The Fae World: Kalinia: Dietrich: On Kalinia
The journey was much easier than Dietrich expected it to be, but he knew, like everyone else, that it would be the easiest part of it all. Leaving their world behind was not a decision they’d wanted to make. Unfortunately, in the end, they’d had no other choice because there was no chance of survival there. He looked around at the fae who had chosen to travel with them. They were fae from numerous groups who would end up splitting again soon enough, because they would never be able to work together. Once again he found himself wondering why each of them had made the choice that they had, because he knew how hard it had been for his father and his father was in a position to know much more than anyone else. Unfortunately being a fae monarch hadn’t saved the others… he’d been to more than one state funeral before the decision was made, so when it finally was all he felt was relief.
Dietrich remembered the relief anyway. Since then it had faded and become the stress of having to get the fae from one world to another. They had no idea what they were going to find on their new world. Until they’d made the decision it had just been another magical world, because if there were any fae who had once travelled there they hadn’t admitted to it. Of course that wasn’t unusual. Using the doors for anything other than permitted business was technically illegal and he couldn’t think of any reason for someone to travel to Kalinia. He wasn’t entirely certain why the door was even there, but he didn’t doubt there had once been a time when someone had used it, otherwise it wouldn’t have been there at all.
“Your Royal Highness?” The voice jolted Dietrich out of his thoughts and he turned to look at his father’s steward. “His Majesty would like to talk with you, if you have a moment to spare.”
Nodding, Dietrich let his father’s steward lead him in the direction of wherever it was his father was. He’d been the last person through, the remaining member of the Royal family that would be travelling to Kalinia, just in case someone had wanted to talk to him. Fortunately they hadn’t. All they’d wanted was to get to safety as quickly as possible and he didn’t blame them for feeling that way. The longer he was on Shadur the weaker he felt, but the moment he’d stepped onto Kalinia that had changed, so they had been right to make the decision they had. Hopefully their new world would really become their new home. When he realised how close he was to his father he swallowed down any lingering worries.
“Ah, Deitrich, it’s good to see you. Everyone get through safely?”
“Everyone who chose to come. We did have a few no shows, but that’s to be expected, so I left the door as it was. I thought we could give them a couple of days before we closed it, just in case they change their minds again.”
“It’s most likely that they won’t.” The King shrugged. “You have always been more willing to believe in people than I have, though.” He smiled. “That is one of the advantages of still being the Crown Prince and that is why I left the decision to you.”
Both of them knew Dietrich wasn’t meant to be the Crown Prince. He had nine elder brothers, all who’d lost their life to the issues that had been plaguing Shadur, and it had been those state funerals that had been the hardest. Maybe it had been knowing that he only had one son left, and three daughters, that made him finally make the decision to leave their dying world behind, although there was still time for him to have more children. He would have to find another wife first, as the Queen had died too, three days before they were due to leave. They’d rushed a funeral, so she could be scattered on the world she had never really wanted to leave. She was someone he hadn’t grieved for yet and doubted he would have time to soon.
“There is something I must ask of you. We have left behind Shadur and I want you to destroy anything that tells of that world.” Dietrich stared at his father, unable to believe that he’d made that sort of decision. “I can tell from your expression that you thinking I’m making the wrong choice, but it is mine to make. Our lives begin today. Our pasts don’t matter any more. Those we were forced to leave behind will never return, so I think the best thing we can do is truly let go of everything to do with our old world.” An unexpected tear trickled down his cheek. “Everything that happened there has caused us all pain and I want to forget it all as quickly as I can.”
“We shouldn’t.”
“Do you truly believe we would forget what happened?”
“Father, there is no chance of us forgetting, but our children, our children’s children…” Dietrich sighed. “The time will come when no one will remember that we destroyed a world if you permit the destruction of our own history. You’re right about it being your choice to make and I’ll do as you command if that’s really what you want.”
“Your argument is pointless. My decision has been made. The world we left behind is to be forgotten. It is the first day of our new lives and we will treat it as such. We will begin again.”
Dietrich shook his head. “Yes, Father.” Everything else he wanted to say he pushed away, because it would be pointless to try to argue with someone who wasn’t willing to listen. “I will begin straight away.”
Even though Dietrich knew he should have waited to be dismissed he could be around a man he no longer respected and chose to walk away, although he knew that might have repercussions in the near future. Being the Crown Prince didn’t mean he could be rude to the King, especially in front of so many people, but it was better than having a massive argument with him. The man was proving himself to be too selfish to be the ruling monarch and it would be centuries before Dietrich could take the position. He needed to work out how he was going to save the history of Kalinia without it being in a place that someone loyal to the King might come across it. Sighing, he brushed a hand through his hair, wishing that his mother hadn’t died, because she would be able to talk some sense into the man. Of course losing her was probably what the issue was.
Dietrich sighed again. If she’d survived everything would have been different, but she hadn’t and he wanted to get rid of every reference of her, as seeing them would hurt him. The future didn’t matter to him, not when he’d just lost the love of his life. Of course it didn’t cross his mind that there might come a time when he’d want to read about his lost Queen. Shaking his head he kept walking, not entirely certain where he was going, just needing to walk, to think, to work something out, something that would work, something that wouldn’t mean he’d need to destroy his people’s history. The last thing he wanted was for them to forget the truth.
Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.