Chroma and Achromos

Chapter 2: The Cain

Achromos averted his gaze from the document in his hand and found Chroma asleep. I don't know how long he's never seen a woman sleep in front of him. Maybe since childhood. The last face he remembered was the face of his mother who 'sleep' for good, with her head separated from her body. Just remembering it makes Achromos feel bad.

He then got up and sat down next to Chroma, watching the face of the girl in front of him who was sound asleep. The sunlight that penetrated through the window made the dust in the air look dancing around it. The white dress she wore made her look like a sleeping princess. Well, she was a sleeping princess, but that's not what Achromos meant.

I don't know why Chroma's face looks so peaceful. Like a child without sin. His skin was blushing white without any spotting except for a mole under his eyes. Her hair is straight and shiny. Her eyelashes are long and plump. Her body looked even more petite with a fluffy dress, making it seem as if she was drowning in it. Without realizing it, Achromos' hand touched Chroma's cheek. He felt the warmth of Chroma's body which signified that this girl was really alive.

Thank goodness, innards.

Chroma suddenly turned her face away, making Achromos startled and instantly pulled her hand. Then he realized what he had just done.

L'm.. What the hell am I doing??

Achromos immediately went from Chroma's side and out of his study. He then slammed an urn on the hallway.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" A man in a white military uniform appeared from behind the door of the room at the end of the hallway. He then approached Achromos who seemed to lose his composure.

"Cain," he said in a stifled voice. "The woman's husband is from my palace right now!"

Cain looked at Achromos calmly, then nodded without asking further.

"Okay, Your Majesty." The answer.

*

A pair of hands supported Chroma's tiny body casually. Chroma felt her body being gently embraced by someone, making her slowly open her eyes. He saw a man in a white military uniform with golden hair carrying his body.

"Geez!!!" He jumped from the man's arms after trying to process what was going on. Chroma looked at him with a suspicious and alert look—ready to attack that person at any time.

Holy hooch! So bad!! I asleep?? Since when have I been this careless?? It's in the heart.

"Who are you? What do you want me to do?" Ask Chroma.

The man stared at Chroma flatly. He was lazy to explain everything to Chroma, but inevitably he had to explain it.

"My name is Cain, the younger brother of King Achromos." Answer's flat.

Chroma surprised. He never heard anything about Achromos having a younger brother—ia only ever heard Achromos had an older brother named Chlari. After all, their hair color was different— in Chraz Kingdom, the entire royal family had jet black hair.

"Yes, of course you don't believe." Timpal Cain could read Chroma's mind.

"No," Chroma said as she removed her watchful gaze. "i believe."

Cain looked at Chroma, still with a flat gaze. There is a pretty long pause—about three minutes—so Chroma started to feel uncomfortable. Cain was still staring at Chroma.

"Then" said Chroma breaking the silence. "can you explain why you suddenly carried me?"

Cain looked at Chroma with a reluctant look, but he finally opened his voice.

"I was asked by King Achromos to drive you out of the palace. But since you're fast asleep, I don't want to wake you up, so I intend to carry you all the way to the Kingdom of Hecca."

Chroma gawked at the words of Cain.

Carrying me all the way to the Kingdom of Hecca? Not wrong? His inner.

"Take me to the horse-drawn carriage, you mean?" Chroma asked, trying to confirm her conjecture.

"Well.." Cain was silent for a moment. He seems to be thinking. "I just remembered there's a horse-drawn carriage."

Chroma was again made gawk by Cain's answer. He became increasingly unsure Cain was the younger brother of Achromos. Achromos the Dark King! Very not similar!

"Then you mean to carry me all the way to the Kingdom of Hecca on foot??" Chroma's voice echoed slightly in that vast hallway.

"Yes.." Answer Cain flatly.

"Do you know how far is the distance between Chraz and Hecca?"

"Yes.."

"And you're thinking of walking there holding me?"

"You're not heavy."

Chroma really did not believe the man before her. What kind of creature is he really? Honestly Chroma wanted to hit him once or twice because he was holding him, but somehow his desire receded as soon as he heard the answer coming out of Cain's mouth.

"That's not the problem.. Ah, stop!" Chroma.

"Then?" Ask Cain.

"Then what?"

"Do you want me to take a carriage or ride a carriage?" From Cain's face, it was seen that he asked seriously. Chroma paused for a moment, enduring her mixed feelings.

