The Stars That Burn Out

Chapter 2: Peace Is Written In The Stars

The nine kings waited patiently for the queen to arrive at her palace, with Raven sitting quietly beside Fallen, they stood quietly, analysing and gawking at the design of the marble throne room. The pale stone pillars had golden laced upon them; the throne stood at the centre of a platform in the back of the room, connected to a tree that formed the roof, glass leaves hung off the branches above them, glittering against the lights in the room. Valliant was becoming impatient and didn't want to wait for the queen to arrive until the doors swung open, the guards stomped their feet on the ground and pressed a hand to their chest in perfect sync. Queen Solus herself looked like a perfectly made porcelain doll, with dazzling midnight blue eyes that could put the night sky to shame.

    She wore a light blue dress with the shoulders cut off, a fur shawl around her elbows, her long purple hair in a long braid trailing down her shoulder. Her crown stayed perfectly still on her head as she leaned down and allowed a maid to take the shawl off her before sitting down on her throne. Her crown had silver bands with bright blue and purple jewels, she wore it proudly as she lifted her chin to show that pride. The nine kings gave a glance at each other before bowing to her. She couldn't help the small smile tug at her lips as she watched.

    "These must be the Kings of Celestia," she spoke with a hint of amusement in her tone, "I apologise for being late, there was an issue in my kingdom I had to attend to before coming here." The kings lifted themselves up with perfect posture, the Queen's smiled widened at their composure.

    "Your people are more important than a treaty that will keep them safe?'' One king spoke up, King Deene spoke up. He had simple grey armour and a stoney-grey cloak on his shoulders, but his visor was shaped into a scorpion with the tail tangle in his white hair, and the claws resting on his cheek.

    "My people are more important than anything," she spoke with slight annoyance at the king. "I swore my life to the stars that I would protect them, no matter the coast." Anger and mischief danced in her dark blue eyes as she looked at each one of them, but they lingered on Fallen for a few seconds more. "Now, shall we get to the task at hand?" she asked as she sat back on her throne, lounging in it like a feline in the sun.

    "Indeed," Valiant spoke with a warning growl to his brothers to not speak up again. Raven bared her fangs towards him until Fallen tapped her metal nose, Solus glanced away to not laugh at the metal wolf, with a simple wave of her dainty, porcelain hand everyone bowed and left the rulers to discuss the agreements of their treaty. When the final door closed Solus sighed in relief and took the crown off her head, running her porcelain hand through her hair to let her long hair fall loose against her shoulders. A small smile crept onto her lips as she sat back, watching the kings stare at her.

    "When you're a lonely ruler running a kingdom all by yourself, watched every moment of every day, is exhausting." She claimed as she placed her crown on the arm of her throne and then sat up. "Now, the terms of our treaty, if either one of our kingdoms is attacked then we should help aid each other; send supplies, military warriors, medical aid, and a home for the bystanders, mothers and children."

Valiant stepped forward to her, his white cloak billowing behind him as he reached the foot of the steps that lead to her throne. "With all due respect, Queen Solus, but we are a peaceful kingdom. Celestia has never had a crime committed," he claimed, "there is no chance there will be a war on our metal soil."

    "That you know of, you do not know if a crime has been committed or not because you probably lock yourself in your metal castle," she countered with a mocking tilt of her head towards the King.

    "It is a glass castle," he grumbled under his breath, Solus groaned softly with a bored roll of her eyes.

    "I am offering you a chance to expand your armies, your culture, even your traditions!" Her marble hands gripped the arms of her throne, as she looked down at him, "what else do you want?" she demanded.

    "The truth."  

    Solus looked up to Fallen, he had stepped away from his brothers, Valiant turned his helm with a frown cast upon his lips, shaking his head.

    "You are not telling the entire truth, your Majesty," his voice was strong as it echoed throughout the vast throne room.    

    "Queen Solus," Valiant called with a deep bow of his head towards her, "I apologise for his brother, he does not know his place." Solus wasn't listening to him, her dark eyes were set upon Fallen. He watched her from under his wolf visor, seeing something flash in her eyes.    

