“Dante, you can’t just make up a new rule to win!”
“Who says I’m making up a new rule? I won fair and square.”
Dante and I sat in the courtyard with a chessboard in front of us. At this point, I was 12 years old and he was 14. The wind blew the branches hovering over our table and leaves flew loosely to and fro.
It wasn’t unusual for him to best me at things like this, but it didn’t get any less frustrating. After failing to come up with any further arguments, I held up my hand and waved it in surrender.
“Alright, that’s enough for me.”
“Aw, come on,” he retorted, leaning back into his seat. “We only played two games.”
“I need to figure out something before I play with you again.”
Dante gave into my defeat and began gathering the chess pieces still left on the board. I pressed a hand on the back of my head, feeling an abrupt, sharp pain.
“Oww,” I expressed, not meaning to verbalize my discomfort.
“Does your head still hurt?”
I look up in front of me as he closed the box that contained the game we had just played.
“Not as much as it was earlier.”
“Have you told your parents about it?”
It was referring to the nightmares I’ve been having since I was nine years old or so. There were times when they were frequent and times they weren’t, but every time they occurred, my energy was depleted as if those events were unfolding in real-time.
“No, they’ve been busy, so I didn’t want to worry them.”
My parents were currently on an Eden mission hence why I was here at the royal palace. The king and queen were kind enough to allow me to stay here in the meantime, and they have been doing so for as long as I could remember; which meant Dante was stuck entertaining me all of those times.
“Still, if it keeps happening, it might do something permanent,” Dante warned, making a point.
He was always watching over me, and I naturally began to rely on him over the years. Nonetheless, he lived in a different world from me, so I didn’t want to overstep the boundaries that society had set.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ll tell them about it when they get back today.”
The young prince relented as he stood up from his chair, gathering the box on the table.
“Shall we go inside for the day?” He asked, tilting his head in the direction of the halls.
I nodded then got up from my seat and made it past him as he followed me from behind. Soon, we made our way inside the castle and through the halls.
It was now 5 PM, and the sun was moving further down the horizon. The season was getting colder, so the summer days we’d spend outside later into the evening were now substituted for indoor hangouts to shield from the chill.
We strolled through the main hall of the castle and lined along the walkway were statues of the former rulers of Blanc: Dante’s ancestors. The polished and pristine look of the place astounded me, and I couldn’t help but be in awe every time.
“One day, my parents will be among these statues,” he commented, catching me with a starstruck expression on my face.
“And so will you, future king of the country," I uttered with a fancy wave of my hand.
Dante was next in line for the throne, but it was still too early for him to do anything major in such a role. Imagining my friend among these marble sculptures someday was surreal to even imagine, knowing him as he was now. Not that he slacked off on his duties or didn't take his training seriously, but he was still someone in their youth.
He chuckled a bit at my words before lessening the distance that stood between us.
“The generations at the beginning only had one statue made of the ruler who was the official king or queen,” he began, glaring at each piece one by one. “But in recent years, there’s been two statues of both the ruler and their significant other.”
“Because a ruler is nothing without their other half. At least that’s what your mother says.”
Another chuckle escaped Dante’s lips at the mention of his mother. She was not only the queen but also a childhood friend of my mother’s. She was very down-to-earth for someone of her status, so you would never guess she was the queen if you randomly saw her out in the city. Everything about her was classy.
“My mother would explain things that way, but I can’t really blame her. Her love for my father is the reason why this kingdom is the way it is.”
Although the rulers before our time ruled benevolently, the current king and queen were the ones to bring about the most change. The queen wanted a world where everyone could afford an education, where people would feel safe and protected, and a place where they would feel like they were a piece contributing to a whole.
I basked in the peace and quiet as I pondered those things, but soon, the stillness of the atmosphere was interrupted.
“Lacie, Dante!” A shaky voice called out as it approached us.
We turned to see the queen, someone dressed in an Eden uniform, and a few knights hurrying down the hall, worrying looks obvious on their faces.
“Mother, what’s the matter?” Dante questioned, tilting his head in confusion.
As the queen and Eden agent stood before us, the knights remained behind them. She took a glance at her son before turning her attention to me, a sense of pain overtaking her expression.
“I’m sorry, Lacie,” the agent began, sighing heavily which seemed to break his composed image.
“Lacie,” the queen uttered. “Your parents…”
The agent reached into his pocket and pulled out two things: a singular star earring and a pair of glasses.
“Your parents, Victor and Thea Benoit, were declared missing in action after today’s mission.”
My eyes stayed glued on the items in the agent’s hand, and they widened as soon as he said those words. That was one-half of the earring set my mother always wore and the pair of glasses that belonged to my father.
