My Angel from the Star

TAVIAN'S P.O.V. As I entered the kingdom’s main gates, a weird feeling settled over me. Wasn’t home supposed to be a place where you felt peace? Yet unease always rose within me whenever I was at Eldrador, my supposed home. As we headed through the main streets, most of the villagers stood watching. Some murmured, and a few celebrated. I was used to the cold welcome; it was becoming quite nostalgic. Their mixed reactions were a constant reminder of the kingdom's divided opinions about me. My men and I rode our horses to the main palace. The servants quickly took care of our horses as I entered the grand hall to see the king, my father. "You're welcome, Prince Tavian," the king said as we all took a bow before him. As we stood up, the queen spoke with a half-smile. "I'm sure the battle was a success. I’ve prepared a feast for you," she said, her eyes flickering with a mixture of pride and curiosity. "We’re honored, Your Majesty, but my men would love to go back to their families and treat their wounds first," I replied. There was a short, eerie silence between us, then the king nodded. "That’s true. You may leave," he said, and we bowed once more before I led my men out. I headed straight to my chambers, my right-hand man Carlos following closely behind. Before he shut the door to my room, I spoke up, my voice firm. "Get me my maids. Go rest and freshen up. I can’t stand any more bad smells," I said. He took a bow, locked the door, and I heard his footsteps fade away. It was evening already. I stood on the balcony of my chamber, looking out over the kingdom. Eldrador was truly blessed by the gods with so many resources. We were the most resource-rich kingdom in the north, which inevitably attracted jealousy from other kingdoms. King Leonard, my father, had recently decided to become the head of the Camellia Rulership. The Camellia Rulership took its name from the camellia flower, a flower known to grow well in the north and have ten petals. The rulership consisted of ten powerful kings in the north, and in past years, my father ranked at the top. The Camellia Rulership was meant to foster peace within the kingdoms and also make alliances within them trustworthy. From what Carlos, my right-hand man, had gathered, it seemed my father was not fit for the position. However, the conflict we had been handling seemed to arise from the southern region's strong opposition to my father being part of the Camellia Rulership, let alone its leader. I took one last gaze at the kingdom, the distant mountains bathed in twilight. Someone knocked on my door. I answered, allowing them to enter. The maids came in, prepared my bath, and then left quietly. "Your Majesty, your bath has been prepared," Nathia said, her voice soft yet formal. Nathia was the maid personally assigned to me. I went into the bath, letting the warm water soothe my aching muscles. Afterward, I dressed in comfortable robes, and Nathia entered again, this time with ointments for the wounds I had earned in battle. Her touch was gentle, but I could sense her hesitance. "How did the battle go, Your Majesty?" she asked, her eyes flickering with concern. Nathia's mother had been the chief maid in the palace, and Nathia had grown up within these walls, always near me. She shared my interests and understood my moods better than anyone else. She was closer to me than any other maid, perhaps too close. I gave a small grin but didn't say a word, trying to mask my turmoil. "What troubles you, Your Majesty? Sharing it might make you feel better," she said with a soft smile. "Is it the battle or the burden of getting married?" I was taken aback by her words. "Marriage? And how could you freely talk to a warrior about marriage?" I asked, my tone sharper than intended. "Oh, I'm sorry, Your Majesty. The king announced his sons would be getting married at the next full moon. I didn’t know you were an exception," she said, her head lowered, clearly regretting her boldness. Shock coursed through me. Marriage? And I hadn't even been informed? Nathia wasn’t joking; her seriousness was evident. The recent extra activities in the palace suddenly made sense. Anger surged within me. How could I be so irrelevant in my own home, left in the dark while even the maids knew more than I did? I clenched my fists, my voice thick and firm. "You may leave." Nathia stepped back, bowed, and left the room quickly. I stood up, dressed in my riding clothes, and headed out into the night. The cool air did little to calm my raging thoughts.I walked to the stable and took Stallion, my trusted horse, for a ride. We galloped through the town, the familiar streets blurred as anger drove me forward. I found a place to tie Stallion and entered a dimly lit bar. The air was thick with the smell of ale and the sound of raucous laughter. Music played, and people danced, oblivious to my presence under the hood. I ordered a drink, and then another. The alcohol burned, but it numbed the edges of my frustration. After drinking too much, I felt tipsy but unburdened, if only for a moment. I got on Stallion and galloped off into the night, not caring where I ended up. I rode far, the world around me a blur until I reached the forest. The moon hung high, casting a silvery glow on everything. The stars filled the sky, twinkling like diamonds against the velvet darkness. I dismounted and sat on the grass, looking up at the vast expanse. The stars were so beautiful, so free. They mocked my inner turmoil with their serene, untethered existence. The stars shimmered with ethereal light, their gentle pirouettes and swirling motions weaving a tapestry of wonder across the dark canvas of the sky. Untethered and free, like nature’s own celestial choreography. I wished for that kind of freedom. I wished I could be like those stars or, better still, that I had a star of my own to guide me through this chaos. I stood up, ready to head back to the palace, when a sudden flash of light startled me. Lightning struck not too far from where I sat behind a tree, its sudden flash illuminating the night and sending Stallion into a frenzy. I spent a few minutes calming him, my heart pounding from the unexpected event. Once Stallion was steady, I drew my sword and cautiously walked towards the spot where the lightning had struck. The air smelled of ozone, and the ground sizzled with residual energy. I expected to see a charred mark or even a small fire, but to my surprise, there was none. Instead, the ground was scattered with what looked like sand, except it glittered mysteriously under the moonlight. Curiosity got the better of me. I bent down to touch the sparkling grains, wondering what kind of strange occurrence this could be. The moment my fingers brushed the sand, a powerful jolt of electricity surged through my body. Pain and light consumed my senses, and I felt my muscles tense uncontrollably. Everything went black.