Terspia's Heart

The morning breeze carried a chorus of bird songs to my ears. I squinted my eyes open to the warm sunlight sauntering through the window. "Hmm...such a beautiful morning to start my big day." I said with a smile. Glancing outside, the bustling sight of servants hurriedly carrying various plates and chalices greeted my eyes. Outside the Grand hall stood a troop of royal guards, remaining absolutely still with anxious looks on their faces. "Everyone is preparing for the banquet. I should get ready and meet up with uncle osmont too." I turned around to dress... "Your Ma-" I bumped hard into my chambermaid, Delias, who was losing grip on a bowl of rosewater. "Ahh!" I swiftly hopped to the side as Delias gained control of the water bowl in her hands. "Phew!" I sigh with relieve. "Oof!" Delias too sigh with relieve. Half of the rosewater unavoidably spilled out of the bowl, making quite a splash before me. Noticing this, Delias immediately bowed her head. "I'm so sorry, your Majesty! Did I spill any on you?" She asked worriedly. "Fortunately, no, but it seems washing my face is no longer an option." I said jokingly, but Delias continued to apologize. "Please forgive me, my queen. I'm always so clumsy." Delias apologized again. "Relax, Delias. It was my fault. I didn't hear you." I said with a small smile. Delias abruptly raised her head up with a stern face. "No, your Majesty! Queens are never wrong." "Perhaps... until I'm crowed Queen, I can still make mistakes." I said playfully. "Is that so, your majesty? what kind of mistakes, if I may ask?" She asked curiously. "Like this kind of mistakes..." I slipped my hands under Delias chin and started dancing my fingers playfully around her neck. "Ahh! Hahaha..." Her childish laughter echoed throughout my chamber while her body twitched breathlessly to my merciless tickling. "I yeild! I yield! Please have mercy on me!" She exclaimed not able to withstand my tickling. With a chuckle, I gave her one last mischievous pinch before withdrawing. "The Queen of Tespira is not without mercy." I reminiscence of the fond memories we shared. Delias's mouth curved into a hearty smile. The bliss in her eyes soon faded into a long-drawn sigh. "After the coronation, everything is going to change. You will be moving to the Queen's chamber. Only the royal maids are allowed there. I'll never be allowed to talk to you again." The more she talks the more quiet her voice became. "That's not true, Delias. I have decided to make you my lady-in-waiting upon my coronation. You'll be coming with me wherever I go. We will leave the castle and meet the people together." I smiled at her expression. "R-really, my Queen?" She said in disbelief. "You have my word as your rightfull Queen." I said with the kindest of smile. "Hurray!" An overjoyed Delia's bounced around the chamber, clapping in excitement as her high-pitched laughter rang in my ears. Her happiness is always contagious. "One good thing about been Queen is that I can finally see the kingdom with my own eyes." I said happily. "Why doesn't lord osmont allow you to leave the castle, my Queen?" Delias asked me, and from her tone, she is extremely curious. I wondered if she knows it's not at all complicated. "Uncle said it was for my own protection, as I am the sole heir to the throne. If I had a brother or sister, perhaps it'll be different." I replied in a calm tone. "As a servant, I'm often Tasked to purchase requisite supplies outside the castle walls. There were so many places to visit! The town square, the lily garden, the river valleys...Ahh! I can't wait to show them all to you." She said, trembling with excitement. "All right. Don't get too excited now. I need to get ready for my ceremony." I reminded her. "Come. help me get dresssed! "Yes, my Queen." She choosed a beautiful silver dress. As soon as Delias has finished combing my hairs, there was a gentle tap on the chamber door. A muffled but familiar voice came from the other side. "Your Majesty?" "Looks like the queensguard has come for the Queen." Delias said teasingly. "Then it's time, Delias. Open the door." My playful and childish demeanor vanished replace with a serious own. Delias scurried to the door in excitement, creaking it opened while Wyatt entered my chambers. "My Queen." Wyatt said as he bowed a little. The queensguard gaze shifted from my face to my formal attire, respectfully brief and full of admiration. But his gaze lingered longer on me. I twirled, showing off my flaring dress to the Queensguard. "You are as beautiful as ever, your majesty." The sincerity in his words filled my heart with contentment. "Thank you, Wyatt." I replied with the same sincerety. "Always, your majesty." He said before getting to the real reason he came here. "At any rate, Duke osmont awaits us in the throne room. The guests has arrived." "Then we shall carry on." I approached the doorways, allowing my fingers to graze the smooth stone walls of the familiar place again. 