CHAPTER II
2518 Words
(THE FAULT IN THAT MOONLIGHT)
“STOP!”
I scream, running towards the fire from the village that I cared about so much. I love and am helping behind everyone’s back. My little rebellion against my blood and status. The only thing that is keeping me sane from the sins around me.
But.
“You’re Highness!”
“Stop the Princess and take her back to the castle!”
They all scramble. Not because they are putting out the fire, but making it even bigger. While the palace guards are forced to take me inside the carriage and back to the Palace.
“Stop it! No! Please!”
I beg I tried to. But who am I to be able to stop the words and firm command of the King? I am just a Princess, a Princess without any power at hand.
“Help!”
A crying mother’s voice. A whimper and desperate cry that breaks my heart.
“Please, help me. My baby, she is still there, someone!”
I gritted my teeth, with tears streaming down from my eyes. Clenching my hands and tightly, I wanted to scream in anger and frustration for I couldn’t do a single damn thing. But watch everything burn right in front of me.
“Please!”
“Our house!”
“Mommy!”
The cries from the cruelty of this world. Things that I have cursing for long years now are the only thing that I can helplessly do. After just realizing that am useless and powerless even being a Princess of this kingdom.
“Take the princess back.”
I helplessly in my place and inside the carriage with the door shutting close in front of me. The wheels turn and everything in my eyes is the reflection of the ember flames that are slowly fading as I was being taken away.
“I hate you, so much.”
The words that I can only whisper for the moment. With clenched hands and tightly, my tears are falling none stop from my eyes into my clenched hands and dress. Realize how useless I am, a useless fool who is put into her rightful place by the king she hated the most.
“ADD SOME PALACE GUARD! FROM NOW ON, DO NOT LET THE PRINCESS GET OUT OF HER ROOM.”
He got the guts to lock me up in my room. Guarding me heavily with the knights that trained for war.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
The door closes and I am left all alone with no one to run to or to even talk with. I wanted to make a scene, and make a fit towards him and even in front of everyone, every noble there is in this Kingdom. But I am too weak from everything that happened, as I can only cry and slowly drifted asleep. Wishing that I’ll have a good dream even for a short while and this time.
“CAN I NOT BE THE PRINCESS?”
The question that was clear in my mind that I ask of the Queen, my mother. The Queen who thought me everything, including how to endure everything.
“If only you can.”
The simple and short words that she first and the last time told me in utmost honesty. Knowing that in every corner inside the Palace, eyes are on us, guarding and recording everything. Things that will never come unnoticed by the King.
“Remember this Miyu you are born with luxury greater than anything and everything in this life. With power, luxury and status come those who are greedy and envious. You must put inside your mind that in this world, you need to be strong for your own sake. Do not let anyone see your weakness and pointed it out to you. You need to be above them to survive.”
Words thought me how to be strong. The fact that I then realize that the Queen is shackled all her life with the chain of power, wealth, and status that she had. To remain in place and safe, to protect the only daughter that she had. The principle that it is better to kill than to be killed is necessary.
“You have suffered so much, am I right?’
Not so innocent of mine, yet she understands. With a small smile that she draws on her face, she simply agrees, but quietly. And immediately without anyone noticing, she fixed her mask and back to that tyrannical one, a cold high, and mighty Queen that rules above all, but below the Queen.
“You will understand everything when that time comes, Princess.”
I honestly do not want to see that day and hold it in my own hands. For I hated the fact that being a royal comes with the deepest and biggest consequence. Your happiness, If only.
“Goodnight my dear.”
She bid me one and kissed me. As the door of my room, my prison closes, I drifted once more asleep and dream about something from the way past that I kept on having for a while now.
“The stars and the moon, just how wonderful could it be if I become one.”
The little plea of the little girl who is wishing to the sky above. A seemingly innocent wish, but holds that unbearable pain and sadness from deep inside her heart. The place, the moment, and the familiarity that it brings. It all screams at me that the little one I am seeing in this dream.
IS ME.
“YOU DO NOT HAVE TO, FOR I AM ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU.”
Here it goes again, the voice that always whispers from a near distance. Words that are warm and comforting. Those gentle tones that I knew yet I couldn’t remember from who. Presence that I couldn’t see, but I know that he was there. It could be just the imagination of that little girl. But then.
“WOULD YOU? WILL YOU? CAN YOU STAY WITH ME AND NOT LEAVE ME AS EVERYONE DID?”
She would ask, and always every night in that same place and moment in my dreams. To her skinny body, place skin and the coldness that no one would comfort and bring him that needed warmth. She maybe just thinking it all from her mind after all. A fleeting imagination that sustains her little hopeful heart.
“I WILL ALWAYS BE WITH YOU AND FOREVER, I PROMISE.”
Promises. How wonderful that word could be for the little girl in my dream. If only she knows the truth behind the such word. If only I can tell hell all about it, I will face her with the warning that in this world no one promises something without anything to be a sacrifice for.
Just then.
“CAN I HAVE A WISH?”
The atmosphere suddenly changes. Where my dream shifted to another scene. The nightmare of my dreams. Always and every night, I ended up in the exact moment where that little girl is asked about the thing that she couldn’t reject.
“MY WISH, WILL YOU GRANT IT FOR ME?”
Dark ominous and blaring with all the warning signs that one shouldn’t be trusted. Yet, for the little fragile girl, it was all that she currently has. That gentleman in a black suit and tie smiles. Takes his pipe hat off and bows cordially whispering the words and assurance.
