Ascendance // a DreamNotFound fanfiction WITH AN UNSATISFYING ENDING

Chapter 8: Orlan

[2763 words]

~Queen Dorothea of the Kingdom of Flor~

Since my childhood, I longed to ascend beyond the traditional role of a mother, beyond being only a trophy for her powerful husband to tout. However, I had to be realistic, too. No political allies would respect a female ruler with the same fervor as they respected the king. Therefore, throughout my otherwise fruitful marriage to King Richard, I resigned to focus on caring for the royal heirs, Elisa and George.

Golden memories haunted my soul. Two children squealed with delight as they chased each other through ornate hallways. Two children picked flowers in the courtyard. Two children explored the royal library together, hunting for mysteries and grimacing at romance novels. Two children fantasized about the day when they would rule the kingdom together.

Two children became two adolescents. From those two adolescents, only one adult man emerged.

Princess Elisa's disappearance stunned the kingdom. The princess vanished from the castle premises, stolen by her compassion toward Orlan.

At first, the king and I did not reveal Elisa's permanent absence to her younger brother. Gradually, George's impatience for his older sister's return morphed into longing, then grief. He mentioned her less during conversations over family meals. Eventually, he asked for the last time if anyone had witnessed a sign of her survival, then he never asked again.

Occasionally I dwelled on my precious daughter Elisa. The princess was a tenacious woman whose drive to make a difference ultimately caused her loss. Now, her princess' bedroom lay empty directly next to her brother's: a testament to my failure as a mother and queen. I would not make the same mistakes with George.

Sometimes I doubted myself. If George questioned the Florean Kingdom's system and changed the way things were, nobles would not support him even after pledging their loyalty to the crown. If George unraveled certain rules as king, no Tejan political allies would support him, and he would surely die to an assassin. To protect my pride, my political system, and my son, I must ensure he did not develop compassion for the lower class.

Tonight, long after the sun disappeared behind the Yukay Mountains, I flinched from where I brushed my glossy hair in the mirror as a soft knock resounded upon the heavy spruce door of the royal couple's bedroom. Assuming the knock came from a castle staff member, I prepared myself to scold them for disrupting the king's and my peace so late in the evening. Could the issue not wait until tomorrow morning?

"What is the news?" King Richard called from where he already resided in bed, propped against his pillow with mail from political allies in his hands.

"No news," a soft male voice responded. My irritation dissipated. My grip tightened on the hairbrush when I recognized my son's voice.

"Come in, Prince," the king invited, also loosening his harshness.

Pushing open the door, George nodded to the Primary Guard Itan and Secondary Guard Arwun, who stood outside the royal couple's bedroom. Glancing over one shoulder, the prince removed one palm from pressing flat against the spruce door to motion in a "stay" gesture to his Heir Guard. Instead of following behind him, Dream obeyed and pressed his back against the outside hallway's far wall before George entered the royal bedroom alone and closed the door behind himself.

"Hello, Mum and Father," George greeted, intertwining his fingers before his waist with a respectful nod. "I have come to ask for your permission to travel outside the castle tomorrow."

A surprised silence befell the king and queen.

"What is the reason for this?" King Richard questioned suspiciously. "You rarely request to venture outside the castle walls. Why do you begin now?"