Sleepless Nights

"Hm? Did the king not tell you?" Uncle Fern raised a brow curiously, "The king had known very quickly that you were being bullied by the other fairies no different than other human royalties and vessels so he wanted to use that scenario to test our morals by our instinct."

"It was also to teach you how to use your head to protect yourself and to turn to your parents for help. You ARE a child that never asked others for help before. However, you did neither of those and continued to maintain your silence." Her aunt sighed, "The queen was very worried that you wouldn't survive his lessons and the king was very confused as to why you didn't start crying to them or grow meek about it. He never would've thought that you had knowledge about scenarios like this and was planning for a powerful slap in the face to those officials after we called them out. Now that things are like that, can you call the king an tyrant ruler?"

"The king was certainly not kidding when he was about to exile us. In fact we received a warning that had we not left, we would've been executed instead for placing everyone in danger and for our feud to have taken the lives of others." Uncle sighed, "Though I bet he would really do so and call it as an act against the royal family's will."

Something like that certainly sounded like her father and how shameless he was to use his own daughter's sufferings to his own advantages when he knew exactly what went wrong! No wonder he never told her where her uncle and aunt lived! He must've been afraid that, now that she's actually much wiser than he imagined in the beginning, she would find out and go to her mother for this matter!

Ugh! Just wait till she gets home after the camping trip!

Lotus frowned in deep thoughts before responding, "Yet father never do this so often. Perhaps this isn't tyranny?"

"It's called ruling with an iron fist." Aunt Rippled replied, "As the princess, the royal family has made you travel to so many places and experience so many unusual things in life and, even now, you're still experiencing so many more. Therefore, you must've met with so many types of people in this world, have you not?"

"As fairies, we do not like to be compared to humans due to grudges and past grievances between our races. In fact, some have been taught that it was right to look down on them. So, when we learn that's not the case, it's just a difficult and big problem for us to fix. In fact, some of us can even refuse to do so out of pride. That's just how equally vast the types of people are amongst the fairies. Even our villages were taught to dislike one another due to a past grievance. Though there are still some who do not like how we have 'soften up' or interacted, they never were able to act up a fuss physically at the very least."

"That's because we have used our leadership and position to keep those people under pressure or divert that pressure else where." Aunt Ripple responded, "However, we do not go out of our way to create more trouble such as using our leadership to strip their family of their rights. To know what to do, how to do and how far we can achieve, then put our foot on the brake when required but not letting go. That is what is called ruling with an iron fist. Threatening us with exile publicly while also doing us with execution privately, just so we are forced to reconcile at his palace. It is both frightening but awe inspiring by how far he'd go once he set his mind to it. Knowing his ambition, it was no wonder how he was able to do what he wants without too much retaliation. By doing this, he and the queen made us stop using violence whether we liked it or not."

Sounds like something her father has always done though…

She muttered in her heart without daring to break her poor uncle's and aunt's image of her stupid father.

"It was only after that did we realize the damage our feud has brought upon our own people physically and mentally." Aunt Ripple explained, "Had your father not done this, we'd very likely be thrown aside without ever having a chance to redeem ourselves. Those who rule the land with an iron fist is not necessarily a tyrant. They are strict and caring rulers. Threatening us for our own good, even. As unusual as it sounds. Yet that does not mean he is a tyrant."

"We've heard bits and pieces of your past as well as the rumors. Though we do not understand the bigger picture, we do understand that you were held against your will very often in the past. And, you fought bravely against it the moment you were given the chance which resulted with the the end of your last life. However, did ruling with an iron fist made you a tyrant? Was everything because of your own selfishness?"

"Well…" Peony hesitated, "There were occasions where my subjects and vessels attempted to commit a crime to protect the people. They were people I watched grow up and seeing them just give up their lives made me selfishly want to stop them from doing so. So I sent them all into house arrest. All hundred vessels…

A hundred vessels…

Hearing this, uncle Fern hummed to himself curiously. The kingdom only has about fifty or even seventy five vessels including them. Which did not sound like a lot of nobles for a large kingdom. However, when brought for a party like a gala, the families of these nobles can equate to fitting far more than just one palace.

Even the daughter of an official is considered a minor vessel. A hundred major vessels and officials is no small number. It's very likely that the princess used to rule a very large kingdom in the past life.

"Peony." Aunt Ripple sighed as she continued, "When you do things against the other's will is indeed selfish. But what you did is something different. By house arresting a hundred vessels from committing a crime, you have saved their lives so they can further help the people. A hundred vessels is not an idea for house arrest. However, you forced your will upon others so you can save them. What you did is using tyranny to help others. To be honest… This is the first time I've seen someone use tyranny in such a kind manner. This type of cruel and illogical kindness is rarely used in reality."

In fact, it's something that is normally heard in tales.

"Why would the princess think that saving others like this is selfish?" Uncle Fern patted her head in confusion.

"Knowing that they want to do this to save others as part of their own wish, I denied it and threw them captive in their own homes. For my own selfishness, I denied their strongest wishes by punishing them." She responded, "How is this not tyranny?"

Aunt Ripple sighed in relief and spoke soothingly, "We thought the tyranny you spoke of is the one used by the more deplorable kings of old. Come, child. I have heard that you have now grown so much that you no longer require to sleep on nights. However, that is not fitting for a child of your age. Sleep is what helps the mind rejuvenate. What helps recover the mind's stamina. Even as your body do not require sleep, your mind will always do. Tonight, you shall slumber under the stars in your dreams. Ease your mind and free yourself from all worries..."

Before she realized it, Lotus wearily closed her eyes listening to the soothing voice of the chieftain and slipped into a deep slumber as calmly as the sounds of the soft waves crashing against the shores of the lakeside.

The child slumped forward and fell into the arms of the female chieftain. Seeing that she had fallen into a deep slumber. The female chieftain looked to her with a hint of worry in her eyes, "The child fell asleep so easily..."

"She must not have slept in so many years..." Chieftain Fern sighed with pity, "I also can't imagine the nightmares that must've plagued her to have kept her awake. The king must've been worried over the child's state of mind to have kept her away from our troubles. A troubled and fragile heart as frail as ash under the searing heat of the crimson flower. Once lush with life, now raging and frail after being left unattended. Like those camp fires of those forgetful humans."

"Now that she is here, she must recover her mind, if not her heart." Chieftain Ripple responded as she smoothed out the child's hair. What was once a fragile child with bright fiery eyes as bright as her hair, now continues to burn brightly with determination, but her face is now dark from the fire and her heart fragile from years of sleepless nights. Seeing the child in this state, her heart aches in grief as though it has been torn apart. She never had a child of her own, which was why she treasures the child very much after witnessing her cunningness yet determination to see through a difficult and harmful plot to the end for those around her and not for herself, unlike those humans whom she was born from. The body of a human, but the heart of soul of a royal fairy. Seeing their dear princess so powerful and knowledgable, yet so wounded pains them to no end.

"I will speak with the fairies in the mines." Uncle Fern said with a frown, "The princess's wish must be granted for the wellbeing of the fairies of the mines... and for all of us..."