Arcana Tales: The Grimoire of Lumina

Chapter 01: The New Lumina

The night was already deep.

The moonlight from the full moon created a show of myriad colors as the shiny and smooth walls all over the kingdom bent the light.

Lumina, a kingdom of pure white, had every structures’ outer walls made from marbles. With the refracted moonlight, every walls glowed as if rainbows were painted on them.

Most are already in their slumber, thus there were only few blessed ones who beheld the sight… though it appeared every full moon so everyone must had its beauty an embodiment of the word “common”.

Among the white structures enveloped in glorious light, the Luminian Castle stood the tallest, still busy for the preparations for the upcoming coronation of their new queen.

***

"Mother... I'm scared... I don't know if I am worthy."

Princess Danaya Arcana Lumina sat in her bed, unable to fall asleep. Her worried gazes faced her queen mother who sat beside her.

"You are, my child. Oh... You're not my child anymore. Tomorrow, I shall call you Your Highness."

With a teasing grin, the queen brushed her daughter’s hair.

"Mother!" The young girl leaped and pounced her mother into the bed. She tickled her.

"Hihi!! Stop it! If your-- Hihi-- if your father sees us, your coronation might be--"

She stopped with a pout. "Yeah, right. That old-geezer king might do that."

"O--old-geezer king?!!" A faint voice was heard from the door. Though soft, the husky and deep voice of a certain old man won’t be missed easily inside a not-so-noisy room.

"Huh? Mother, did you hear that?"

“…”

Her mother was still catching her breath as she talked. "H-heard what?"

"I heard father's voice."

Her mother answered sarcastically. "Oh... That. I-it's just li'l Hannah roaming around."

And a faint voice was heard again from the door. "Meow..."

"See, my child?"

"Funny. I thought I heard father's voice."

"Worries makes people imagine things. Sleep tight, my dear. Tomorrow might be your coronation, yet today, you are still my little child."

As if a contagious disease, smiles were painted to every servants, knights, and guards who heard the giggles from that room. No one knows what lies ahead of the new Lumina, but they are assured that these smiles will be passed on to the next Luminian generations, by the new Queen that will lead them.

* * *

The uppermost level of the castle had the royal family’s rooms. The walls encasing the hallway are white, with two wood-brown doors. One of the doors leaned an old man. His built was as fine as a bronze statue so one cannot say that he’s an old man with looking at him alone. On top of his head, a simple gold crown glittered.

"My liege!" A knight clad in blue armor appeared by the hallway. He gestured the Luminian salute-- standing straight, head lowered, and his right fist clenched to his left chest, as if stabbing his heart with his sword.

The surprised old man frantically leaped and straightened his posture.

The knight caught the king off-guard, wiping his eyes. "My liege, dust entered your eyes, was it?"

The king, with a red face and a nervous voice, answered the knight. "A-e--Ehem! Indeed! As if a king like me will shed his tears! Ha! Haha! What business do you have with me?"

"Lumina's future seems to be in good hands."

"Ha! In naughty hands, I say."

Both the king and the knight shared a hearty laugh. Soon, the laughter gradually subsided and silence was again on the hall.

The knight suddenly shifted the mood into a serious one. "Honestly, with God's grace, I can see a prosperous and peaceful Lumina."

"Indeed, knight Freed... and I am proud of her. HRAAH!!! What nonsense am I blabbering!"

A loud noise interrupted the fantasizing Kingdom of Lumina... a noise saying that that would be their final fantasy.

BOOOOOO~M!!!

A big explosion soon banged and all lights were out, except for a big fire outside the castle, greedily engulfing things to ashes.