Vanessa glanced at the night sky above and tried to spot the moon. There were no clouds tonight as she could see a canvas of stars. Though the moon did not give off any light before reaching its apex, on a starry night it could still be found by searching for a spherical dark spot in the sky. It didn’t take her long to locate it. Judging from its position, it will soon reach its apex.
She liked sneaking into the royal garden at midnight to stargaze. Furthermore, she especially loved to see the Moon Lock phenomenon. The pale violet light given off by the moon’s edge and the chains locking it in place was so ethereally mesmerizing when it touched the trees and flowers in the garden that she could stay there all night if she was allowed to.
Unfortunately, or fortunately for her sleep, she was not allowed to stay up late. Even now, she knew her maids were still keeping tabs on her and were going to rat her out in the morning when her mother woke up. Yet she didn’t care. She had fought with her mother so many times now that trivial stuff like this didn’t even faze her. She could say with pride that out of all her siblings, only she could stand up to the Queen without flinching. Though she was always unsuccessful in getting her way. Just like yesterday when her demands to go out were rejected again—but for some reason, her mother was hesitating before she replied. For now, she stopped thinking about that and tried to enjoy the moment.
She turned her head towards the horizon and was eagerly waiting for the chains to emerge. Even though she had seen the process a million times, she could never get bored of it. There was a slight white tinge in the western and eastern horizon that was slowly growing larger. A few minutes later she could clearly see the arrival of the white chains. Six of them. Three from each side. Like a snake slithering towards its prey, they were approaching the dark moon. The light they gave off was very dim. It would be quite difficult to spot them on a cloudy night.
The chains reached the moon and started the locking mechanism. Each one attached itself to its designated position on the moon’s left and right sides. Once all chains were in position, the edges of the moon slowly started to light up in a violet glow. The glow spread to the chains and made them look like they were created from amethysts. The glow emanated slowly and lit up Vanessa’s surroundings. She could see the garden more vividly now. It was breathtakingly pretty and looked straight out of the painting. This was the most beautiful stage of the process. Right when the moon was just starting to light up. It didn’t last for more than a minute since the light would soon stabilize and stop getting brighter. It was still very pretty when the light stabilized, but to Vanessa, the first minute of lighting up to a crescendo was the best. The only thing that could further augment this scenery was the blossoming of Moondance flower trees. The purple glow they gave off after absorbing the moonlight was another sight to behold. But unfortunately, it was already late autumn and Moondance trees only bloom in spring.
Vanessa was always intrigued by the moon and the chains that kept it locked from midnight to just before sunrise. But she could never satisfy her curiosity no matter what. There were no subjects on the moon in the Royal Library. She even heard from her teacher that there was nothing related to it in the confidential archives as well. Margarette also didn’t seem to know anything about the moon, or if she did, she kept it hidden from Vanessa. When she asked her why there was no information on the moon, she told her that any study on that subject was strictly forbidden by the church. So universal was this rule that even the royal family wasn’t exempt from it.
While she was enjoying the view, she heard footsteps from behind.
“Sneaking out at night again Vanessa?” she heard her father’s voice.
“Just wanted to see the moonglow. What are you doing here Dad?”
“Well, I was just going to sleep after a long day when one of the guards inform me that my youngest daughter had sneaked out of her room and went to the garden. In her nightgown no less,” her father said in slight disapproval.
“I made sure no one saw me, and they still found out. Must have been Anna. Besides it’s just a dress not like I am walking around naked,” she complained.
“That’s not the point Vanessa. You shouldn’t be out here so late,” her father sighed. “Still sulking about going outside?”
She didn’t say anything, but King Augustin took her silence as yes.
“Why do you want to go outside Vanessa?” he asked as he sat beside her on the bench.
“You know why. I want to be like you Dad. I want to see the world for myself. Travel its furthest reaches. Discover its secrets. Meet all sorts of people and their cultures,” she replied with sparkling eyes. “The more I stay cooped up here, the more suffocating it gets.”
Her father stared at her eyes for a moment before turning away and glancing at the moon with a distant look. “You know Vanessa, adventuring is not all rainbows and sunshine. The stories I tell you…...most of the time I omit a lot of the gruesome and dark details. You have to fight off pirates and bandits on the journey, always be on the lookout for any monsters trying to kill you, suffer through anything that mother nature throws at you, and the most tedious hurdle is to sit through long journeys to reach your destination. Most people die along the way. Some can’t handle the boredom and just go back home. It takes a certain mental attitude and strength to go through all that. Can you say with assurance that you will never give up? Never turn back?”
Vanessa thought seriously for a while and finally answered, “I am sure. No. I am confident that I will never give up. I am strong. Fights don’t scare me. And boredom? I have been dealing with that for years now in this place. My dreams aren’t some shallow attempts at rebelling against my mother, as she likes to believe. I have been seriously thinking about this for a long time Dad. It’s what I want to do. It’s in my blood. It’s what keeps me going whenever I feel down. I love you guys a lot, Dad. I do. Both you and mother. B-But I can’t just keep on fighting with her every time I see her. It’s been months since I last talked to her without it turning into an argument. I-I don’t—” She wiped her tears “—want to start hating her. I really don’t. Why won’t she just listen to me for once without disregarding my feelings?”
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King Augustin’s heart was in anguish when he saw his daughter’s tears. Vanessa was a very optimistic and headstrong girl, so it was rare to see her cry in frustration and be vulnerable.
“Oh, my lovely daughter. Dad never knew you were in so much pain. You know your mother always wants the best for you. I guess she didn’t realize how determined you were. But you don’t have to worry about that anymore. I already talked to her, and she will soon change her mind.”
