Have It All

Miya blinked and found everyone around her stopped moving. The screams and whir of the swords stopped. She looked up at the sky, precisely at the timekeeper which had turned red and all the numbers were at zero. The exam time is over. She looked at the king who was also motionless and had sat back on his throne. Miya's arrow landed in the king's left eye.

The girl had reached the maximum score. She passed. Miya laughed in relief as she closed her eyes with her right hand. She has completed her toughest quest.

"Frauser Miya Arine." A woman's voice echoed in all directions. Everyone around her immediately vanished, leaving Miya alone. "Please stand at the designated sign." Miya found an X on the floor nearby. The girl walked towards the sign then stood waiting for the next cue from the echoing voice.

"You reached the maximum score from the final positioning test. In a few moments, your position will be displayed immediately."

Miya waited quietly. She would certainly be able to become a Light Warrior with such a high score. While the girl waited, she thought of Aden. Did his tests went well? Perhaps he also achieved the highest score and received the position to be a Leader of the Light Soldiers like his father and grandfather had before him, of course. In the academy data, the man is listed as an accomplished successor to the royal throne with a score that is always satisfactory. It would be an absolute fact that he could achieve the perfect position in this exam.

But all the muscles in Miya's mouth couldn't hold back her jaw from dropping open when she saw the position spread across her face.

- Positioning -

Leader of the Soldiers of Light

***

Miya had already stepped out of the replica of memories into the lobby where she had started earlier. She saw all the gazes of her friends who did not congratulate her. It's natural, Miya thought. Nor will she congratulate herself on the wrong placement. All of her friends were silent because they weren't sure what to feel either. Among those people she did not find Aden. But Madam Touselle appeared with the sparkly horse she was riding along with several of the Warriors of Light who had appeared on their horses as well. All the students were amazed by the people in armor with the sun symbol on their chests.

Madam Touselle got down and walked briskly towards Miya. The woman's face conveyed anxiety and fear when she looked at Miya. "What have you done?"

***

Miya is now sitting in Madam Touselle's counseling room. The girl heard the conversation which was just like a buzz from behind the other door in the room. Is she in a big trouble?

Madam Touselle then entered carrying a red robe, a flower crown made of gold and a glittering badge. The woman put the items on the table in front of Miya. The girl was stunned to see the item she was carrying. But she was even more shocked when someone else entered with a blue robe, royal crown and a rose brooch and then placed the items next to the ones that had been placed by Madam Touselle on the table.

"You got an excellent score on this exam Miya." Madam Touselle said as she sat on her chair and smiled at Miya. "Thank you, Madam Touselle." Miya said with a smile.

"But I got a note that your Memory Corridor was destroyed?" Madam Touselle flipped through the papers with the hand on them. "Do you want to explain yourself?"

"I..that ..-"

"Miya you got the position of a Leader." Madam Touselle said as she massaged her own nose bone.

"I guess it's just a system error." Miya said doubtfully, thinking of many more chances it could've been.

"I also feel the same way. Because Aden also had the same position as you." Madam Touselle said as she stood up and walked over to Miya.

"I should have given you this red robe and badge when you graduate to become a Light Soldier." Madam Touselle said. "But a Leader will receive a blue robe and be crowned as the royal family."

"What?"

"You didn't hear anything wrong." Madam Touselle said with a bursting smile, "Miya you just managed to raise your place in our social class."

"H... How?"

"The queen gave this decision. Because of your very satisfying score and your talent, you were named Aden's companion later."

"W... Wait, what about my mother? She hasn't made a decision yet. And what do you mean as Aden's companian?" Miya said while blinking a few times.

"Companion like.. marriage. Oh and I'm sure your mother will agree."

"Uh.. Then. Excuse me first." Miya said immediately stood up and saluted then ran out of the room.

Everything went too fast. The girl did not have time to digest the events that happened to her. She met the eyes of Aden who was surrounded by many other girls who congratulated him for his excellent exam results.

The man called Miya and asked why the girl's face was pale. But Miya ignored it and continued running towards the exit of the academy building.

She ran into her house which was still full of damage and went up to the second floor to her room. The girl curled up on the bed, covering herself with the blanket. Right now she just needs a kiss and that kiss must be from her mother. But even that woman was not there for Miya.

"Miya?" Aden's voice was heard from behind Miya's door. The man followed her here. The man sat on the edge of the bed, trying to open the blanket that covered Miya's whole body. But Miya gripped the blanket tightly.

