Kagayaku Hana | 輝く花

Kagayaku Hana

For as long as human civilization has existed, stories have been an integral part of it.Some stories we forget within a week or so, some we keep recounting whenever the occasion calls for it and there are some stories that pass down from generation after generation as legends to remember. Such is the story of the princess who fell in love with an ethereal being at a time when heaven didn't elude the earth. It is this story that I recount here today; the story of the glowing flower.

It was the time when pieces of land were not divided by countries but by vast kingdoms ruled by Kings and Queens. What they won in wars, they added to their kingdoms and to win wars, they prayed to the Gods to grant them incredible power and wisdom to stand against their enemy.

One such kingdom was the Kasumi kingdom. It was one of the biggest kingdoms at the time, with the King and Queen's only daughter as its heiress.

Princess Kira was pretty, her long brown hair cascading down her shoulders up to her knees, always clad in purple and gold kimonos because purple was the royal colour of the kingdom. Not only was she pretty but wise as well, and she was loved by everyone in the kingdom. She rarely left the huge castle she lived in, but when she did, she talked to the townspeople politely,treating them like equals and this is why she was praised by all.

In her castle, when Kira wasn't taking lessons about the matters of her future kingdom or how to behave like a Queen, she spent a lot of her time in the castle's huge garden. This garden remained green all year, the shrubs laden with splendid and beautifully smelling flowers, the trees with the sweetest fruits and the coziest shelters. This garden was so exquisite and enriching in every way that its mentions could be heard all across the land and then a little further. The royal garden was the pride and joy of the kingdom, second to the princess, of course.

Kira often brought her favorite books there and read it sitting under one of those gigantic trees. When she got tired of reading, she would often lay down on the velvety grass and doze off for a while. When it rained, she gazed at the scenic beauty it presented, from her window for hours at end and when the sun set every evening, painting the sky with shades unimaginable, she took long walks there admiring the beauty of the nature humans were blessed to witness, and let her thoughts reign free.

In this way, Kira was blissfully spending her days in the castle. She felt content with everything she had. She always thought she could never want anything else; until one day she caught a glimpse of what she was missing.

Every year, the kingdom celebrated their most important festival: The night of the Golden moon. It was the time when the full moon glowed with a yellowish tint to it and under that golden moonlight, they prayed to their Gods to bring them prosperity and the courage to go through any difficult times bravely for the whole year, and rejoiced on this pious occasion.

One year, Kira fell slightly ill on the day of the festival and had to stay back at the castle while everyone else,except one of her personal maids,left to attend the ritual. Kira tossed and turned uncomfortably in her bed for a while but when she couldn't find solace,she got up.

"Your Highness, you must rest." The maid requested​.

"If you want me to rest, then let me go to the garden. That's the only place right now where I can find some peace." Kira responded and headed to the garden.

The cool breeze and the calming atmosphere worked, and in a couple of minutes, Kira dozed off under the motherly shelter of a giant tree.

While Kira was unconscious, something extraordinary took place in the garden. In her dreamlike state, Kira felt she heard some extremely light footsteps. At first this didn't disturb her slumber, but when the phenomenon repeated itself, her eyes suddenly opened.