.

The adults who are watching this interaction held hard to describe expressions. To them, if they saw any other child, they would fine it normal and cute.

However, they knew well enough that this is abnormal. They have watched her play around as a normal child her age, yet they understood she wasn't gullible and ignorant of things like the typical kid.

The only thing that can be the cause... all of them glanced at Nolan and saw how the kid innocently played the big brother. They really couldn't explain the feeling they got, but for some reason everyone felt like lighting a candle for the young boy.

"Saku! Saku! I'm thwee too!!"

Adeline raises her hand but then lowers it back down and slowly started count her fingers.

"Onth.... t-tu!...andth...thwee!"

She raises her hand again and shows three fingers to Sakura. Her smile was truly adorable when she got it right. Both Nolan and Sakura turn to her and clapped their hands.

"Wow Ade! You are able to count to three now. I'm so happy for you."

"Con-co- congrats Adeline. You learn it quicker than me!"

Both children looked like older siblings who were pampering the baby of the family.

Ariel was holding his laugh because of the image it gives.

"Haha, a threw year old praising another three year old like a kind elder."

Ariel snickered in his hand while Gabriel can only lightly laugh.

"However, it seems her highness took a liking to those two. She doesn't seem to be too reserved to them."

However on the contrary, she was trying her best to hide her true self from them, afraid that it'll scare them away, especially Nolan who isn't the typical ten year old kids. He was truly more mature and smart for a normal kid his age.

Sakura smiles at Adeline adoringly, but the smile turns sad when she remembers this little girls fate.

'She didn't live past the age of seven. The girl was kidn*pped when out shopping with her mother. Gabriel's wife dies that day as well. The guards that were protecting them were massacred. It was in the backstory of Gabriel's sons who were the capture targets. Each of their routes spoke of that incident as a dark memory that consumed their minds.'

They felt guilt because that day was the only day they didn't go with their mother and sister. They found shopping out with them annoying. Only to hear a few hours later the death of their mother and that their sister is still missing.

Mihkael had a whole search party made to find Adaline. To him, she was like a niece because Gabriel was his sworn brother. However, it was too late. The people who kidn*pped her were a cult under the corruption. They tried to have her become a vessel for a high tier corruption.

They forcefully fed her a cup full of pure high tier corrupt blood. But because she was of young age, and because it wasn't done by giving her small dosage of high tier corrupt blood. The blood itself ended up consuming her mind and body. Her blood turned black, her tears became a dark reddish brown and she literally threw up her guts. It was a horrifying sight when they discussed how she was found.

An image of a seven year old reaching out for help while retching her guts and crying dark blood with cracks appearing throughout her skin was a horror based sight. She died frozen in that state and a kneeling Gabriel's back can be seen when he takes the sight of his daughter like that. He didn't make it in time to save her.

Sakura looked at Gabriel and felt like this man didn't deserve to lose those he loved in that type of way.

'Through my time here, he was kind and was like a caring uncle. The way his wife and daughter died was too much. I bet he blamed himself more that anyone. Since the reason those cult bastards went that far to kidnap his daughter was because they believed she must have strong magical proportion because she was Gabriel's daughter.'

Both her brothers were measured at the age of eight and inherited their fathers gift, so it was hypothesized that she would as well. Thinking that, they decided to kidnap her and make her a vessel for one of the high tier corruption but they failed.

"Ku-.... Sa..u... Saku!"

Sakura blinked surprisingly and focused at Adeline who was calling her.

"Yes Adeline?"

"You donth have to call me Adelinth. Call me Ade! Like Nol does!"

Sakura stared at the girl for a while but then smiled.

"Ok Ade. Then you can call me Saku. Only you have the privilege to call me that ok."

She laughed when she saw Adeline squeal in joy.

"Then we are frienths rwhight?"

Sakura smiled at the girl in the most sincere way.

"Yes. For now in we are friends."

"Nol too?"

"!?"

Both Nolan and Sakura were startled when she brought Nolan in, bit Sakura actually didn't think it was a bad idea. She turn to Nolan and he noticed her gaze and turn to her.

"Yeah. Big brother Nol too. From now on we are close friends. As well as Phelan!"

Sakura noticed from the corner of her eyes the drooping ears of a child beastman who seem to have heard their conversation.

Sakura would have lied if she said she didn't really care about hurting his feelings. After the few days with him, she got a bit close to him and can consider him as a child she can stand.

Both Adeline and Nolan didn't mind and agreed readily. Adeline wanted to add her brothers and Axel, but Sakura seem to have not heard her bring their names. So she thought of telling her again later.

However Nolan and the other boys, as well as the adult in the table noticed her gaze grow indifferent and even a hint of dislike was shown before it was clouded away.

They knew she heard what was said but decided she didn't want to answer or waste time answering what Adeline said.

'So... she seems to dislike Axel, Adonis, and Darius. But why?'

The adults found the princess to be quite peculiar, and seem that maybe they are the reason for her strange behavior today.

"Then for now on. Me, Ade, Nol and Philan are friends. We will always be there for each other and will always help whoever's in need in the group. Ok?"

"Ok!"

"Hahaha that is fine with me."

"Yeah! I'll always help and be there for Sakura!"

Sakura smiled happily, her eyes sparkled with joy, and with something else.

'Then I'll keep my part of the promise. I'll make sure that Adeline and Nolan won't die like they did in the game. And Philan is a useful chess piece to have in reserve.'

That day, Sakura added new game pieces for the board game of life she is playing right now.