    "He's right." Everyone looked up at her, her voice quiet as she watched Fallen stand there with his head held high. Solus stayed composed as she swallowed that lump in the back of her throat. "There have been rumors of my rule for the past few solar cycles, and even a few of bumping me off the throne to put someone else on it. So, there it is, the truth. I need this treaty to go well to show my people I am a great queen, my father entrusted his crown to me, and I will not fail him."

    Valiant turned the kings who looked to him for confirmation of the next act, side with her and sign the treaty or leave without another word. Valiant turned up and took her dainty hand into his large, rough hand, bringing to his lips and kissing it softly. "You have our word." He spoke, he promised, it was nothing more than a whisper on her cold skin as she beamed at them.    

    "Wonderful!" she slowly pulled her hand from Valiant's and stood up, clicking her fingers so a parchments with the treaty scribed upon it. "I trust you brought your royal crest?" She meant to say but it came out as more of a question as she picked up her own, a stamp with a flower etched into the rubber, set in red ink. Valiant held out his own, a paw print with a talon etched into, set in blue ink. The parchment was set onto a table, both Solus and Valiant pressing their royal crest at the bottom to seal the deal.

                                                                                                ~

The kingdom rejoiced in the signing of the treaty, peace was ensured between the two kingdoms as well as the promise of new traditions. Two treaties were made up to be placed in both kingdoms, one etched in stone to be placed in the castle grounds in Celestia, and one carved in metal to stay there. The people danced and sang into the night while inside the castle the nine kings and Queen Solus sat at a table as they watched talented people from her kingdom entertain them with their talents. One man came in with pale skin and rags, his hands were rapped in bandages, his jet black hair was messy, and there was a large burn on his neck. They noticed he wore no shoes as he quietly walked over to the table and picked up a single candle stick and then walked back to his original place.

    He sat down with his legs crossed, placing the candle in front of him as the curtains closed, the only light coming from the candles. Raven was lying by Fallen's feet but she became tense and anxious, growling softly at the low light, Fallen looked down at her and gently scratched her ears to calm her down when his brother nudged him in the arm to do so. Fallen scratched her ear for a moment before looking back at up. The man closed his eyes and slowly moved his hands over the light of the candle, the small flame flickering against the movements as he cupped his hands over the flame and the light went out.

    He held his cupped hands out and opened the slightly, sighing softly onto his skin as he opened his hands and a swarm of glowing butterflies flew through the room, Fallen looked through his visor, a smile tugging at his lips until he noticed Raven had become restless at the strange creatures flying around her. He kept trying to calm her down, shushing her and scratching her ears to assure her that everything was okay. But to make matters worse, the man stood up and pushed his right arm forward and every candle in the room went out. The room was in total darkness save for the small butterflies flying above them. Solus smiled softly at the small glowing creatures above them, watching as they landed on every torch, and candle in the room before ignited into flames and the room was illuminated by the orange flames.

    The man stood up, holding his hand out as he walked over to Solus, making her guards place their hands on their weapons. She held out her hand for him as she watched his hands, and he presented the last butterfly casted in solid gold. "The work of alchemy, my Queen," he spoke finally, setting the butterfly into her hands as the room rewarded him with applause. Solus smiled softly as she set the golden butterfly in front of her before clapping for him, he bowed to them once, twice, a third time before leaving. Fallen looked down at Raven who was still anxious about the previous events, he looked at Solus who was speaking with his brother, Altair. His name meant space, and it was ironic to his brothers since he became curious by the stars, and the constellations.

    His armour was a deep blue, along with his visor in the shape of a fox covered everything save for his chiselled chin which moved with every word he spoke, his midnight blue cloak matched Solus' eyes, but to Fallen it wasn't as perfect. She was more interested in the conversation Altair had brought up to her, instead of the dancers that were dressed in every colour and danced in perfect sync with each other and the music. Fallen took this chance, leading Raven out of the large dining room to calm her down. He walked out onto a balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom. He sighed softly as he leaned against the railing and shook his head, clearing his mind of everything that seemed to be swarming him.

