Chapter 13

New times, old friends

As Cecil made his usual control walk the next evening, he spotted Kain sitting on a bench in the castle courtyard, obviously being deep in thought. The young King took together all his courage and sat down beside his friend.

"Good evening, Kain. How are you feeling?" he began, sounding more official than he wanted.

Kain gave him a quick glance. "Alright. It was just a scratch..." He pointed at his right arm, which was bandaged.

"It seems as if you saved the day again... Who knows what had happened if you hadn't gone off to the mountain..."

"Yes, maybe -- still the problems aren't all solved yet... Agart is destroyed, the entrance to the underworld is buried ..."

"And the astronomers say that the moon is coming nearer and nearer..." Kain finished the sentence.

"Yeah... and on top of that the old wizard on the mountain said that this was just the beginning. Rosa told me you met him, too..."

Kain did not move an inch and still stared blankly forward as if afraid to meet Cecil's eyes.

"Yes - in a minute that fiend had brought everything back again I tried to forget... The efforts of a year were turned aside in a minute. In that moment I realized how weak I really am..." His voice trailed off.

"Kain.. You still love Rosa, do you?" Cecil asked the question straight forward, without a sign of emotion.

Kain was completely silent for a moment, then he turned to the paladin. As Cecil looked in his eyes he saw an unbearable sorrow in them: "Yes... I do, and you can hate me for it, but the more I try to fight against it, the more I realize that there will never be another woman in my life next to her..." he said in a hoarse whisper.

Cecil didn't know what to say, although the answer was no surprise to him.

"But you don't have to fear Cecil... For Rosa there will never be another man besides you, and it is good this way. She loves you more than anything..."

"I know."

For a moment both were silent. Finally, Kain cleared his throat.

"Cecil, I want to apologize for what I said earlier as I told you that Rosa only deserved the best man -- she has already gotten him. And I was jealous about that..." He bowed his head.

Inside his mind, Cecil wondered if he was really such a good person, but kept the thought to himself...

"Cecil- please say something. I know that I've destroyed everything again, but I just can't love anyone else than her. I was so happy that Rosa was caring for me - I wanted it to last so I begged her, under false pretences, not to tell you anything... I was such a fool... If I had told you about the happenings on Mt. Ordeal earlier all this would not have happened..."

"And now?" Cecil knew that this was probably the most foolish thing to ask in this moment, but he couldn't think of anything better.

Kain looked at him in surprise. "You don't want to punish me or send me away after I've caused you so much trouble?"

"Do you want to go?"

"No... On the mountain I realized that though nothing could ever be like it was back than, I wanted to return to you to start again… To built a friendship grounded on trust..."

"Then do trust yourself, Kain... you have been fighting against these doubts and negative feelings all this time, haven't you?" Cecil laid a hand on the other's shoulder.

"Cecil... why..." Kain stammered.

His friend smiled, although a bit sadly. "Kain - we once were best friends and the three of us swore to stick together no matter what... We cannot bring the old times back, but we sure can start again. And we can fight together. As to for the thing with Rosa... You may need someone to watch you, so that you won't do foolish things again; I guess..."

"Yes - will you do it, Cecil?"

"Sure - I will have an eye on you. And besides we will find someone else for you..."

"You won't... It's hopeless."

"Ah, I don't know... How about an older woman- like Margaret..." Kain looked at him with a shocked expression in his eye. Then both young men had to laugh.

"Cecil..." Kain said after they had stopped laughing. "Thank you -- for everything. I will live up to your expectations, I promise."

"I know that you will," Cecil responded, the feeling of friendship once again flowing through him as it once had done so long ago.

"It may take time but we three of us will be together again- and this time for true..." They gave each other a short hug, feeling familiar in both an old and a new way.

"Cecil, as you said I should trust in myself your words reminded me of her..."

"Of her?"

"I would have fallen for the evil workings of the wizard completely, if it hadn't been for her. Such a beautiful woman... She found me as I was down on my knees being half mad about my own inner nature. Then she came, calmed, soothed me and told me just this: "Do trust in yourself..." But just now I understand what she meant..."

"Kain, did this woman was called by any chance "Dawn"?"

"Yes- I believe that was her name... Hey Cecil, what really happened to you on this mountain?"

"Well, that is a long story..." Cecil leaned back, and started to tell his friend what had happened, watching while talking the big, silent shape of the moon, completely forgetting all worries for a moment.

Next to a tree near the Castle Baron, a hooded, tall figure was watching the moon, too.

"Claudius may have failed. But he was right. It really IS just the beginning..." he whispered to himself.

The end of part one.