Aurora

Zao POV

The sunlight that spills into the garden through the stretching, huge trees is almost blinding; the flowers glow vividly in its shine. Birds whistle softly in their usual manner, flying high between trees, and hummingbirds sucking on flower nectar. I walk towards my favorite tree, the royal poinciana, and there is a woman standing underneath, her back turned to me. She is wearing a floor-length dress the same deep orange-red color as the tree. Her long, thick hair sways gently in the breeze. I continue walking towards her, and when I get closer, she turns her face to me, the sunlight casting a glow on her caramel skin. Princess Deze. 

Another wonderful dream from Father I raise my hands. "I'm already doing it, you can actually stop now" I say to the heavens. Father have been sending fairies to plant dreams about Princess Deze for months now. Stubbornly I held out for months now deceiving myself that I can refuse his will but right now I will do anything to stop having these dreams. They leave me mentally exhausted and vulnerable. I've met Princess Deze several times in the past, I'm not blind so I can admit that she is probably the most physically beautiful female I have ever seen. Yet I feel no connection  or attraction to her. 

The one and only woman i had ever loved was mother. She was my everything, sometimes i can swear i can smell her all around me. Her sweet sugar smell from baking and the smell of the sea salt in her hair. She's been gone for years now but i still feel her everywhere. Not even my love could save her. 

Father has been silent about my lack of spouse since I accended the throne, I wasn't deillusional enough to think that he wasn't interested in my love life. Like with everything with father he has simply been waiting for the perfect time. 

****

The nobles chatter noisily within themselves around the grand table. With the way they argue, one would think the object of discussion is that all their first born child have been commanded to be killed. 

"Silence!" My voice echo around the hall, the chandelier shakes a litle. They all look at me expectantly. 

"Minister Stan, you can speak" 

He shifts his chair back as he stands with his walking staff in hand, which is elaborately designed with rubies. It is simply an assessory for him because although he is about 60 years old, he is a healthy human and can walk perfectly well without it.  He walks closer to me stopping a few feet to the throne. Ceremoniously he bows down to me in his usually way that I find sightly exegerated. 

"Your majesty, the young man lacks understanding of tradition. What he just said is a complete abomination" he says in a condescending tone.

Everything about Minister Stan annoys me to my core, if not for diplomacy, I would have killed him with my bare hands in front of other ministers and fed his body to wild animals. Right now, what he labeled an abomination is simply a suggestion from the young minister that everybody in the kingdom, regardless of social class, should be given the opportunity to fill up positions at court. I try my best to hide my anger as I see that all the other ministers are in support of Minister Stan. 

Humans are such selfish creatures that get easily intoxicated with power. Being around these ministers makes me sick because I can sense their energies. Their energies are always dark, cutting into me with chills as it is tinted with greed.

"Minister Kibi," I signal for the young minister to address me. His energy is a breathe of fresh air, he has a pure soul. 

"Is equality an abomination? If it is, then we need to start reconsidering our traditions" Minister Kibi says confidently. Minister Stan eyes him, looking at him angryly - if looks can kill Minister Kibi will dead. 

The whole thing is actually comical in its own way, I have to pinch myself to avoid laughing out loud. 

"We will meet again to discuss this, and by then I expect to hear clear arguments. You all can leave" I say. They all bow one by one, leaving me alone in the throne room. 

The young minister is certainly either brave or stupid. The nobles' system has been in existence since the beginning, and any attempt to break it will be resisted viciously by most nobles. Some nobles will even claim that the ministering positions are bestowed on them by the gods. This will probably be the most interesting thing to happen in court since the war with my brother, and I'm definitely eager to see how it plays out.

****

I'm in the maze garden dressed in my regular disguise when I see her. Her deep honey skin glows in the summer sun as she walks towards me, oblivious to my presence. She is reading a book and is dressed in a palace maid uniform. 

"You shouldn't read in the sun," I say.

She stops abruptly, startled by my voice. She looks up at me, smiling widely, as she walks closer to me. I stare at her, hoping she won't recognize me. Everyone acts too mechanically around me once they know I'm the king, and I wouldn't want her to. 

"It's mostly pictures," she says. I get a feel for her energy, and I'm immediately drowning in a surreal sense of calm and joy. Great, she doesn't seem to know me. 

"What's it about?" I ask her. Her bottom lip is a pale pink. 

"It's a handbook. I need to read it for my exam. I'm new".  Her hair is in thick cornrows. "Do you work here?" She asks me. Her voice is a lullaby that sends chills through my body. 

"Yes, I'm an assistant cook," I reply. Her face has a small oval shape with a soft jawline. I should probably snap out of this now. Why do I feel like a teenage boy?

She smiles at me; she seems to smile a lot. 

"Let's take a walk" I say with a slight commanding tone, forgetting I am not the king to her. She doesn't seem to notice my tone though, as she's still too consigned with the book; she simply nods. 

We walk silently, going deeper into the maze, until we get to the end that leads to my garden. She stops, turning around to look at the garden, her eyes filled with awe, and I sense how happy she is. 

"What is your name?" I blunted out

"Aurora," she replies as she sits on a bench. I sit down beside her, leaving a little space between us. Her name echos through my mind over and over again. Aurora—a beautiful name for a beautiful person. 

"What is your name?" she asks me. I stare at her with my mind completely blank. All of a sudden, I have no memory of any name. 

"Kibi," I say as the first name that pops into my head. 

"This place is so beautiful—the flowers, the birds, the trees," she says dreamingly.

"Yes, it is. It's my favorite spot in the palace." 

"It's now mine too. How long have you stayed in the palace?"

"For a long while," I'm trying not to add any more lies. "You just came here?"

"Yes.  And I have to study. "Help me study," she says, handing me the book. I glanced through it; it was just normal palace etiquette and rules. 

"Luckily for you, I know a lot about this already." 

She claps her hands excitedly. "That's great because Madam Iwin wants me to know all that because I'm going to be serving the princess and I can't fail this," she says excitedly.

Sounds very suspicious to me. Why would Madam Iwin want an inexperienced maid to serve the Princess? What's that old nosy fairy up to now? 

 

I recit her name like a one-word poem in my head as I fall asleep. Aurora, Aurora, Aurora