Heir to the Golden Lightning

Chapter 3

The past two weeks were amazing: I woke up every morning to the mellifluous tone of Clara and Olivia's voice. They sang to wake me up, and by then, I'd already have my bath prepared, only for them to strip me naked and scrub my body as if I was a child. But I knew I was only being pampered and treated as a princess of Azimuths should.

Afterwards, I'd only get dressed, eat, rest, read fantasy stories, and spend leisure time in the roses garden; everything I did almost not by myself, and by that, I felt myself becoming lazy. So I had to resume training.

My instinct relayed that father was going to tell me something about the past, and when he did, it might change everything. So while waiting for him to talk whenever he deems the time right, I thought I could as well keep up with my training and be prepared for whatever the future held for myself and the kingdom I was going to rule one day.

It had been weeks since father told me that the responsibility of the kingdom would one day rest on my shoulder, but not for a single night had I gone to bed without having my mind touched how great a leader I wanted to be; a leader that's feared, yet loved and followed not because of the fear they have for me, but for the trust, respect and love that I would have built around me.

I had wanted my training to be like before – I knew I was preparing for something I didn't know, but father wouldn't let my training be harsh anymore. He'd given me two options: either to train only in the morning, or not to train at all - I chose the first.

Uncle Gary was obviously going to treat me like a princess and go gentle on me. Even his gaze has changed, and he could barely look into my eyes when giving instructions. Then I had to demand the same training I had been receiving all years long. I was already good at fencing and sparring, and although I couldn't be so sure, I could sense that my lightning magic was beginning to surface. The best I could do yet wasn't even strong enough to knock a man down. The effect would just be like a passing breeze on him - not as strong as it should be if I was going to one day be the defendant of the kingdom. But my father was happy. He threw a big banquet for me the first day I was able to form a real lightning bolt, which also gained me admiration from the guards who I had trained with for the past years without being able to form even a spark. Father had also shed tears with me in his arms as he apologized for having treated my training with harshness rather than with care and love which the Golden Lightning's needed in training for the conjuring of their power.

Still, I needed to become stronger.

*

There's a way time suddenly grows wings and flies quickly whenever the moments are beautiful, and I had the chance to experience this. But I was never in a hurry for the want of time. I had enough of it to do whatever I had to do. If anything, time would want for my being and how beautiful I could judiciously put it to use.

It was one such morning when the leaves had changed color and had begun to fall. The leaves were getting dried, and sooner, they would naturally become nutrients that would nourish the tree to grow more leaves when the season is right. Really, there is beauty in dead things, because they have to die for new things to be born. And the essence of reincarnation is so that old things could be re-created, while correcting past mistakes?

From where I was seated in front of the mirror, I could see the trees through the open window. Their branches were getting stripped, and it was as if they were becoming naked. By then I could see their secrets, and I thought, maybe life is beautiful at the point of death. Maybe we realize what we have and how to protect it only when we're sure that we're about to lose it.

Clara was doing my makeup, while Olivia was busy selecting dresses for me. The contest would commence in an hour, but I wanted to be there sooner to see the congregation cheering before the actual match. I had never seen a contest before, and it overjoyed me that I would see one soon.