The King's Last Will and The Council Members


When the King's fallen

The kingdom itself is dead

- Leon Été de Blanche

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The room was cold even though candles lit at every inch of the room. The harmony of a piano filled the emptiness yet had not left the room. Pairs of eyes were memorizing the last scene of their late beloved King, le Lord XI Leon Été de Blanche. The King lay there in a dark brown coffin with white jasmines–his favourite flower–framed him. It was like a painting of the sleeping beauty. However, he was the sleeping King who slept yet lived eternally in his world. The world that was called a paradise. A place where everyone wanted to live in.

The castle gates were opened, letting people entered the castle to give the last goodbye for him. An eternal goodbye. There were many cries and gratitude for all his good deeds.

Miku watched her father from afar. Is it because of the curse? She thought of it silently. Even though she knew it was not because of her doing, she could not help herself to take all of the blames. Maybe the curse really happens.

She was the last person in this Kingdom who would believe in such a supernatural thing like a curse or magic. Everything changed after her encounter with the fairies. She saw the fairy–one of the magic creature–before her eyes so that she began to believe what everyone was afraid of, Blanche's curse. The curse of Snow White from the Evil Queen.

She thought it was a nonsense, a legend that was made to make children afraid to not play in the forest. She never believed her father's illness was caused by a curse even though her sister already told her many times over and over. However, they could not seek help from a witch. The Kingdom, le Lord VII banned magic practices after some witches burned a castle in Bardin and after the Queen, the wife of le Lord VII was killed by an envious witch.

Miku moved closer to Luka. She glanced at her, sought for her attention while she was thinking everything of what Luka had told her. "Princess Luka, I know this is not a good time to discuss this, but-"

"Could you wait until the funeral end?" Luka asked. She did not look at Miku's eyes but Miku felt threatened. The emptiness filled her eyes yet tears had not broken. She was silent from the beginning of the funeral. Luka already missed Leon that shone like a sun in the summer.

Miku knew this was a bad time. Her father had not buried yet she was thinking of how her father died. Indeed, she disrespected her father indirectly even though she did not intend to, but she did. Miku nodded then looked at the Father who recited verses.

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Miku sat on her bedside and looked at the ceiling seeking an answer of all her question. No one could answer but Luka who knew very well about magic maybe knew.

"Miku," Luka called her from behind of the door.

The servant opened the door after Miku allowed Luka to come in. After the door was opened, she entered the room and walked toward Miku. She brought a blue-big-thick book yet Luka brought it as it was a thin paper. "I hope I do not interrupt your time," she said as she glanced at the window gazing at the starry sky which shone luminously.

"No, you do not," Miku answered and rose up.

The two princesses sat on the sofa while the servant–Mew–was excusing herself. Luka opened her thick book then pointed on a line, "… a curse from the Evil Queen …" She gazed at Miku and smiled weakly, "I guess … you want to discuss this, am I right?"

She did not understand how Luka knew it, maybe she could read her mind. She knew her second oldest sister, Luka, was the most genius among four of them. She was the most known in the Kingdom due to her beauty, feminism, creativity and her knowledge that made ladies wanted to be her and gentleman wanted her. Luka was the perfect princess of Blanche even the oldest sister, the most perfect candidate–said the father–of the next ruler could not compete her in those aspects. Nevertheless, everyone had their own excellence.

Miku nodded as her mouth opened slightly. "How could you guess it, Printemps?" She asked while reading at Luka's book. Was Miku too easy to read or Luka way too genius to guess her intention?

"You are an open book for me, Miku."

Bewitched by the book, Miku read it silently as Luka recited the book. Curses, Evil Queen, le Reine de Blanche, Snow White, and a poisoned apple were all about this book. There were some parts of the story were exactly as same as the Snow White tale where a princess felt asleep because of a poisoned apple. However, the story did not end happily ever after like the fairy tale she knew where the princess married a handsome prince and the Evil Queen met her end.