“She will?” Vanessa asked with tear-stricken eyes, her voice betraying a hint of hope.
“Yes, dear. I know we can’t keep you with us forever. We don’t want to stand in the way of your dreams. But your mother also makes a valid point that you aren’t prepared to go out into the wider world. So, I have come up with a compromise for both of you,” he said with a smile.
“Compromise?”
“Yes compromise,” he replied. “You can’t go outside the country—even I won’t be able to get Mira to agree on that. But you can travel within the country. Now don’t be disappointed yet. I know you don’t just want to go to a different city and stay within the safe reaches of its walls. You want to use your powers and face dangers, don’t you?”
“Yes. It’s the same thing if I just went to another city and stayed inside another castle. Maybe I will like it for a few days but then it would get boring again. But since you are saying that’s not it then let me guess, you are going to send me to someplace where there is actual danger. But it can’t be too dangerous, or Mother would disagree. So, the border with the Empire and Desert’s Bastion fort is out. Also, it can’t be near any of the noble territories that are dissatisfied with the monarchy as Mother is too paranoid about assassins. That only leaves one place. The Great Divide,” she said getting more and more excited as she finished.
“Smart girl,” her father replied. “Yes. That’s exactly where I was hoping to send you. Your mother isn’t opposed to the idea. She still has her misgivings, but I know she will agree soon.”
“REALLY?! Are you sure she won’t say no?” she asked in joy and anticipation.
“I am.”
“YEEESSS,” she jumped up in happiness and then hugged her father. “I love you so much, Dad.”
Her father patted her back and asked, “Am I the best Dad in the world?”
“You are the best Dad to ever exist!”
“Haha. You should start preparing for the journey soon. You will board a ship to Verin first. There you will meet with your grandfather and spend a couple of days enjoying the City of Water. A squad of Amazon warriors will also join you over there to escort you all the way to the Great Divide where you will spend four months to hone your skills. The journey itself will take 10 days. You will love it. Let me tell you about the best places in Verin…….”
…
Vanessa looked at the belongings that she was going to be taking with her for her journey. She was done packing up and would be setting off today. The first half of her travels would be on a Navy escort vessel. It would take her all the way from the island capital—Florest—to Verin city towards the southeast of the nation. It shouldn’t take more than two days to reach. She planned to stay in Verin for five days before heading out to the Great Divide.
“Is everything ready Anna?” she asked her maid. Anna would also be joining her in her travels.
“Yes, my lady. We are set to go after you bid farewell to her majesty.”
“Alright, tell the guards to carry my bags to the carriage. I will go and see my mother.”
“Yes, my lady.”
She made her way to the throne room to meet her mother. She had already talked to her father and said goodbye. Her sibling had left long ago so she couldn’t reach them now. Not that she cared about Victoria, but if Edward was here then she would have told him about leaving the palace.
She entered the throne room and saw her mother reading some reports and talking with her advisors. She noticed Vanessa and asked everyone else except her attendant to leave the room. They stared at each other for a while. Two pairs of green eyes. One filled with the innocence and excitement of youth. Other with the mature touch of age and hardiness.
As always Vanessa was the first to speak.
“I am leaving Mother.”
“You are,” her mother said coldly. “Did you receive your weapon?”
“Yes, your attendant gave it to me yesterday. Thank you for the gift, mother.”
“Hmm. Always be cautious of your surroundings Vanessa. Especially in the Desecrated Woodlands where beasts and trees work together to kill you. If I had my way, then you would have stayed here until you reached Rank 5, but you are too stubborn for that. Go now, be on your way,” Queen Mira dismissed her.
‘You have to say it, Vanessa. It’s embarrassing but if you don’t then you will regret it for the next 5 months,’ Vanessa said to herself.
Having convinced herself Vanessa took a breath and said sincerely, “I love you, mother. I will miss you.”
Queen Mira looked at her daughter and finally smiled at her after a long time. Her eyes were slightly watery as she said, “I will miss you too, my daughter. Take care of yourself.”
…
She made her way to Florest port on her carriage. She was escorted by the city watch. Her eyes were glued to the window. Florest was also known as the City of Flowers. Decades of manipulating nature to their own whims have turned the city into one of the most picturesque and beautiful cities in the world. Trees were abundant here and could be seen on both sides of the roads. The air had a floral scent to it. Most of the houses were made of wood and some reached great heights due to the advancement of wooden architecture. But these were all overshadowed by the presence of flowers in the city. Everywhere you looked you could see different species of flowers. A plethora of colors painted the city. They were ubiquitous. On the roadside, rooftops of houses, parks, and even most of the trees here were flowering trees.
Vanessa’s heart was already filled with the thrill of adventure and the journey hadn’t even begun. She saw an apothecary stall selling different herbs, a spice merchant selling different spices extracted from flowers, a food vendor cooking different vegetarian dishes for her customers, and so many furniture and weapon stores.
Her eyes were moving from one location to another as if she wanted to memorize everything she was seeing. Which, in a sense, was true. Her dreams of traveling the world didn’t just end with her visiting every place she wanted. No. That was just a part of it. She also wanted to make sure that she remembers every place that she visited. For that reason, she was going to make a journal of her travels. Of all the amazing places she visits and the great new things she discovers. It would be her biggest project which would last a lifetime. She would make sure that it was professional so that she didn’t miss any details. But at the same time, it would be personal so that she can reminisce about her travels when she read the journal later in life.
‘Ahhhh, this is so exciting. I can’t believe it’s finally happening,’ she thought.