Serine
Seventeen years later.
"Wake up, M'lady, your sister is bound to leave any minute now." I feel two hands shake me slightly from my slumber. I open my eyes, seeing that the person waking me was my lady-in-waiting. I slightly got up to stretch. "I'm up, Kelsey," I groaned, "Thank you." "You're welcome, Your Highness," Kelsey said, retreating.
I was pissed at Eraila for leaving to marry a faraway King. Father had said it was to help the relationship between Bromithel and Azmith, but at the time, I didn't understand why, and now I regret not knowing so. Being the youngest of 7, and 25 years old, I did not believe I had to pay too much attention to my lessons. Only enough to understand reading and writing, the history of Azmith and the rest of the continent, social cues, but not politics. Now that Eraila, the 3rd eldest, was leaving, I regretted not paying more attention to my endless political lessons with Mr. Brufurd. I would miss her deeply and hope that everything went fine.
After looking for something to wear, I chose a Pale blue dress. It was long and covered my arms and neck. The hemline was longer than the floor length, making it hard for anyone without practice to walk in. After putting on some makeup to look presentable and some nice matching midnight blue heels, I headed towards the dining room. There, seated at the end of the table, were the triplets Jen, Derin, and Frenki, snickering about their latest prank. Amateurs, I thought. Androis, the eldest, was talking with his wife, Marylint, whilst carrying his son Jamsen in a tight hold. Roilisk, in the meantime, was caring for his pregnant wife, Hartlyn.
The oh so wise queen that gave birth to me, the person I must call mother, and my father, King Dominik, were conversing with Eraila. They brought her into a tearful embrace as I watched on the side. Waiting for my turn to say farewell. Androis had let Jamsen go. The little 12-year-old scamp ran and bumped into his best friend Brilliona, who seemed as if she had just awakened. The little girl was just a visitor who stayed over once in a while for a week or a month. She was a new addition to the foster farmers over the hillside, far from the capital.
Abruptly, a knight had entered, stopping my train of thought. "Princess Eraila Trenla Phathalo of Azmith, your carriage and entourage have arrived," he proclaimed. "I'll be there in a minute," she answered, "Ruana?" I turned to her, tears falling quietly. "It's going to be fine," she assured me, tears falling from her eyes, "I'll be back to visit before you know it." "I'll miss you, Eraila," I told her, "And don't forget me, please." "I won't," she replied. I gave her a quick hug and accepted the fact that she was leaving. She dried the tears from her eyes and quickly turned and walked to her carriage with Jen and Derin following behind.
"Ruana," my mother said, "With your sister gone, it is now time that you start searching for a suitor." I stared at her in disbelief. My sister had just left, and this woman wanted me to find a husband. "Really, Mother? Now? Of all og the times, you want to talk about my finding a suitor?" I glared at her for a few more seconds, rolled my eyes at her, and walked away. I should have known she was going to be more difficult after Eraila had left. I walked and walked until I entered the gardens.
The smell of the flowers filled me, and I immediately calmed down. I loved being here. As a child, I would stroll down here with my father after my mother would punish me. It was the only thing that would comfort me. I started to walk to the back wall of the garden where the vines were. I moved some of the vines to the side until I found the brick. I grabbed it and pulled it out of its socket gently. I then reached into the small hole and grabbed the seeds that were in there. I turned to see if anyone was following me. I then turned back and looked at the seeds I had in my hands. They were forbidden in our kingdom. The black daisy, blue sunflower, and yellow bonnets were never allowed to be planted after they were found to be poisonous and infectious to the other crops.
"Hello there," came a voice from behind me. Startled, I almost dropped the seeds. I slowly turned my head around and saw Jamsen and Brilliona looking straight at me. My eyes widened and I slowly waved at him, greeting him, "Hello there, Jamsen…what are you doing..here?" "Brilliona was just telling me a story!" He exclaimed. "About what?" I asked. "I was telling him the story of how the king of Bromithel became king at such a young age," she intervened. She continues with her story, "And the weird part is that the Zarinoans were using different magic curses than the ones known of in the present. As if someone had given them more resources to end Bromithel. The late king died, using the curse of the crown. Which is passed down through each king who wears the crown. It states that every time the king uses magic from the crown, it takes away an amount from his lifespan."