It was true the Snow White–Haku Hiver de Blanche–was treated badly by her own mother–Tei Esmert de Blanche. It was also true they just lived together in a such a big Grêle castle. Blanche had not become the big kingdom in the Northgale Land. Back then, the Kingdom was small and occupied by a wicked Queen after she poisoned the King, Aido Hiver de Blanche, her husband. The King, le Lord V, Aido Hiver de Blanch was a good king, loved by his small kingdom and his one and only daughter who was born in the same season as him.

When the magic was still allowed, everyone in Blanche mastered ice magic, a magic that could control atoms and temperatures. They turned air into icicles and made the Blanche as the coldest place when the winter came. Little did they know, there were many kinds of magic on this universe besides ice magic or others nature magic. One of the magic they did not know existing was the dark magic, the magic that was possessed by demons and left only a curse.

Tei Esmert de Blanche was one of the witches that carried both ice and dark magic. Although she had white hair like the other ice magic users, darkness flowed in her blood. No one knew what the worst she could do even the King itself.

Fate was cruel, indeed. His beloved Queen sabotaged him, poisoned him using his favourite wine. Gulped the joy of love, the best taste of the greatest wine while unknowing what lies within it, he met his end. Who would think his beloved Queen would poison him then accused one of their maids as the murderer. Everyone believed her. The poor servant was guillotined due to poisoning the King. Slowly, the Queen changed from a caring Queen into a cold woman who possessed powerful magic. No one could stop her even the rune knights who possessed great ice magic. The Kingdom was not the warm anymore since Tei Esmert de Blanche was crowned. She was the first Queen in Blanche's history and the most powerful witch in Northgale in that age.

The Snow White, Haku Hiver de Blanche who was known by her beauty lived in a misfortune. She was exiled due to her beauty that intimidating the Queen's pride and also being hunted by huntsman that was commanded by the Queen to take her heart. But the light was on her side. The seven dwarfs saved her, teamed up with her to avenge her wicked mother. However, the plan did not work well because she ate a poisoned apple which brought her into her deep slumber.

A prince came and lift the curse with a kiss, much like in the fairy tale but more realistic than the fairy tale since the prince was Haku's fiancé. They were engaged when they were eight. The Queen annulled the engagement yet the prince never acceded.

The prince, Dell de Putt possessed powerful light magic, the rarest one, and attacked the Queen. However, the Queen cursed the Blanche people and Snow White. "All of the Blanche descendants will never ever live in serenity!" The Queen vanished after Dell de Putt stroke lightning bolts on her. Nevertheless, the book did not tell the rest of the hero's, Dell de Putt, story. He was found nowhere. His name was never mentioned in other books. Blanche people only knew Nero de Grimhill, the prince who married the Snow White.

"This story is different from what I knew," Miku murmured. "I thought the magic and such a curse like that were nonsense." She looked into Luka's eyes deeply, "who is Dell de Putt? Why I never heard anything about him much less the Putt house."

Luka put the book beside her as she looked at Miku. "No one knows Dell de Putt's fate but Duc Yuuma XI, your teacher, told me this book was possibly written by his ancestor, Duc Yuuma II ." Luka smiled. "The magic still exists," she let a deep breath.

"How do you know it?"

"I met a witch when I was on the way back home from Iseren," Luka smiled. She described how beautiful the witch was with her black hair. She materialized a boulder that blocked Luka's carriage into dust using her bare hand. Her loose black cloak wrapped her neck up to her nose leaving her black eyes shone brightly. Then, she vanished into thin air without saying anything.

Luka Printemps de Blanche had bewitched by the witch. Her eyes were sparkling like the starry sky and longing of the image of that mysterious witch. "Why do you think the curse was responsible with father's death?" Luka asked and the smile was gone.

"I …," she spoke hesitantly while averting Luka's gaze. "I'm curious why our father had a deadly disease like that? He was fine two months ago and the psychiatry Uni said she could not diagnose what plague it is. Psychiatrist Uni is the most educated psychiatrist in Northgale, even she said it might be a curse."

"I am glad now you do not see me as a dreamer because I believe in magic," Luka chuckled.

"I am sorry for calling you a dreamer," Miku apologized as she bowed her head toward Luka.

