Chapter 2
Was her free? Or was she bound eternally to this cage?
Her mind flew over the bounds of human tranditions and customs, yet it was to be chained forever to hatred and pain that ragged her body, her soul. Seeing the beautifully garnered palace, the jewel studded plates she ate from, the silk robes that adnorned her...it was sickening. It made her cringe inside, yet silence was the only facade she could don.
Mother--- you have loved this place, have you not? How am I supposed to regard it then?
Revenge, easier vowed than done. Rage, easier felt than controlled. What are my limits then?
"Seika, these are your royal brothers and sisters."
They looked at her with disbelief, perhaps more distaste than shock. Was I perhaps a threat to their positions? Seika bowed meekly, as though innocently. She didn't smile though.
No one accepted this foreign girl then, and they didn't. Seika would be forced to participate in their daily activities, as though there were no problems between her and her kins. Silent, and distant she would remain, from the laughters and whispers of her three siblings.
Faith Hevenstealth---the oldest son.
Viestar Hevenstealth---the next in line.
Melanie Hevensteath---that person's daughter. Seika almost didn't want to impose her own hate of her mother onto herself.
Seika wasn't jealous, or the least bit wishing to be part of their circle. She was oblivious of them, and she knew that she was not alone. There were people she met where she was struggling to live in the 16 years of her life. Just memories of time with them, and the slight possiblity of being able to meet them one day, kept her rather content.
After getting more familiar to the castle grounds, Seika decided to wander out at night to the training grounds to practice her swordsmanship---whether to prepare for emergencies, or simply to fill a part of her empty heart. As she walked in the dark of the night, she arrived at the dimly lit training grounds. The night wind blew, but it did seem colder than what her heart had felt the day her mom left. Surprisingly, she was not there alone. It seemed that the First Prince was already there, practicing with his own sword. As he swung to the side to an imaginary foe, Seika drew hers and their swords clanged in the silent night.
"!"
"Swinging through such open airs with large surface of your sword makes the slashing action slow and less impactful. If you even slightly tilt your sword in the wrong angle, the increased air resistance would be a significant hinder to whether you can successfully slice your foe in half."
"Seika..."
Seika tilted her head a bit as she seat down on the training grounds. It surprised for it was the first time anyone in the royal family had called her by that name. Furthermore, this was the person that had seemingly excluded her from his own circle just a few days ago.
"I'm really sorry."
An apology? That's so shocking that it was almost amusing to Seika. Are you feeling sorry for not including me in your little world? Are you siding with Melanie?
"Don't make me hate you, brother."
"No...it was because Lady Mana was really kind to me. And you...had to bear through all that---"
"It was worth it, Brother Faith. Seeing the world like that, meeting all those people, maybe even getting through the toughest times...those are things that I might never have experienced in the castle."
Faith for a while looked envious, but returned to his facade of aloofness. Was it weird for him to talk to Seika like this?
Seika picked herself up from the ground and started swing her blade. The blade cut through the wind and made a swishing sound, so clear and distinct, and proud---that's the aura that Seika gave off. Agily she flew into a wild swordsdance that seemed to be irregular, but as Faith watched her she seemed to fall into an elegant pattern. Her eyes betrayed no sense of distractions, and she didn't care the fact that Faith was there. It was beautiful. Faith had never seen anything like that before. Was this like the outside world that he never knew, so wild and furious, yet beautiful and charming at the same time?
Remembering what Seika had told himself just now, Faith, in shyness, started changing the way he held his sword and the direction that he sliced it down. Maybe this was also a turning point in his life? Faith started anticipating.
Seika felt difference in Faith from the others. He was different, there seemed to be something that was burning in him that was absent in the rest. Was it a desire? A dream? A passion? Seika saw no matter how shackled Faith seemed to be, this flame seemed to be persisting. She did not know, that herself was adding on to the fuels of this flicker.
Night practices with Faith soon became regular for Seika. Somehow, she was in fact anticipating it everyday. It was probably, the highlight of her mundane days. Faith had no problem accepting this mysterious yet charismatic girl once he had thrown off his guilt of not being able to defend her from the discriminations of the royal family. "The four guardians---?"
"Yeah, they are said to control elements of this world, and they possess huge amounts of magical powers that can defend the light from the dark."