“What?”
That was all I could afford to respond with. If I said any more, I was afraid I would hear something I didn’t want to.
“The agents on the same mission as them reported back by 4:12 PM. I’m truly sorry,” the Eden representative continued slowly. “We will have everything handled-“
“No,” I interrupted, the tears finally flowing out of my eyes. “You’re wrong.”
“I understand you’re in shock, and-“
I refused to let him finish that sentence. I pushed through him and the knights and took off running further down the hall, not wanting to hear another word.
“Lacie!” The queen’s voice echoed.
I wasn’t going to turn back now, but where could I go? If I went home, I would be alone. If I went to Eden HQ, they would continue telling me these unpleasant words.
Although I didn’t have a clear destination in mind, my feet didn’t stop. Soon enough, I reached the big doors that led into the castle’s library.
As soon as I entered, I realized it was empty and dark, but I rushed towards the back of the room in between some large shelves anyway. Taking a seat on the ground, I brought my knees to my chest and attempted to muffle my cries.
The parents who so graciously took me in all those years ago and treated me as if I was their own daughter. They taught me so much and gave me more than I ever asked for. How could good people like that be gone? Who made the world this way?
Just this morning, my father packed me a lunch and my mother helped me pick out the dress I was currently wearing. And now I was expected to accept that there was a great chance they would never return?
My thoughts continued to run rampant before I heard the doors to the library swing open, and a single pair of footsteps edged closer to where I was.
“Lacie, please,” the familiar voice uttered.
It was surely Dante. I would recognize him anywhere, and from what I could tell, he had come here alone.
I kept my eyes down at the ground, but soon a small light illuminated the immediate space and a pair of shoes entered my view.
Without saying anything, Dante sat beside and set the lantern he was holding on his free side.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he began, bringing one of his knees up to his chest as he leaned on the bookcase behind him. “Just rely on me.”
A few more of my tears trickled down at his words. I had gone so long not wanting to burden him with such minuscule problems, but at this moment, I realized that I needed a friend more than ever.
I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. From here, I could hear the rhythm of his calm breathing which settled my nerves slightly. I felt his hand come up, stroking the top of my head as if he was comforting a child.
I have to apologize to the queen and that Eden agent later, but right now, it felt like there was only Dante and me in this world that seemed to stand still; at least for the moment.
Mom, Dad, I wish this is all some bad dream. I hope to see you again.
“Who says I’m making up a new rule? I won fair and square.”
Dante and I sat in the courtyard with a chessboard in front of us. At this point, I was 12 years old and he was 14. The wind blew the branches hovering over our table and leaves flew loosely to and fro.
It wasn’t unusual for him to best me at things like this, but it didn’t get any less frustrating. After failing to come up with any further arguments, I held up my hand and waved it in surrender.
“Alright, that’s enough for me.”
“Aw, come on,” he retorted, leaning back into his seat. “We only played two games.”
“I need to figure out something before I play with you again.”
Dante gave into my defeat and began gathering the chess pieces still left on the board. I pressed a hand on the back of my head, feeling an abrupt, sharp pain.
“Oww,” I expressed, not meaning to verbalize my discomfort.
“Does your head still hurt?”
I look up in front of me as he closed the box that contained the game we had just played.
“Not as much as it was earlier.”
“Have you told your parents about it?”
It was referring to the nightmares I’ve been having since I was nine years old or so. There were times when they were frequent and times they weren’t, but every time they occurred, my energy was depleted as if those events were unfolding in real-time.
“No, they’ve been busy, so I didn’t want to worry them.”
My parents were currently on an Eden mission hence why I was here at the royal palace. The king and queen were kind enough to allow me to stay here in the meantime, and they have been doing so for as long as I could remember; which meant Dante was stuck entertaining me all of those times.
“Still, if it keeps happening, it might do something permanent,” Dante warned, making a point.
He was always watching over me, and I naturally began to rely on him over the years. Nonetheless, he lived in a different world from me, so I didn’t want to overstep the boundaries that society had set.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. I’ll tell them about it when they get back today.”
The young prince relented as he stood up from his chair, gathering the box on the table.
“Shall we go inside for the day?” He asked, tilting his head in the direction of the halls.
I nodded then got up from my seat and made it past him as he followed me from behind. Soon, we made our way inside the castle and through the halls.
It was now 5 PM, and the sun was moving further down the horizon. The season was getting colder, so the summer days we’d spend outside later into the evening were now substituted for indoor hangouts to shield from the chill.
We strolled through the main hall of the castle and lined along the walkway were statues of the former rulers of Blanc: Dante’s ancestors. The polished and pristine look of the place astounded me, and I couldn’t help but be in awe every time.