I started to get noticeably bored with listening to her storytelling. Brilliona gets up, "Well, we have to get going, Jamsen. Princess Ruana must be busy," I stand up and just stare at them for a while. "Okay then…uhm… I'll see you guys later," I told them, "Don't do anything…stupid." "OK!!" They both exclaimed. James grabbed Bella's hand and pulled her away. I made sure they were gone before I turned around and grabbed all the seeds that were left. I had vowed to myself ages ago to get rid of them. I could not have anyone find them. I just couldn't. I don't know how the fuck it works, but if someone found these seeds they somehow get horrendously sick. I didn't, though, but either way, I started to leave. Before leaving to go to the kitchen, I made sure I put the brick back in place and made sure the vines covered the place again. I started to quickly walk to the kitchen and made sure no one was following me. I got to the kitchen and lit a match to burn them in a fire. The fire started quickly, and before someone came in, I immediately threw the seeds into the blazing fire.
"Ruana?" Someone asked from behind me. I froze, knowing Andy was right behind me. "Hello there, Androis… didn't expect you to be here," I stammered. " You're burning those seeds of yours again?" He pondered. "Yes, yes, I am," I answered curtly. He massages his temple," The number of times I've caught you doing this," he says calmly. "Too many times," I responded. "Exactly," he returned, "Well, I'm only looking for you to tell you that Dad is lookin' for ya." "What for?" I asked. "As if I knew," he said, retreating.
I stared at where he stood seconds ago, wondering what my father wanted out of me. I looked back at the fire burning behind me. I stayed in that position for a while, not caring if I was late. I knew my mum was going to be there. I knew she had forced my dad to call for me. I felt horrid, especially with Androis. Being the crown prince meant that he got the brunt of it when my mom became stern. She used to never be like that until the moment the Zarinoans started to invade Azmith. I despised how those fuckers could just think that since we have a shit ton of people they could just come here and take my people's land. My brother had to worry about shit our parents should be worrying about. Our mum especially made him remember that he is soon to be crowned, because he's 31 and that's already too old. Everybody trusted him to be the one to 'save them.'
I wondered what would've happened if Eraila were the oldest. She was my favorite sibling, and not because she was the only other girl. We had a 2-year difference between us and were both eligible for a suitor. But the man she had chosen wasn't allowed to marry her since my father had made the deal before I was born 30 years ago, and since she was the first girl born in the family, she would be the one to marry the crown prince, now king, of Bromithel. She despised being forced to do this, but understood why. Our mum told her it would elevate her status. Being the third eldest, she didn't have to marry for power, but she still chose Agrev Shire, who was a lord. She loved him deeply, and now she was moving to the other side of the land, to be with a stranger. I only wanted her to be happy, but she's now in this situation. I had been pissed with her for making a decision only she could make. She forgave me for being mad for days on end.
Knowing I would lose myself in the sorrow of my sister leaving, I put myself together and walked out. I knew my father would be in his office in the library. The winding hallways gave me time to think about what would be asked of me and what I would say. If I messed up, I would be in grave trouble with my mother. She could be… strict when it came to etiquette and obedience. Either way, my father would tell me what was wrong, and I would be on my merry way. I got to the doors of the office. I barely got a chance to knock when the doors swung open.
"Serine, I see you took your time to come." My father looked at me with worry flashing in his eyes, "How are you feeling?" "Not great," I looked around, noticing my mother pretending to read a book, "My sister left, and now I'm expected to marry." "Well, we have a proposal," my mother said, looking intently at me. I glared back at her, "I won't marry." "WHAT?!" My mother looked at my father, and he just shrugged at her. "I won't marry a stranger," I repeated. "Your sister is, and she's fine." "She just left, and also for your information, I'm not her." She turned around, preparing to leave. "You have to, it's tradition," she just kept looking back at my father, expecting him to back her up. "Well, listen here, I am not going to, not for now."
I walked out, ignoring her commands for me to return. I was not about to go and get myself married without falling in love. I did not want to be in the same position my sister was in. I walked back to my room, wanting a second of peace. My room was pretty spacious, with ceilings so high, it took a very long time and a very long ladder just to fix the chandelier. Magic ran everywhere and was so powerful that if not handled carefully, it could kill. I don't know how the workers survived, but they somehow got the work done, and it looks as wonderful as ever. People could have warm baths without having to preheat them over a fire. They could also have light with the flick of a switch.
