"Aurelia, we will start war tomorrow. Please help in the kitchen, as we need to split the provisions. Or, better yet, please help to send the message to all farmers. And buy every seed on sale. We could put up a garden at the back,” commanded Queen Artemis.

"Is there really a need for war? "Why can't we just live in harmony?" Aurelia lamented.

"Because! We must. You have to face it. After Father's death, we can't be expected to just sit down and mourn. He must be avenged," replied the queen in an icy, cruel tone, quite unlike her usual gentle tone.

With heavy spirits, Aurelia went up to her room. There, one of the palace maids was packing her suitcase. "What's going on? What's my backpack being packed for?" Aurelia felt confused.

"Oh, Young Miss, haven't Your Majesty told you yet? You will be sent to the Light Realm to hone your combat abilities, and once you have surpassed your master, you will be sent to the war." The maid looked rather sorrowful at the thought of it. "Of course," she continued, "I will follow you to the Light Realm to help your new master."

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Aurelia felt betrayed. Why couldn't she stay at her beloved kingdom? Her beloved father had just passed away, and now she was forced to leave the kingdom? Aurelia immediately ran out of the palace to her father's rose garden and sat at the crystal fountain, sulking.

"Why am I born to be royalty?! Why can't I lead a happy life without these problems?!" Aurelia yelled into the darkness of the night, letting all her fury and rage out. Hot, salty tears streamed down her usually rosy cheeks, now pale with sorrow. "I wish... I wish I were never born," she whispered, her tears dripping into her mouth. "My life has really been turned around within a mere week," thought Aurelia, wiping away her tears in fury. In anger, she plucked the thorn of a rose, and scratched herself with it. "I, Princess Aurelia of the Sky Empire, swear that I will protect my country by agreeing with Her Majesty the Queen that under any circumstances I shall be sent away to train all combat skills, only to return eight years later. If anything were to happen to me within these eight years, the Queen shall be held in charge of it." Aurelia smiled to herself. The pain of the wound somehow managed to calm her down and let her understand her mother's true intention.

"I hope things will get better... but for now I'm going to need a full night's rest if I have to ride all the way to the countryside." At that thought, Aurelia curled into a ball, and fell asleep among the sweet scent of roses and the calming sound of the water in the fountain