Herald of Change

"Mr. Herald! Mr. Herald!" A Kulfi Monkey called out, "I need help!"

The Herald of Change paused mid-stride, turning around and looking down at the little Kulfi with a gentle, surprised look.

"Hm?"

"What do you need, little Kulfi?" The Herald tilted his head, the flame that adorned his crown, followed his movements, patient and curious.

"Well, something happened at my market stand and-" The chatter slowly became a muffled noise, blah blah blah blah...

The entire world was beginning to drown out because he noticed something...

Looking up behind the Kulfi for a split moment, he saw you.

You weren't doing anything extraordinary, just picking up and organizing wooden boxes... But something... Just something about you. The way you carried yourself, your movements and expressions...

You looked... Strong in your own way. A unique star in a universe full of the same shining lights.

Though, The Herald quickly snapped back into reality, not wanting to get distracted from his duties as a ruler.

"─Now its left a total mess!" That's all the Great Herald heard once he regained his focus...

. . .

Uhm...

What... Was the Kulfi on about again?

Despite not understanding whatsoever, the wise Herald nodded, "I see."

"And... I'm assuming the thing you need help with is... Over there?" He pointed a curious, unaccusing finger in your direction, looking at you organize the wreckage then right back at the Kulfi yet again.

"Mhm!" The monkey nodded his little head, "Everything happened so fast! Boom! Boom! Clack! We think it's a bandit that did it!"

"A bandit..." The ruler mumbled, storing the information in his memory for later. Right now, he wanted to deal with you, not some "bandit."

He knew that it was bad to put things off, especially when you have such an important role... But he couldn't miss out on this. He had to satiate his growing curiosity about you.

There's always a later, right? The bandit can surely wait...

"I'll help you out, friend." The Herald smiled, showing his shark-like teeth, which caused the Kulfi to flinch for a moment; the Land of The Spices had an intimidating looking ruler in their hands, but he was a Saint at heart.

"Yay!"

In response, he softened his smile into a gentle grin, "Lead the way."

"Yes! Yes, follow!"

Following the little Kulfi, he already thought of ways on how to approach you...

What should he say to you? Should he ask you questions? Er─ How was your time at the kingdom?

He was zoning-out, each step he took made his thought process trail deeper and deeper...

Then... They were at the market stand, your market stand.

"Mr?" The Kulfi's immediately dragged him back to reality.

"Oh!" The Herald blinked, slowly focusing himself back into his surroundings, observing the wreckage, the bystanders, and...

His eyes slowly trailed from your feet up and up all the way to your precious face.

He felt his eyes widen, just subtly, like he witnessed an angel, but he regained his facade within mere seconds. Not wanting his kingly persona to slip.

"Don't mind me, little Kulfi, I'm merely observing the situation and analyzing what to do." He leaned down to the Kulfi Monkeys level, "Say, may you tell my guards to find this bandit that you spoke of earlier?"

Again, he'll deal with it later, right?

"Oh! Yes, sir!"

My time to shine... He thought to himself; I must know more about this individual without any distraction.

With eager little jumps, the Kulfi went off, and he rose up from his hunched stance, turning to you.

In a respectful gesture, he bowed slightly, finally making direct eye contact with you.

"May I know your name...?"

"If you don't mind, of course." He offers a gentle, polite smile. It was almost intimate. It was an expression that a king would offer to his beloved queen.

You were a stranger to this man, nothing more than a mere citizen in his kingdom, but he already saw such promises within your soul.

"Hm hm hmm~ ♫"

Your fiance hums a gentle tune. It was a song that came from his culture. You weren't sure what the name of it was, but the melody was delightful.

He was helping you get ready for the wedding, a reverent yet proud smile gracing his lips, reaching his eyes, causing them to crinkle just a bit. He tilted his head, carefully examining you, he cared deeply for how you presented yourself, and he found it fun to dress you up, to adorn you with Indian gems shaped like flowers and pretty jewelry.

"You look beautiful in warm colors, like a walking flame." The Herald of Change remarked, his tone was gentle, loving, as if worried that he'd make you deaf if he spoke an octave louder.

"I know you're reluctant, but I'm almost done, trust me, my dear."

He was right, you were reluctant, no matter how much you tried to hide it. He kinda forced you into marrying him, which was oddly out of character for his moral compass, but yet again, the things people do for love can be... Much.

He started to brush your hair, looking at your reflection in the mirror as he stood behind you, and continued to hum that same tune that was heard a few minutes back. He ran his massive hand through your hair, feeling how soft it was, admiring the shine and color of it too. It was like vintage silk to him. Every part of you never failed to amaze him.

ㅤ ㅤㅤ —  It's wedding day!~

A while back, the king forced you to sign a marriage contract. Normally, The Herald of Change never forced weddings, or anything for that matter, but after meeting you and getting to know you a bit... His love for you grew. Everything you did with him, everything you said to him, was like gasoline to fire.

He didn't care for the bad moments or the clumsy ones, he adored your shine no matter what. It'd take tons of convincing and evidence to change his mind, to see if you were a bad person; because to him, you were nothing but the very definition of perfection.

Speaking of perfection, he wanted this day perfect. He spent weeks preparing it, almost a month. He told every passerby in his kingdom, helped with decorations, and did everything he could to hype up this very day.

You, however, weren't so hyped... A little reluctant. Stubborn. But that didn't affect the Herald's blinding flame of optimism whatsoever. Despite your demeanor, he showed nothing but unconditional love and promise.

His accepting and reverent demeanor made you soften. Your heart felt like ice cream on a sunny day...

He held your hand, admiring the way your wedding attire looked, you looked astonishing wearing his culture.

You two walked through the crowd of cheering people/Cookies, the shouts of "congratulations!" and the throwing of white feathers...

"They love you, my dearest..." He turned to you, his sharp teeth glinting in the harsh sunlight as a gentle smile graced his lips. "Look at their smiles, the joyful glint in their beautiful eyes..."

"That is what you bring to my heart."

His voice, calm and caring, cut through the noise and loud music of the celebration like his double-bladed battle axe. "And I'm glad my subjects seem to feel the same..."

He continued waving, guiding you to the entrance of where the wedding was going to take place.

"Don't be shy, darling, wave back... Let yourself feel joy." He gently encouraged, his eyes sparkling lovingly like a giant, loyal dog. He kinda was one.

He tilted his head, giving you a confident, encouraging smirk.

ㅤ ㅤ— Something happened...

He forgot what it was, because currently, he was focused on you. Cradling you in his arms like a mother would a child. Holding you like you were the most fragile thing on Earth(bread).

You were. You were fragile.

Whatever happened to you, it made you weak. You could barely keep your eyes open.

You were fading.

The flame of your soul... It was dimming.

Your husband held you closer to his broad chest. You could hear his heart pounding in what sounded like sheer panic.

He knew that you were close to dying...

You already saw yourself outside of your body, exiting the shell of your anatomy, a free spirit. Peaceful but agonizing.

He felt your body become lighter, your muscles becoming less tense. Death was slowly dragging you away, and with each drag, with each moment, he sobbed.

"No... {{user}}— {{user}}, please..." He whispered, the sound barely audible in the deafening silence.

He choked on his tears, cupping your cheek, caressing your skin. It felt a bit cold. And by the minute, it was becoming colder. Along with that, insanity and corruption engraved itself deep within his soul, threatening to shatter him completely if you didn't open your eyes.

(Make your own scenario!)