The Rightful Queen

At the same time, in a nearby kingdom, two people stood in front of an old wooden door. The rust on its locks had made it impossible to open. One was a young woman who turned 21 only a month ago. Her companion was a middle-aged man. Despite his age, he was clean shaven.

The woman pointed a finger on the locks. They snapped in half  and fell on the floor. The door opened.

The room was dim. Dust clung to the ceiling and the glass displays. It looked like it hadn't been touched for years. The woman stepped inside. She scanned the area.

The hexagon shape of the place was familiar. Its once mauve ceramic walls were worn out by time. She lifted a hand. One by one the torches lit to life. The royal treasury shined once more.

The heels she wore clacked on the marble floor as she glided around the collection set on the tables, the pillars and the shelves. Gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, sapphires and more crafted into various jewelry and accessories, necklaces, rings, bracelets, hair pins, tiaras, crowns and scepters to name a few.

At the back of the room was a glass display perched on the wall. Inside was a scepter, a crown and a stone. The crown's frame was made of pure gold. It had two rows of diamonds on both sides. They grew bigger as it neared the middle. The centerpiece was missing. What was in its place was a band molded into teardrop with spherical hole to hold the piece once it was inserted.

The tip of the scepter was shaped like a tulip. Thin gold bands crusted with small diamonds seemed to sprout out of the rod. Bundle of leaves encircle the roots of the petals. At the top of them sat a miniature replica of the crown beside it.

Underneath these two was where a white unpolished stone sat on a its own shelf.

This was what the woman was looking for. Behind her, the man stood patiently. He observed the young woman. He hadn't seen her for over ten years. She had inherited her father's height but she had her mother's smooth white skin. Her wavy black hair was woven into an intricate hairstyle on top of her head. A few strands fell on the sides of her face, adding more to her allure.

He watched her open the case and waited… but the miss didn't make a move.

"Why does this even exist?" She whispered but her small voice echoed around the room.

"It's a gift from your grandfathers, Your Highness. Blessed with the power to rule over the kingdom. This was created when King Andre had you and your sister from two different women. Your grandfathers loved you both very much." The man began to explain. Compared to the Princess, he had a lower intonation and spoke more clear-cut, "In order to do what is best for the kingdom, the stone shall turn green when touched by the rightful heir after she turns 21."

Princess Alkas let out a breath. This was an important moment for her. Her mother's words replayed in her head.

Make me proud my daughter, she said before the princess left on her voyage back to her father's lands. Her mother's eyes full of pride burned in her mind. Her heart drummed inside her c.h.e.s.t.

Alkas held her hands together as if in prayer. The open sleeves of her maroon gown slid to her elbows. Alkas closed her eyes and gulped.

May Luna watch over me, she chanted. Then, eyes open, she reached out a hand for the stone.

…

…

...

"It's white." She choked. The shake in her hands intensified. With her other hand, she entrapped the stone. It still didn't change. Tears formed in her eyes.

No… this cannot be… it cannot be true…

All of her life, Alkas had only one goal… to be Aurae's Queen. She clutched the stone close to her c.h.e.s.t. Her upper body bent forward. Her knees gave in. Over and over, the princess questioned her identity.

If she wasn't Queen, what would that make of her?

Alkas stilled at the mention of her sister. Slowly, she straightened up. When the princess met Rowan's stare, the once dejected eyes were cold. Rowan was dumbfounded by it. He remembered that Princess Alkas pampered her sister endlessly when they were little. He thought she'd be happy or surprised at the possibility.

"My sister is dead, Prime Minister." Alkas sneered, her words penetrating as they came out, "There has been no sign of her since that day. Are we to hold off the kingdom without a proper ruler? For a brainless fantasy that she is alive?!"

Prime Minister Rowan bowed his head. Change had surely been part of the princess' time away from the palace. The tragedy had incurred a price on her views of the world.

"Princess Ariene's disappearance has been dismissed by the court many years ago. It was fruitless. Your marriage to Crown Prince Tylen shall entitle you to the throne. That is what the court has decided." Rowan reminded. To prepare for any casualties, the court had set out preventive and countermeasures. As the Crown Prince, Tylen was high in power. With no other heir to take over Aurae, the marriage would symbolize a union of both kingdoms. Thus, it would secure the throne to Princess Alkas.

Alkas placed the stone back on its shelf, closing the glass display. The Prime Minister was right. The only way was to move forward.

She cleared her mind and steeled her nerves. Her movements became stiff and robotic. Hands still on the display, she turned her head to side to peek at the Prime Minister.

Then, she asked, "But they're expecting me to be only one left. The stone is white. Wouldn't this cause rebellion?"

Rowan stepped forward, "This shall remain a secret. We'll have an imitation made."

Alkas faced him fully, golden eyes gleaming.

Princess Alkas did not wait for Rowan. Neither did she look back. Her mind began calculating. Crown Prince Tylen was on his way and the coming banquet will be used to announce their engagement. There were preparations to be done.

She was to be Queen and nothing will stand in her way.