Prompts:
41. Fork in the road
42. Start
43. Nature's Fury
44. At Peace
45. Heart Song
The dirt road split: one fork led north, toward the coast of Damcyan and its shallows. The Hovercraft would take Edward back to the castle, where a list of stuffy responsibilities awaited. Edward sighed, suddenly reluctant to return.
The other path, however, led south to Kaipo, its blue waters glittering brightly like a jewel in the desert. Its beauty paled in comparison, however, to Anna; the memory of their last passionate parting made Edward secretly smile.
"Your Highness?" his royal guard prompted.
"Let's make a stop," Edward suggested too casually, taking a step south, toward love and its eventual doom.
"Come with me to Damcyan Castle," Edward had insisted, slipping a slim gold band on Anna's finger. "Then not even your father can stop us from finally starting our lives together."
Now, hand in hand, they stood before his parents' thrones. The king and queen exchanged a look of fond nostalgia of their own hasty courtship and smiled.
"Welcome to the family," the king said, getting up to embrace his new daughter-in-law.
Outside, thunder boomed, rattling the castle walls.
"What—?" the king started to ask, interrupted as the roof was violently ripped off, and the world exploded around them.
After surviving Baron's attack on both Damcyan and Fabul, Edward thought himself prepared for everything else. He regretted the thought as the ocean tossed the ship around like a plaything, huge waves crashing over the ship's railing, soaking everyone. It was nature's fury, Edward decided, punishing him for his hubris.
With saltwater stinging his eyes, Edward looked up to see the open mouth of a dragon, rapidly closing in on them. The ship rocked violently, throwing Edward aside; he landed hard, head bouncing off the deck.
Faintly, he heard the crew shouting and Cecil's panicked scream before all went dark.
Surrounded by Troia's serene beauty, Edward should have been at peace. But he knew there was more needed, and that sense of incompleteness kept him from fully resting, often waking up with the fading memory of a melody.
Upon seeing Cecil in his paladin's armor, Edward had an idea, pushing the Twin Harp into Cecil's hands. Still, Edward worried that when the time came, he wouldn't know what to do.
Edward's doubts vanished when he heard Cecil's desperate plea for help, vibrating through the harp's strings. With expert fingers, Edward began to play.
Anna, he thought, heart breaking anew. Of course.
Anna's song thrummed through Edward, in steady rhythm with his beating heart and pumping lungs. It had haunted him since he first played it to rescue Cecil from danger.
The song evolved, as Edward journeyed to Mysidia, the wind whistling through his hair and the steady flap of his cloak adding new notes. Surrounded by the faithful in the Tower of Wishes, their murmured prayers became the chorus.
"Have courage," Edward told the vision of Cecil and his party, deft fingers moving across harp strings, finally playing his heart song, despite loss and sorrow; a song of love and strength.