Rightful Ruler

Chapter 5

Year 2010

 I closed my eyes and I took a deep breath. My lungs expand as the afternoon breeze filled my lungs with the sweet scent of flowers.

 I look up at the sky as the sun starts to set at the horizon, the sky started to create a perfect swirl hue combination of orange, red and yellow. 

Andalasia truly is a paradise. My paradise.

My afternoon class just finished and my little sister just woke up from her so called noon slumber and what is the best way to spend our afternoon? Hanging out and playing with my little sister, Anna of course. Its a time well spent for our sister bonding.

We are at the Royal Garden. The garden is filled with lush flowers, its different scents dancing together in the wind creates a perfect blend of fragrance.

The Edel Rose garden served as a home for the different species of roses, different kind of flowers and herbs. We also have our royal greenhouse where plants are cultivated, it is also where the newly discovered plants were studied and where the herbal tonics are being formulated.  

I was reading through my father’s book that I’ve taken from the Golden Room. I was so engrossed in reading.

I flipped the page and skimmed through all of his adventures locked within the pages. I didn’t notice that I was smiling. True, the world might be strange and stranger but at least my father was able to enjoy every second. page after page, his words had taken me to everything that he did. It was like travelling back in time when he is at my age.

One day I will be writing my own story and I will want the future generation to fly with me inside the book filled with my endless mystery. 

Anna, on the other hand just finished walking and wobbling all over the place and is now showing tiredness. Her two year old self is now rolling all over the grass, and plucking anything her chubby fingers can grasp. She would giggle whenever the grass would lightly prick her delicate skin, and when she grew tired of rolling around she went to where I’m sitting.

She sat down besides me on the luxurious green carpet grass.

She started to pout and is showing distress when she is having trouble removing some grasses and leaves on her hair and dress. Hey eyes started to get glassy and before the dam would break loose. I closed my book, picked her up and let her sit on my lap and started to remove the leaves and grasses.

“No, no don’t cry. See” Then I poke her nose, to which she replied with her cute giggle. “Your beautiful again.” That’s when her face broke down into a smile.

She got down from my lap and stood up with her wobbling feet. She started jumping up and down while pointing at the rows of blooming roses. Roses, my favorite.

“Okay okay” I picked her up and placed her on the side of my hip, she then clapped her hand to show her enthusiasm. “Yaaay”

I just laugh at her antics. She looks so carefree, her face is filled with her radiant innocence. An innocence that will never be tainted, I’ll make sure of it.

I was holding her, and every step I take closer on the roses her giddy aura would get stronger and stronger. I can’t help but smile. She is my little sister, her smile can easily brighten up my dark days and I will do everything that I can to protect her.

When we reached the roses she immediately picked one and sniffed it.

“Rose, so love-ly.” She still have trouble with formulating and constructing sentences, but regardless of it. We can still understand her properly.

I picked one too and smelled it. The sweet aroma of the rose immediately rushed through my nostrils blanketing me with its scent.

Anna is right, it is lovely.

I grabbed another rose and, I wrapped my hand around the flower and I twisted my hand around it, effectively plucking off its petals. As my hand is filled with rose petals I forcefully threw my hand up in the air and released the petals mid air while keeping a tight grip on my sister, making sure she won’t fall.

As the red petals rained down on us, the garden began to be filled with our synchronous laughter.

As the sun continued to set. The rose necklace that I have around my neck started to glow. It was given to me as a family jewel. I never knew that it can glow, I thought it was only a key for the Golden Room. It was the first time that it happened.

I was shocked but Anna on the other hand started clapping her hands and started chanting “glow glow glow”.

As the sun finally sets on the horizon, the necklace around my neck lost its glow.

The light may have died down but my mind is still frozen, still processing what has happened. I cannot wrap my mind around it.

I was still shocked and my mind is still in turmoil. What just happened? Did that really happen? How was that possible.

I cannot move and my feet feels like it was rooted on the spot to where I’m standing.

I was thinking hard and the buzzing sound was pushed down deep in my mind.

Wait.... Buzzing sound? Oh no! my phone.

The ringing stopped when I finally took my phone from my jean’s pocket. I opened my phone and just as I was about to check whose call I missed. My mom’s name started to flashed on the screen.

I answered the call and put it on speaker. Before I could say Hi, Anna immediately shouted “Mommy” and since she is still on my hip and her mouth is near my ears, I immediately closed my eyes wincing in pain. It was like my eardrum exploded from her loud scream.

“What was that mom?” It took a second for my ear to function again.

“Where were you? Its already dark outside. ” Was what mom said from the other line.

“We’re still at the garden, don’t worry mom. We’re heading inside now.” Just as I finished saying that, the lights on the garden started to light up, illuminating its beauty.

“Ok, but hurry, dinner is almost ready.”

After sharing I love you’s with mom, the call ended. I put my phone back to my pocket. I set down Anna to the ground to grab my book. The book that I need to return to the golden room.

With the book on my right hand, I grabbed my sister’s hand on my left hand and together we made our way inside.

She was jumping and twirling around the pillars as we were making our way to the Golden Room.

When we came face to face with the door, Anna wasted no time to put her hands around the carvings. She looked up at me and muttered “Pweetty” while still caressing the rose carvings. She was so engrossed with the carvings. She’s looking at them like its the most precious thing that she has ever seen.

“Wanna see some magic?” That piqued her interest for her eyes immediately went wide and her hands stopped mid air.

I grabbed my necklace and placed the rose pendant on the door. The door immediately open revealing the concealed beauty inside. I glanced down at my sister and saw that her mouth was formed in an O shape. She immediately went in while shrieking in delight.

The light inside the room automatically turned on as it has a motion activated sensor. The light illuminated the inside of the room.

I followed her inside and I closed the door behind me.

I found her staring at the last hanged portrait. Our family portrait. “That’s me!” She was beaming with a Cheshire like grin with her missing tooth showing while pointing at her.

“Yeah, that’s you.” I set down the book to the pedestal, I took my father’s necklace and I put it around her neck. I didn’t think that her smile would get bigger but it did. She now had a full blown smile that reaches her eyes. Her eyes started to sparkle , if she’s an animated character her eyes will probably be beaming with stars.

I put my finger up to my lips, in an act of saying shush. “This will be our secret. Ok?” She nodded her head way too enthusiastically and held out her pinky, “I pinky promise”. I held out my pinky too and intertwined it with hers.

I continued on looking at our family portrait. Memorizing all our features, I’m glad I did cause I won’t be able to this for the next couple of years.

I look at where my sister is now. She had managed to open one of the glass cases and now she’s wearing a tiara, a tiara bigger than her head. I was puzzled at how she was able to open it.

 Her eyes were twinkling in delight as the light from the room reflects back from the gems on the crowns and jewelries. My heart melted at the cuteness overload.

I giggled as I removed the tiara on her head and returned it back on the glass case. I hold her hand she immediately pouted.  “Come on, we have to go now.” Her pout deepened. “We’ll return back, I promise.”

With no other choice, she slowly nodded her head.  “You still have the magic key.” I pointed the necklace on her neck “See”.

He frowning face was immediately replaced with a smile.  

Before I was able to open the door, Anna pointed at a portrait. “You?” Then she looked at me weirdly.

I laugh at her and shook my head “No. That’s the first queen, She’s Queen Luna one of our Grandmas.”

Her mouth formed into an O as if telling me she understands me.

Together, we exited the room and the door closed with a soft thud.

We were walking hand in hand and I would never realize that the happiness that I was feeling at that time will be cut short the following day.

It was unknown to me that someone was hiding behind the pillars watching my every move.