Future Queen

As Princess Amethyst launched into yet another litany of complaints, my temples throbbed with frustration. Her discerning eye never missed a flaw, whether it was the beef not cooked to her liking, the tea not piping hot, or the bathroom water not meeting her temperature standards. Even the slightest imperfection, like the color of a scarf or the design of the curtains, drew her sharp critique, repeated ad nauseam.

"The bread lacks flavor, and my quarters are confining," she continued, her demands relentless. "I wish to be left alone. Away with you."

I couldn't help but massage my temples in exasperation. In all my encounters with the wealthy, Princess Amethyst stood apart. She exuded an air of entitlement that surpassed all others, as if she owned not just the world, but also the lives of those around her.

Her arrogance knew no bounds, and she exhibited the demeanor of a spoiled brat, testing the limits of my patience with her incessant complaints. I clenched my jaw, struggling to contain the urge to explode in frustration as her words pierced through the air like daggers.

I took a deep breath, silently counting to ten in an effort to quell my rising anger.

"I had assumed you were all simply incompetent," Princess Amethyst sneered at us, her disdain palpable. "But it seems you're also lacking in aesthetics. How hard is it to comprehend my distaste for those roses?"

The vase of fresh roses lay shattered on the carpet, a casualty of her tantrum, while the servants moved swiftly to clean up the mess in silence. Princess Amethyst stood with arms crossed, seemingly satisfied with the chaos she had caused. Without hesitation, she moved on to scrutinize the frames of the paintings, demanding they be replaced to her liking. Some servants complied without resistance, while others continued to dutifully clean her room, despite her repeated claims of dust accumulation, even though there was hardly a speck to be seen. This marked the fifth time this morning alone.

Princess Amethyst had barely spent two days at the Lancaster Castle of Ludwig, yet the servants were already on the verge of collapse under the weight of her relentless demands.

"Why do you still endure this?" Lily whispered to me as we gathered the scattered roses.

I simply shrugged, resuming my task. Perhaps I was indeed losing my sanity. From the moment Princess Amethyst laid eyes on me, she inundated me with orders, yet I remained by her side, obedient despite the mounting exhaustion. While other helpers sought respite from Princess Amethyst's tyranny, I stayed, my only reprieve being five hours of sleep and fleeting moments for meals before being summoned back to her side to endure her abusive commands.

"If I were in your shoes," Lily remarked, her gaze fixed on me, "and it wasn't my duty to cater to Princess Amethyst's every whim, I wouldn't even step foot near her."

I sighed, feeling the weight of Lily's concern, and mustered a weak smile. "I just saw you needed assistance," I explained, hoping to convey my sincerity, though it seemed my efforts fell short as Lily's skepticism lingered.

Before Lily could respond, Princess Amethyst's imperious voice cut through the air, commanding her to procure Sunbeam Lotus flowers as a replacement for the discarded roses, adding yet another task to our already burdensome duties.

"Sunbeam Lotus?" Lily repeated with a hint of horror. "I'm not certain if such a flower can be found within the confines of Fortunalia, Your Highness."

Princess Amethyst's eyebrow arched in disdain. "Are you raising your voice at me, servant?" Her soft, angelic voice took on a cold edge, and a fleeting expression of irritation mixed with anger flashed in her eyes. Suddenly, the water in the other vases began to boil, emitting clouds of steam until they exploded, adding to the chaos of the already tense atmosphere.

"It's of no concern to me where you procure the Sunbeam Lotus," Princess Amethyst declared imperiously. "What matters is that you deliver it to me. You have two days to fulfill my request, or else..."

Lily persisted, her voice tinged with uncertainty. "But everyone knows that Sunbeam Lotus cannot be found—"

"Then I'm granting you one day to locate one," Princess Amethyst interjected decisively. "Now, be gone before I reconsider my decision any further."

Lily's eyes widened in shock at Princess Amethyst's decree. Her face flushed with a mix of anger and frustration. With a firm resolve, she closed her eyes momentarily, seeking to quell her irritation, before silently departing from Princess Amethyst's presence.

"What in the world? Such disrespect," Princess Amethyst remarked, her annoyance palpable. "How dare she leave so abruptly without offering a proper farewell? I am their future Queen!"

Princess Amethyst continued her tirade as we swiftly moved to clean up the scattered vases, eager to avoid further provocation of her ire.

As I worked, I couldn't help but ponder Lily's actions. Perhaps she was right. Maybe I was indeed foolish to remain so close to Princess Amethyst despite the mounting frustrations. However, the thought of leaving only led to more unanswered questions swirling in my mind.

The tumultuous situation with Princess Amethyst, though exasperating, offered a temporary respite from my melancholic thoughts. 

The prospect of leaving, of facing my inner demons alone, filled me with dread. I knew all too well the torment of sinking into the depths of sadness and self-pity, drowning in unanswerable questions and sorrow until tears were the only solace.

I couldn't bear to let myself succumb to that darkness again. Despite Princess Amethyst's irrationality and demands, I found solace in the distraction it provided from my own inner turmoil. In her chaotic world, I could momentarily escape the weight of my own sadness and the haunting questions that plagued me.

Exhaustion enveloped my body as I trudged back to the sanctuary of my room, the day's relentless tasks leaving me drained. I yearned for the kind of weariness that would lull me into a deep slumber, where my thoughts would be silenced and my actions guided purely by instinct. So, instead of subjecting myself to the torment of overthinking, I surrendered to the embrace of sleep, seeking solace in its oblivion, where even the most troubling thoughts could not reach me.

"Where have you been?" Ludwig's voice reverberated through the room, but I didn't startle, my fatigue too heavy to allow for a sudden reaction.

I remained still, not bothering to turn towards him or shift away from the bed. Exhaustion weighed me down to the point where I could hardly feel anything beyond the ache of my muscles.

"You're acting strange," Ludwig continued, his voice now closer, but my heavy eyelids refused to lift to meet his gaze. "You haven't been to the Greenhouse or the Library."

A heavy silence settled between us, punctuated only by the sound of our breathing. I sensed the bed dip as Ludwig sat beside me, his presence a comforting weight against my back. Despite my weariness, his concern offered a sliver of solace amidst the turmoil of my emotions.

"I've heard you've been assisting Lily with her duties, and it seems you're overexerting yourself," Ludwig's voice washed over me like a lullaby, gentle and soothing. "You're not eating enough either. Are you trying to harm yourself?"

I remained silent, allowing his words to wash over me. Even I wasn't sure of the answer. Was I truly trying to harm myself?

The longing to return home gnawed at the deepest recesses of my soul. My family consisted solely of my uncle, auntie, and Elizabeth. My mother had passed away when I was young, leaving me with no knowledge of my father's identity. After her death, I wandered the streets for days, consumed by grief and desolation. I didn't eat, drink, or seek shelter. I simply existed on the fringes of society, lost and alone.

But fate intervened when my auntie found me. They took me in, offering me care and love, embracing me as one of their own. They became the only family I had left, the only tether keeping me grounded in a world that seemed intent on tearing me apart.

The thought of never seeing them again felt like a dagger slowly piercing my heart, shattering it into irreparable pieces. The ache of longing for home, for the warmth of familial love, was a constant companion, a relentless reminder of what I had lost and what I desperately yearned to reclaim.

Ludwig's sigh weighed heavily in the air, a tangible expression of his sympathy and frustration. "I understand your desire to return home, but as of now, we are powerless. The Transcendence portals have been destroyed, and we remain clueless as to how you arrived in our world."