Lumi’s heart ached with worry and misery. She wanted to dig a hole and sink into the underworld. She had never felt so scared in her whole life before. Scared to her bones, she was. Her heart thudded heavily. Everyone was crowded in the Queen’s chamber. She was waiting, waiting for the news.

She buried her face in her hands. A princess can never tell anyone her feelings. Everyone didn’t care, or either thought she was too beautiful to dare talk to. But right now, all Lumi wanted was someone, anyone to talk to. If there ever will be anyone. Her troubles and worries had grew every day, and second by second. She was losing her confidence of her mother getting through her sickness and injuries.

Tia Ramone, Lumi’s mother, also the so called “Queen of Warriors” had been injured badly at war. Yesterday she was out, slaying monsters and devils of all kinds, but today she was weak, lying on her bed with blood on her thighs. Lumi couldn’t remember how she had cried when her mother arrived in blood. She had tried hard to conceal the tears, since it was a rule in her classes of becoming a true warrior. Khazzanae princesses and princes should never ever cry when something bad happens. They all should be emotionally and physically strong. And luckily, no one noticed, so she was safe from being shamed across the country.

The young thirteen-year-old princess looked outside her bedroom window. She could see the gray stormy skies rolling towards her home. Her mind was terrified, and so was her body. She was shaking badly. She had three things that she feared right now. One, if her mother dies, she will cry, and everyone would notice. Two, after her mother dies, she would take the throne. That’s worse. Three, if she takes the throne and becomes queen, she’ll look like a scaredy cat and not worthy of being queen at all and get shamed by everyone as she ought to be.

Princess Lumi heard a knock on her door. Shoving her various handkerchiefs under her pillows, she got to the door and wiped away her tears quickly. Opening the door, Lucy her maidservant spoke.

“Her majesty wants to see you, gracious,” Lumi’s heart thudded heavily. She had expected it. Her mother was dying and could not be healed. Well, she had to embrace the truth then.

Restraining her growing tears, she spoke in a wobbly voice that she hoped Lucy wouldn’t recognize. “Bring me to her, Lucy.”

Lucy solemnly gestured her down the stone stairs and beyond. Lumi shuddered with dread. She wiped away more tears that seemed to flow down naturally, uncontrollable.

I can do this, Lumi thought, grabbing her skirts more tightly now. She reached her mother’s chambers, with Lucy by her side. Taking a deep breath, she opened the wooden door.

Normally, when she went inside her mother’s chambers, which was a rare chance after her father died in sickness, she always admired the beautiful tapestry on the walls and the red curtains calling for war hung, nearly touching the ceiling. Today she had no time to feel comfortable and relaxed. She didn’t even want to look around. She was looking at the master bed at the center of the room.

She stopped herself from gasping loudly. On the bed of Queen Tia, her robes were simply scattered around the bed. She tried to keep the feeling of silence out, creeping up to her every single moment possible. Tears uncontrollably flowed down like a river; and became big sobs after. Her mother wasn’t going, right? She needed her mother by her side, she was her guardian angel. But there lay the weak Queen Tia, eyes closed and peaceful. She wasn’t dead, Lumi told herself. From the look of her mother’s rising chest, she knew she had difficulty breathing already.

Quickly rushing to her majesty, she touched her mother’s hands. Almost cold. Her mother slowly opened her eyes, looking at her daughter, then sighing deeply.

“I know you are not ready, my love. But trust me, I was trained the same way as you did,” she coughed, and droplets of blood spilled from her mouth. But the Queen wasn’t done talking. She said softly, “If you need advice, love…Find it at the library. It’s there. Find it. Find it, love,” she started to close her eyes.

“Lumi…My dear Lumi…So young, so frail…I love you as always…Lumi, Lumi…,” Queen Tia said her last words as her world felt dark around its edges, and she finally let go. She knew her daughter would be greater than her, stronger. With a final breath, she closed her eyes. The last thing she saw was Lumi; her only child, now to lead an army. The last thing she heard was Lumi’s pleadings, so loud but distant. The last thing she knew was Lumi will be the Queen of Khazzanae.

