Ascension of Ambers

towards the flame -- i

"What fire does not destroy, it hardens." ~ Oscar Wilde

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 The blaring sounds of Ninjago's downtown were as clear as day even from her bedroom. The sun's rays hit her stoic face, she found the sunshine not as fulfilling as they used to be. There was something missing. She couldn't put her finger on what exactly it was, but the sun felt emptier, colder than the way it did just the day before. Although something was missing, she felt somehow fulfilled. She felt lighter. Maybe the sun rays did too; maybe that was the reason why they were so cold. 

"The Emperor and Empress were found dead at 58 and 35 in a tragic event leaving their only daughter, Jade Princess Harumi, who recently turned 15 as the new Empress of Ninjago. Many of Ninjago's citizens have not even realized the existence of a Ninjagan royal family, as the latest reportage on the Jade family was 19 years ago." Gayle Gossip's hyper voice exclaimed, suddenly ripping her out from her thoughts. As quickly as the information appeared she realized that her TV was never turned off.

The camera panned over to the Imperial Palace, with large decorations placed all around in celebration of her enthronement ceremony. A crowd could be seen right in front of the main gate where several storefronts were placed along the sides. She could easily guess that their intention was to catch a glimpse of her. If they could wait a little more, she'd make sure to fulfill their curiosity.

In the corner, she saw an electric blue gi poking out on top of one of a store's roofs. It appeared for only a second, but she instantly recognized it. A wave of disgust washed over her and her once expressionless face grimaced and flashed a sign of pure venom. It took all she had to not throw something at the TV.

A soft knock knocked her out of her anger. Her venomous look was swiftly replaced with indifference. Harumi found the remote and switched the TV off.

"Come in," she coldly called out.

The handmaiden that came in bowed before her. She carried a small box with her. The box was forest green, with golden drawings of the lotus flower, one of the symbols of the royal family. The box matched her ceremonial clothing.

"My Princess, I have brought before you a box of accessories to wear."

The handmaiden held out the box towards Harumi. Her hands shook slightly as every second passed. With a drawn out sigh, Harumi took it and placed it on the vanity table.

"You don't have to call me by my title."

"My Princess, that is unthinkable!" The maid kept her head down.

"It's an order."

"...then what shall I call you?" Harumi heard the maid's voice quivering. She didn't want the maid to be afraid; after all, she had been serving her for months diligently.

"Whatever you would like. Raise your head as well, I can't have someone serve me without being able to look at me."

"O-of course."

Her head snapped up to meet Harumi's eyes. The corner of Harumi's lips raised up to form a small smile.

"Good. Now help me with my makeup," she pointed towards the open makeup stand on her vanity table. Harumi took a seat on a nearby stool, facing parallel to the mirror. The maid carefully picked up a brush and started applying her makeup. The face paint that she wore was almost the same as usual, filling Harumi with a safe sense of familiarness. The somewhat positive feeling was quickly over when she noticed that the maid picked out a darker shade of red for her lips and cheeks. That particular shade of red was reserved for her imperial mother. With furrowed eyebrows she looked at the face paint and quickly regained her neutral and everyday posture.