-I-
Vivid
Tonight, ripples of poppies chime across,
Asterye (Kingdom)
Crows paint the evening sky, specks of black, spoiled ink over the orange, pink, washed-out grey clouds. The blaring heat from midday had subdued the mellow street of Asterye. While a noticeably old and peaceful Kingdom, the residents took no notice of the unusual birds circling the early crescent moon hidden in the evening clouds and continued about their final moments of the festive day.
An evening summer in Asterye was forever hectic, with lively crowds bustling their way home from the festivals. Like the gust of wind, the children are loud and unruly until they draw their attention to the famous golden-white fountain of Asterye covered in festive lanterns and colourful ornaments.
Clearwater mixed with the red petals and wet ornaments shoot up to the sky more than once, mimicking sprinkles of the stars and settling down into the white stoned fountain at regular intervals.
"Father, Roan! Look!" a child pointed out, running across to the fountain in glee. "Magic!"
What astonished the little girl was the trace of the Kingdom's golden emblem ingrained around the white stoned fountain.
An image of an owl engraved into the centre of the enormous spring with its shiny golden skin reminded the people of their late benign Queen August Averie, who had presented them with a symbol of serenity.
To Asterye,
Our moonlit city
The heart of our humble Kingdom
May the noble ring of Aster,
Serve and Spring to you all.
"Aeri, come along now," her father called out, closing his pocket-shaped leather journal. "It's only water."
Arielle paid no attention to her father and tiptoed herself against the harsh stone fountain, reaching out to the trickles of water gushing. When the fresh cool droplets of water fell idly past her delicate fingers, she couldn't stop giggling. No matter how often she visited the heart of the Kingdom, the magical sensation of the fountain would never get old.
"At this rate, we'll never pass the borders on time," her father reminded again.
"Perhaps it'd be best I escort her, seeing as Aeri rarely ever takes notice of the time when in Asterye," Roan recalled fondly, remembering the number of times he'd remind the young child not to wander the grand city.
Stroking his relatively short beard, her father sighed inwardly. "Arielle is to turn eleven later this month. Let's not spoil her too much, Roan."
Roan glimpsed over to the small crowd in front of the two, where Arielle was carefully caressing her fingers over the embedded writing on the stone fountain with wonder in her wide grey eyes. Roan slightly bowed his head at his Commodore with a small smile perking onto his structured face, "As you wish, Commander."
Arielle tiptoed herself up again against the fountain, this time closely observing the number of coins and rings glistening against the shimmers of the sunlight and clear water. Next to her, a dainty girl threw a shiny silver double-ringed necklace into the fountain and quickly followed with a wish.
Arielle couldn't make out her mumbling request and instead watched the double-ringed necklace disappear into the many jewels beneath. Gradually her gaze fixed on the young girl's rippling reflection, who kept her eyes tightly closed.
When the girl finally opened her eyes, Arielle continued to examine her strange movements from the rippling reflection of the fountain water. Her long lavender-almost-white hair was tucked under a cape. Her hands drew out a small collection of tiny red poppies from a small white pouch entwined onto her arm with a white string ribbon. A fairy!
Arielle continued to stare at the fairy, agape.
"What did you wish for?" Arielle asked out of the blue, taking a step to her right. Arielle then tried to lean closer to the fountain to grab onto one of the floating poppies, "I can't seem to see your ring."
The dainty girl snapped her open eyes with a sharp glare, "I don't see why I should confess my business with a stranger."
"Stranger?" Arielle repeated aloud. Grabbing onto a floating poppy, she turned her body back to the girl. "I'm not a stranger! Dad said I was born on this island!"
A tense pause between the girls hovered over them until a snort slipped from the dainty girl. Her eyes lowered with a scowl, "And yet you don't know anything...about this island."
Arielle blinked back, not quite catching her sly remark. Before she had the chance to retaliate, the dainty girl had already strutted past Arielle with her chin up.
"W-wait!" Arielle blubbered. "What's your name?" She reached out to the girl's shoulder with her wet hand. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—
The girl quickly swatted Arielle's touch on her shoulder out of habit. What the girl hadn't realised, albeit a second too late, was her action causing Arielle to lose her balance against the sudden gushing fountain and flounder back.
"Aeri!" Roan called out in a hurry. "Arielle!"
The last thing Arielle saw before falling into the spouting fountain was deep honey-brown eyes filled with tears and red poppies scattering over her.
Arielle quickly shut her eyes, anticipating the fall. Oddly enough, she wasn't terrified of falling into the watered fountain and the consequences to come. There was something about Roan and her father's voice that felt familiar, pleasant to her racing heart...though a part of her pictured the fairy with the pretty lavender hair and her red-stained tears.
Dark clouds dispersed the lively crowds and dimmed the sunlit decorations. The once vibrant city had quietened down almost instantly at the arrival of dusk. And yet, a small carriage halted beside the fountain at the wishes of a young lady returning from an evening tea party.
"Will you go for a stroll, my Lady?"
The young lady kept quiet and stared at the still fountain with a blank expression confusing her lady-in-waiting. It's been nearly ten years since becoming Arielle August, the second Princess to the Asterye Kingdom —ten years of visiting the same fountain wishing to turn back time. Ten years of being tied to the illusion of her older memories.
"No, I'd like to return home."
"As you wish, my Lady."
Home. From her horizon, perched atop the highest hills of the Kingdom, the Royal castle loomed over the landscape with its white, sturdy stones standing tall like a frozen mountain reserved for eternity. Its bright towers stretched far into the moonlight, adorning the crowned flag of the World Government stamped at the top of the royal castle.
Home. Somewhere rooted in her mind, she envisioned the neverending blue sea spanning across the world.
Arielle leaned her head onto the carriage window and watched the dark clouds grow, ignoring the bumpy strides of the horses. Entranced with the moonlight, she wrinkled her nose at the thought of returning to such a lavish barren home and drifted her attention to the usual sound of crows circling the full moon.