"Yo, brat, wake up!"

The little girl groaned angrily. The voice seemed far away but she hated being disturbed, "Mmm…"

​​

"Wake up or I'll leave you behind!"

She opened her eyes slowly but the bright light made her squint. She covered her eyes with her hands as she heard someone chuckle.

"Why are you crying in your sleep? You are really like a brat," The person teased her but the little girl didn't hate it. It actually gave her comfort.

"Aunty? What took you so long?" She pouted like a spoiled child.

Lory crouched next to the girl and placed her hands on her knee. She lightly flicked the little girl's forehead and said sarcastically, "Ask me to pick you at the tea house next time."

The little girl rubbed her forehead and gave a coy smile, "Thank you for coming."

Lory sighed and joked, "Are you crying because you were thinking of me?"

"I was dreaming about you," The girl sat up and leaned on the tree next to her. Her eyes sparkled with amazement and her hands moved carelessly as she described her dream. "It was a faraway place, nothing like I have ever seen before. The buildings were tall and reached the sky. I saw metal birds fly and metal carriages move without a horse. The place was as beautiful as a dream."

"The people looked different too. They all had colorful hair, eyes, and skin yet they all lived together in harmony. One woman stood out from the rest, a Princess they called her but she was not like any Princess I know," The girl tilted her head with puzzlement.

Lory propped her chin with her hand and casually commented, "Sounds like a good dream."

"It was for a while…" The girl said sadly before tears fell down her chubby cheeks like pearls. "I soon saw fire and darkness. The Princess led her army to fight for her people and land. I saw her bleed, scream, and tear. I saw her watch her father die and her kingdom burn to ashes. I saw her protect her one and only remaining family, and I saw her fail and loose."

"I saw you, Princess Lorient," The girl smiled at Lory. "I saw your story."

"It is not a good story," Lory smiled with regret.

"It is a heart-wrenching story but it's not a bad story…" The little girl gave a childishly smile. "When I saw your story, I felt my pain was nothing compared to yours. It made me feel ashamed of my actions."

"Don't be! Any pain, no matter how big or small is still painful," Lory was honest with her.

The girl gave another childish smile, "You are nice. You are always nice… It is no wonder he adores you so much."

"He?" Lory frowned.

"The tree," The girl looked up at the tree. The leaves on the tree swayed softly. "He missed you so much. It is the reason he dreams about you all the time. He's the one who accidentally made me dream about you."

The little girl shifted her eyes to Lory and asked, "Do you know him?"

"I'm not sure… I have an inkling though," Lory replied casually.

The little girl smiled but her expression soon changed. There was something bothering her, "Were you not scared? Some of your dreams are…dreadful. I couldn't stop shivering when I saw them. I was thankful it's not a long dream."

Lory felt sorry for the little girl as she had witnessed some of her worst moments. She scoffed as she answered, "Of course I was scared."

"But you did not stop…" The little girl was confused by her actions.

Lory gave a casual shrug, "No, I did not."

"Don't be mad but… if you accepted your fate and became Queen, no one would have stopped you. I saw how much your people loved you. Why did you persist to do otherwise? Why did you hurt yourself?"

"Because I love him..." Lory smiled and answered calmly. "Our people needed him more. I was a good Princess but I could never be a good Queen. This is something I knew a long time ago. My brother was born to be a King. He had everything a great King should have. I believed his rule would exceed his predecessors' rule."

"Were you really okay with that? You never felt the need to own the position, not even a second?" The little girl was not convinced. The royals she knew was filled with greed and ambition. No one would give up their position amicably if they had the slightest fighting chance.

Lory was not offended. It was normal for people, especially royals to question her choice. She patted the little girl's head, "Everyone has a purpose. Some people were born to ruin the world, some to rule while others were born to protect the world. I fall in the last category."

"Isn't that hard?" The little girl looked dejected.

"I'm a King's daughter… My life is expected to be hard," Lory smiled softly. There was no hesitation or pretense in her expression. She looked peaceful and calm but her eyes also held pride of being 'The King's Daughter'. It was a burden she carried even after she lost everything in her life.

The little girl smiled brightly at Lory as the dark cloud in her heart was lifted away. She giggled and it echoed like small bells, "That is to be expected, isn't it?"

A dull white light covered the little girl's body as she laughed. The light dimmed and the little girl turned into a young woman of about sixteen or seventeen years. She had a beautiful face with clear white skin. Long eyelashes complimented her phoenix eyes that held dark onyx irises. Her lips were plump red and her long dark hair flowed behind her back. The young lady smiled sweetly.

Lory was not surprised. Her smile was friendly, "First Princess of Liangzu…"

"I knew you won't be surprised," The young woman hid her soft laughter behind her wide sleeve. She cupped her fist elegantly and bowed slightly, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Ming Yue Yin, the last surviving daughter of the previous and real Emperor of Liangzu."

The young woman strongly emphasized her last words. Her childish expression had disappeared and her temperament suited a dignified Princess, an Emperor's child.

"I am Lorient Jean Frau Lucient, daughter of the great King of Harland. It's a pleasure to meet you," Lory placed her right hand over her chest while her left hand lifted her skirt as she slightly bent her waist. She had to respond to the young girl's honest introduction appropriately. They both showcased their formal greetings as equals.

"It's an honor to meet you, Princess Lorient," Ming Yue Ying smiled graciously.

"The honor is mine, Princess" Lory returned.

"Fufufu~ aunty, you now look like a real Princess," Ming Yue Ying reverted to her mischievous behavior.

Lory's mouth twitched. It was amusing to discover she still remembered her etiquette lessons, "Yeah, it's scary to see my body move without thinking, even after all these years."

"Well, since I know your story… Let me tell you my story," Ming Yue Ying held Lory's hand as a bitter smile appeared on her beautiful face.

_________________________________________________________

The meadow around Lory disappeared. The bright light and wild grass were gone and only the dark grey stones in the cave remained. Water dripped from the stalactite and the sound echoed through the dark cave. The illusion was gone but the big tree with a white trunk and purple leaves was left behind.

[I don't know why you chose to wait for me. Don't you blame me for what I did?] her voice fills with regret.

The leaves rustled yet there was no wind. Lory smiled bitterly as Girsha flew above her head. He reminded her [It is the time...]

[Yes, it is] Lory answered, she gazes to the tree [I don't know what would happen but I would be honored if you accepted me one more time…]

The leaves rustled once again in response to her words. Lory smiled deepened. She raised her right hand, touched the white tree, and closed her eyes. Wind twirled from beneath her feet. The twirl sped up and a purple light emerged from the tree. It channeled into her hand and spread through her body.

Her body was engulfed with a purple light. The black snake mark on her back twitched but the bluebell flower appeared at the same time. The flower's stem wrapped around the black snake on her back. The snake tried to free itself but the flower only tightened. Lory bit her lips as the two powers within her fought. Her body shook. The pain was excruciating.

The white tree in front of her exploded as this was happening. It almost seemed like it was struck by lightning. Lory fell face-first on the ground at the impact and the pain inside her body gradually subsided. She sat up and saw a small purple light floated in front of her. She didn't know what it was but her instinct told her to reach out to it and she did.

It seemed to unlock something inside her. Lory felt like she was finally gasping for air after being underwater for too long.

Girsha perched on her shoulder while she panted. His voice was calm as he called [Lory…]

Lory looked at her hand and was surprised to see she was holding something. It was a cold metal. The silver around it glistered. She gasped in disbelief [Trinity staff?]