The Time It Takes To Fall

Dying Star

Cambodia, 1840 A.D.

The loud clank of a barred door sliding shut jolted Kai awake. He sprung from his curled position upon the cold stone floor of his prison cell, sitting upright. He was awake and alert immediately— he never needed sleep, although the last eight years of imprisonment had led him to the realm of living death more often than he had visited in decades.

His Cambodian prison cell was not a nice one: he was kept in the deepest, darkest cage— one meant for the worst of criminals and traitors. It was small, not quite big enough for him to fully stretch out in any direction, and held within it only a bucket for him to relieve himself in. It was a cell for someone who was dangerous— someone horrible. Yet Kai's only crime had been an attempt to get King Ang Chan's secret daughter to run away with him.

But he had failed. Again.

He had found the bastard princess working as a maid at the royal palace nearly nine years ago. Kai had taken up work at the palace as a servant, working in the kitchen, just for the chance to see her on occasion— though as a ladies maid, that occurrence was rare.

For months Kai had only caught glimpses of her— until one day they ran into each other. Literally.

Ang Channary had been rushing out to fetch something for Princess Mei— now Commandery Princess Mei. It had been some sort of garment that Kai could not name, but Channary had been in a rush to get it for her half-sister. In so much of a hurry that she had run smack into Kai, who had been carrying a sack full of kaffir lime leaves.

She had been in a panic, worriedly sputtering apologies and solutions and that all the blame was to be placed on her. She didn't notice him staring at her, as her fingers danced among the scattered green leaves, scooping them up into her smock's apron.

Kai had placed his hand upon her arm, gently. "My lady," Kai whispered, watching as her head turned slowly, until her eyes looked up into his own. He could feel her gaze like the strike of a lightning bolt upon his face. He could feel her very soul take pause— for it knew him.

"I-I..." she sputtered, feeling the heat of this moment just as much as he was. Because while Kai had found his love, he had not gotten the opportunity to meet her properly within her seventh life. In fact, all the meetings that had occurred between them thus far had been him watching, and her never seeing.

But she had seen him in that moment, and in every moment they had had after that. Because from that day forward, they had become friends; then secret lovers; then engaged. He had asked for her hand, despite the despicableness of it all. Ignoring the fact that she was to live and die in that palace, under her father's protection. Forgetting that Kai had never considered asking Channary's father for her hand— because what was the point? He would say no. And Channary had never been one to follow rules.

So they had set out, preparing to sneak off in the night— until Mei had ratted them out. Mei, who Channary had told because she was her sister, and because she didn't want her to fret over her. Mei, who turned Kai over to King Ang Chan because she loved her sister so.

Kai had been going to meet Channary, waiting for her outside— waiting for a girl who would never run away with him.

And so the guards had captured Kai and thrown him into prison. They had set about, preparing for his execution: it was the guillotine for him.

But Kai was unable to die, as the King soon discovered; and that was how Kai ended up in a prison cell, deep in the dungeons of Cambodia's royal palace. A permanent resident of a royal cage.

The years had passed in a lonely sort of misery that he had grown accustomed during Selene's fifth reincarnation. An agony that he had accepted during his solitude, mourning the forth reincarnation and how he had failed so terribly.