Four months passed. The Kai Castle had been rebuilt to be more beautiful and more dazzling than before. People had moved back into the East village, living life better than before. That day, the new king and his queen were to make the first “royal announcement”.
“It feels so different to be dressed in fancy clothes, and live without the working,” Nishi said as she sat on a chair in her bedroom.
Kaioshin stood not to far from here, tying a blue sash around his waste. “How do I look?” he asked his wife.
She smiled as she looked over his white vest, pale yellow shirt and pants, and blue sash and boots. “Fabulous,” she said as she stood up. She put his hands on her waist and kissed him gently. “Is your life still ruined?”
He smiled and rubbed his nose against hers. “No. The old Prince Kaioshin is dead. This life is the life I had yearned for.”
A sudden knock at the door was heard. “Enter,” Kaioshin said.
Kibito opened the door slowly and barely walked in. “The crowd has gathered, your highness. They await to see you.”
“Thank you, Kibito.” The bodyguard left. Kaioshin smiled at his queen and they started to walk out to the balcony that faced the gathered crowd.
Not many people had really seen the new King of the Kais. Only some had lived there before, the others not wanting to return because of the devastation that occurred before. Some cheered when Kaioshin and Nishi walked out of the large glass doors.
Kaioshin looked over the hundreds of people gathered. He had never made any kind of speech in front of so many people before. He had seen his father do it, but he never imagined himself in his place.
He looked to his left side to see Uncle Tym standing off to the side. To his right stood Nishi and Kibito a little further away. He took a deep breath, as he was about to speak. “Inhabitants of our beloved planet. Many of you know me for who I used to be—the little snobby prince that many of you despised. I’m sure when you heard that I have taken the role of king, that you were disappointed and or disgusted. But let me assure you, I have changed and I will be the best king I can be.
“It is important for us to remember what happened here a few months ago. Our planet was in terrible danger of being destroyed by the evil Queen Zenika. However, we were able to overcome her treachery. From here will we will start a new life. I ask that you give me a chance to prove myself as your king. Those who say you are here to serve me are wrong. I am here to serve you.”
The crowd raised their hands and cheered. Some yelled out “long live the king!” and others said, “Praise our Supreme Kai”. Kaioshin smiled and let out a much-needed sigh of relief. Nishi tied her arm around his and he put his other hand on their arms.
“Well, said my boy,” Tym said.
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Later in the day, when the festivities of the castle had ended, Kaioshin ventured to the back courtyard alone. He walked down a white, bricked path, different colored rose bushes outlining the sides. A tree stood in each corner of the court, flourishing with pink blossoms.
He stopped at the end of the path, where a few small, rectangular stones rested. The middle two read “In Memory and Honor of King Kamiah” and “In Memory of Queen Amada.” The king’s had a picture of the royal family symbol—the dragon, and the queens’ had a rose etched into it.
A few feet from the queen’s stone was one dedicated to those whose lives were lost to the disaster, and the same amount of space away from the king’s was dedicated to those who survived.
Kaioshin smiled as he observed the memorial. He looked up at the light purple sky, feeling the wind against his face. He could almost feel the presence of his father and mother. “Forgive me for not being the son you wanted when you were still alive,” he said softly to no one.
“They’d be proud,” Nishi’s voice said, coming up behind him. She stood next to him and looked down at the stones and roses surrounding them. “I sure am.”
“Only if they were here, though,” Kaioshin said, still softly.
“They are here. They’re in your heart. And they are proud of what you’ve become.” Nishi held onto Kaioshin’s hand. “You do have the heart of a king,” she said and kissed his cheek. She let go of his hand and left the new king to be alone once again.
Kaioshin watched her turn the corner under the arched entrance. He smiled, seeing now how lucky he really was. He almost wanted to yell a thank you to Zenika, for she had changed his life from a boy who’s life would be laid out before him, to a man that had obtained what was most important of all; love and happiness. He respectively bowed slightly to the stones and walked away.