“ANYTHING THAT YOUR HEART COULD EVER DESIRE. YOU CAN HAVE IT AND OWN IT IN ONE SNAP FROM MY FINGERS. IN ONE FAIR EXCHANGE.”
The deal that I am afraid of hearing, but then I am into and worst is even seeing. I wanted to scream, run and stop that little girl from taking such an ominous thing that she will surely regret in her entire life. But I cannot do a single thing.
“ANYTHING, I WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE.”
She said the words that she shouldn’t have. The words hit me in the gut, painfully and hard. Making me cry in this dream, but for the second time, I couldn’t do a single thing about it.
“VERY WELL THEN. EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE IN EXCHANGE FOR A LITTLE HAPPINESS.”
The truth that I hated to hear over and over again from this foolish dream that I have. And for the third time and the last one, I couldn’t do a single thing.
“DO WE HAVE A DEAL?”
He reaches his hand towards the frail and small hand of the little girl. The little girl with jet-black shoulder blade hair, greyish pair of tired eyes, redden nose from the cold of the first night of winter. Tattered clothes and dirty pale skin from dust and wounds.
“No.”
The word and the only thing that I could say and in a whisper every time in this same moment of my dream. But the little girl couldn’t hear me and not even for a single second.
She reaches her hand and without skipping a beat, said.
“DEAL.”
My world crushes once more in front of me. My chest hurt so bad that I couldn’t breathe and felt like I’d been drowning down into the deepest part of the dark ocean. I couldn’t scream, I could even cry despite all the pain, and ended up with the word.
“No!”
I scream, waking up from that nightmare I always ended up having. I look beside my bed and towards the crescent moon above. The cold wind that’s blowing the white curtain from the terrace of my room doesn’t give a little thing to ease the pain and burning regret that I am crying about right now.
“Why?”
I ask myself that question that contains so many meanings. Thinking to myself if having my little rebellion and revenge of using the king’s authority and then doing my way to disappoint him is my sin in this life. The sin that I am currently paying through that dream.
“It hurt, it hurt so much.”
“I PROMISE TO BE WITH YOU, FOREVER.”
I suddenly remember, somehow hearing those words and the warmth that it brings. The words that for a second comforted me and then vanishes like a fleeting wind. Where it is screaming at me that I lost that only thing that I only have, but thinking about it, I do not own that for it was owned by that little girl that was---, right?
“PRINCESS!”
My attendants scream in worry running after me with the palace guards who quickly grabs me from both of my arms and pulled me away from the scene, but it was all too late.
“Thank you, Princess.”
My eyes wide and my entire world shakes and then crumbles with the mix of anger, pain, cries, and regret. For I was all too late. The days that I was locked away inside my room are the time and enough for the king to build the lies and condemn the innocent that I care so much into a brutal sentence.
“No.”
The word that I was able to whisper. With my tears falling, blood drips onto the floor, where the aristocrats witness the beheading of the remaining survivor from the village fire that I built by myself.
“Listen! This scene is a warning for everyone that no one should and could rebel against his Majesty!”
The aristocrats giggle, the merchants are murmuring, and the left farmers and poor people of this kingdom are now cowering in fear. The head of the innocents is all rolling down with their smiles that I couldn’t accept it be.
“Why?”
I fall to my knees as my attendants rush to my side and comfort me. Yet, I couldn’t hear any words that they are saying. For what is inside my heart and mind right now is anger and curses towards the king that I wanted to disown as my father.
“Take the princess out of here.”
They took me back to the palace. Helping me up from my shaking and cold feet from what I’ve just seen.
“Princess, please, this is not the time to act rashly. You need to think about yourself and your safety.”
Right. I almost forgot about the fact that even though I am the only heiress, the King will not blink to decide my death in his own hands if I rebel once more.
“But I do not care anymore.”
I whisper, clenching my hands tight. Breaking free from my guards and tearing my dress as a sign of my rebellion.
“Princess!”
I cause the primary commotion. Stealing everyone’s attention as I march toward the king.
“You cannot pass through from here your highness, his Majesty’s order.”
I gritted my teeth in rage. Didn’t think twice and pulled one of the knight’s swords and held it to my throat.
“Your highness!”
They scream in panic. Taking the King’s attention and the Queen fainting from seeing what I just did.
“Let her through!”
The King commanded, desperate and worried that I have rarely seen in him. Making me chuckle at the fact that, he does care so much about me.
“Put the sword down Princess.”
He commanded, yet I do not care nor, I wanted to listen.
“If you do not want to see this beloved child of yours drop dead in front of you. Give me what I wanted right now!”
I demanded that the King immediately obliges.
“Bring me my horse, Knight.”
My first demand was that they immediately did so, quickly and without any fuss giving me my horse.
“Second, give me one bag of silver, copper, and gold.”
The king wanted to protest, but I didn’t give him a choice nor did the knights strike a plan to stop me when I place the blade to my neck wounding me in the process with the blood dripping into the blade of the sword.
“Do it!”
Scared and well enough for my favor, they immediately bring me what I wanted. They tied it up and securely to my horse as I could not be much pleased for the moment.
“Third.”
I speak, raising the sword that scared the hell out of their guts. I smile at the poor that are all scared in worry about what I am about to do. While the aristocrats are in a panic thinking of a way to get near me.
“From now on, consider me dead.”
“Princess!”
Some screams, but I didn’t heed them. I put the blade at the back of my head under my long jet-black locks of hair and in a second cut it all the way, severing my tie to the royalty.
“Goodbye.”
- Writer