As the night became darker, Miku and Luka discussed what they believed that their father's death was caused by Blanche's curse. However, she was not perfectly sure that the curse was caused the death. Miku was a realist, there were still some parts of hers did not believe. It was too complicated for a realist person like Miku who thought all things happened due to its nature. Nevertheless, Leon's death really affected her, made her believing Luka's theory that the curse still existed at all.

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The king's advisor–la Marquis Kyo de Francaise, la Duc Yumma de Louise, la Duc Tonio de Griffin, la Duc Al de Francaise, la Marquis Will de Francaise, la Comtess Maika de Donnet, la Viscomtess Prima de la Ross, Comtes of Cognac house, Welston house, Tourian house, and the other council members (the chosen noble families) of Blanche all gathered in a green roundtable. All nobles from Blanche gathered together to decide who would become the new ruler of Blanche. The three princesses who reached the ruler age–the age where princes or princesses became the candidates of the next King (le Lord) or Queen (le Reine) of Blanche–also attended the conference. They left Miki alone on her room mourning her dead father. One of the three princesses were going to be the Queen, le Reine VI de Blanche. The King had not crowned one of his daughters but he left a last will.

"By the King grace, I am," the Marcuis Kyo de Francaise–the brother of Will de Francaise, the oldest son of de Francaise–stood, his arms spread holding a scroll. "la Marcuis Kyo de Francaise, the King's advisor will read the King's, le Lord XI Leon Été de Blanche, last will."

Kyo de Francaise read aloud the King's last will. His will was full of hope for Blanche, or it is more suitable to be called a letter. Everything he thought was the Kingdom's wellness. He hoped the new Queen would become a gentle, genius, responsible and the most important was the Queen must love her people and would do anything for her people. The three princesses loved their kingdom and it's people as well. They also would do anything for their kingdom. However, there was only one princess who would be crowned as the Queen.

As the king's advisor read the will, instead of hearing the will quietly, Miku lost in her own thought. She believed, her father would not choose her as the Queen. She knew her capabilities even though she was Yuuma's pupil, the most genius aristocrat in the Blanche, the head of Louise house, the man who knew almost everything about Northgale. She knew, Yuuma himself would not vote her as the council member of Blanche let alone to become a Queen of his land.

"... and the King pronounced Meiko Automne de Blanche as the Queen of Blanche." Kyo de Francaise slightly shocked even though it was a tradition that the first child would be crowned as the King or Queen. Kyo closed the scroll and seated back.

"I object the King's will," Al the Francaise, the head of Francaise house, the relative of Blanche royal family stood up.

As the Francaise stood up, Tonio de Griffin pierced his eyes, glanced angrily to the Duke of Francaise house. As he wanted to speak up, la Comtess Maika de Donnet–his sister–stopped him.

"May I know why the greatest Francaise object the King's will?" said Prima de la Ross, the noble family who ruled Valle, a village far away north-east from Iwent–the capital of Blanche Kingdom.

The duke pierced his eyes then sneered at Prima de la Ross. "Our kingdom needs a perfect candidate, a perfect Queen that could stop the rebel group, the Queen that understand not only politic but also economic, social aspects …" he continued his long speech as Miku glanced at Meiko who sat beside her.

Meiko was calm, maybe she did not care with all those things or she hid her anger. Miku thought Meiko would become angry or speak up. Moreover, the Francaise had hurt her pride yet she was nonchalant.

"... I vote Princess Luka Printemps de Blanche as the Queen of Blanche," the Francaise ended his speech.

"I am sure you said that because you want your son sits in the throne!" the head of Cognac house spoke and raised his hand. "You are nothing but a sly human!"

"How could you speak like that to me, Cony de Cognac!" The Francaise raised his voice as the young Cognac spoke.

"We object the King's will because we think about the Kingdom's wellness," Will spoke.

"Do you aware that your speech has hurt the princesses feeling?" said Maika de Donnet.

Luka closed her eyes. Most of the council members were affected by the head of Francaise. It was true that Luka was also the perfect candidate of the Queen. She was the perfect princess who was graced by the beauty, genius, warmness, and the most of all, her strategy developing the agriculture of Aubernur city–the poorest village in the Blanche, near the border of Blanche. However, that was not mean Meiko was not a perfect candidate as well. She was a strong-willed princess.