'once I leave this chamber, it will become vacant until the next princess takes residence here... *** Cutting through the garden, the perfume scent of assorted roses put a smile on my face. A beautiful blue butterfly sat upon my fingers, fluttering it's wings up and down. I smiled as I remembered a similar memory. I said to Wyatt without looking back. "Do you still remember the rainbow-colored butterflies, Wyatt?" "Yes, my Queen. You were only fourteen then and I was sixteen. That day, we were sparring near the gazebo. Two butterflies flew between us and you were fascinated." Wyatt said with a small smile. "They were so beautiful." I said as I thought of what what Wyatt did to the butterflies. "I thought you wanted to have it, so I smacked one of them down with the hilt of my sword." He said a little embarrassed, but who could blame him? He thought that it was the best thing to do to please the princess at that time. "The other butterfly flew around it's fallen mate. I started crying cause you broke up a pair of lovers. Then you offer to kill the remaining one so they could be reunited." I said faking a crying face. "I was such a fool." Wyatt was more embarrassed now. "That day we took the dead butterfly home and I embroidered it likeness on your handkerchief. You have probably lost it by now." I said a little disappointed but I didn't let it show. "I'm sorry, my Queen. It was torn when I had to wrestle with two rebellious guardsmen a few years ago." Wyatt said. "Don't worry about it, Wyatt. It's just a handkerchief. I'm just glad you were not wounded." I said with a wave of my hands. "It takes more than just two novice swordmen to bring me down, my Queen." He said proudly. "I've done that before... with my mighty tears." I said jokingly. "Your sadness is my ultimate weakness, for it's the kind of foe I cannot overcome with my sword." He said with a chuckle. Carrying heartfelt smiles from found memories, my footsteps continued down the garden path. *** I led the way towards the Throne room, the sounds of mingling guests growing louder as Wyatt footsteps rang out close behind me. As I made my way around the corner, I saw a lieutenant escorting a guardsman with his hands bound. Immediately the lieutenant noticed me he bowed down and greeted. "Hail, your majesty." The bounded guardsman looked at me with eyes full of sadness. I looked at the lieutenant. "Why is this man tied up?" "He was caught sleeping on the watchtower last night, your majesty. I am taking him to the Gallows where he shall be hanged for such an atrocious crime." The lieutenant said with his head bowed. "Please, your majesty! I only fell asleep cause I didn't get enough rest. I was tasked to inspect the walls for possible points of entry yesterday morning." The bounded guardsman said while trying his best to contain his tears. "Such are the hardships you must endure as the protector of Trespia!" The lieutenant yelled at the bounded guardsman, he then turned to me. "Please, let this sluggard waste no time of your majesty's. He is unworthy." The lieutenant bowed to me humbly before shoving the bound guardsman out of my way."Keep walking, You lazy good-for-nothing!" "Wait." I called out to the lieutenant. I looked at the bounded guardsman. "Though this may not be your fault, Terspia could potentially fall because of your failure. You ought to be punished for this, but not at the cost of your life." I shifted my gaze to the lieutenant. " Lieutenant, unbind this young man and deduct his wages by half until he redeems himself." Upon hearing this, the lieutenant frozed, even the bounded guardsman has a look of surprise. Wyatt leaned down and whispers in my ears. "If I may, your majesty, military orders are the foundation of our defense. As you've said, our kingdom could have fallen with a watchman failing to notify us of any incoming danger. This man should be severely punished so that the rest of the guardsmen will heed the warning." "I