VIENNA DE LUNE

"If DETERMINATION is a human, that's the perfect name for you." She coughs as she stands straight. "Why are you following me? It's against the palace's law."

"It's not against the law if I'm a knight that wishes to escort the princess." She doesn't stop.

"Aren't you scared that I might send your head off? Keep your distance away from me." She steps a few inches backward as she measures our distance.

"Is this ok?" She asked as she keeps on measuring our distance. "It's not that near, nor too far." She added.

"The okay for me is for YOU to step backward 100km away from me. Make sure that I can't see your face as well as your entire being." I smile as I roam around the garden.

"I'm not YOU, Your Majesty. It's Vienna De Lune." What an elegant name.

"Your face doesn't give justice to your name though. I feel bad for the name." The name is too girlish for some woman who looks like a boy with her short black hair.

"I go by Yen, Vien, and Ayen, Your Majesty."

"I don't give a fuck about your name, Lady. Look here, I'm fine by myself. I only need me, myself, and I. That's all I need." I said while giving her a glare. I thought she would've stopped by how harsh I am, but she seems to have a lot of keys in her hands.

"That fucking name was given by my parents, Your Majesty." I pushed her to the ground as I lose my temper. "You know that I don't favor people who doesn't listen to me."

I wipe off the dust in hands as I look at her, sitting on the ground. "If you wanted someone to follow, that person is not me."

"Serve my sister instead. You might as well go along with her. Just apologize for what you did and maybe she'll forgive you and take you in. She likes to recycle my collections."

"Why do you hate your sister, Your Majesty? By any chance, are you jealous?" She stands up as she looks at me, directly in my eyes. THE AUDACITY.

"Looking at by the way you say it, is she stealing your people?" Stealing she said.. More like my sister is a garbage collector.

"I'll be happy if you'll just shut up and never approach me ever again. And keep your pathetic assumptions to yourself." I said.

"I'm not interested in friendship. I don't give time to people who will not benefit me in the future." This girl is wasting my time along with her nonsense assumptions.

"I just wanted Her Majesty to acknowledge me as a knight, that I am." That spark in her eyes. It annoys me.

"If you don't see me in that way, then I'll be invisible in the eyes of others." She clenched her fist as she looks down.

"That's why I told you to stay in the kitchen. It suits you more. I'm sure you'll be a great wife, taking care of your future kids."

"My mother was raped by a man." I crossed my arms as I look at her. "Is it my fault? Your mother must be weak."

"Oh.. I get it. Your mother's pathetic. You must've been the fruit of that mistake. Am I right?" At first, I was just teasing her until she takes out of her sword, pointing it towards me.

As I step forward, I place the point of her sword, right in my heart. "You lack of commitment, you know that? If you're gonna kill someone, make sure to aim for the vitals."

"Head, neck, stomach, and heart. Basic knowledge yet you don't know. What did you learn from your training? That just means you're still weak."

"Now if you have the guts, then do it." She just stands in her position as if she doesn't hear anything. As I keep on stepping forward, the more she keeps on stepping backward.

"Don't just stand there."

"KILL ME." The sword fell caused by the trembling of her hands.

"You're weak and softhearted. All bark but doesn't have the courage to bite." I lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes. I saw tears flowing from her eye sockets. She's obviously not looking good. What a pitiful woman.

Her cheeks are wet that I don't even want to hold her chin anymore. "You're not suited in the battlefield if you're an onion. And you want me to acknowledge a knight who can't even kill a person?" I stand up as I shake the dust out of my dress.

"PRACTICE AND BE THE STRONGEST. When you're confident enough to stand by my side, then I'll take you in as my personal knight." I leave her on the ground as I find a good place to rest.

Thinking back then, I used to have a lot of maid who always follows me whenever I go. But it's true that I get bored of their faces easily. Causing for me to fired them.

But one stands out among the rest. That Senior Citizen maid who treats me like her own granddaughter. Spoils me and helped me through a lot of stuffs.

And when everyone is trying to bring my mother down, she's the one who used to spread good things about my mother.

That maid saw how much my mother cried as she can't take those words anymore. She became my mother's parent and became my grandmother at times we need it the most.

She's the one who's been staying by our side and comforted us whenever we're in need.

She became our family. I enjoyed her company so much that I forgot about the fact that she's going to die someday.

So the day that she died, I pledged to myself that I don't want feel this emotion again and decided to not establish attachments towards other people anymore. I would only form relationships with people I know would benefit me in the future. Basically, no emotions involved, just business. That way it wouldn't hurt me the way that it hurt me when that old lady died.

The fact that only my mother and I are the only one who attended her funeral hurt me the most. 'When did I ever start to care for others?' Is what I'm thinking on that time.

'Why am I crying for this mere servant's death?' Is what I'm asking also.

But I can't hide the fact, It was my first time that I felt the word love from other people. Even I am the way I am, that old lady accepted me wholeheartedly. But I can't, I don't need people who will love me and then leave me eventually. I need someone who can stay with me, forever. Even though I know it's not possible.