A former military officer is put back into the fray as a bodyguard of a royal family. His task, however, puts him at odds with himself and the ones he is supposed to protect as dark secrets and internal uprising threatens the very existence of his c...
"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon." (Napoleon Bonaparte)
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Grand Palace Saint Marie, Kingdom of Genova New Year's Day 2018, Present day Elyna looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting her formal wear a little. She carefully placed the royal pin on her collar, mindful enough to make it look straight and neat. Once she's done, she glanced at herself again in the mirror and exhaled.
Every New Year, the family will gather at the Independence Park to witness a flag raising ceremony. It was a royal tradition and also a compulsory event for government officials due to its deep and meaningful representation; a start of a new day and a continuation of the Kingdom's long existence in the world. Elyna wore a purple blouse and a knee-length skirt for the event. For the eyes of her people, she would look like a professional, neat woman who represented her role truly as a mature and confident Princess. She had to be despite her discontent. She would rather be in her lazy, casual attire with only her white tee and her favourite shorts on. This was not beyond her control, however. She must attend even when she's ill or in a total bad shape.
Being the eldest in the family meant two things. One, she's the person anyone would look up to. Therefore, the meet the expectations of many, she had all the best things in the world ranging from the best schools in the world to the best tutors to the best environment she could develop herself to be what she is today. She's engrained in a system that made her look more like a Princess than an ordinary human being, something she had no authority to fight against or to speak of. She's expected to be in her best always. She's expected to follow royal codes and rules and also to preserve royal traditions and practices. Like a living robot, she would describe herself. The way she spoke to the people would be watched by many. One wrong slip and her royal status would be in total jeopardy. Not only that, the family would be deeply affected as well.
The second thing was something she disliked very much; the throne. She had an internal dilemma when it comes to that. Sometimes, she wished that she wasn't born so early, so that she wouldn't have to lift that throne on her head someday. However, luck wasn't on her side and each and every day of her life growing up was fueled with the constant reminder that she would be the heir of the nation. That's why her parents emphasised that she must be prepared from Day One so that she would be ready to take the throne when the time comes. It was a fact she could not rebel against. A country without a King would create chaos. Someone must resume the title, and the one for the task is her. The thought of that fueled her with dread. Despite years of preparation, she felt uneasy about the prospect of handling her father's duties and also to carry the heavy burden of maintaining the family together in the face of a modern globalised world.
Elyna could only wonder how Cleopatra could rule Egypt with such relative ease, and how Queen Elizabeth managed to survive through the toughest challenge in her reign. It must have taken a lifetime to get through all of that. Elyna wondered if she could be like them.