"It seems like any legend to me---what's with the grapple of light and dark anyways? Who's the judge for who's good and evil?"
"Right? I don't know about light and dark, but for as for myself, just working and training hard would be living my life. Magical powers? Sounds dreamy---"
"Ne, Brother Faith, what keeps your dreams alive?"
"...I don't know."
That's a good answer. Who can explain an innate desire to live and be free. "Inner Wilderness", that which makes us human. Seika smiled.
Seika wanted to suggest something, but suddenly, the dimly lit grounds that Faith and her were relaxing after their training on, was suddenly lit by bundles of light, from torches of fire. The King, followed by the Queen, Melanie and Viestar appeared in front of the two of them. Is it one of those foolish rules of the palace again?
"Faith! Seika! Into the hall!"
-
"Seika! What are you doing this late at night, in that outfit, armed with a sword? Shouldn't a lady be resting at her own quarters now?"
"I was simply training myself, to not let my senses grow dull and such that at an impeccable time, I'll be able to send this sword through the Queen's royal to satisfy my heart's revenge---" Seika spoke in a bloodthirsty manner, grinning righteously at the dumbfounded crowd in front of her. Faith was indifferent---he knew exactly how much Seika hated the Queen and how deadly serious she was about every comment that she made about that woman. Perhaps his own disguist of that woman, pushed him closer to Seika. After all, that woman was the one that wanted to use himself as a puppet for her to gain power. "You---!"
"I what?" Seika challenged the Queen.
"Seika, your language was uncalled for, and neither were your actions. Melanie reported to me worriedly that you were secretly staying up so that you could brawl swords on the grounds with the soldiers and Faith. Faith trains at night because he feels a sense of duty to as the first Prince, that he should grow stronger, but you---? You are a lady, a princess now, just like your mother used to be! Watch your behaviour." The King criticized.
"Were those your own words, "father"?" Seika spoke in a cold sarcastic tone.
The king hesitated. Indeed, Melanie had told him about Faith's intentions and the Queen had implored him to do something about Seika's uncouth behaviour.
"...Yes. And it is in my own wish, that you give up your swordsmanship, and never wield a sword again."
Seika laughed.
"I could leave this palace if i wished...but why would I want to give up a chance to torture her with my presence for even a single second? The reason why you are doing this is out of fear, you cowardly Queen. Rest assure, "father", I will stop using and practicing my sword, but even so with my bare hands, one day I'll rip out that woman heart. After all, I am Mother's child. I am a princess just like my dead Mother used to be."
Seika took the sword in her hand, and flung it hard into the ground. The sword pierced the ground in front of the Queen, making her heart to almost stop for a beat, as her face grew pale. Seika screamed on top of voice: "FIAT JUSTITIA, RUAT CAELUM!"
Tears strung down her cheeks.
"That's the sword that a very important person gave to me. Taint it with your dirty hands, and I swear I will not hesitate once, to pull out every single strand of your hair and feed your body to the falcons." Seika left, indignified. Take away my sword? Strip me of all power to rebel against you? Very nice, Queen. But this is your loss.
"Your Majesty! Would you not see the attitude of that girl! She's a savage! Is that manner of being your daughter?" The Queen screamed hysterically.
"Giver her time. Her dear mother just left her all alone in this world." To this comment, a snigger was heard.
It was Faith. Maybe he was really sick it too. Faith drew out the sword that Seika had stuck into the castle floor and sheathed it onto his waist. He bowed, and proceeded back to his quarters.
A knock was heard on Faith's roomdoor. Wearily, he dragged his feet to answer and the sight of Seika knocking at the door shocked him.
"Seika---"
"Ah, Brother Faith, I---"
"Faith would be enough." Faith smiled weakly at Seika, her eyes were obviously red.
"You're my brother after all. I'm thankful for that. Rather that, I just wanted to say...I'm sorry."
Sorry?
"But you didn't implicate me..."
"I...I have taken away the time that we could spend together as siblings alone because of my desire to anger the Queen. It's as if I'm being engulfed by my desire for hate, that I have started to lose sight of other things that are important to me."
"That is all that I wanted to say."
Seika turned to leave.
"Will you come again?"
-
"Surely."