I don't know what it is but there's something comforting about having your hair gently brushed. Maybe it's the feeling of the spokes gliding through your hair or maybe it's just the overall comfort of having someone there, treating you in a caring motherly way. Whatever the reason was I loved it.
Tsubaki and I were sitting on my bed cross legged while I told her all about the events of the previous day. She didn't respond much other than the occasional nod or hum in understanding. It was one of the reasons that we got on so well though. She would always let me finish and understand that that was my opinion before offering her own.
"But I'm not sure what to do, I mean I know I'll have to be queen but I don't think I'm ready…" I finally finished.
"Well Miss Maka only you can know when you're really ready, I can't help you with that." She giggled lightly. "But I do know one thing," She said, raising the hairbrush into the air. "You would make a fantastic new monarch for Whitehollow!"
I giggled and turned back round so that she could finish brushing my hair.
"It would be an upside I guess if I could make any rule I wanted!" I joked, "Then you could be lady Tsubaki!"
"Oh that would be nice… I could wear all the pretty dresses and dance at the balls instead of just serving at them…" The raven haired girl day dreamed.
"I don't know why you'd want to go; they can be very boring…" I rolled my eyes.
"Maybe to you but for me they are a big thing! And if I was a lady I could maybe dance with some of the handsome young men…" She blushed light pink, "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that, it's not like I watch them, or even look at them!" I laughed and rolled over so that I was lying on my front with my feet waving in the air.
"It's fine Tsubaki!" A sly thought came into my mind, "But why would you be staring at those boys when you have Black Star?" I narrowed my eyes and grinned widely at the girl.
At first she didn't react but then her face flushed bright red and she turned away.
"Miss Maka! W-why would you say something like that! I mean it's not like we… or well him… I-I mean that I am not…" The poor girl stuttered embarrassed.
"It's ok Tsubaki, I was joking!" I laughed. She breathed a great sigh of relief. "Although I'm pretty sure he has some interest in you…"
"Please don't play with me Miss, it's not fair…" She stared off out the window, slightly sadly.
"I'm not playing; I really think that he does!"
"Really…?" She whispered nervously.
I opened my mouth to answer but before I could the faint sound of an old beagle echoed through the morning streets of Whitehollow and through my open window into the room. I leapt to my feet and ran out onto the balcony.
Below in the twining streets people ran from their houses, all gathering on either side of the main road which lead from the city gates to the palace doors. They watched anxiously, mothers holding onto their children's hands and wives leaning forward in hope. Slowly the gates began to open and through them trailed the line of men returned from the war. They were battered and broken from the fighting and killing and horror which they had been through and many of them were injured or being carried by other men on stretchers. It was a grim sight. At first men would have to sign up to fight but now that the war had progressed every man was enlisted once he was eighteen or over. Most of those coming back were still boys…
Mothers wept and wives turned their backs. These soldiers were the lucky ones, who had served long enough to come home or were injured to badly to fight. Until this happened many of the families wouldn't even know if their love or son was dead or alive.
Behind me Tsubaki let out a short sigh of sadness. Her brother had gone to fight and I could tell that she was searching the faces below for him but it was no use. I hated this. Hated how the people could be sent out at such a young age for a war that had no gain.
Death City had equal forces to Whitehollow so when their king, Lord Death, had announced war on us most people expected a short battle that would be over after a few months. But oh we were so wrong. The greed of the city made them persist to fight us even though neither side had an advantage and no one was winning. The peace talks had failed and the war had raged on. Years passed and the death toll rose to the point where change was needed.
I sighed and looked down. There was nothing I could do or say that would ease Tsubaki's pain when she saw this. She was more connected to the men than I could ever be and though she would never admit it I could see the sadness in her eyes.
I sat up straight and after a moment of hesitation Tsubaki continued to brush through my hair; only this time in silence.
…
A light wind blew through the colonnade as I slowly walked; the events of earlier still playing on my mind. The maids had told me that I would find my mother out her somewhere but the gardens were large so I was merely scanning until I finally found her.
My feet were still bare from the morning and the lush grass wound between my toes as I crossed the area towards the delicate metal swing that my mother was sitting on. It was a place that I remembered as hers as she used to come here often to think. Now that I know it was probably about my pig of a father.
Her curled brownish hair blew in the breeze and she stared off into the distance with a glazed look over her olive eyes. Then her head snapped round as she saw me and the spell of sadness over her seemed to be broken.
"Maka dear!" She stood and smiled at me, trailing her fingers over the chain of the swing before leaving it to slowly sway to a stop on its own. "Two what do I owe this pleasure?"
"Mother, I need to talk to you about… the throne…" I nervously whispered.
"Maka," She sighed heavily, "there is nothing I can do to change this now so please, don't start an argument about it now, not on a lovely day like this…" She stared off again behind her,
"No, that's the thing mother, I've made a decision. I want to be queen, I want to make a difference to Whitehollow and do something about this war." The words came out of my mouth before I could even think any different. Inside I was screaming no but the desire to make my mother happier, if even only slightly, stopped me from taking it back.