I kept the lights off and lit a few candles. I walked to the balcony and towards the railing. I could see the whole city of Hardel, the capital of Azmith. It was beautiful at night and during the day. The walls surrounding the city were not far. Across them were the farms and hills. I could see a man walking on the paved road that looked to be across the apothecary. With him seemed to be a woman who looked at him dearly. How they stared into each other's eyes with yearning and dearness melted my heart. I didn't know these people, but I still wished the best for them. It broke my heart to know that my sister would never be able to get that love back to her unless she found someone else while being married to the foreign king. That went against everything she believed. I sighed. Thinking about my sister was only going to make me miss her more than I needed to.
I went back into my room and straight into the bathing chamber. I turned on the warm water and left it there so it could fill. I undressed myself and went inside the tub. The water went all the way up to my chest. I stared into oblivion for a while, not knowing what to do with all that was going on. I was confused and scared of what was to come in the future.
I got out after a while of soaking in the water. It went cold after being in there for an hour or so. I got up and wrapped a towel, one around my head and one around my body. I got out of the bathing chamber and into my room. I traipsed to my huge walk-in closet. I picked a Persian blue walking dress that was floor length, an admiral blue scarf, boysenberry-colored boots, and dark sapphire gloves. I walked as quickly as I could to get out of the castle, but I knew I couldn't do that without being caught by either one of my siblings or one of the guards, who I knew would most likely tell my parents.
I searched for one of the entrances to the tunnels the servants used, knowing that my friends wouldn't rat me out. I quickly navigated through the winding tunnels, making sure to get out through the right door. I made sure to look around before exiting, knowing someone was bound to be in the tunnels right now. After looking back, I walked out the doors and noticed I was near the plaza where multiple people were gathering around a man. "I SAW IT WITH MY OWN EYES," he yelled. "Stop spreading tall tales, Varectnot," another man complained, "Everyone here knows about the crimes you've committed, like fratricide!" Everyone gathered around the other man, who I figured was Thomas, a man who was known to also cause havoc. They started to whisper and nod as if what they heard was true. "That is a rumor that was spread by Indron," the man named Varectnot murmured, "You know this already, Thomas, we had been friends before you became this- this-this monster!" "HA!" Thomas laughed, " Me? A monster?" Varectnot yelled, "You know that what I've been telling these people about is true! Those tall tales we were told when we were children, of another land far away, filled with monsters of different kinds, that are as intelligent as human beings and elves, probably even more, are as true as the history books we read in school. So don't you dare call me a liar!" "Those tales of creatures in a faraway land could simply not be true," an old lady called out. "She is not wrong, it couldn't be true. It would go against everything the Upper Righteousness has told us," a middle-aged man agreed. I stood there for a while longer, in shock at what I had just heard. This can't be true. Another land? Near Zarinoe? Could that be the reason for the strange dark magic they used in the battle of Neverend? I turned around and walked away from the commotion that I knew would attract the guards sooner or later.
I quickly sprinted to the nearest shop that I could find. I went inside and found an assortment of items, from healing herbs to various forms of liquor. I got lost in thought, remembering the name the man spoke. Indron, wasn't it? Isn't he one of the new members of the court? "Welcome to my shop, Nicknacks," called out a male voice behind me, "Why it's a surprise to have the Princess of Azmith here." "What?!" I inquired, turning around. "Why, the bejeweled gloves gave it away, so did the way you cover your face," the man said, " Where are my manners? Hello, Your Highness, my name is Rayons, but you may call me Ray, and I run this shop along with my 20-year-old son, Javick. Well, sometimes. He mostly works up North." "Well… thank you, Ray, for your kindness. No need to address me in such a way either," I greeted, "Urm, do you by any chance know a way to get to the, well I don't remember its name, crap... never mind." "Why, m'lady, I can help you find this… place of yours," Ray inquired. "Well, it's far up northwest, but I just need the directions so I can go later," I explained, "It's the…uh… biggest Inn in the northern area, I believe." "OH! You're talking about my friend's inn. Dillani's Inn. It's quite cozy. I've been there every time I leave my home to work here. It's bi,g though, so many may see you, princess." "Thank you for the warning, I want to know, for the future," I curtsy, "I will get going now, farewell." "By the way, princess," Ray inquired, "Be careful of the townsfolk, they tend to get… obnoxious when they see royalty. I'm one of the very few that will respect you." I nodded a thank you and walked out.