“No mother, no!” Lumi screamed pleadingly. She was desperate to make her mother wake again. She needed her mother.

“Your gracious?” Lucy’s voice came from behind the door. Lumi quickly turned and rubbed away the tears and covered her mother with her blankets and smoothed her dress. She went to the door and there was Lucy, standing. She quickly retreated outside.

“Are you okay?” she asked innocently, peeking through the door.

“I’m fine, Lucy. Thank you. The Queen has passed on. Let me go to my chambers myself,” the princess heard herself say, and left the maidservant alone.

Down the stony walls she wept and cried bitterly. What was she going to do now? Was she going to be a great queen when she was afraid? She went inside her room and closed the door gently. There might be a miracle, if something great would happen to her. To distract her from her loss.

Her heart thumped sadly, as the last touch from her mother gradually fade away. She sighed.

“I guess welcome Queen Lumi then,” she said.

~

Chirps of birds and buzzes of bees woke Lumi up. She groaned, annoyed. She tried to lie down again, but sunlight poured into her untidy room, straight into her foggy eyes. She shook herself and sat up, hair falling onto her shoulders, pale skin showing underneath the silk nightgown. She pulled her blankets up, over her head and started to sleep again. With no hope, the sun shone brighter to her dismay. Climbing out of her enormous bed, she fell face first into her sheets again, her mind still not ready to wake up but go back to that sweet dream, without knowing that today was her coronation day, which means she’ll be crowned queen, everything under her control.

At first she was pretty shocked about hearing girls as young as her were already qualified to rule without an advisor. She protested to the council immediately, saying she wasn’t ready yet. But this council didn’t care. They shrugged and pushed her out, saying she was old enough. True, Lumi hated being treated as the baby. But a queen? Wasn’t that madness for a girl as young as her to become one? She of course knew some other famous rulers who were younger than her when they took the throne. At least they had advisors! What about her? She had no one to guide her, except her mother who was already long gone, her advisors who turned their backs on her and a whole country who was impatiently waiting for her commands and orders.

Up to this moment, Lumi had always thought her mother would be with her forever.

Up to this moment, she believed she had help.

But no.

Look at me. I have nobody now.

Only me.

Me.

Trying to disturb herself from her thoughts, she grabbed the outfit her maidens had chosen for her from her messy wardrobe and brought it to the bathroom. All types of shampoo was stacked neatly, as it was always properly tidied by maids. She had not bother to put back those she had used yesterday night.

Jumping for her daily rose-scented facial wash and honey comb daisy shampoo and body wash, she left her dress at the dried-up basin and called for the maidens to get fresh water. Ten loomed into the messy room and spread themselves out. Three went to help with the dress, adding a few sparkles here and there. Six went for cold water. One started to comb Lumi’s filthy and tangled red hair. With everyone working, Lumi felt more and more nervous, stomach turning and flipping. nauseously, she asked for water and swallowed a whole glass. She hoped to fall sick before the ceremony to escape the crowning.

“You gracious?” The one combing her hair asked.

“Yes?” Lumi replied.

“The other six are ready. Would you like any new shampoo or perfumes?”

“I would love lavender please. It’s been long ever since I used it.”

And with that, the seven maids brought her into the bath and left. Lumi stripped her clothes and soaked in the warm hot water, while the others prepared her makeup using lipstick made out of flowers, red ocher, fish scales, crushed ants and carmine in a beeswax base. Charcoal was placed on her disordered table on a golden tray.

In the bath, Lumi relaxed and closed her eyes. Her world was turning upside down. She shook herself when one of the maidens reminded her the time. Quickly, she wrapped herself in a towel and started to button up her dress and everything. It was hard work, as most of the hooks and ribbons were loose and needed to be tightened again. After several fail attempts, Lumi let her maidens help while some of them applied the lipstick and charcoal eyeliner. Her hair was braided into one fine line then rolled up and pinned to create a signature bun.

Breathing in and out slowly, Lumi let her eyes drift to the majestic church doors in front of her. She then entered, her nightmare coming true.