A Father’s Promise

Before Catherine finally had lost her breath, she still had her last iota of energy. She looked at the man who held her hand, never letting go no matter how hard and tight she squeezed the man's hand during her labor. She couldn't move her arm, nor her fingers to reach out and caress her man, and so she looked at him meaningfully.

Catherine still remembers before she fell into death, it was Karl who was smiling when he heard his baby boy's cries, saying, "Catherine! Catherine! The baby's coming! Kaiser's coming! hang on, one last push!." Then Karl kissed her forehead. After her last push, she felt her exhaustion wash over her entire body. Later when she inhaled deeply, she heard Karl whisper softly, "Thank you.. he's very healthy, and he's safe, he's perfect. you'll see him later, hm? rest for now, I'll take care of him. you've done a great job my Queen." 

She smiled weakly, a large pearl of tears started to form in her eyes. That's when she felt an excruciating pain from her heart, and blacked out to death. 

Karl felt her whole body softened, as if there was no energy. Quickly, he panicked and checked her pulse: he didn't find any beat. 

"Doctor!" he yelled, "Catherine.. check her pulse!" he hastily said, the doctor and nurses scattered around them. Karl believed that he made a mistake in taking her pulse, so he assumed it would be best to ask the professional instead. 

"Her highness was in shock, she had a cardiac arrest." said the doctor sternly, the doctor continued, "If his majesty could maintain a distance between her Royal Highness—" 

Karl interrupted the doctor, the corner of his eyes started to redden, "No," he said, "I want to be here and hold her hand until she wakes up! I won't leave her.." 

The doctor didn't oppose his majesty's decision and started to revive the Queen. Karl watched how she was revived in the past.. 15 minutes, he held her cold hand until the end, as the doctor finally declared, "her Royal Highness.. is dead. We send our sincere apology and condolences to his Majesty."

Karl's world crumbled apart, he clasped Catherine's cold hand using his both hands, one to the wrist and one around the icy palm and pressed it against his warm lips, eventually, his plum eyes began to shed a glob of tears, streaming down to his cheeks and crying silently. more likely like his cries are choked, he wanted to wail, he wanted to sob up until the pain in his heart has reduced. He clutched his chest as his other hand clasped Catherine's cold hand.

the King sobbed there, silently grieving to his Queen. The in-coming new born Duke was taken care of by the midwife as the doctor and her nurses considered the King's anguish as their dismissal with a bow. the room was silent, only the King's sobs and heavy gasps could be heard. 

He whispered softly, "Catherine.." and he looked up to see Catherine's face again, and caressed it with his other hand, his heart ached even more, as he felt the coldness of Catherine's body. He sobbed and sniffed silently, "Catherine.. did I fail to save you..?" he asked the other but he expected no answer, "My darling.." he exhaled softly, yet his throat trembled, "If.. you could.. only.. see Kaiser.. you would love.. to see.. how he.. resembles his own.. mother."

"I saw him earlier, he got beauty marks.. too.." He uttered, "He have many of beauty marks, the couple of it was at his both plump cheeks, one at his shoulder, more likely to his collarbone, one at his neck, one at his chest and one at his thigh." he explained as if he was telling a story, "Our son is very beautiful, like you. He got your perfect-looking nose, he got my thin lips. His eyes are like yours, they're quite thin and not round like mine, surprisingly, the tip of his ears are pointy, but then I remembered from our Dämonisch family book— Late grandpa has these pointy ears, isn't it interesting?" the corner of his lips started to lift up into a smile as he sniffs from crying.

All of the sudden, Karl's tears began to fall again simultaneously from his lilac eyes as if it's an infinite river of the nation, it flows without a warning, it runs endlessly, not a single dam was blocking as it goes. He spoke deeply, but this time he breathed as if he was catching out of breath and about to wail loudly out of pain, "How… how could I live without you?" 

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4 years has passed since the death of the Royal Queen of Landroich, Karl also took 4 years to finally release his Queen and readied himself to take care of Kaiser, his remaining world. All of these 4 years, he fixed Landroich as he was grieving his beloved's death, he's sleep deprived and eyebags started to grow beneath his lavender eyes, sometimes his eyelids were swollen and sometimes it's not. He took 2 years to compose himself and get his ass to work as a King, and it took him 2 years to finally solve major problems of Landroich.

Kaiser was turning five, the day of the first spring was his birthday. The palace held a grand banquet for his 5th birthday celebration, the highly educated and professional chefs took care of the foods they're serving, and servants took care of the tables, cutlery and seats. It was Kaiser's first time to see a lot of servants so he was fascinated, even excited. He's very childish, the caretakers of  this young duke were truly overwhelmed with his cuteness, his plump cheeks didn't seem to reduce which made him look more adorable. He carelessly left his study room and went downstairs to the palace.

Kaiser wore a white long sleeve polo with a black hem, along with a golden thread embroidery of a rose by the tip of its collar partnered with deep black pants and dark leather shoes with shiny metal buckles including a slight inch of heels. Kaiser walked around the bustling hall where the servants were preparing the dine and the caterer, his lavender eyes widened in the sight. Some servants are carrying a stack of brittle glass plates, some are preparing a glass.. decorations such as a stand of sweets which were molded in a figure of either a swan or a fountain.

The servant was quite swift in carrying the bundles and she didn't see the little duke who was wandering around, so she bumped the little duke, "Oh! be careful, your highness!" but the little duke replied happily, "Hi!" he giggled and ran away as though he was playing with the occupied servant. He bumped into other servants, and before they even apologized, the little duke interrupted them with a "Hi!" 

This little troublemaker caused anxiety to the other servants and became very more careful in lifting such precious things to a place. While the trouble maker was enjoying intentionally bumping into the servants by servants, a strong pair of hands captured him— someone had caught him!

he was lifted up abruptly, he struggled, he wiggled his limbs to break free and to make an extra weight as he being lifted by this tall man,even so, this man didn't felt any struggle and lifted him even higher, the man stretched his arm upwards to see and look at the tyke. The man had lifted him up, only staring at him through his plum eyes, the tyke uttered softly, "are you father?" 

Karl held his tears back, he felt like a thousand ants gnawing to his fragile heart, he embraced his son with his arms, tenderly engulfing him with his two full warm arms, "Yes, it's father." he replied, burying his head into Kaiser's shoulder. Kaiser responded with a pat to his father's back, he said, "It's been a while since I've seen father, father always left early in my past birthday will you leave early again today?" he asked.

"No," Karl replied, his voice gentle like his touch, "This time it's different, father will spend the entire day with you. I will not leave early."