After the ceremony, under the guide of the moon, a young figure was walking late in the night in the palace. The maidservant crept silently away from the stony floors. She opened a stone door slowly.

CREAK!

She hoped no one knew. Beyond the door was a peaceful garden, for the royals. Nobody had been out here for a while now, Lucy was sure. If there were, she’d be caught red-handed.

Lucy wanted to put all the overhearing out of her mind. She had heard everything when Queen Tia spoke to Princess Lumi. She had heard too much. She heard about some secret advice.

Tonight’s outing was not to admire the flowers but to see a person in hiding. She had met him the last months, weekly to keep suspicions out of sight. She did it very well, since she didn’t want to lose this boy.

The darkness of the night shuddered Lucy. What if someone from the maids found out her little secret? What if it turned out to be a huge secret? But something stopped her as the darkness of the night faded. Fireflies glinted merrily in the lights of burning lamps. Lucy’s shadows appeared on the floor, dark and cold. She dared not to speak, make a loud noise. She was quiet, as the sound of a white dove flapping nearby. Clearly a signal as no doves ventured here.

“Iaen?” her voice was like a whisper of the wind. But the person heard it all right and answered.

“My love,” came a rich, soothing, and deep voice. Iaen walked out of the bushes and smiled warmly to the maidservant.

“Oh, it’s been ages, Iaen! I missed you!” she almost shouted with joy. Iaen placed a finger to his lips and wrapped his long arms gently around Lucy’s waist. In the dark the girl was blushing.

“Questions, my love,” Iaen said. “Anything lately?” he grabbed her face. Lucy burned, and struggled for an answer while Iaen kissed her passionately on the jaws.

“The Queen has died. Princess Lumi is to succeed the throne.”

“Well, poor Queen Tia. I’ll pray as I hide in the shadows. But before that, you must help me, love. I need to be free. Please, save me,” Iaen looked at Lucy seriously. Lucy gulped.

“I will, Iaen. Take a note, I know of somethings you don’t. I’ll find it and save you, Iaen. Tomorrow, I shall start,” said Lucy. There was a peaceful silence as the two lovers looked at each other.

“I love you,” Iaen said, whispering.

“And I love you,” Lucy said.

Iaen pulled Lucy tight and kissed, as if he had not had enough.

Lucy finally let go of Iaen. She knew she couldn’t stay any longer because she needed to finish up the washing, she left in the kitchen to have time with her love. She was going to say goodbye when footsteps coming in their direction was heard. Iaen disappeared like he was never there. Lucy was left alone. She wanted to run. But before she could, Briana, the head gardener’s face showed in the lights. She nervously looked at the maid.

“Why are you out so late, Lucy?” Briana asked, suspicious.

“Er, I was just trying to pluck a few flowers. I was scared you’ll punish me for my secret plucking. I did this for the Queen,” came Lucy’s terrified voice.

“But what are you doing by the berry bushes?” the gardener eyed her.

“Um, I heard you and er, ran here. I thought you wouldn’t find me, Miss Briana.”

“Run along now Lucy. It’s late,” Briana gestured her to the kitchen doors. Lucy hastily obeyed and scrambled to the kitchen as fast as she could. She was afraid that she was going to be caught, as Briana might already know, and interrupted her and Iaen at the right time? She closed her lips, kissed by her lover, which was too precious. She needed to find a way to help Iaen soon. Right now, she will have to wash the dishes.

Scrambling, she stumbled and talking to herself, Lucy picked up some soap and a bucket. She carried it to the “washing room”, where pots and pans lay, dirty. Scraps were eaten by bugs and she shooed them away, filling a pail of cold water after the other. After thirty pails were filled up, Lucy poured two pails of water into a huge wide tub. She dumped twelve plates and got a sponge and a rag. Scrambling hastily, she finished the twelve plates, which looked brand-new with this white clean shine and stacked them inside another clean tub. Groaning as she saw the three pots still filled with delicious soup, she gathered some for herself as she missed supper when she went of to find Iaen. The other pots of porridge were a great waste, so she gave it to two dogs who often lingered outside the castle grounds, undisturbed because nobody cared.

As the dogs ate happily, surprised by their extra meal and delighted too, Lucy poured five pails of water into the first pot and started to scrub and wash. She hummed while she did her chore.

“Hello? Lucy!” a boy servant came in.

“Er, hi there, Rian,” she replied, continuing her job tirelessly.

“I have something to tell you, Miss Lucy. It’s about outside of this palace,” he said, uncertainly, as if he had known the answer before Lucy even said anything.

“How many times do I need to tell you? Outside is forbidden to youngsters who can’t control themselves from running away and joining the stupid war whom all of those peanut brains think they can win against that stupid prince!” she spat her feelings out angrily. She backed up when she knew she had said too much.

“I-I’m so-sorry, Lucy. Honestly, I won’t ever talk about outside anymore,” he turned away, face red. “It’s just that brother Marcus asked…I didn’t mean to…,” he faded away. He then slipped into the night and was gone.

Lucy, being rather angry as she despised people who poke their heads into where they shouldn’t be was falling to the ground, as if a sudden heart attack had stopped her.

“I never should’ve let you go! I knew you were trouble!” cries of her past jolted her.

“I never wanted to leave you, sister Star. But I have to, as I have lost my fight. I-I love you, sister Star, I love you,” a boy from her past said, as she dropped a plate from her hands.

That was her brother Drake. He had joined the battle foolishly thinking he would win. But he did not, and in the fire and screams, he had held her one last time as he faded away, leaving her alone in this world. That was until she found Iaen. But she still remembered him calling her “sister Star” as he had always thought of her being one of the stars of his young wasted life. If he was alive now, they would be talking jokes, teasing each other and doing their work together. But that old light was gone, and so was her old self.

I miss you, Drake. I miss you so, so, so much.

And once again, he faded into the darkness, leaving Lucy alone with tears in her eyes.