Made of Things

Basic Formalities - 23

Spring, 1820.

Early rising, the sky a dusky blue because the sun was still taking its time to rise. It was cold, too cold for comfort, but the princess wanted fresh air. She walked with Yeong slowly trailing behind her, frigid air stinging her lungs with every breath.

There was a military ceremony that was held at a decent time in the morning in a city more than a few hours away from the palace. They needed to leave early to be there on time. The entire royal family would be attending, meaning the first princess and her husband and son were included.

It was the first time Jinx was attending this particular ceremony. It only happened about every 3 years, sometimes 4 or 5 years. The king hadn't invited her until this particular one.

The message that she would be going was communicated through his lead advisor.

"Your highness," Matthew approached her the afternoon before.

She was sitting at the edge of the butterfly garden sewing, her guard her only company.

"Sir," she returned the greeting, delaying facing him until she finished the stitch she was working on.

"Your presence is requested for tomorrow's recognition ceremony."

She was skeptical, frowning as she asked, "To the recognition ceremony?"

"Yes. His majesty specifically asked for your appearance."

Jinx wanted to sigh in exasperation. Instead, "I understand. I'm attending then."

"Great," Matthew bowed in thanks. "Your lady-in-waiting has been informed, so she will have you awake and ready on time. Be well, your highness."

"Thank you."

The birds were just waking up then, chirping and singing cutely as Jinx watched the sky start to glow a brighter blue. She knew every city of Vinica by name, but she had only seen a few of them. The city the ceremony was held in was Haven, where primary military base was located.

She stopped walking then, grounding herself as she listened to the nature around her.

Moments of peace passed, the serenity remaining as Yeong came to stand by her side, "Something's been on my mind.'

There was a balance of who started the conversations between them, but that was the first time Yeong initiated it in such a way. The princess humored him, "What is it?"

"Your poem."

"Mhm," she hummed, open to any question or comment about it.

Yeong was quiet a long moment, solemn, before he asked, "Whose funeral did you mean?"

She wasn't sure what question she expected, but it wasn't that. She sighed, "My mother."

He didn't say anything, but she saw him watching her in her peripherals. She refused to meet his eyes.

"If I could, I would have." It was possible he didn't know the whole story, that the princess was 3 years old when her mother passed away. She was too small to understand the funeral, let alone speak. He could have assumed she wasn't allowed to speak. Either way, she didn't get the chance, and that's what she wanted to capture in the poem. Those last words didn't matter.

She explained further, "The reason I said that- the part where I say 'For us to be made that way makes more sense anyway' is because we look alike. Well." Jinx paused, "I look like her. And Sandy told me I was everything my mother wanted me to be. I wonder if we're alike in other ways. And... she made me. She really did."

Jinx believed in a higher power, but she also faithfully believed that her mother was her creator before anything else. It was a soothing thought that comforted her on the nights she felt alone in the world. Sometimes it hurt. There were nights she cried that Siren created her then left her.