"Horse train!" Exclaims.

•••

The pace of the horse carriage slowly slowed down and finally stopped in front of the palace. Chroma dropped down quickly and took off her troublesome high heels. He then walked to his room.

"Achromos and Cain, huh?" Whispers slowly.

Suddenly, a faint flash of memory appeared in his head. He immediately stopped stepping. Somehow the names Achromos and Cain felt so familiar, even though before he felt ordinary. Bizarrely.

Chroma tried to recall something about Achromos and Cain, but could not. Maybe it was just my feelings, he thought. He walked back and entered his room.

Tok tok tok tok

The sound of knocking on the door made Chroma who was removing her dress quickly grab the clothes that were on the bed. After putting on his clothes, he immediately opened the door.

"Miss Chroma," the owner of the voice looks so neat with a bodyguard outfit that looks a little different—more luxurious with sea blue color—from the clothes of other bodyguards. Must be the king's personal bodyguard, Inner Chroma.

"What's wrong?" Ask Chroma.

"Your Majesty the King asks you to see him." Said the guard.

Chroma. He was lazy to mince words with the king and had to say every sentence respectfully, formally, and rigidly. But he had no other choice. He took a long breath.

"okay." Answer's short.

Chroma followed in the footsteps of the guard who was wide lazily. His little legs were unable to equalize the pace with the tall bodyguard.

You are insensitive, Chroma.

The bodyguard then stopped in front of an unusually luxurious door and knocked on it. That door height makes no sense to Chroma. After all, there could be no human who was three meters tall.

"Your Majesty, Miss Chroma has arrived." Said the guard.

"Bring him in." Heavy voices behind the door.

Slowly, the big door opened. A bright light pierced Chroma's eyes. He could see the luxurious lights of the crystal that lit up brightly. He followed the guard and entered the room. The bodyguard lowered his head towards the old man sitting on the throne, then stood next to him.

Chroma stood before the old man lazily. He only uses his daily clothes—long-sleeved white clothes and white shorts. He felt that dressing up was not important, no matter when he met the king though.

"Miss Chroma," said the hoarse and heavy-sounding voice, "thank you for accepting our offer."

These pleasantries again, Inner Chroma.

"Sure, Your Majesty." Reply Chroma with a smile.

"How did you meet Achromos?" tanyakanya.

"Yes, fine. He waited for me and strangled me to death, and I was cast out of the palace." Answer Chroma flat.

The king and his guards glared at Chroma speaking with a flat face.

"Then? How's proceeding?" The king asked anxiously, feeling grateful not his daughter who was in Chroma's position.

"Yes, as you can see, Your Majesty. I'm still alive." Chroma Timpal.

"Miss Chroma, you know what you do, don't you?" Ask the king doubtfully.

"Sure, Your Majesty. I will do my job well. I have never failed and I will never fail." Chroma said for sure.

The king cleared his throat and leaned his back to the throne.

"Well, from now on you have to report whatever happened to Achromos to my bodyguard, Vhor. Now you can go." Pinta king.

"By pleasure, Your Majesty." Chroma lowered her head then left the dazzling room quietly.

"Vhor, I need you to watch him properly." The king said to Vhor.

"Okay, Your Majesty." Answer Vhor firmly.

•••

Chroma walked out of the king's room with her small steps in a hurry. He felt the king had another purpose behind his mission this time.

"The old man made me feel bad." His whisper.

The 9th King of the Kingdom of Hecca, Shevo, is the only king who has no royal blood. His wife, the 15th Queen Hecca, was a direct descendant of the 8th king. Shevo only comes from the common people, who happened to meet the queen at the spring festival when the queen ran away from the palace. The queen was being asked for gold coins by a group of bandits before being helped by Shevo. The queen fell in love and eventually married her 18 years ago. When Jane was 5 years old, the queen died of illness until the throne fell to Shevo.

The odd thing for Chroma is the death of the queen which coincides with the day Jane lost her memory. Yes, Jane—according to information obtained by Chroma through investigation—memory loss after the sudden death of her mother. The king was outside the kingdom, so his alibi was perfect. So, what happened to Jane until she lost her memory? The king announced to his people that Jane had lost her memory in shock over her mother's death.

But, is that really so? Inner Chroma.

Ah, nevermind! My only job is one, I don't have to take care of anything else. It's just hard, I guess again.

Chroma then immediately entered her room and closed the door tightly.

———