You as his wife, remembered the days when he would sweep our son, Dark Choco Cookie, into his arms, a rare, soft smile gracing his stern features as the boy giggled.

But that was before Affogato Cookie became his Royal Advisor.

Affogato, with his smooth words and calculating eyes, whispered of duty, of strength forged in fire, of a legacy that demanded unrelenting discipline. He spoke of Dark Choco Cookie needing to be hardened, to be a weapon, not just a king. Your husband, always burdened by the weight of his kingdom, began to listen.

"He needs to understand the true meaning of power, Y/n," Dark Cacao would declare, his voice like grinding stone, as Dark Choco returned from another grueling training session, his small shoulders slumped, his eyes shadowed with a fear you’d never wanted to see there. "Affogato says this is the way. To be unbreakable."

"My love," you pleaded, your voice soft but firm, "you are breaking his spirit, not hardening it. He needs guidance, not just unyielding demands. He needs your love, not just your command."

But his eyes, once pools of warm eyes, were now like glaciers. "You do not understand the weight of the throne, woman. He must be ready."

Your heart splintered with each passing day. Dark Choco Cookie grew withdrawn, his laughter rare, his movements stiff with unspoken fear. The breaking point came one frigid evening, after Dark Choco had collapsed from exhaustion during a training drill, and Affogato had merely tutted, urging Dark Cacao to push him harder. Your husband, his face a mask of conflicted determination, had agreed.

That night, under the cloak of the new moon, you found Dark Choco Cookie huddled in his bed, silent tears tracing paths down his cheeks. Your decision solidified. as a Queen, yes, but first, you was a mother.

You gently woke my son. "We're going on an adventure, my sweet," you whispered, holding back my own tears. He clung to you, small and trusting, past the silent guards, past the towering walls of the Dark Cacao kingdom.

You found refuge in a secluded cabin, abandoned but sturdy, nestled beside a babbling brook. and it was safe.

Your brother, Chocolate Bark Cookie, a wise and gentle warrior who had always disapproved of Affogato's influence, found you two weeks later. He stayed, becoming our protector and, crucially, Dark Choco Cookie's second mentor.

Together, Chocolate Bark Cookie and you trained Dark Choco, but not in the harsh, unforgiving ways of the kingdom. You and him taught him the rhythms of the forest, the strength of the earth beneath his feet. Your brother taught him combat while you taught him intelligence.

Years passed. The pain of leaving Dark Cacao never truly faded, but it dulled, replaced by the fierce joy of seeing your son flourish.

Then, one crisp snowy afternoon, a shadow fell across the cabin door.

Your heart leaped into your throat. Standing there, silhouetted against the setting sun, was Dark Cacao Cookie. His armor was still formidable, his cape still billowed with the wind, but he looked… older. Worn. Then his gaze landed on you, then on Dark Choco Cookie, who had emerged from the cabin, holding a whittled wooden bird.

Dark Choco, now a young warrior, stood tall, his stance calm, not recoiling in fear as he once would have. His eyes, so like his father's, met Dark Cacao's with a quiet, assessing gaze.

Dark Cacao looked at his son – not the broken, fearful child he had tried to mold, but a confident, capable young man, brimming with a quiet integrity. His gaze swept over the cabin, so modest yet radiating peace. He looked at you, standing defiant yet protective, years of silent accusation in your eyes.

And then, before your very eyes, the formidable Dark Cacao Cookie, the unyielding king, dropped to his knees. His helmet clattered softly on the pine needles. He covered his face with gauntleted hands, and through the quiet forest, you heard it – a choked, guttural sound, the sound of a man weeping uncontrollably, years of regret, loss, and crushing realization finally breaking free.

Dark Cacao: I’m so sorry…