Crystal was woken up by panicked maids, rushing her out of the castle. She found Silver in the crowd and stood by him as they saw the last sparks be extinguished. She cried into his shoulder. Over the next couple days, Silver went through at least 20 shirts as Crystal continued to cry.
Gold's funeral was impossible. Even though it wasn't his body, to Crystal it was the same, Gold may be safe an alive, but she could never see him gain. She felt guilty, but Crystal almost wished he had died, because then she would at least have some closure.
The king of the Highlands immediately declared war on Unova for killing his son and pledged allegiance to Johto, even without the wedding. Crystal was almost hopeful that she wouldn't have to marry someone else, but her father insisted she marry the other prince, since Crystal need to be married and the preparations were already made.
The guests left and Yellow told Crystal that she knew what was going on and she'd watch out for Gold if he came by.
The wedding was set to happen in a month, the same amount of time she had to get to know Gold. But this wasn't anything like her experience with Gold. She spent most of her time in her room, mourning.
Her new fiancé, Arvis, was nothing like Gold, he was cold and his hair was blond, like his mother's, he didn't care much about tradition, but not in the way Gold did, he would skip church or parties to go study. Crystal should be glad to be glad, this was the type of man she had wanted to marry, studious and ready to lead, not someone she would fall in love with. But when she saw him, her heart sank in a way it never had before. Now that she had know what love felt like, she wasn't ready to give it up.
The wedding was going to be much smaller than the first one. None of the guests from far off could make it, and Crystal was left alone with Silver as her only friend to comfort her on her big day.
Crystal stood in front of the mirror, studying herself in her wedding gown.
"How do I look?" She asked to the redhead standing behind her.
"Beautiful," he responded.
It was incredibly idiotic, because at this point she was always crying, but Gold had said she was beautiful on the night he left and hearing those words made her eyes sting.
She bit the inside of her lip. Crystal had tried to refrain from droning on about Gold, she didn't want to look pathetic, but there were still questioned that tugged on her brain.
"Every time that you and Gold weren't at the castle, or I couldn't find you, you were planning his escape. Right?" She asked, her voice came out calmer than expected.
"Sometimes it was just Gold running off on his own-"
"But that one time!" Crystal turned abruptly. "When we went and saw the orphanage?"
Silver sighed and closed his eyes. "Gold was talking to people in the castle, bribing them. We couldn't risk you looking for him."
Her heart sank. Was Silver turkey her friend? Or was he just watching over her for Gold?
"But none of that changes anything that you already know," Silver reminded her.
She nodded solemnly. "I know. We're still friends, Gold still loved me, and he's still gone."
Silver didn't respond, he wasn't sure how to. It was too depressing, too real.
"I wish Gold could see me in this..." she sighed, biting back tears. Silver wrapped an arm around her, comforting her silently. "Are you still in touch with him?"
Silver didn't respond right away, he stepped back from her and leaned against the wall. Crystal spoke up again, prompting him to answer.
"You have to be, Gold said you would meet up with him eventually and after all, you are his best friend. He trusts you."
He smiled slightly but Crystal could see more pity than actual enjoyment in his face.
"I'm afraid 'Gold's Best Friend' is a title you should share. You're in as deep as I am, if not worse."
Crystal sighed, letting the corners of her mouth pull up. Teasing Gold reminded her of different times, better times.
"Come on, you two have been together much longer than we have. And I'm more of-"
"The love of his life?" Silver rolled his eyes. "You two like to talk and spend time with each other, and you love each other, albeit a different type of love than we have, romantic love is built on the same foundation as platonic love."
This time Crystal couldn't help but smile, a real smile. Hearing it from Silver, that Gold loved her, must mean he told him, Gold was proud enough to tell people he was in love with her.
There was a pause and Silver readjusted his weight on his feet, standing straighter and not leaning against a wall. His face fell slightly and she could tell he was going to say something more serious, less amusing.
"Don't, Crystal," he whispered, quiet. But in the silent room she heard him loud and clear.
"Don't what?" She snapped back.
Silver sighed sadly. "I understand how you feel, but if you contact him he'll coming rushing back here, despite the consequences."
"But we could be pen pals," Crystal pleaded. "He'll listen to me and he won't come back-"
"Not when he hears about the baby."
Crystal took a step back, shocked, he hands subconsciously rushing to her abdomen. But she saw Silver's face, sad and sympathetic, so she took a deep breath and composed herself.
"How did you know?" She murmured.
Silver shrugged. "I'm observant. I heard you getting sick in the bathroom and put two and two together."
Crystal looked away from him. "... Gold deserves to know."
"Telling him would sentence him to death."
"I know... I'm being selfish and dumb. I'm sorry." She guiltily turned from him, looking in the mirror instead even though she used to to continue to look at his face rather than herself.
"It's not your fault, you're just sad. You haven't done anything wrong yet."
"Besides getting pregnant with an illegitimate child. I'm an educated woman, I knew that it was probable... but I did it anyway. And now Gold will have to live his life never knowing that he has a child." Tears rolled down her cheeks, Gold would such an amazing father, but if something goes wrong now its entirely her fault. His child was entirely her responsibility.
Silver forced a smile and tried to brighten the mood a bit. "Hey, at least if the baby is born, you don't have any other children, and something tragic happens to you, your husband, and your parents, Gold would technically be the next king until he child is old enough to rule."
Crystal laughed softly through her tears. "Good to know there is a way for them to meet each other without Gold being arrested."
Silver hugged her, she leaned her head on his shoulder and he whispered, "you're going to be ok."
She nodded against him. Silver was right, time would pass, war would come and go, her children would grow older and she'd become queen. Crystal would never forget Gold, but eventually... she would be ok.
It was a boy, passable as Arvis' son and that's really all Crystal needed. People were a bit shocked when the baby came 'early' yet was completely healthy, but no one really questioned her about it.
Thinking of a name was hard, she could always name him after Gold, or the prince she was supposed to marry, but she didn't want to associate her son with that sadness. Traditional was probably best, naming him after his father, or grandfather, or even great-grandfather. But Crystal couldn't bring herself to do it, this was Gold's son, there should be some membrane of him in his name. She found some reason to deny all of Arvis' suggestions, she really didn't want him to name Gold's son.
At night she would sit with her son, holding him tight and looking at the stars, Crystal wondered where Gold was. The constellation in the sky was Gemini, the twins, when she was supposed to marry Gold it was Virgo, she remembered telling Gold about them.
Looking down at him, he did remind her of Gold. He looked so much like him, except the eyes, he had her eyes. "Sparkling gemstones. Crystals to match the ones made by suicune," Gold had told her, on a day he thought flattery would get him out of trouble for getting sauce on her dress.
She thought about a name that would match the stars, to remind her that Gold was still out there. But most were named after animals and she refused to name her son after a bear.
Perhaps a name that matched Gold's, like bronze or copper. But neither of those were names.
When she held him at night and he woke up and smiled at her, Crystal could see the reflection of the stars in his big, innocent eyes. Maybe there was a name she could take from the stars, and from Gold.
Gem.
Like gemini, the stars she saw in his gemstone eyes.