_

"In the sky full of asterisks, you are the moon, replenishing the earth with the light and fostering the gloaming clasped within you."

꧁-꧂

The pale crescent moon shone like a silvery claw in the night sky. The universe had tossed diamond specks of dust on the black blue. So calm, so peaceful.

"It wouldn't be a bad idea to spend the rest of the night here."

A certain thought peeped into his mind making him smile.

"The Cressida princess..."

He had heard so much about her, her toils, her prudence, her debonair all of it. But he never had gotten the opportunity to have a glance of her.

He was delighted because this was a golden opportunity for him to meet her, maybe not personally, of course. But at least, a glace at her from afar would do.

He chuckled a little and got up from the meadow.

"Mother must be waiting. I should get going now."

༺༻

"Mother! I'm home!" Taehyung yelled at the entrance of his house but got no response.

"That's strange. Mother always comes running to me no matter what."

His forehead creased and he went into her room to see if she was there or not.

A heavy burden got off his chest when he saw her half laying on the bed and their chambermaid Mrs Shelton sitting right beside her.

"Mother? Aunt Jane? W-what happened?" He worriedly walked into the room and stood beside his mother, Bethilda, holding her hand.

"Oh Taehyung, you are back. What did the king say? Is everything alright?" she asked ignoring his question.

"Mother, first answer me." Taehyung scoffed. "Aunt Jane? What happened?"

"Young master, Ma'am was in the kitchen. She was insisting to cook for you." She noticed Bethilda shaking her head gesturing her to stop but she continued gulping, "I-I forbid her but she did not listen to me. She could not bear the heat and almost collapsed. Good lord! only if I had not caught her."

Taehyung glared at his mother who was now quite busy admiring the room to avoid his eyes. He felt his eyes burn and they started flooding immediately.

"Why do you do that?" A distinct whisper came out of his mouth.

"Why? You know it mother, I can not afford to lose you! I've told you over a thousand times! Then why do you keep doing it!" Overwhelm took over his cognition. Tears as forms of many indescribable emotions surged out of his eyes like a stormy wave taking over the ocean.

His shaking knees pulled his whole body weight on the ground.

"Mother y-you k-know that I-I have n-no one except you. I-I do not want t-o lose you." His lips quivered uncontrollably. "P-Please d-do not do s-such things."

He felt two heavenly alleviating hands taking his face between them.

"I-I am sorry, son. I did not want to–" He cut her off. "N-No, d-do not say that again."

"T-This mouth is to u-utter blessings and s-scoldings. Not sorry, not sorry." Taehyung shook his head vigorously shifting his gaze on the ground.

Her hands made their way to his head Patting it tenderly.

"No son, sometimes the mouth that's meant to utter blessings, can utter hurtful words as well. We do not intend to but we can not help. We are humans, not Gods. we feel pain, love, affection, make mistakes. Forgive me, my child. I make you worried all the time, don't I?" A nasty pang visible in her voice left his insides empty.

"For me, you are my God." He took her hands, tired, bruised but still so tender and warm. "My only home, only shelter, my everything," He rasped.

"But your everything troubles you so much." Bethilda sighed.

"No, She has borne much more trouble than this... because of me." Taehyung sniffed resting his head on her lap.

'My home lies here...'

"But you have to give me your words, you will not do anything hazardous for your health. Otherwise, I will not let you go to Aunt Gaunt's house. You won't be able to gossip with her then." He puffed crinkling his reddened nose.

"Here here, my son got a golden opportunity to take vengeance, didn't he? Is this a punishment for forbidding you to play with that mischievous minnie when you were little?" She snickered.

"Mhmm, but I gave you alternatives, didn't I?" he mumbled with his eyes closed.

"Alright, alright. You won. I will not do any such thing," she said stroking his silky blonde hair.

Taehyung smiled and got up looking at her.

"Ah! Look at your face, child. Only if the maidens who make an eye on you could see you like this." She playfully chortled."Now, stop crying. It does not look good on a man."

