The Queen of Nothingness

Rumors

Most probably had already heard of how dark and contrasting the color of my hair was. Ebony strands were not of this world as they said since the last time they had seen it was about a thousand years ago. In this modern time of high buildings and fast driving cars, the second person with the different characteristic had finally been born after centuries.

Before I reached the busy night streets lit by post lamps and organized by the traffic lights, the demand my mother had bound to my head finally caught up to me.

Since the eyes and brain translated light into the manner of color, I could easily tamper with the light glazing on my hair to force the change of hue from black to the dark brownish hair of my mother. However, if would require a large amount of concentration and control to keep this up.

Luckily, I had been practicing my focus. Control on the other hand was something I had to cross my fingers on.

They might know the bizarre color of my hair but they don't know the face of the first princess of the prospering empire.

Finding shelter for the night was not also something easy. Some vacant rooms might be of lower rate, projecting that I was a commoner in front of the egoistic businessmen and that it should be good enough for me.

On the other hand, I had to consider assassins who might slit my throat in my sleep, unguarded, and had known of my disappearance from the royal estate.

I might have money though I only brought enough for food and a room for the night. I mustn't bribe the owners of the hotels with too much or they could suspect me as trouble and soon be lacking for the food necessities.

With Ro's white shirt I deliberately crumpled and Tina's much boyish casual attires such as jeans, I easily fitted in the society.

As much as the clothes wrapped around to cover my body, my brother's polo was too big thus I had to shorten it by folding the sleeves and tying the hems of the shirt.

My sister's, on the contrary, was balancing in between tight and loose. She was two years younger than me but her body shape grew up to be the same as mine.

Probably it was due to the fact that she was more active in exercises and eating fruits and vegetables whereas the maids had problems with forcing me to do such so.

If Tina were to continuously do her daily unprincessly things, she'd grow taller than me and I'd be left as the little one in the family. But I wouldn't like that to happen. Would it one day occur? I hoped not. It'd be a shame for me, as the first princess and her older sister.

Speaking of heights, commoners were taller than me. The two in front of me had longer legs than I could ever have. They blocked my sight of the attendant on the cashier due to this line. The man's scarlet strands were cut clean while the brunette's hair was straight and short. Both of them were wearing the same color and fabric of capes used when one had become an offician royal knight.

A thousand of them they must be, but I had never seen these two before in my entire life. However, if this was my case to deal with, my identity as the princess would be discovered and my chance to save Ro from the people who wanted me would have a lesser probability to transpire. They weren't royal knights, I'm sure of it. Even from their backs, my mind endured bafflement in who they were. A thousand of them they must be yet these two were not one of those many.

I let them slip past by after the attendant handed in the room key to them. My eyes followed their walks to the elevator and pressing the upward button.

"Miss?" The attendant snapped me out of my doubts while she raised an eyebrow in curiosity of where my mind might have had ran off to.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Could you repeat what you said?" I asked her politely though she didn't like it through the wrinkling of her nose and the hidden scoffs she exhaled.

The attendant tapped on the cardboard printed with designs and packages the five-star hotel can offer.

The first one was a lower price and underground were no sweet and fresh air can be breathed.

The second one was composed of an average payment since they offered the rooms to the aristocrats. The only disadvantage was that no dinner and breakfast was to be made, just like the underground levels.

Next was for the nobles, the third and fourth floor to suffice. The catch? If I were to book a room on one of those floors, the real nobility would ensure that I would get back down no matter how much I paid for it. Commoners are commoners, that was what they said. I believed it to be utterly false and that even the most highest man in the country would be no more as different as the man who lives on the streets.

The last was based for royalty. Truth be told, I had been in this place before, back when Dad and Mom allowed us, siblings, to visit the capital village for once. Our parents had already booked the luxurious room this hotel can give. Ro, Tina and I had no trouble with finding a place to sleep until we had reached the castle again.

Ringing vibrated through the polished wood of the table. The manager brought the telephone to his ear and spoke in words I could not perceive. His mouth began to move yet the voice was muted. The manager was too far away but he glanced at me from time to time.

"Miss," she snarled, "there are more waiting in line and has much more money than you could ever have. So, could you please hurry up?!"

Quickly, I rescanned the cardboard once more to analyze what was best for the night until the manager suddenly bellowed on the attendant who flinched in shock.

"What do you think you are doing to our guests, growling at them like that, Annalise?"

"I'm sorry," she shuddered then bowed halfway prior to running away.

The manager lowered his voice and casually had bead of sweats like he had been threatened of some sort. His eyes embellished in the grayness of his irises, dilating, and had no choice but to fixate on my outer disguise. "I apologize for the disturbance, Your High–" He stopped midway as I grasped on to the realization that he already knew who I was.

"What should I call you, my lady?" He whispered.

