The Queen of Nothingness

Magic

If I knew that I would meet Ro at the end of the maze, I would've just stayed inside my room, pretended I was still a princess guarded by a fierce dragon in hopes of being rescued by a prince charming and that will force my brother to deliver the message himself which will avoid the predicament of I being threatened with yogurt.

Oh who was I kidding! This night was fun and exciting and... frightening as I stared frozen straight at my father executing smoke from his nose and boiling anger in his dark red blood.

"Why are you awake this late at night?" Dad scowled, curling his lips downwards. Whenever anger enflamed his already immense kingly aura, scariness encouraged to collapse me.

My honesty was unusual to hear according from the vast knowledge the entire family of Violets knew. I would lie a dozen times before I get to the truth of the story. That's just how complicated my head works. Much to my awareness of the fact, I insisted on telling a story yet again, crossing my fingers in secret and hoping it would work as I wished it to be.

"Ro told me to open the maze gate for him on his return." There were no breaks between my words. I had carefully rehearsed the prepared script in my mind after my brother had informed me of his "half-baked plan" before we had reached the king's studies. There must be a reason why he wouldn't tell about the a*******n, right?

"Is this true?" He narrowed his blue star eyes at my brother. Brows pulled together as Dad grimaced, probably in incredulity of my words.

The edges of my lips stretched out, a smile begging for him to believe. If so ever he learned of my attempt to escape, I would be locked up in my room, under twenty-four hour surveillance by the magic knights daily. Then, he will discover that Ro had been kidn*pped which will make things much worse for me since he deliberately persuaded to let Dad get ahold of that knowledge, except for the crows.

Bafflement circulated around the loops of my brain, in search for the meaning of my brother's actions. If you were kidn*pped, shouldn't you tell your parents about it? Especially if they have the power to exterminate such vermin? Ro was a weird one and dangerous, in fact.

Having no one to be at your side in devastating times could cause destruction to your own self. This moment was something I call for desparate measures since they managed to abduct the crown prince. And he's the future king! It won't be easy for him to be captured.

Being his little sister, I watched him grew up into the man he was. Ro was trained to be the king of the empire from the day he turned three. From gripping on the sword, to practicing his magic, to learning about what the world can give and to the responsibilities you have to be the ruler of the empire was extremely a heated preparation. Scholars called him a prodigy as Ro controlled his own power and wielded his bladed sword perfectly along with the help of a soul stone imbued with his enchantment.

The essence of magic flowed around the atmosphere of the earth. But it cannot be found easily nor was it trouble-free to possess.

Those who believed in their religions acknowledged that the angels gifted the worthy of extraordinary powers in hopes that they would use it for the good of humanity. Magic was born through the worthiness of a person, as said from the legends. Thus, half the population of this land strived to make sure their dreams and goals could come true.

Some didn't achieve it as they grew older and had difficulty in processing their bodies. Some gave up halfway, terrified of death. While some already died. All of it just to acquire the gist of magic.

On the other hand of those who were deemed worthy by the gods, they survived at ease. Though not entirely at ease. With whom who had trouble controlling their ability or those who aspired more to endeavor the hardships, surpassing their limit, they attended the magic academy of Praecantatio.

My brother was worthy, making him the much suitable heir of the throne rather than me. As of these days, he attended Praecantatio, brewing more potential in him to release himself from the chains binding him to the ground. Like Mom always told us: soar till you reach the world's zenith, not yours, but the world's. Ro did but this unfortunate event pertaining to his disappearance and crows might restrain his metaphorical wings.

Ro replied, calm and collected like he truly had been about this whole thing. "Yes. I am sorry but I left the academy because of the crows situation. I could not just let this pass by."

The means of his emphasis of crows brought about the idea of it being a codeword for something else. Something disastrous. Bad luck, I guessed.

Dad's brows curved and raised while he gaped his jaw. Silence marched happily around the room until he wavered his hand, gesturing at the door. "Leave us for a moment."

The knights and Caster led me to the door. I stuttered for some time, hesitated to move an inch and yearned to figure out what the crows were. Eavesdropping from the doors were of no use. Dad established the room to become soundproof once he learned of my crazy antics, using confidential information as blackmail.

"But I want to know too!" I complained, fixed eyes on my father and brother and struggled to be released from the hands of the palace guards.

"This is no matter for kids," Dad said. I caught his lips forced, closing into a firm line. He didn't want me near their discussion just because I was young but for the reason of my safety at stake.

