Cost of the Crown (UNREVISED VERSION)

Navajo

Maria was strolling the town with her brother as snow fell from the sky, it was winter after all.

"Cedric, where are we going?" She asked his brother as she held his hand.

"I still don't have a birthday gift for you, right? We're going to Madame Cherie. She will sew you a wonderful gown." He smiled at his sister.

"Really?! You'd do that for me?" Maria's eyes sparkled.

"Of course! You're my only sister." He chuckled.

They walked the busy streets as every civilian who recognized them gave a greeting.

"Afternoon Prince Cedric!" A small girl with a basket of flowers greeted.

"Afternoon to you too, little girl." He greeted back.

"Good afternoon to you, Princess Maria! Would you like to buy a flower?" She asked the princess.

"Cedric, can you get me a flower?" She asked.

Cedric smiled at his sister then looked at the flower. It was a red rose that had the same hue as Maria's glowing eyes.

"Sure, how much is a flower?" He asked the little girl.

"For the prince and princess, every flower is only worth a coin." She told the royals.

Cedric took a bag full of a hundred coins then gave it to the girl. "I'll buy the whole basket."

"But sire, I only have 18 flowers..." The girl said.

"Its okay. I hope that bag of coins can help your mother out." He said.

The girl bowed after taking the bag of coins. She ran happily back to her home and left a smile on the royals' face.

"How did you know about her mother?" Maria asked.

"It was white... I saw that if I gave her the coins, the result would be as pure as white..." Cedric replied as they continued to walk towards the boutique.

When they arrived in the boutique, Madame Cherie, the seamstress, greeted them with a curtsy.

"Oh Prince Cedric, dear! The last time I saw you was your birthday last year!" She pinched Cedric's cheeks.

"Madame Cherie... My coronation is 25 days away. May you sew a gown for my lovely sister?" He asked the seamstress as she continued to pinch his cheeks.

"Oh? I am given a chance to sew a gown for the princess?" Madame Cherie took a look at Maria.

"It's okay if you say no..." Cedric frowned.

"Me? Saying no to the lovely princess of the Orient? Give me two weeks, I'll have the gown ready by then." She told the prince.

"When will we see the design?" Maria asked.

"You can come to me tomorrow and we'll look into the design." Madame Cherie smiled at the petite princess.

"Cedric, we can visit Madame Cherie tomorrow, right?" She asked her brother.

"Yes. Thank you a bunch Madame Cherie." The prince smiled.

"I am and will always be Madame Cherie Hopkins, the royal seamstress. You can visit me anytime." She winked at the prince and the princess.

"Thank you!" Maria waved goodbye at Cherie as she walked with her brother back to the castle. She was skipping as her brother looked stressed. "Brother dear, is anything wrong?"

"Uh... It's nothing..." He took a look at the flowers he bought for Maria. It was still on his belt.

"Let's get home." She held his hand tighter as she pulled him towards the castle.

"Maria, slow down!" Cedric told his sister.

When they arrived at the castle, a mixture of white and red flashed before Cedric's eyes. He saw the colours clearly and it was both Maria. On the first, she was smiling so innocently and was the happy kid Cedric knew and loved. On contrast to the first, the second showed Maria on a garden, alone. Her red eyes glowed as she smiled to herself. She wasn't the young and innocent sister he had grown to love.

"Cedric!" Maria called for her brother who was looking into the open. "Let's plant this!"

Cedric couldn't do anything but nod. He knew that it was inevitable. They went to the garden then planted all the flowers with the gardener's help. When they watered the flowers, each flower glowed its colour and the red rose was vibrant.

Maria continued wandering inside the castle when her brother went to his room. She helped with dinner, arranged some books in the library and even got time to greet every servant in the castle.

"I never knew I was this wholesome and you are such a good brother." Feliz told Cedric.

"Ha. Sadly when you leave, you'll only see me on special occasions... Is that alright with you, Maria?" Cedric frowned at Feliz.

"Of course. I understand that I need not stay... I have people to worry about, besides, I can tell you all about it when I see you again."

They continued watching as Maria was in her room. Her eyes glowing and crying. Whispers filled her once silent room and it was overwhelming her.

"Why am I crying?" Feliz asked.

"Only Elise can answer that..." Cedric frowned.

"You don't know?"

"Sadly, I was given the ability to foresee the future and to look back into the past. I cannot read thoughts but I could show people their fortunes." Cedric explained.

"Now that I watch this, I remember you uttering colours... You could see colours and I guess the only time you can see the story is when it already happened..." Feliz deduced.

"You grew to be keen... Clara has guided you well..."

"You could say that... The next colour is blue... pink... and black?"

"This will be a short ride..."