by Jhana Fatima Arano
"I'll let the roots of the blossom reach my heart as soon as it touches down on my head."
I shiver at the sound of noisy heels descending our grand staircase as I stare straight at my father's eyes while he is at my sister's. I looked slowly at the woman as she dropped to meet us, her family. She stood next to me, and I even saw that she fixed her eyes on me before bowing to the King.
"Your Majesty."
"Does the future ruler of Vanaheim consistently disregard the time?"
I turned to my grandmother, the Queen Mother, when she dropped the caustic question to my sister. I can't help but feel embarrassed and terrible for her; I never express these feelings to anyone in front of me out of respect for their elders. As a display of affection, my sister gave her a curtsy and moved closer to me. The Queen Mother gave her a simple nod, but I couldn't help but see the sneer on her face.
You would believe that living the life of a princess is a dream come true, but, in reality, it is not. It comes down to either fighting or proving yourself to your royalties or dying. We might battle and perish, but we won't ever be afraid. Ever since my sister and I were little kids, that mindset has been instilled in us, especially in my sister, who will succeed to the throne of Vanaheim.
I am aware of how difficult it can be to desire something as a member of the royal family, but becoming the next queen of Vanaheim is something I sincerely want. Since she is older than me, my sister has a better chance. In addition, the people within and outside the castle love her attitude. Unlike me, who decides to be as cold as ice and always displays my dominance to others.
"Amethyst, I believe you ought to join us on our upcoming trip to Spain. I know your passion for painting, and we have been invited to a seminar on the subject. I want you to speak in front of the public. You want to learn a lot. I can assure you of that." the King said.
"I shall attend to your majesty whenever your majesty chooses," I responded.
"And what about me?" my sister exclaimed.
As I turned to face her, I could see how dissatisfied she was with what my father had just said. Many people might not realize it, but I am familiar with her, and I am aware of how much she despises the attention I receive from my parents or even from other people. She loathes me.
As soon as the conference was over, I instantly wanted to be by myself, exactly as I had done my entire life. I want to get close to my sister, but I'm unsure how to do it since she detests me and my presence. Many people frequently remark on how similar we are, except for our hairstyles. She has brown hair in a side bun, but mine is red and braided in a lattice pattern. She shares our mother's beauty, and her seductive eyes will never fail to captivate you. However, there is something that nobody is aware of: her pretensions.
I went inside my room and was ready to settle down on the chair to play the piano when the sound of my door startled me. I didn't even have to turn my head to recognize who it was, and I knew right then that my sister wanted to talk with me. Does Beethoven's Adagio Cantabile fit the situation at hand? I'm going to play it even if I doubt it.
"I want to be alone with my sister."
As I began to play Sonata Pathétique, Op. 13, I caught a glimpse of the maids leaving for my room in my peripheral vision. They will undoubtedly obey my sister; I saw them grinning as they approached her. That's how they all feel about my pretentious sister; they all admire her. She indeed excels at acting nice and innocent.
"You must be delighted to be snatching the show away from me once more."
I continued playing the piano while smirking at her remarks behind me. I just let her vent out whatever awful things she wants to since I'm used to it.
"Snatching the show? I just did what our father told me to do." I heard her grumble, but I kept on, "We're following orders against our will, which is the same as before."
I carry on with the piano. When is this going to be over?
"You should've turned down his offer and...” she whispered, but I didn't let her finish.
"I'm not like you, who went against your majesty's orders by participating in an archer competition when you weren't supposed to. However, you persisted."
Now that I'm playing the piano with more stress, I can sense how tight and enraged she is at the moment. She is under a lot of pressure, but I will never allow her to let it all out on me. No matter what, I will always fight.
"I am Emerald Astor, your future queen, and you have no right to treat me like that."
I pour all my might and resentment into the sound I was making, and I use a lot of power to end the song with its last note, with a lot of tension. I step up and face her, showing dominance and rage on my face. I noticed she was startled and a little surprised. Slowly, I approached her.
"And I am Amethyst Astor, the future queen of Vanaheim, and I will never hand up the throne to someone who only intended to use the position as a means of self-promotion without understanding the seriousness of the duties involved."
I stared into her eyes and spoke those words with sincerity. She moved back as I watched her look surprised. She took a deep breath and turned away from me. The only sound I could hear was my door closing, and I could feel my eyes welling up with tears.
I often felt hurt during our fights with my sister and eventually wanted to leave the castle because of it. However, the Kingdom of Vanaheim and its people are the ones that hold my heart, and their future is what keeps me fighting.
"I'll let the roots of the blossom reach my heart as soon as it touches down on my head," I whispered to the wind.
Everything was happening so quickly. The things we believed would always be with us for all time have permanently disappeared. Something that we anticipated never takes place. Is this the purpose of life? It always gives us surprises that can either harm or prosper us. While I wait to exit the plane, I cannot speak at all. I can't feel anything. I recently returned from a successful tour of Spain. As soon as I return home, I always want to make my father proud, yet there is something that upsets me.
My father just died.
As soon as I arrived at the castle, I walked straight to my father's bedroom. As I saw my mother and sister crying and giving each other hugs, I could feel the tears starting to fall from my eyes. When I caught my mother's eyes on me, she rushed over to hug me. I looked at my sister; all I ever saw was wrath. For the funeral of my father, there are several preparations and gatherings. All I could think about was how hurt I was that this was occurring, but I suppose some things are more on my sister's mind.
"After the King's funeral, the next Queen will be crowned one week later."
I overheard them discussing the coronation of my sister. I turn to face my sister as soon as I am left alone with her.
"You all have the authority to delay your coronation and allow us to grieve our father's death in peace, but being the greedy lady you are, you insisted on what you wanted. It is the power that you wanted, right?" I said, provoking her.
"You think this is what I wanted at this moment?" she said. She didn't even look at me.
"I didn't talk even for a long while they were explaining everything to me since I was internally mourning the loss of both my freedom and our father."
I was surprised by what she said. I didn't anticipate that. Has she changed her mind? What exactly is going on here? She seemed to want it.
"Aren't you wondering why you are trained to be a queen? Why are you usually in the picture when I am second to the throne after our father? It's because they recognized more potential in you than they did in me."
She didn't look at me as she spoke those remarks. After how many years, this is the first time we have talked calmly. She did a curtsy as she turned to face me, which astonished me.
"Your Majesty."
The balloon burst, scattering fragments of fear all over my body. I could not speak for a while since I was so consumed by it.
"Emerald, what is this?"
"I am abdicating."
My lips dropped to the floor from shock. I wish I could slap her, but I can't. Why now suddenly? I was gazing at her as she grinned.
"When you were away, I met someone. Someone who made me experience what it's like to live a life. Someone who taught me how love is so much stronger than power. I thought to myself, maybe this is what I truly desired."
She cleaned my face after she noticed that I was crying. My surroundings were hazy, and the colors around me all converged to form kaleidoscopic heaven and paradise.
"Father was right, and you are the future of Vanaheim. I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you. Now I understand how worthy you are of the throne. I will be going to your coronation, don't worry. I will witness you own the throne that you deserve.” And kissed the top of my head.