I retaliated filled with confidence, running around my heart, pumping with adrenaline. "I'm sixteen, not some tiny seven-year-old. I can handle myself."

Another lie.

I was sixteen but truth be told, no one other than Dad can protect me. Heck, I can't even bring protection to myself. As a beguiling princess, I was utterly foolish to the point that I will be the death of myself.

Dad stood before me and suddenly squeezed my cheeks. My bones hit the flesh that I shook off my head in irritable pain. He kept pulling my cheeks. I began slapping his arm though no matter how hard I attack him, his skin hadn't turned red unlike mine and it was my palm that ached more than the pounds on him that I failed to pull off.

"It hurts," I mumbled to him with hands at my raised at my side in surrender.

He released me. I instantly cupped my face in agony, pouted and crouched down with my back turned on my father. I muttered under my breath, "Despicable."

Stifled laughs escaped from my brother's lungs. I squinted at my obnoxious relatives as small flushed circles appeared on my tortured cheeks. My lips couldn't bear to hold back another word to utter. "Malignant!"

Dad smiled at me before he stated, "You are a reckless child and I don't want you to be involved in this mess."

Curiosity got the better of me, tilting my head and focused gaze immediately acted before I could think. "Why? It doesn't hurt to know a little."

"And the little will become many. Too much knowledge of this might kill you. I don't want that to happen to you, Chiara." He held my shoulders softly as pity evolved around the blue specks in his eyes.

My mother taught me to never give up even in the darkest of times. Rebelliously speaking, my pupils dilated. "Mysteries aren't meant to be secrets forever."

Before I knew it, a wide smile showed my glistening white teeth. My jade eyes twinkled in the delight of the puzzlement. My consciousness tried to stay in my body but no matter how hard I held it, little by little, it slipped away. Fingers tingled with specks of magic sparking up yellow stars, about to burst out like fireworks, until Dad snapped me back to reality.

"Chiara!"

I gasped for breath as though I was drowning in water. The tickles dissipated while my heart pounded mixed in fury and anxiety. Light from the tips of my nails dimmed, slowly erasing its existence like it hadn't been there.

"I... I'm sorry." My hands folded into a fist, leaning on my chest. Thoughts of worries weighed down my heart, knees began to wobble. I agreed on Dad and my brother. It was for my safety. "You're right. I should leave."

Dad asked for Caster to escort me back to my room while I was under the burden of all my thoughts that I might have had even hallucinated the beguiling dark smile expanding across my brother's face. He wasn't one to tease me especially after I almost overdid my powers again. Probably, it was just a mirage.

Magic reigned around the world. Magic was gifted to those who passed its test. Magic was a blessing. Magic was a curse.

Two types of royalty embellished the world we lived in.

There were kings and queens who rose by themselves. They were those who obtained the essence of the angel's gift in their own rightful ways, becoming royalty in name but not in blood. Becoming powerful but not acquiring a kingdom to rule. Such a few of them exist.

Then, there were kings and queens who inherited their royal status. Like my father, the King who became only what he was of now because of political alliances and of his parents. However, this kind of royalty leads a kingdom; a place to establish the throne, people to lead, and peace to ensure will remain.

Ro could be identified as both but he had to choose one. He decided on the latter wherein he becomes a king of his people. It was a good choice, per se.

Faraway from the empire, a kingdom called Ashvolt had a dead king. No one to lead the people of the land. The dead king was my father's brother who had not married nor had a child. Hence, their mother, Grandma Venice, temporarily took the throne until the time is right when either one of us Violets siblings, the only other relatives capable to inherit, will dominate Ashvolt.

Ro was to be a king of this empire. I turned down the once in a lifetime opportunity. All who was left was Tina, my younger sister. Most likely, she agreed.

Tina had not been given an essence of the angel's blessing. Yet she'd be a queen of a prospering country. Therefore, the latter would also define her place.

While I, a princess who didn't want to be a princess, could be of both types of royalty that possibly cannot happen.

But I didn't know how to control my magic and it was unfavorable that much which caused me a trauma I could never escape that disabled me to enter the magic academy of Praecantatio.

When I opened the doors to my room, Caster and I felt the night breeze brush on our faces. The window was opened widely with blankets and cloths tied to one another, leading downwards to the garden.

I slightly coughed, gaining his attention. There's no time for my detention to occur when I just need to sleep the night and pretend he never saw my plan to break out.

"I'll hand you all of my stacked yogurt if you will keep your mouth shut."

Caster grinned benevolently although his olden gray irises shone with mischief.