Crown of Glass (Heritier Lunes # 1)

Chapter 2

Bloodshot grey eyes ripped open as a thirteen year old Diamond quickly sat up, coughing and wheezing, clutching the collar of his nightgown. He woke from his usual yearly nightmare.

His eyes glanced at the grandfather's clock as a conditional move, a reflex, even if he knew what the time would be.

11:59, close to midnight.

It didn't surprise him anymore, he had expected this. These dreams had haunted him ever since the night he turned seven, six years ago.

He remembers only fragments of it, but as the years go by, he starts to recall most of them.

Diamond realized that his entire body froze and took a deep breath, he could feel his heart thumping overpowered by a lot of emotions: fear, shock, and desperation to get out. The sweat dripping down from his body is the evidence from that horrifying experience.

The sound of shattering glass that still sent shivers to his spine, the wicked and spiteful cackles that continued ringing in his ear. All of it felt real and it terrified him so much...

Every time he dreams of 'it', it becomes more frightening than the year before.

Same as every year, he stands up, lights his lamp and walks outside his room. The sounds of the palace comforted him.

It reminded him that he was still here, living.

"It seems that I'm the first to greet you with a happy birthday, as per usual."

"Amaury." He chuckled. "Are you not tired of me staring at the former rulers' portraits?"

"Nope, on the contrary, I haven't spent that much time with you nowadays. Might as well make the most out of it." His friend shrugged and placed a wrapped gift on his head.

"Now what gift will you give me this year? Weeds? Empty ink holders?" Amaury covered his face in embarrassment.

"You scoundrel. I was five or six around that time."

Amaury was never the best in Diamond tore through the makeshift wrapper with excitement and saw...

"...A chain?"

"Is it not tiring to carry around your mother's ring in a box? You refuse to wear it on your finger since it doesn't fit. Then I thought, why not use it as a necklace instead?"

"This is the first time you actually gave a decent gift..."

"What do you mean?!"

- - -

Veralis laid down on her father's lap as Rafael made two loose braids in her hair, like he usually did... like what her mother would have done. Moments like this were precious to her. Ever since her mother left, she devoted all her love towards her father.

It was her 13th birthday today and she hummed contentedly when Rafael stroked her hair.

"Are you happy?" Her father asked, looking down at her, continuously brushing the strands of her bangs.

"Of course I am. As long as I am with you, I'll be happy. I won't need to love anyone else." She innocently said.

"Glass lily, you shouldn't love just one person. Give your love to those who deserve it."

Veralis thought of her once beloved mother who left them with no explanation. Her father had wept that night, clinging to his tear stained pillow. The day after, he pretended that everything was okay... That everything was fine...

No crying. Not on my special day.

She bit her lip, "Did I waste my love by giving it to my mother?"

Her father frowned. Rafael squeezed her hands, sending her his warmth and love. "Love... is endless. It has no number, it has no limit. No matter how much wrong you think she has done, she is still your mother, and she loves you. I never regretted loving her."

"If she loved us, why did she leave?" For the first time in her life, she saw her father's cheerful orange eyes crumple. "I..."

Eyes that held sadness... or was it secrecy? Veralis couldn't tell.

Rafael then knelt and held her hand, smiling. "Promise me... promise me that you'll take care of yourself and learn to love others the same way I loved you, can you do that for me?"

Her father never asked her that before. She wanted to say yes, she really did. But she couldn't handle the pain of losing someone again.

Before Veralis could reply, she heard footsteps. Her father's expression had switched from joy, to surprise, to fear, and to rage. She had never seen him angry before...

"Ah, Rafael, fancy meeting you after all those years..." A deep voice had said and it filled her with unease. Rafael grasped his daughter's arms and glared behind her. Veralis turned and saw Wards in hooded white robes. The Ward in the middle wore a black one with silver linings that signified he was the High Ward.

"Felicien... what do you want?"

The mage smirked. "It seems that your beloved has been hiding something from us. Perhaps... you and Cadence have been hiding a secret that only I should know. You do know that violation of a Warden's privacy can mean severe punishment."

"Papa, what is he talking about? What heirs? Severe punishment?!"

Rafael bent down and looked her straight in the eye. "Veralis, you need to escape."

"Why?! I'm not running away like my mother did!" She protested.

"It doesn't matter. It's not a choice, Veralis. It's an order, a request... Please!" He desperately exclaimed.

"Ah, this glass lily you're talking to. She's your daughter isn't she?" The High Ward's voice was getting on her nerves.

"Papa?" Veralis tried to ask but he ignored her.

Kissing her on the cheek, he slipped a silver ring on her finger. "Run." He whispered and smiled, pushing her away from him. "RUN!"

Slowly backing away, still confused, she turned and ran as fast as she could. Her bare feet were cold and the warm white shawl around her shoulders was forgotten on the damp soil, but she continued... hopeful that her father will come find her like how he always did when they played hide and seek.

Yeah... just like hide and seek.

Shatter.

Veralis paused as she heard that traumatizing sound even from a distance, "Papa?"

She wanted to deny this. No, her father didn't die, he didn't! They had to see each other again, they had to! Today was her birthday and she knew that her father planned something for her like how he always did!

"No... No..." Careless whispers were heard and acknowledged by nothing but the howling wind. Her white linen dress was muddy and wet from the dirt and tears.

Biting her reddened lip, tears fell from her eyes. The Wards had killed her father, he was never going to return! No longer can she feel his soft kisses, his loving caresses.

We never even properly said goodbye...

Her heart bursting into pieces, she screamed so loud until her voice turned hoarse, the birds that rested on the trees flew in all directions. She continued screaming, burying her head on the ground.

"No! No! NO!" Her head felt so painful that she dragged her nails on her scalp, paying no attention to the tormenting feeling.

Veralis grabbed a sharp stick on the ground and continuously scratched her wrists only to agonizingly wail as the wounds healed again. Kneeling on the ground, she clutched dirty soil and clenched her fists.

She continued screaming in anguish as she ran, the wind howling almost as loud as her cry.

"Promise me... promise me that you'll take care of yourself and learn to love others the same way I loved you, can you do that for me?"

Recalling her father's question, Veralis grabbed her head with both hands and whispered under her breath the answer.

"I... I can't."