A Place Without Heaven (Remake)

Chapter 3:New Life(Part 2)

I was woken by an echo track of a horn. "Is someone coming...?" I thought, as I opened my eyes slowly. I saw the unfamiliar ceiling that I had only been seeing for 7 years. But I can't just seem to get used to it, like I am on a stranger's house. I stood to open my window. I saw Seria's back on the flower field, which was just directly below my room. "Seria..!" I called out to her. "Hmm, morning Ed, what do you need?" She asked. "Nothing, just wondering what you doing down there this early" I said. "As you can see, I'm picking flowers for your Mother..." Seria said. "I'll help you...!" I said, as I rushed out the room. "What's up with him?" Seria mumbled. As I run out my room, it took me 2 hours to arrive at the Garden. Along the way, I passed over the maids and butlers of the castle are all in a fuss. Even the knights were doing some kind of a mission. Plus, neither Maria nor Zack came to wake me up. Well, probably it was about the horn earlier. The Empire's horn, also known as "Gjallarhorn", it's a mystical horn blown whenever a great noble has come to this palace, for an audience, or whenever the Emperor is back. "What kind of dream did you see last night?" Seria asked, as I arrived. "What? Well, normal...I guess" I said, with a confused tone. "I see...Then what's with the sudden change of mood?" Seria asked. "What are you talking about?" I asked her back. "Just yesterday you avoided me, as you snuck out, now you're helping me, what else than that can I be talking about, right?" Seria said. "Well..." I mumbled. "I see...so yesterday you snuck out of the lesson, because you were worried about Liassa..." Seria said. "Yes, and also I saw mom get angry because you were keeping formalities with her. Even though, you call her by name, when you're in front of me..." I said. "Sheesh... like mother, like son, huh?" Seria mumbled. "Hmm, did you say something?" I asked. "Nothing..." Seria sighed. "Achoo..!" Liassa sneezed. "Was someone talking about me?" She mumbled, as she wiped her nose with a tissue. Well, that reason is not a made-up, because I really did care for Mom, due to the rumor I heard that she was feeling bad lately, so I snuck out of the lessons, to see her from her window. "So, Seria what kind of flowers does Mom love?" I asked. "Hmm, carnation..!" She said, with a white carnation on her hand. "Carnation, huh..? I don't know the floral language of carnation...." I mumbled. "Well, carnation's meaning depends on their color, if you want to know I can tell you" She said. "Then, what is the meaning of these carnations, on the basket?" I asked. "Well, white carnations suggest pure love and good luck. Light red symbolizes admiration, while, dark red represents deep love and affection. "She said. "I see, I kinda get why mom love these colors..." I said. "Were you a flower lover boy?" Seria asked, as she giggled a bit. "No, I just feel satisfied by looking, and I've gotten hook on studying floral language, lately" I said. "I see...If only you're that interested in Mathematics, I would be glad..." She said, as I jolted. "By the way, I think I've heard a horn earlier, when I just woke up, plus, somehow the other maids, butlers and knights were on a fuss, did something happen?" I asked. "It's nothing to worry about, because none other, than our might emperor has come back here, at the Emerald palace after 5 years..." She said. Emerald palace, it is found in the south of Doghanik Empire, it is known as the traditional house for Empresses. Since Mom is frail, she has always lived here. Now you're probably wondering why also I live here? It is because of Mom's wish to live with us. "How are you feeling lately mom?" I asked, as I sit near her bed. "Fairly, I guess..." She said. She had been frail, since I was born. Her room was always the place I can see her, like a usual event in a visual novel's setting. So it became a usual routine for me to visit her like this, whenever I have time. "By the way, would you like a help later, so you can go see, his majesty, madam?" Seria asked. "I will be waiting him here. I don't have anything in particular to tell him, yet. So I need to think of it, thanks for the consideration, Seria" Mom said. "I understand, madam" Seria bowed. "Then, I'll be going..." I said. "Hmm, do you have any appointment with someone today?" Seria asked. "Yeah, with Flora..."I said. Should I ask Rel, to accompany you two?" Seria asked. "No need, I can protect myself if something happens, plus the palace will be busy, right. You guys don't need to suffer some time for me, it's alright, and I can go, right Mom?" I asked. "Just make sure you will not be back late, alright?" She said. "Alright..!" I said. "Why do you act all refined and lady-like in front of Ed?" Seria asked, as I left. "Because, I cannot show him the fact that I'm childish, or else he wouldn't remember me as a good mom..." Liassa said. Seria remained quiet as the ticking sound of the clock surrounded them. "Flora...!" I called out to her, as I exited the palace. "She was waiting near the bushes, not