18 Capitulum 16 - Forgotten Memories 7

|| F L A S H B A C K ||

Luciera lost track of how many days she had stayed in room, without leaving it.

She felt nothing, and cared for nothing. Because nothing seemed to matter now. Everything mattered less when the person who mattered greatly to her, left.

Luciera lived without actually living. This isn't living.

This was the pattern of her life now.

It continued on and on until...

"Miss Luciera!" violent meetings of the fist and the wooden door broke her train of thoughts, "miss Luciera!"

She did not answer, but still, she listened.

"It's your mother, miss!"

That line alone, robbed the air from her lungs. What happened to her mother?!

Yes, she somehow hated the fact that her mother was one of the people that wanted her and Leo to be apart. Yet, nothing would ever change the fact that she is her mother and that she will forever, and always, love her.

"She has passed on, miss," the servant from behind the door whispered softly, yet she could hear his words properly.

Luciera remained frozen on her bed. She could not move.

"Your father wants to see you, miss," the servant said, and she heard his now inaudible footsteps, assuring her that the servant was now walking away from her room.

The mixture of sadness and guilt was felt around Luciera's room. In fact, she was the source of it all.

With wobbly, shaking knees, she approaches the door of her room. Her heartbeat hastened as she turns the knob, nervous of the what the world has to give behind her door.

With fast yet precise footsteps, she enters the throne room, hoping to see the smiling face of her mother, just this one last time; hoping that whatever the servant had delivered to her were false remarks.

But no, her mother was not there. Instead, she only sees a melancholic looking silhouette by the large window in the far side of the room. The heavy drapes that used to cover that window were no longer there, instead, it seemed to have been thrown at the other side of the room.

"Father," hee voice trails, then it breaks, as she approaches the sad figure of her father.

Yes, he was cruel and cold to her. All this time, they have been so busy with the kingdom that they forgot about her, yet, nothing will ever change the fact that he was her father. Abd that she will forever love him, despite his flaws and mistakes.

He turns to her, sadness in his eyes.

Her father neber cries. She always thought of him as the man who is to be compared to a rock. Cold and heartless. Yet today, she was proven wrong.

"Father, I'm sorry," her voice sounded so broken as she runs to his open arms.

He patted her on the head, just like how he used to do years ago, back when she was still very young and oblivious of the cruelties of the world.

'Everything will be alright, my dearest Luciera,' he used to whisper to her whenever he sees her cry.

"It's not your fault, Luce," he whispers as he clings unto her as if she was the last hope for him to continue on with living.

She shakes her head before tightening her hug.

This was the father she lost, years ago. And now his back, but he got back the hard way.

They only cried and cried in the room.

It's too late now. Her mom is now gone. Nothing will ever bring her back, just like Leo. But she knew, they are in better places now.

---

The castle was busy preparing for her mother's wake.

For the first in so many years, the castle has been alive once again, yet they had lost a precious life. It's queen.

Luciera was hands on with everything that involved her mother, and this, she was planning so hard. She wanted everything perfect for her late mother. Just like how she was.

"Your mother would be so proud of you, Luce," her father said as they were greeting the guests that came in the castle.

"Why?" she asked. Why would her mother be proud, when she was the reason why she had died?

"You seem like a real queen now, Luciera," her father whispered to her as he leaves her to greet the guests who greeted them with condolences in return.

Hopefully, she will be proud of her decision.

---

"We all are here to witness the death of a very dear soul..." the preacher's voice trails in Luciera's head as she gets drowned in her own thoughts.

"May I present my son, prince Charles II," a very sophisticated baritone pulled Luciera from her own woolgather.

Absentmindedly, she bows to them. As she lifts her head, she was greeted by the familiar face of Charles himself. It's been years since they last seen and talked to each other.

His father left them with a nod as he walks away to Luciera's father.

"I heard about Leo's passing, Luce," he sadly utters, yet it seemed so fake, with his oh-so sad tone.

She only nods.

'This is the only way to make your mother happy...' her father's words rang in her head.

With a sigh, she pulls Charles by the wrist and walks over to where her father and his father were talking.

"Father," she speaks, "I have something to say."

This will ruin her life, she knows it will. She knows Charles' record with women. Yet, this will make her mother, father, and her kingdom happy. This is her duty as queen.

With a sigh, she says, "I have agreed to marry him."

Everyone was quiet. Her surroundings were deafeningly silent for her. Her father had a questioning look on his face, so did Charles' father.

"What made you decide so? Are you su—" she cuts her father off.

It was a surprising decision, as she had rejected to marry him just days ago. Yet...

"For the good of them kingdom."