4 A Queen's Story

Charis slowly nodded her head and sniffled twice. "Okay."

In a smooth voice, Leanna began.

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom. In this kingdom, the people were always happy. Laughter filled the streets and everywhere you went, you would be greeted by smiling faces. The king and queen were fair to their people and they loved each other dearly. They had two children, a handsome prince and a beautiful princess. The prince loved to play with swords and was talented with military tactics. The princess was clever and well versed in the arts. Thus, when they grew up, the princess became the heir to the throne and the prince became the great general of the military.

'A crown princess? Only the Athlan Empire allows women to become monarchs.' Charis thought. 'Could this be a story about one of Charis's ancestors?'

Leanna noticed Charis getting distracted with her thoughts and gently flicked her forehead. When the girl pouted and reached up to rub the sore spot, she grinned: "Princess, focus."

Leanna continued: "Years passed and the old queen eventually passed away in her sleep. The king was grief-stricken and became severely ill not long afterwards. His two children stayed by his bedside day and night, listening to him murmur his wife's name in his sleep until he woke up with teary eyes and a forehead slick with sweat. The king's health gradually worsened until he joined his wife two years later, leaving the princess behind to assume the throne.

"The day of the princess's coronation, the entire kingdom threw a big festival. All the citizens gathered at the palace to cheer for their new queen. When the princess stepped out onto the great balcony with a valiant crown on her head and a gem-encrusted scepter in her hand, a cheer erupted that was so loud the ground trembled. All the people knew that she would be a magnificent queen." Leanna's voice had a bit of a nostalgic feel, as if she were recalling a memory.

"Is that the end?" Charis asked, peering up with curious eyes.

"No. There's more, so listen closely. This is a story you need to hear, Princess." Leanna stroked Charis's back once and continued.

After the festival, after the sun set, a luxurious banquet was held. The banquet hall was filled with merry conversation, there was dancing, wine, and a glorious feast. The ministers gave speeches and presented gifts to the queen sitting on her throne.

The newly crowned queen was only sixteen years old at the time. The commotion was overwhelming to her so she excused herself to get some air. Taking only her favorite maid with her, she went to the main garden. She was strolling along a pond filled with lily pads and water lilies when she saw a head poking out between two leaves. Thinking that it was a dead body, she screamed and fell back into her maid's arms. But then she saw a cluster of bubbles rise up to the surface–the person was still alive!

The maid ran to get the guards while the queen stayed by the pond to make sure the body didn't move. She poked the head with a stick and heard a low groan come from under the water. A few minutes later, the guards arrived and fished the body out. It turned out to be a teenage boy with long jet-black hair that dripped down and covered his face. The barely breathing boy was speedily sent to the palace doctor for treatment.

The boy was unconscious for a month, breaking out into high fevers every few days. The queen would personally sit by his bedside every day, without exception. When the doctors nervously told her that she should look after herself as the monarch and let them take care of the boy, she explained that she felt a strange connection to the boy and that she just couldn't leave him to suffer. On days where she was especially fatigued, she would often fall asleep at the boy's bedside, the wet rag still in her hand.

After that month passed, the boy woke up while the queen was meeting with her court. She immediately cancelled the rest of the meeting and ran to meet him. The boy listlessly sat upright, a pillow behind his back, looking out the window next to his bed. His black hair completely concealed his features, but one could make out a pair of dark eyes between the strands of hair.

The queen arrived at his bedside and asked: "What's your name? Who are you? Where did you come from? Why were you in the pond that day? How are you feeling? Is there any pain still?"

The boy languidly turned his head and met the queen's steadfast gaze. He didn't say anything.

"Can you understand me?" The queen tried again.

Slightly shifting his head to the side, the boy continued to stare at her with a dull gaze. The barrage of questions seemed to confuse him. Either he couldn't hear her, or...he couldn't understand the language.

The queen dismissed the doctors and servants standing around the bed to try and create a more relaxed atmosphere. Pulling up a chair, she sat by his bed.

She pointed to herself and slowly said: "Serena." Then she pointed to him.

A few moments passed and the queen was about to awkwardly retract her pointed finger when the boy finally spoke: "Raul."

His voice was scratchy and it sounded like he hadn't drunk water for a long time. Serena realized that he hadn't drunk anything since he woke up, so she hurriedly poured him a glass.

Raul slowly drunk the water. When he finished, he repeated in a clearer voice: "Raul."

"Raul," Serena exclaimed happily.

"Serena."

--

After that day, even though Raul had already recovered, Serena made sure to visit him every day. She brought gifts, too–luscious fruits, hand-crafted toys made by the finest artisans, and fine robes sown with gold thread. Although Raul couldn't say or understand anything other than Serena's name, he never seemed upset with the queen's presence.

When Raul was given the clothes, he would stare at them blankly until Serena had her maid help him put them on. Once he was dressed in her kingdom's clothes, his posture became stiff. It was almost like he was unaccustomed to the style of clothes.

One day, when Raul and Serena were sitting in a courtyard munching on fruits, Serena looked over at him. Raul paused, a peach halfway to his mouth.

"Hey, Raul."

Upon hearing his name, Raul put the peach down.

"Why don't you cut your hair? Now that I think about it, can you even see me clearly? Ah, you don't know what I'm saying anyways. Come here." Serena dusted off her skirt and stood up, stretching out her hand.

To Raul, Serena's words sounded like gibberish, but he could understand the palm being offered to him. Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the queen's. His hand was way bigger than hers, and placed on top of hers, it looked funny.

Serena brought him back to the room he stayed in–a small room in a side palace. She had her maid fetch a pair of scissors, and when she held them up, Raul yelled and tried to run away.

"Raul! Wait! It's not a weapon, look!" Serena hurriedly cut off a lock of her own hair to prove her point.

"Your Majesty!" Her maid exclaimed in shock.

Raul paused and slowly walked back, his eyes fixed on the pair of scissors. He warily sat down.

"Come on, let me cut your hair, please...I haven't even seen your face, and we've been friends for so long..." Serena begged, tugging on his sleeves.

Raul didn't move. Serena took that as permission, and she immediately began snipping of chunks of his inky hair.

"Wow, your hair is smooth! I think it's even better than mine, and I spend hours caring for it every day..." Serena rambled as she cut, hair falling onto the floor.

"Your Majesty, I don't think that's how you're supposed to cut..." Her maid peeped from the side.

She was right. Raul's hair was parted into sections, each a different length now. Only the back had been cut, and his hair still draped down the front, covering his face. It was an amusing sight.

"Oh? Oh! I'm sorry, Raul! Wait, let me fix it..." Serena leaned forward and severed the long hair, which fell to the floor like a curtain dropping after a play.

Now that there were no obstructions, Serena was able to see Raul's face clearly for the first time. Sucking in a sharp breath, her sky blue eyes peered into the boy's pitch-black ones.

Their faces were only a few inches apart and a heat began rising on the queen's cheeks.

How come he was so good-looking?