far from the main gate. "Ed..."She mumbled. Flora Kirlean, my childhood friend, and the daughter to the flower shop, where our family is a well-known client. I first saw her, when she delivered one of the flowers we bought for a celebration, when I was young. "How was the Empress today?" Flora asked, as we walked. "Well, fairly fine....it seems that she loved carnations, I learnt it from Seria..." I said. "Hmm, carnations, huh..?" Flora mumbled. "What's wrong..?" I asked. "Nothing..." She mumbled. "Let's go. Since, you promised to accompany me the whole day!" She ran in front, and turned onto me with a smile. "Ok!" I responded, as I chased her. We went to their flower shop, before visiting the cemetery. Since, we were kids; it somehow became a habit that we visit the late warriors' tombs. And, up to this age we are still doing it. Well, we're still young though. "It's a great thing that the fallen warriors have decreased, lately" I said. "Right...that only means that the Emperor was doing great job..." Flora said. "I guess you're right..." I mumbled. "The Emperor is coming back today, right?" She asked. "Yeah, you heard the horn earlier didn't you?" I said. "Yeah...." She said. Somehow, things became a bit awkward between us. "Let's go home then...!" She said. Probably the reason why it suddenly became all awkward was because of her father's tomb that we passed by. "Hmm..." I nodded. "Then, I'll be this way...bye-bye Ed!" She said, as she turned her back from me. We started to part way, this day, without turning back at each other. Somehow, I felt that this might be the last that I can see Flora, from now on. Yet, I stayed still, with my back turned to the path she walked. We separated ways, future....I found myself, being a poet, after that. "I'm back...!" I said, as I entered the palace. "Yup, welcome back, dear brother!" A young man approached me. It took me some time, to notice. As I saw a certain image, in my mind, words blurted out from my mouth. "Al-nii...!" I said. "You've got that right!" He giggled. Alfred von Collins, my eldest brother, he was away due to his school. He was studying in the Main palace. He is also the crown prince. "You've come back, did you already visit mom?" I asked. "Yup, I gave her a white carnation as a present. How did you fare this last year?" He asked back. "Very good...!" I said. "I see, I'm sorry I wasn't able to play with you, like I used to" he said, as he patted my head. It had been his habit since we were young. "Sheesh, I wondered where you could have gone to. It seems that Ed has come back..." Another young man approached the two of us, with his arms crossed near his chest. "Herdnii...!" I said. "Yo, lil' bro...!" He said. Herdrad von Collins, my second oldest brother, he has been training with his master at Orthorn. He is training to be the commander of knights. "Why are you two fussing about Ed?" A girl walked down the stairs, with a grumpy face. "Theia, it's been a while" I smiled at her. "Address me properly too, no matter how you look at it, I am older than you!" She insisted. Altheia von Collins, she was supposed to be my twin, but due to my mom's ill body. I was born a little late. Since then, I've been calling her like a normal twin should be. Yet, she always insists the older-younger sibling act, onto me. "That doesn't matter, plus, you're only older by 2 months, right?” I said. “Tsk, that’s why I hate talking to you!” Theia said, as she went upstairs again, onto her room. “Why do you always try to get her bad side?” Al-nii asked. “Well, she’s cute when she’s angry, I guess…” I smirked. “You have a weird fetish…” Herd mumbled. Besides, the three of them, I had one more sibling, who is 5 years younger than me. “I’m back, Elicia!” I said, as I entered her room. Elicia von Collins. She is always in bed. Somehow her body was frail like Mom’s. The last time, I talked with her a lot, was when I was kept in custody at home, for sneaking out of the castle. Since, then I’ve always saw her sleep like this. Inside my heart, I’m always wishing for her to wake up, once again, and talk to me, like that day. “Everything has an end. Yet, despite of it, some people think that eternal exists somewhere, in our heart. If you are one of them, and you finally realized that it wasn’t true, at all. What would you do?” I mumbled those words, as I talk to my mom. “Ah, sorry, I was remembering the words I heard on my dream, earlier” I said. “I was a bit surprised, but, well…..All I can say to answer your question is to believe, I guess” She smiled. “Believe?” I mumbled. “Yes, believe that after a path ends, another path will open. Like how a door closes as another door opens. Every end always has another beginning awaiting them, aren’t I right?” She said. I felt that she was looking through me, like how I was reincarnated. And that I was another person in past life, and many more things. All, I could do was nod at her, later on I found myself thinking about those words, like a distant past, for some reason, I’ve heard it from another person back then. But, when and where and….who did I heard it from?