Stars. (A Khun Aguero Agnes Fanfiction)

Episode 0

The smell of nature is wafting through my nostrils as I breathe in, just about finished with my cooling down routine after my yoga session.

Opening my eyes, I was greeted with the sight of the beautiful garden I sat upon. Bushes of roses, sunflowers, petunias and lilies are always soothing to look at. We even have trees lying about in the whole garden for fresh air.

As a sheltered girl, I haven't been anywhere that isn't inside my home. My father is so overprotective, he never lets me out. At first I was touched because I know he just wants me safe, but after years and years of just looking at the same scenery and conversing with the same people, I grew tired. I love my dad, but I'm a grown up woman now, I can handle myself.

"Miss Sarai?" someone called. I look behind me and saw Miss Yuno. She's been my nanny ever since I was a child. With father always busy with his duties and my mom running out on me, I have no one to turn to, except her.

I smiled at her and waved, "Hi, Miss Yuno!" she smiled at me and gave me towel. Drying my face with sweat, I drank the glass of cold orange juice she prepared for me.

"Hi, Miss. Lunch is ready." My ears perked up hearing the word lunch, what? I'm hungry. The excitement food brought me vanished when I remember I'd be eating alone again. I sighed and looked down.

"I'm not hungry," I mumbled. Who'd want to eat alone anyway? I'll just make do with the juice that Miss Yuno gave me. She isn't allowed to eat with me anyways. Father forbids her to.

I hear Miss Yuno click her tongue and she held my wrist gently. "Dear, your father is waiting for you." she softly smiled at me.

My heart soared with happiness. Father isn't around much because he's so busy attending to his duties, he seldom comes home. And him being home is a gift for me.

I stood up and gave Miss Yuno a smile, "Then I won't make him wait." And with that, I ran all the way to the kitchen, forgetting about the things I left laying around while I was doing yoga.

"Don't run, Miss! You might fall!" she called after me, "And I'll clean this up for you." I looked back at her and gave her a thumbs up. "Thanks, Miss Yuno! Please eat your lunch after you're done!" I called out, proceeding to run my way through our home to get to the kitchen, not even waiting to hear for her reply.

Going in through the kitchen door, I looked at the table and saw father already sitting at the head of the table. "Dad!" I called happily, running over to him. He smiled at me and stood up, opening his arms wide and inviting me for a hug.

I hugged him as soon as I reached him and buried my face in his chest. If you haven't noticed, I'm a daddy's girl and I'm proud.

Father laughed while caressing my head, ruining my brown locks from its braid.

"Ah, I missed you too, pumpkin." I smiled wider and buried my face deeper against his chest. "I missed you more." I mumble.

Getting out of the hug, father motioned the seat for me sit down and so did he. The butlers rushed out and placed the food in front of us.

"How are you doing, kiddo? Have you been giving Yuno headaches?" he teases.

My cheeks flush before I shook my head. "No, I haven't! You know I can handle myself, dad." I said proudly. "And I haven't given Miss Yuno headeaches ever since I turned seven!" showing him seven fingers, I finished my statement.

Father chuckled and patted my head. "Let's eat first, shall we?" he motioned at the food. "It's bad to make food wait."

I agreed with him and after that, we ate lunch while exchanging stories of how our lives has been since we last saw each other.

It might be lonely 'cause it's only the two of us, but my heart only feels contentment because my favorite person is here, eating with me.

After lunch, I excused myself and took a bath. Father invited me to drink tea at his office. That's where I read most of the time because he has a very big collection of books.

While father was sitting at his desk, looking through papers, I roamed around the library and found my favorite book. I've been reading this over and over again since it's my favorite. It's a story of a girl who admired the stars so much, she made ways just to fly and be with them.

Oh, I fell in love with her description of the stars. I want to see them in person. I want to look up a cliff and gaze upon millions of twinkling stars as the nightly breeze blow at my hair.

"Dad!" I called, sitting at the front of his desk. He hummed and turned his attention towards me after signing the paper he's reading. "Yes, princess?" he answered.

"I want to climb up the tower." I said. Growing up with him, he always told me stories about the tower.  How he climbed it with his comrades and about the tests he overcame just to get to the top.

He just looked at me and pursed his lips. "Sarai, you know you're not allowed to, right?" he replied. "But, daddy, I've been cooped up in this house for years! And I'm a big girl now, I can handle myself." I stated proudly with my head held high.

"I know you can, princess. But you know of the sacrifices you need to do in order to climb the tower, you can also lose your life while doing so, so no." he said sternly.

Father has always been protective of me since we were left by my mother when I was born. He didn't tell me her name, but he did gave me my mom's surname as a middle name.

"I even scratched you at our spars! Please, daddy. I want to go." I look at him with the best puppy eyes I could muster, hoping to melt his heart, but his gaze didn't falter.

"Sarai Grace, I told you no." he chastised. Oh no, he used my name. He's not gonna let me go. "It's been years since you started to show interest in climbing the tower, what made you do so?" Father asked. "Isn't living in this mansion enough for you?"

I stood up and went to his side, "No, dad! I'm very thankful that you made everything in this house according to my tastes, but I'm tired, dad. I want to explore!" I exclaimed, getting a little excited. "I want to travel beyond these four walls and see the stars I've been reading about, daddy."

I held my heart as I though about my dream. "Your dream to become ruler of this tower came true." I looked at him and held my head high. If I got anything from father, it's his determination. And he's proud that he passed that trait on to me.

"And I want my dream to come true, too." I finished. Dad looked at me and sighed. My heart clenched because I know he won't let me. That's how protective he was.

He's sheltered me for so long just to hide me from everyone. The only people who know of my existence is him, mom, Miss Yuno, my friends outside this floor whenever I sneak out, and the other staff in this house.

I was a secret that needed to be kept hidden because my dad doesn't want me to be a target to those who despise him.

No one outside of this house knows me, not the ten great families, or his people. For I am Sarai Grace Zahard. The daughter of a great high ranker, and the king of this tower. The true princess of Zahard.