Her expression changed to a quizzical one and then to a small plain smile.
"Come with me." She whispered, taking my hand and leading me right to the edge of the palace gardens. The tall grey wall which separated the rest of Whitehollow from the luxury of the palace and its gardens as well as acting as the edge of the city wall ran all the way around and towered above us as we walked. My mother ran her hands along the shaded cool stone until we came to a bush. Then carefully she pushed back the leaves and branches to reveal a wooden door, leading out of the palace gardens.
"This used to be a way for royalty to escape if the palace was ever attacked however it has never been used for that purpose and has long since been forgotten." She reached into her dress and pulled out a small silver key on a long chain. "Your father gave this to me, while we were still in love, so that I could come here whenever I wanted to get away…" She sighed in remembrance as she slotted it into the lock and twisted.
The door swung open with a low creak and she walked through leaving me to follow. I curiously stuck my head through, holding the door open lightly. What I could see delighted me and I quickly stepped in, my fingers tracing down the wood as I let the door gently close behind me. This place was like a different world. It wasn't delicately built and sculpted like the unnatural gardens in the palace and yet it wasn't dry and grey like the exhausted land that the citizens of white hollow lived on. It was beautiful.
There were steep grassy hills which lead away from the wall and down to a small stream. The water trickled and spilled gently down over the rocks into a pool before continuing and winding off into the distance. Trees grew throughout the meadow and in the distance I could see the starting of a pine under a small oak tree near to the top of the slope. I ran over to join her and sat myself down in the shade.
"You know, this was the place where I first met your father…" She smiled happily with her eyes closed. "It's such a peaceful place, no guards or people, just the sound of a world with no problems."
"Mother, why did you bring me here...?" I asked, cautious of interrupting her.
"Well, before I go, I wanted to tell you a story about when I was younger." I nodded and sat back to let her begin although the mention of her leaving stung.
"You know, Maka, I wasn't like your father; born into royalty and never knowing any different. I was originally born into a normal family like any on the down on the out skirts of Whitehollow. We didn't have a great deal of money but we were happy and it would have stayed like that however one day my mother fell ill. The doctor was sent for but within the week she had died…" My mother spoke softly, "My father was of course distraught and shortly later had killed himself. I was left alone and with nowhere to go and nothing to eat. I ran into the pine forest, you can see it over there," She pointed, "and become lost without a clue of where I was. I stumbled for hours until I finally came into this clearing and collapsed onto the grass. Your father found me, hungry and ragged when he came out here to play…"
"So that's how you two met?" I asked, "He just took you in like that and married you?" Mother laughed and shook her head.
"No, he took me in and got me cleaned up but I wasn't allowed to stay at the palace. I was taken in by one of the maids who lived I the village. Every day though after school I would run through the forest to this place so that I could meet your father. It was on a beautiful day like today when we were only sixteen that he finally did pluck up the courage to ask me to marry him." The lady sighed heavily, the smile dropping from her face. "We were so in love back then…"
There was a heavy silence between us, filled only with the sounds of the wind rustling leaves and the stream tinkling into the pool. Finally I broke the tension.
"Why did you tell me this?" I asked curiously, "And why did you take me to this place?"
"My darling girl, I'm telling you this because back then I didn't want to be queen myself. I hoped that your father would choose me over this city and abdicate however I always knew it was a far off hope. I know that you say you want the throne but there will be times that you feel like reconsidering."
I looked down, not wanting her to know that I was already reconsidering, that I never wanted this in the first place.
"You see there are so many responsibilities that a strong king always needs a strong queen to support him. You will not have that support for a while and although you may one day fall in love you need to understand that you won't always have the freedom of choice." She spoke with so much formality that it was strange to believe that she had really been so open before. "Sometimes it is better to love what you have, not what you want."
"I don't understand…" I was confused and she stayed silent for a little while.
"You don't have to." She smiled, "I just wanted to take you here so that you know that you will always have somewhere to go when you need to." She fished the chain out from her dress and looped it from her neck. "Here, I won't need it anymore." She placed the key into my hand and I gripped the metal loosely.
"Thank you mother…" I said flatly. I wanted to smile at her and look happy but I just couldn't. Not when she was giving this to me as a goodbye gift.
The woman flicked her brown curls back behind her ear and rose, patting down her dress.
"Well, we should probably be getting back, the maids will start worrying." I slowly got to my feet and followed her. "I shall inform your father of your willing attitude towards taking our place this evening, so that we can begin making proper plans."
She kept talking as we walked through the door and back into the palace grounds although I wasn't listening, just watching my bare feet on ground. Why had I even bothered coming to her when I should have known that she would never catch on to my silent pleads, especially not though actions. I looked up to find that she was quiet and looking at me. The woman leaned in and kissed the top of my head.
"You will make a beautiful queen. You will be brave and smart and strong and I have all the belief in you that you will make the right choices." And with that she turned and left, leaving me alone. Just like she always did.