Jelani Odon Willard
~ The Sunrise Palace ~ The Garden ~
~ The Sunrise Palace ~ The Garden ~
It was a nice day today. On the bright blue sky, the sun was shining and its light reflexed on the blue water of the Wishing Lake, making the lake sparkled like a diamond. On the trees inside the Teardrop forest, the birds were singing their morning songs, the animals were looking for food and the people were busy doing their things. Overall, it was a peaceful scene and no one would have guessed the country had undergone a war at first glance. However, if they looked closely enough, they would still see new constructions being built or the rubbles scattered on some locations inside Snowflake City - the capital of Winterfall. In the center of the city, laid a beautiful Castle. It was the Sunrise Castle - the symbol of hopes for the people - where the king and his family lived. 'Such a beautiful morning...' A young man thought as he ran his hand through his long hair, sighing softly as he looked at the garden of his beloved house where some birds were still finding the food. The young man's name was Jelani Willard and he was the current king of Winterfall. He was hailed the hero and yet he was also hated by many. Jelani closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, doing nothing but enjoying the scents of the morning flowers. '...but even so, why do I keep having the feeling like something bad would happen soon?' his long bangs covered his eyes as the king gently pushed the bangs to the sides, massaging his eyes tiredly. Even though he had won the wars, there were still many lives lost. Flashes of memories appeared in front of Jelani as he remembered all the lives that he had taken...It was a war and it was necessary to do so...but that didn't mean he enjoyed it.
He stood up and reached out to grasp a white daisy. He placed the flower on his opened palm, staring at it with a thoughtful look as he smelled the flower. It had very nice smell. The corner of Jelani's lips tucked slightly as he saw a butterfly flied by and landed on another flower. He wished this peaceful atmosphere would never end. Jelani looked at the mountains far away from the palace, the flower laid forgotten on the ground. Sometimes, he really missed his old life, where everything was so very simple. Now, he had to carry a heavy weigh on his shoulder, being the king, the hero of the kingdom was no easy task. Sometimes, he had to make very hard choices...but not every choice he made was the right choice. Some were but some were not. Looking back, Jelani wished he had taken better care for his children and namely, his daughter. But he couldn't really be blamed for it, could he? He didn't even know she existed until just recently. He hoped she was adjusting well with the new environment. He would let no one harm her. She deserved that much. Speaking of harm, Jelani looked down at his right hand which was bandaged carefully by a white cloth. There was another assassinate attempt last night...and this time, he almost lost his life if not for a brave soldier scarified himself to protect the king. He would remember to visit the man's family later and give the family some money to support. His eyes suddenly had a deep sadness. He hoped his guardians would arrive soon because if not, well, he didn't know how long he could protect himself and his family like this. The tired king closed his eyes and began to let himself be pulled into another memory, this time of a laughing woman on a daisy field...