"Miya, what's wrong?" Aden asked.

"Madam Touselle said your mother decided to make me your spouse." Miya said while trying to stop her body from shaking.

Aden did not say any more word. He hasn't heard the news from anyone, so it looks like his mother's decision was still new and through a letter. "As if the coronation was the most honored thing." Miya hissed when her head got reminded by Madame Touselle's smile.

"Miya.." Called Aden softly. He realized what Miya meant. The girl felt that her right to choose was getting thinner. The man's mother also eroded Aden's opportunity to have Miya as his lover. The man prefers a relationship that comes naturally. He thought that Miya would also want the same thing. But her mother is a woman who is always in a hurry. "You know I'm not that kind of person." He said.

Miya opened the blanket. Showing her face full of tears, Aden could not bear to see a woman crying. Moreover, the woman he loves. "Please don't cry." Aden said while stroking Miya's cheek.

"You are always kind, Aden. But I cannot be your spouse." Miya said. "I'm not there yet."

Aden was silent for a moment. There was a great desire in him to ask the girl why. But it looks like it can be done for another day. Aden smiled while stroking the top of Miya's head. "But your performance in the exam arena terrific." Aden smiled.

"I was placed in charge of the Light Army." Miya said. "What should I do?"

"I'm going to talk to my mom about this problem. There must be something wrong with the replica chamber work system." Aden said smiling.

Aden knew that there was no mistake in the room. Miya's strength and talent are indeed suitable to stand and rule with him. But that girl was still looking for her identity which she could not probably find in the academy.

Neither did he tell his mother, who sat on the throne and was reigning for a while until Aden is crowned. His mother is a woman who always follows Aden's logical demands. But this time his mother was unable to fulfill his wish.

"Your wish is so absurd." Her mother said while sipping her tea.

"I think my wish makes sense, mother. Frauser Miya is a talented girl and I also believe she is a good choice as you think. But in my opinion, Frauser Miya is still not ready. Not yet."

She will be ready whether she will like it or not." His mother said as she put her tea on a tray that was brought by a waitress beside her.

"Mother." Aden said, looking up at his mother. "I beg for your grants."

The queen was stunned to see the face of her eldest son. Aden has always been an obedient and talented child. His desires were always small things like a horse or going to an academy. The mother sighed and nodded, "We will postpone the time. With a note. Frauser Miya will stay in the palace and learn to be a queen."

Aden heard his mother's decision echo in his head. His desire to actually make Miya released could even make her more depressed later.

What should he say to the girl?

***

Aden has returned to the academy and entered his dorm room. He laid his body that was too tired on his bed and stared at the ceiling which today is somehow more attractive than any object in his room. He sighed heavily while enjoying the pain in his legs from too much walking and running.

Just two days after Madam Evangeline fell into a coma, conditions at the academy were a little more chaotic than before. Like it or not, Aden has to work together with the visiting King and Queen Sadyr to temporarily manage the academy. At least until winter breaks. End of semester marks. A sign that he will become king.

Damn, he's gonna be king.

Aden massaged the bridge of his nose impatiently. That man would usually come to Miya and tell her about the difficulties he had encountered. Miya will always be his place to lean on. The girl always had the right answer to all his problems.

But he just couldn't bear to see the girl's reaction when she found out that she would only come back entangled in an even bigger wall. The man knew the girl just wanted to be free for some time. Maybe disappear and fight as a nameless soldier.

But that night, while Aden was busy with his thoughts, Cyclops and Digu were meeting Miya who was walking to the north gate, where they promised to meet. The girl turned out to be unanimous in her wish. She carried a bow and arrows and wore a blue robe that should have been the robe he wore when her coronation to become the Leader next to Aden.

Several Soldiers of Light shouted while building high gates covering Miya's exit. The girl snorted and drew her arrow away while facing the tall glowing gate.

She has learned to master all her strength. Although she didn't really know how great her strength could be.

Miya's eyes glowed, she channeled her strength into her arrow and shot the arrow to the gate in front of her. The arrow exploded and destroyed the magical gate the soldiers had built with their strength.

The girl walked out and turned around again, finding the two soldiers getting closer to her. Cyclops advanced while raising his hand, rebuilding the iron that Miya had crushed, this time not a temporary braid of inner strength but from the real pieces of iron from the ground, building a tall gate that looked alike but did not glow.

Miya stared at Digu and Cyclops in turn. "Now what?"

***