~
I quickly went back to the castle, making sure to go through the servant tunnels. I made it to my room so I could change and be ready for lunch. The queen waits for me across the hall. "Hello, mother…" I greet, giving a small curtsy. "Hello Ruana," she nods her head slightly, "Walk with me." "Yes, mother," I replied. We walked to the dining room. I sat across from my father and looked around. "Where are the others?" I asked. "They are… giving us some space," Queen Eliza responds. "For what, my lady?" my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don't take that tone with me, young lady," she warns, "we are going to go over the proposal." "No. Simply no," I bluntly said. I get up from my seat, "I will take my leave now." "Ruana Phathalo, you return this instant," my father orders. "For what, father? To marry someone I probably will never love, or someone who is twice as old as I am? Because, as far as I know, that is not what I want, and I am not confined to forced marriage as Eraila was, I get to choose. Which is what I am going to do. I will choose who I will marry. I will choose who I will spend the rest of my days with."
I leave the suffocating study and head towards the kitchen. It is already bustling with servants, readying for dinner. I come across a male servant cutting the vegetables. "Hello, Your Highness!" He says. "Hello, sir. May I have an apple?" The servant nods his head and hands me an apple, "Here you go, Your Highness." I thank him and walk to my room.
I shut the door and lock it behind me as I am confined in the safety of my room. I walk around my room, pacing back and forth in front of my bed. I eat my apple, the sound of crunching filling the room. What will I do now? I think my parents are going to force me to marry someone. Well. Maybe not. Maybe yes, who knows because they do like to fuck up my life. I sit at the end of my bed and keep eating my apple. I look up at the ceiling and admire my artwork. I trace the swirls and spots mid-air with my finger. I remember the time when I was free to paint all over my room. Now I am confined to canvases and paper. My mind wanders to what it would've been like if my parents had chosen not to conceive me. What it would've been like if I were born into a poorer family. If I were born into a family built around trust and love, not the need for power and wealth. I know that my brothers and sisters are full of love, but only because they found someone they learned to fall in love with. My parents never loved each other. They were arranged to be together from the day they were born, but they didn't fall for each other even after they married. I have only loved one boy, but he is gone. My heart broke that day, but I knew that his… leave was inevitable. I moved on from that day, but I still wonder how life could've been different if he had stayed, or if my parents loved each other. I also blamed my mother's heartlessness on me, for after my birth, my mother became cold. That is who I grew up with, a cold woman, while my siblings grew up with a kindhearted woman whom I will never meet. How different my life would've been if my mother had never rejected me, or if she had shown me love.
I keep pacing my room for a few hours. I lose track of time, and when I snap out of my thoughts, I notice it is dark out. I walked to my balcony and looked over the city. I saw the couple that was walking earlier that morning. I felt a small smile come to my face. I watched as the lights came on at different places. A few of the people of the capital, Hardel, came out of their houses to enjoy a nice dinner out of their homes. As Hardel buzzed with nightlife. I looked over the city, towards the everlasting fields. I watched as a few people were still working in their fields. Some are picking crops, others tending to their animals. I let out a sigh, wishing that my room wasn't guarded at night. I wish I could go out there and enjoy the night and the ocean breeze. I look out to the sea and spot a few people and families walking on the sandy beach. The moonlight reflects off the sea, bright enough for the beach to be seen, for the people in the fields to be seen.
I walk back inside my room, shutting the balcony doors behind me. "Shit! Oh my gods," I shrieked, "Frenki? What the fuck are you doing here. It is 11:30 at fucking night!" "Sorry, Ruana, but I wanted to ask if you knew the name of that one book," Frenki apologizes. "Don't tell me you're looking for that science book. Again," I ask. "Yeah…" he admits. "I believe it's called "Alarian's Guide for the Misfortunate at Planting,' why do you ask?" I told him. "Thanks, I just wanted to plant a rose bush, but it died the day after…" He shyly responds. "It's ok. Now get out, would you? Good night, Frenki." I dismissed him. "Night, Ruana," he closes the door, and I lock it again, wondering how he came in. I walk to my wardrobe and pull out my nightgown. I strip my dress off, letting it fall to the ground. I am so tired, I think to myself. I slip on the loose nightgown after taking my undergarments off. I sluggishly walk to my bed. Let's hope everything is better tomorrow.