    He was tempted to take off his visor, and finally be able to see a world where he wasn't wearing a mask. "King Fallen?" A voice so soft filled his ears making him turn around and see Solus standing there, her hands folded in front of her as she stared at him, curiously and concern flashed across her eyes as she walked over to him. "Why did you leave?" she asked as she stood next to him.

    "Raven became a little anxious during the previous act, I wanted to make sure she was okay," he said as Raven sat next to him, her ears still pinned to her metal head. Solus smiled softly as she leaned down and gently brushed her metal fur down, calming her more.

    "I think it's sweet, that you care so much for her," she said as she stood back and looked to him, still smiling softly at him.

    "I feel like she is the only one I can trust, which is strange because I have eight brothers," he said as he looked at her and then looked back at the kingdom, "it's beautiful," he said on a single breath. Solus hummed softly in acknowledgement as she nodded.

    "Indeed, I was so honoured when my father made me his heir," she said softly as she continued to stare out with him. "I am the first queen throughout my family history," she spoke.    

    "First?" he questioned as she simply nodded.

    "Of course, my ancestors had queens of their own, but I am the first queen with actual power, without a king, without an heir to my throne," she spoke as she looked down with a sigh, "if I were to marry, my father's kingdom would go to him, whoever I made king, and I would just sit there quietly."

    "My kingdom is different," he said as he looked at her, "we can rule altogether, and if we ever have heirs we decided that it would be one at a time to rule the kingdom -depending on the age difference between them." Solus looked at him, so many questions formed in her mind as she admired the visor resting upon his brow, she lifted her porcelain hand and ran her things over the smooth metal, moving to his ears that twitched at her touch.

    "Those aren't part of the mask?" she questioned as she pulled her hand away from, seeing him freeze slightly at her touch.

    "Yes, we were gifted with every aspect of an animal, we were given a visor to show what animal we are," he said as he looked at her, "it's more of a curse than a gift if you ask me."

    "Why?" she questioned. "Surely having aspects of an animal makes a life a wonder, to hear better, to see better would make anyone seem more powerful."

    "I have a fear, if I take this off visor off I would be seen as an animal, a monster to my people, and I would be forced to leave." Raven whined softly as she stood up on her hind legs and pawed at his clawed hand.

    "Besides if, if, I ever have an heir then they are stuck with ears and a tail." This seemed to spark Solus' interest as she looked at him, her blue eyes wide with curiosity.

    "Tail?" she questioned him as Fallen rolled his eyes beneath the mask.

    "Only a few of my brothers have a tail, it's why we where cloaks, to hide it, we don't normally feel comfortable around others without the mask or the cloak on." Solus tilted her head at him, her purple hair falling down her shoulders.

    "Don't you ever take them off, taking the weight off your shoulders, finally see the world through your own eyes?" she questioned as he nodded at her.

    "Only around my brothers, and others I feel comfortable with, and right now that's only you," he spoke softly as he looked at her. She was taken back by his words, her mouth parted slightly for her to speak but there was no sound, she raised her dainty hand to him with a hesitant shake of her limb as she reached out to his mask. He made no move to stop her as her thumb brushed against his cheek, she was ready to take his mask, see his true self. Until he pulled away at his brother's footsteps, Raven growled softly as Deene walked over to him, Fallen flicking her on the nose to make her stop.

    "Fallen, our ship is ready to leave," he said bowing to Solus before taking his leave. Both king and queen sighed softly as they looked at each other.    

    "It was a pleasure to meet you, Queen Solus," he bowed to her as she curtsied to him, he stood straight and gestured for Raven to follow him. He walked a few feet before picking up a red rose made from a material that was alien to him before holding it out to her. "Until we meet again?"

    Solus looked at the rose in his claws as he held it out for her, she placed a hand on her chest as she looked up at him and smiled softly. "Until we meet again," she whispered softly as she took the rose from him and watched him walk away. They would meet again only weeks later, but the reason would not bring peace, but to one kingdom it would bring war.