"Why? Aren't 'men' humans as well? Didn't God put emotions in us as he put in women and children? Who decides upon their emotions when the universe never gave us, humans, to have control over it? People will blither about anything but that does not stop one from living. It's we who choose how our life is to be led, mother," he protested softly taking her hands in his.

She sighed but with a proud smile visible on her face.

"When did my little Tae grew up into such a wise man?"

He crinkled his nose a little. " The man is still Your little Tae and always will be." He puffed like a child.

But then they heard a coughing voice.

"Ah! We forgot about Aunt Jane."

"Pardon me for causing a disturbance in your mother-child moment but I might inform, food is getting cold." She smiled.

"Oh yes, Jane. But who will make this grown-up child understand?" She ruffled Taehyung's hair and sighed. He whined a little.

"That I can not agree with, madam. How many sons will you find in the entire realm like him?" Mrs Shelton rejoindered.

"Not another," she looked at him smilingly and asserted. "He's my son."

༺༻

"Oh! Taehyung, You did not tell what that king said? Is it something significant?" Bethilda asked her son making him look up at her.

"Ah! I forgot. I have to depart for Cressida along with his majesty and other courtiers in 3 days," he replied as he suddenly remembered about the assembly.

"Did you not hear about the king's alliance wedlock with the Cressida princess?" he asked presuming the look on her face.

"Oh no, I did not. Jane, did you know about it?" she asked the chambermaid eagerly.

"Yes, Madam. I heard it when the royal announcer came here, in the locality. But I completely forgot about it," she replied guiltily adding some more bread in his bowl.

"Oh, it's all good. But what will the courtiers will do there? It's the betrothal, isn't it?" Bethilda asked again.

"The betrothment will take place after 3 weeks in Cressida. The Cressida despot has invited the entire court," he replied dabbing the handkerchief over his lips.

"But I am not certain if I should go or not. I see no occasion for that," he replied uncertainly. "Your health does not seem to be in a good state as well."

"Oh hush! It is nothing severe, son. You must attend the ceremony. It will be disrespectful towards the king if you do not go," she hastily said.

"You are insisting as if I am the groom." He chuckled. "The betrothal will take place anyway, even if I do not go."

"No! You must indeed go Taehyung. At least, you will be able to describe to me how the princess looks like. I've heard so much about her debonair. Won't you do this single little thing for your old mother? "She sighed scenically.

"Here we go, my dear mother certainly knows my weakness."

She did have her own motives for sending him there. Yes, she was quite enthusiastic about the 'Cressida' princess. Certainly, she was eager to know everything about her. Also, His mother was well aware that he had never stepped out of 'Antares' except for any emergency work. It was obvious that his mother would do everything to send him there. She believed meeting different people was crucial for a young man like him. The more allies, the better.

"Fine. I'll go there," he said in a defeated voice smiling at her. "But I do hope I need not reminding you what you have promised me earlier." He snapped.

"Oh certainly, dear. I will not do otherwise," she replied. "Don't worry. Jane, I was wondering if you could help Taehyung to prepare for his departure?"

"Oh, sure, madam," the chambermaid replied shortly.

༺༻

Finishing the supper, Taehyung came out of the house and sat down on the ground of the grove behind their house.

He looked up at the unfathomable sky admiring the moon that had spread a warm milky glow in the dark sky.

But then the memories began to engird him as though the demons lurking in the dark, waiting for an excellent opportunity to hunt down their prey.

They got him...

He gaped at his quivering hands, frightened, hands that carried dark bloodstained memories of that incident. They were stainless yet smeared with the ghastly past of his.

He got up not being able to bear the nasty burn in his body. A burn that originated from his heart and gradually spread all over his body tormenting it.

" It's been a while I did not feel this." He chuckled as the burn rose up to his throat.

He made his way to the corner of their grove where an enormous bonsai stood alone. The witness of that ominous night.

"Right here," he whispered underneath his breath.

"No matter how much I try, the memories become more vivid. Is this my punishment?"

꧁-꧂

* So This was the 3rd chapter, hoomans. I hope you'll enjoy this journey.

ADIOS!

-pride