Luka did not show any agreement of Francaise statement, instead, she acted like she did not care with the debate at all. Not only Luka but Meiko as well.

As Miku heed the debate she felt she was an outsider when she was with the council members. Even in a time where she was also the candidate, no one voted her or anything. She had no place in the council. Yuuma looked at her silently and she smiled weakly. It was true she did not want the throne but at least she wanted someone voted her. This conference hurt her pride as the princess of Blanche. She felt like she was a princess that could not do anything even in her early twenty. Am I not suitable to become a Queen?

The debate last for three hours. Tonio de Griffin, the closest relative of the royal family, the General of Blanche Army stood up. "This conference is not going anywhere." The General then spoke up to the most genius man of Northgale, Yuuma de Louise that once became the Kingdom's Judge for three years, who stayed silent, nonchalant, from the conference had started.

Yuuma de Louise began to recite all of laws verse of Blanche and also explained all of the conference rules. The King's last will was absolute yet the nobles who object the King's will could give advice and solution to prevent bad things that caused by the King's will.

The head Francaise gritted, he was unaware of the rules or maybe he was too confident to deliver his thought since the King was not there anymore to object all of his ideas. Ironically, his sons could not do anything to help his father embarrassed himself. The King's advisor himself did not show much participation in that conference as he tried to be neutral. He was an oath keeper, he had an oath not to the king, but to the kingdom. Will de Francaise acted as he was his father puppet that disgusted Luka so much the fact he was her fiancé. Nevertheless, the princess did not show it directly to him, instead, she was hissed weakly.

"Princess Meiko Automne de Blanche will be crowned as the Queen of the Blanche but the marriage between the Princess and the Prince of Blauw should be postponed as the coronation will be held the day after tomorrow," the King's advisor that would be a Queen's advisor read the agreement of the conference loudly.

A smile curved on Miku's lips as she heard the marriage would be postponed. Nevertheless, that would be just a moment of relief.

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When Miku went back to her room, a bouquet of red roses was on her study. She approached the bouquet as a laugh let out from her mouth. She knew very well who the sender was. "Mew," she called but Mew was nowhere in her chamber. "Mew?" she called again. "Is she in the kitchen preparing for dinner?"

She picked the roses then breathed in the scent of roses. Miku picked a letter among the roses. It was not a letter she expected. "Ace Ilios, Prince of Voreos Kingdom?"

As the sun shines above our Kingdom

The flowers of love bloom within us

I hope I could meet your eyes again

Those beautiful eyes that witched me

The princess of the white kingdom

Pardon me, my princess. I am not good writing poem but those words always follow me while I am thinking of you. Forgive me for having an inappropriate thought like this …. I am ready if I should be beheaded for having a thought toward you like that. I am sorry, but I really want to meet you again.

Love,

Ace Ilios

"Ace Ilios?" Miku murmured. A memory of a ball flashed. An image of a warm smile, a blue-haired gentleman and a gentle voice flashed on her mind. A good gentleman in a light blue silk coat that she met on Luka's engagement party. It was a year ago even Miku herself had a blurry image of them dancing together.

A letter fell on her feet caught her eyes. She put the bouquet and the letter from the Prince of Voreos on her desk then picked the letter that she thought from her dearest. A familiar scent tickled her nose and an image of a handsome deep blue haired prince came to her mind, leaving a hurt and joy feelings at the same time.

I know, the nightmare is not here yet but it still happens. I know, I still can not do anything at all to stop this. However, I know, where my heart is sailing. I know, where I can find the serenity. You are the love of my life. There is something I need to tell you. Meet me at the garden on the coronation night. Believe in me, I will find a way to make 'us' together.

Yours,

Kaito von de Nacht

Miku glanced at Ace's letter and then at Kaito's letter. She put Kaito's letter then lay down on her bed. Little did she know tomorrow will be a different day, a day without Leon, a day where Meiko will be the Queen, and a day where she would meet her lover.


To be continue


Hiiiiiiii, Kaze is here~

Hi guys it's beeen really really a long time and I'm glad I could finish this chapter 3

I hope you guys like it~

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