understand, Wyatt, but his mistake didn't impact Terspia gravely today. Let's give him a chance to pick up his sword and defend Terspia when the time comes." I whispered back to Wyatt. "Of course, my queen." Wyatt said before standing straight. I returned my attention to the guardsmen. "Today is my coronation day. I shall have no blood shed. I hereby free this man from his death sentence. Release him." I said to the lieutenant. "Yes, your majesty." The lieutenant said and started to unbound the guardsman. "prove yourself worthy of her majesty's mercy, Guardsman. Do not make the same mistake again." Wyatt decided to give a little warning to the guardsman. "I won't, your majesty! Thank you! Thank you!" The Guardsman thanked me profusely before leaving for his duty. Wyatt stared blankly at where the guardsmen disappeared into the barrack. "Something's on your mind?" I asked him. "I am foundly remembered of the time when you stopped Treasurer Xavier's hound from eating a wounded baby dear." Wyatt said with a smile. "We were both children then. I remembered when you took it down when it tried to attack me. In the end, I ended up treating both animals." I said with a small shake of my head. "You have always been merciful. The people are lucky to have you as their Queen." He said with a small bow of his head. "I hope my mercy will not become my weakness as a ruler." I smiled, but remembering that I have other things to do I started walking down the hallway. "At any rate, we should make haste. Uncle Osmond awaits." "Yes, my Queen." He said then followed close behind me. The both of us hurried down the long marble hallway. Not long after I arrived at the Throne room. The royal guards bowed graciously to me and pushed open the huge engraved doors. As the door closed behind me, I was welcomed by Duke Osmont's endearing smile. He walked up to me. "How is my lovely Queen faring this morning? I gave him a beautiful smile. "I am well, uncle. Thank you." "My little bird has finally becomes full-fledged. I'm so proud of you." He looked super proud of me right now. "Does that means I can spread my wings and fly beyond the castle walls now?" I asked with excitement. "Patience, Ellaire, patience. We will get there...in time." Duke Osmond said with a comforting smile. My excited face dropped instantly into a frown. "You have been telling me this for the past ten years, uncle. I'm becoming Queen today. What am I still waiting for?" I was really fustrated at the moment. "Adamant loyalty from your people, precisely. This is something you cannot achieve overnight. You must take time to earn their faithfulness in order to secure your throne." Duke Osmond said with a calm smile. "I guess I can understand that... " My frustration turned to helplessness. His smile suddenly becomes bitter as a hint of sadness flashed through his eyes."Your father would've been so proud to see you take Trespia out of my hands." 'uncle Osmont is thinking about his brother again.' "Thank you for taking care of me, uncle, and thank you for looking after Trespia until I've come of age." I sincerely felt thankful to him. Duke osmont absentmindedly tapped on my shoulder, aiming to give me an encouraging squeeze until he felt the fabric of my royal attire. The sudden reminder of my new rank had him quickly retracting his hands and hiding his awkwardness with a dry cough. "Ahem... Rulers of all four kingdoms have come to witnesses your coronation today, your majesty. Before you are crowned, each council member shall test you with a challenging question. Such questions are not meant to affect your coronation. But answering them improperly in front of other rulers will display your weakness and incapability as a Queen. So please be deliberate with your answers." Duke Osmont explained briefly. "I understand, uncle." I said in a determined voice, I can't disgrace my kingdom. "Now, before we let our honorable guests in..." Duke Osmont darted Wyatt a meaningful glance, which was immediately understood as the Queensguard retreated all the way back to the door. "During the celebration banquet, you shall perform your first dance as the Queen of Tespira. This is a valuable opportunity for you to pick D' Mario as your first dance partner." Duke Osmont said. "King D'Mario?" "He is the young king from Rajahili— still unmarried— which makes him a very worthy suitor for you. A marriage between you and king D'Mario will become a very strong alliance with Rajahili and Trespia."