veiled hearts

ten

"May the gods guide you, Princess Lyra," The lord stated as I bowed before him, smiling under my veil due to the flickery recollection of him allowing me to attend the masquerade ball the last time I entered this room.

I know, yes. The masquerade was a tragedy, but he still considered and fulfilled my lifelong wishes, and that was certainly a thing I would never expect him to do. Plus he had smiled after giving me the statement. I had never seen this man smile before.

Eiran stood behind me, not entirely behind my body but almost to my side, I heard him breathe roughly and saw him in the corner of my eye. He was staring at the ground, but his face was still up. He usually always had his eyes on the person he faced, but he seemed... scared? No. That can't be.

"I've well... I have calculated the current situation we seem to be having in the castle behind the walls of the Risen Kingdom of Luminae," He stepped forward, holding parchment sheets in his right hand, and he sighed... He sighed. This could not be good news. I shifted my hands behind my back, trying to hide my slightly shaking hands. Not only was I scared of the way he acted, but the fact that a memory of me escaping the castle the night before decided to flash in my head. I popped my eyes open after remembering, hoping that he hadn't caught me doing such.

Then the look of Eiran's eyes gathered across my mind. He acted unusually stiff today, showing some lack of confidence. The shine in his eyes was no longer emerald green, the one I loved and acknowledged every day, how hadn't I noticed? How could I be so dumb? How could I not know? How did I—.

"You are no longer staying in this castle, and will not return until further notice." What? No. "Tomorrow, your new home will be Crownsgate, princess. The queen wants you there to keep you safe,"

"But the queen–." I was cut off by a shout.

"You do not have the right to interrupt me!" I jolted, pushing myself back a couple of steps after hearing this man rage at me without hesitation.

The current queen didn't have a preference between both of the divine kingdoms. Or at least she wasn't allowed to because otherwise—Oh!?

"We have come to..." He kept pausing every couple of words, "To certain terms," he continued speaking casually as if he had not just absolutely lost his temper only some seconds ago. "We will have the crown, princess. The throne will be ours."

Oh.

The words "we" and "ours" made no sense at all. I wanted to speak, I wanted to say it so bad. Tell him that the crown would be no one else's but mine.

I deserved it. They had already taken too much from me.

"Your questions will be answered once you reach the crown, by that I mean, when you see the queen once you get to the capital. The only information we have for now is that we have been asked by the crown to transport you there as soon as possible."

"But, must that be tomorrow? I won't have enough time to say goodbye. I have been raised in this castle, and have never left before, now I'm expected to leave just like that?" A deep sigh left The Lord's lips as I spoke. Wow, my words made me realize so much.

I never actually appreciated this place and always begged to leave, but now that I'm asked to leave, I just can't even think of it, it can't cross my mind.

"You'll be taken to the capital and protected by the Crown's guards, princess. It's either that or staying here to get killed." The Lord uttered. I turned around to look at Eiran, he knew all of this. I knit my brows as I looked at him, he looked down at the ground but clenched his jaw.

I thought of it a little further until I realized there was no point, I had already lost everything, but I was not going to allow the total reign to be taken from me by some evil, bratty prince. I had worked hard for this, I should earn it, I had to become the first sacred queen of Arcanter.

"Fine," Eyes were set on me after I spoke. "I'll go."

"Lyra wait-."

"Silence, Smith. We'll be leaving tomorrow, I'll earn that crown." I watched The Lord smirk like I never had before. He bowed before me and took a deep breath.

"Your maiden will go with you, princess, and so will your guard. You will be accompanied by the main group of royal guards to head to the capital in the morning. If you're lucky, it won't take more than a day to get there, yet just in case it gets too late the neighbouring town will welcome you with open arms."

And just like that my future was settled.

I would get to Crownsgate, gain the trust of many and be easily welcomed and hoped for to be their queen, just as it was always supposed to be, like before The Dark One arose, like before my family was taken from me. Back when life was fair.