The Princess Knight

The whole palace had been dressed in gold. Silk banners draped from every balcony, and garlands of wildflowers wound their way around the marble pillars. The scent of honey cakes and burning frankincense drifted through the corridors, carried by the soft hum of music and laughter. At last, the day had come— the day I would turn twenty-two. It was only hours until the celebration began, and once again everyone was happy. I walked quietly down the hall in my blue silk nightdress, bare feet brushing against the cold tiles. Through the archway, I could see the courtyard alive with motion, servants rushing past with ribbons in their hair, the blacksmith's apprentices polishing the guards' armor until it gleamed like sunlight, and children running around barefoot between the fountains, their giggles echoing exictedly through the morning air. Even the bells of the Cathedral sounded softer today, as if the heavens themselves were humming with peace. Every birthday of mine had been a Big event for the kingdom, always celebrated with open gates— a day when all were welcome to feast beside the royal household. But this one… this was different. This birthday marked the beginning of a new dawn. The Feast of Dawn, that's what we call it. A sacred day held once in honor of the Divine Heir on their twenty second birthday, The Divine heir was know as the chosen protector of the land. The last chosen one was my ancestor, Queen Aurora, nearly two hundred years ago. Just Like me, she had been born beneath a blood-red moon, marked by prophecy to protect the Holy relics and stand as the light against the darkness that crawled out from the depths of hell. Every Twenty second birthday of a Divine heir, we are ordained the Crown princess of the kingdom. And today… today was my turn. My birthday was not just a celebration—it was a coronation. By tradition, crowning the God-sent heiress sealed the kingdom's divine protection, a ward against the shadows that once devoured the earth. Just as Queen Aurora and the rest of my ancestor's light had saved mankind, so too was I meant to bear that same flame. Or so they say. --- They tell the story often, how, long before the three kingdoms existed, the land was little more than a wasteland torn apart by war, it was a land where people seek refugee during the end less war, But then, Demons roamed freely, feasting on the souls of men. Humanity's last refuge was the great Cathedral that rose from the ashes, a tall Cathedral in the middle of the land, guarded by the twelve holy knights known as the Order of twelve___The Sanctum Knight. Beside them fought three sisters, Who lived in the Cathedral, long before the war began, long before the land was populated with refugee, long when the land was only know as waste land. They were, Aurelen, Seliah, and Veyra, they were born by the same mother on the same day, known daughters of the holy bloodline, the "daughters of Abraham," as the priests call them. Each possessed a divine gift: Aurelen, my ancestor, wielded the Gift of Purity__a cleansing power strong enough to drive out corruption from body and soul. Seliah bore the Gift of healing, and Veyra carried the Gift of unmactched strength Together, they healed the sick, feed the starving, defended the weak, and stood against the armies of hell. Yet even saints are not spared from sacrifice. When the demons at last broke through the veil and poisoned the land, Aurelen gave her life—spilling her blood upon the soil to seal the darkness away forever. Her sisters followed soon after, healing the land and restoring balance. And so the land was cleansed. No demon dared cross the borders again. The earth grew fertile, the sick were healed, and even the Great Plague that swept the neighboring lands never touched our soil. From that sanctified ground rose three kingdoms, House of Aurelen, House of Seliah, and House of Verya__ each built upon the legacy of the sisters and ruled by their descendants. But peace is a fragile thing. Centuries later, the sisters' essence began to fade. Evil returned—first as sickness, then as famine, then as war. The desperate people turned once more to prayer, but their devotion twisted into obsession. They began building altars to the sisters, worshipping them instead of the Creator. The Church called it blasphemy. Civil war followed. Blood was shed once more on the Holy land. And it was then, amid the chaos, that a new prophecy came to the Cathedral: "Three will rise again in flesh, to bear the light of the sisters reborn." Each kingdom was commanded to unearth the relics of its matron sister—to guard them until the chosen heir was born. And so, the cycle began anew., the one Who they reincarnated looked like them, Aurelen's Red hair, Veyra Ash_sliver hair and Seliah's was bald, So...My Cousin Berevreth...Doesn't have a hair Each generation, a prophecy would announce the birth of one of their reincarnations—a Divine Heir, destined to protect the land once again. My own birth was heralded a year before I took my first breath. For two centuries, no chosen one had appeared. So when the priests declared that Aurelen's spirit would be born again, my kingdom rejoiced. They built new temples. They sang hymns in my name before I was even born. They called me the Child of Dawn. It's a tale every child here knows by heart. Every wall in the palace whispers it. Every prayer, every smile, every glance I receive… is laced with expectation. But Then… do I believe the stories? No. I'm afraid I don't. I've never seen a demon. I've never cast light or healed a wound. They say this land is free of illness, yet my maid Victoria suffers from ulcers that even the royal physicians cannot cure. And as for me— I've failed every test the priests have put me through. No miracle, no light, nothing divine. Just red hair. And Oh, by the way, my maid Victoria's hair shines the same strawberry hue when the sun hits it right. Father Martins and the catechists will, no doubt, try again today, another round of chants, prayers and Test, hoping for a spark that will never come. I wish they'd stop, i really do Because deep down… I know i can not give them what they want, because i don't have it, its either they were wrong about me or the whole tale of my ancestor's is just a made up stories. --- I started walking down the grand staircase, sighing im distress, when I caught sight of my governess—Lady Mirelda, her posture sharp enough to catch all attention in the room. The moment our eyes met, I froze. Then turned. Then ran. "Your Highness! Princess Elowen!" she called, half-running after me yet, trying to Keep her graceful posture while doing it "You shouldn't be out dressed like that!" But before she could reach me, I darted into my chambers and slammed the door shut, pressing my back against it as my heart pounded, the last thing i want right now, is my father hearing about this and giving me a whole day lecture's on how to be a princess. So much for a quiet morning.