The clockworks in my mind ran through a series of names that I would respond to and the most highest chance that my head would turn to the speaker once my name had been called was the nickname given to me. Many of them probably had not heard it called to the princess before since that was only used by my grandmother who had been ruling temporarily in Ashcroft since I was six. From what I heard from my father, Grandma Venice liked nicknames because it was short and easy to say.

"Ara," I responded to the manager who beamed in joy.

"Then, Miss Ara, per request of Her Majesty," he muttered in the volume only I can hear and resumed, "Room 105."

My chortles would almost be blurted out if not for my self-control. My dear mother couldn't bear not helping her little daughter in these dangerous times. She also must've known that I was the one the impostor needed, not Ro. Perhaps they treated him as a casualty. Hence, there's no use trying to control my powers if they so ever hurt a single hair on my older brother.

"Did you hear?" a person behind me gossiped after I pressed on the sixth floor button of the elevator. Her voice was not clear enough though if they were talking about something and someone, shouldn't they at least lower down their voice?

"No but my wisdom about it is presumptuous. Is it true that the prince was here? Here in this very building?" They must be nobles as I comprehended from the plummy northern accent.

Then again, they said a word that caught my attention. My hearing focused on their voices and their voice alone while the elevator kept going upwards. I wanted to question them what prince they were talking about. Was it Ro?

Definitely, I became uncertain and doubtful when I listened to the woman whose eyes were almost covered by her long straight dirty blonde bangs. "I heard from Melissa that the prince is still here, staying on the sixth floor."

The man in a black suit gasped dramatically with a hand to cover his opened mouth. "Sixth floor? But isn't that the floor that the King bought for personal uses?"

Hold on. My father bought the whole sixth floor? I mused. I was glad that my back was turned on those two or else they would catch my eyes bulging in surprise. He iciness of the air conditioner trailed down my fingers. Uneasiness settled on my chest, feeling the vibration of the heart, drumming quick beats as fast as it can. When on earth had my father installed a plan on this hotel?

However, my unsureness had erased itself the moment they the man was imbued in shock.

If the prince they pertained to was in fact Ro, then the nobility would not question the King's decision for his only son to rest a night on that floor. If it was another and these two had questioned it, then that prince would be someone with guts and nerves to solely go against the King without hesitation and permission. Or rather these two were just falsely informed or I  was never been notified about it.

There were lots of possibilities but it answered the only problem that was glued on my mind. That the prince simply wasn't Ro.

"Excuse me, but do you mind sharing what prince you are talking about?" I waved a hand a little bit and stretched my lips outwards for a nice courtesy gesture yet I still expected politeness from the greedy nobles who yearned for power in the government. I only discouraged myself.

"Girl, you dare speak to us! And what are you doing on this elevator, going to higher status's rooms?!" His moustache flared in anger. For as long that I had been inside this flying box, they ignored me.

"My husband is right. And will you look at your foolish clothes, dressed as a boy. Young lady, you should perhaps dress a skirt more often and clean up your ragged and filthy look." The woman held her head up high, unfolding her fan with fixated prideful eyes on me.

Disgusting. To have those unpleasant dignity set on their heart and talking mad about how I should wear my outfits. Just so they know, Tina had been wearing skinny jeans a lot these days inside the castle instead of fabulous and opulent ballgowns. To insult what I wear today is to insult my younger sister. And I dare not allow that. Heh, if only I were as the princess your heads would be bowed down to me and kneeled, pleading for mercy.

I could think of several malicious ways to change their mind. Instead, it was mine that modified. Guilt betrayed my ideas and thoughts, transpiring for my control to sway off its course. The brown that light dyed on my hair flickered, my magic went on and off, streaming down my blood to salvage then repeating it's journey because of the lack of balance I had unconsciously devoured.

"B-black," inhaled the man who spoke highly of himself and the woman continued her husband's appraisal, "h-hair."

She faltered on her knees, eyes widened with wrinkles across her warm ivory forehead. She engaged in minimal contact, chewing on her lower lip and head down to the ground. The woman didn't glance anywhere but the floor yet she told in a suppressing manner, "Prestus, get down quickly."

Even so little like this could create guilt so pressing that my heart would immediately crush into pieces. Immediate regret had struck me again. "N-no, please. Stand up. I don't want to cause a commotion. Just please keep this a secret from any one else. Will you?"

They were stiff and bones were unable to move properly with limbs numb in the tension I barely can forfeit. For the split second, I lost my driving wheel for my magic and had made known of who I was through this ridiculous overly famous black hair of mine.

"Yes, do so stand up." There was an unknown voice behind me after the elevator arrived at the floor the nobility was designated to approach. "It's an order from the princess. I'm sure that rats like you should obey each and every request the royalty places, am I correct?"

He hadn't seen my odd hair color yet. But he knew at the instance the metallic silver doors unlatched that I was the princess.

And when I turned to him. I exactly acknowledged who he was. He's the prince they were talking about and how he already knew me.