“One day, my parents will be among these statues,” he commented, catching me with a starstruck expression on my face.
“And so will you, future king of the country," I uttered with a fancy wave of my hand.
Dante was next in line for the throne, but it was still too early for him to do anything major in such a role. Imagining my friend among these marble sculptures someday was surreal to even imagine, knowing him as he was now. Not that he slacked off on his duties or didn't take his training seriously, but he was still someone in their youth.
He chuckled a bit at my words before lessening the distance that stood between us.
“The generations at the beginning only had one statue made of the ruler who was the official king or queen,” he began, glaring at each piece one by one. “But in recent years, there’s been two statues of both the ruler and their significant other.”
“Because a ruler is nothing without their other half. At least that’s what your mother says.”
Another chuckle escaped Dante’s lips at the mention of his mother. She was not only the queen but also a childhood friend of my mother’s. She was very down-to-earth for someone of her status, so you would never guess she was the queen if you randomly saw her out in the city. Everything about her was classy.
“My mother would explain things that way, but I can’t really blame her. Her love for my father is the reason why this kingdom is the way it is.”
Although the rulers before our time ruled benevolently, the current king and queen were the ones to bring about the most change. The queen wanted a world where everyone could afford an education, where people would feel safe and protected, and a place where they would feel like they were a piece contributing to a whole.
I basked in the peace and quiet as I pondered those things, but soon, the stillness of the atmosphere was interrupted.
“Lacie, Dante!” A shaky voice called out as it approached us.
We turned to see the queen, someone dressed in an Eden uniform, and a few knights hurrying down the hall, worrying looks obvious on their faces.
“Mother, what’s the matter?” Dante questioned, tilting his head in confusion.
As the queen and Eden agent stood before us, the knights remained behind them. She took a glance at her son before turning her attention to me, a sense of pain overtaking her expression.
“I’m sorry, Lacie,” the agent began, sighing heavily which seemed to break his composed image.
“Lacie,” the queen uttered. “Your parents…”
The agent reached into his pocket and pulled out two things: a singular star earring and a pair of glasses.
“Your parents, Victor and Thea Benoit, were declared missing in action after today’s mission.”
My eyes stayed glued on the items in the agent’s hand, and they widened as soon as he said those words. That was one-half of the earring set my mother always wore and the pair of glasses that belonged to my father.
“What?”
That was all I could afford to respond with. If I said any more, I was afraid I would hear something I didn’t want to.
“The agents on the same mission as them reported back by 4:12 PM. I’m truly sorry,” the Eden representative continued slowly. “We will have everything handled-“
“No,” I interrupted, the tears finally flowing out of my eyes. “You’re wrong.”
“I understand you’re in shock, and-“
I refused to let him finish that sentence. I pushed through him and the knights and took off running further down the hall, not wanting to hear another word.
“Lacie!” The queen’s voice echoed.
I wasn’t going to turn back now, but where could I go? If I went home, I would be alone. If I went to Eden HQ, they would continue telling me these unpleasant words.
Although I didn’t have a clear destination in mind, my feet didn’t stop. Soon enough, I reached the big doors that led into the castle’s library.
As soon as I entered, I realized it was empty and dark, but I rushed towards the back of the room in between some large shelves anyway. Taking a seat on the ground, I brought my knees to my chest and attempted to muffle my cries.
The parents who so graciously took me in all those years ago and treated me as if I was their own daughter. They taught me so much and gave me more than I ever asked for. How could good people like that be gone? Who made the world this way?
Just this morning, my father packed me a lunch and my mother helped me pick out the dress I was currently wearing. And now I was expected to accept that there was a great chance they would never return?
My thoughts continued to run rampant before I heard the doors to the library swing open, and a single pair of footsteps edged closer to where I was.
“Lacie, please,” the familiar voice uttered.
It was surely Dante. I would recognize him anywhere, and from what I could tell, he had come here alone.
I kept my eyes down at the ground, but soon a small light illuminated the immediate space and a pair of shoes entered my view.
Without saying anything, Dante sat beside and set the lantern he was holding on his free side.
“You don’t have to say anything,” he began, bringing one of his knees up to his chest as he leaned on the bookcase behind him. “Just rely on me.”
A few more of my tears trickled down at his words. I had gone so long not wanting to burden him with such minuscule problems, but at this moment, I realized that I needed a friend more than ever.
I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. From here, I could hear the rhythm of his calm breathing which settled my nerves slightly. I felt his hand come up, stroking the top of my head as if he was comforting a child.
I have to apologize to the queen and that Eden agent later, but right now, it felt like there was only Dante and me in this world that seemed to stand still; at least for the moment.
Mom, Dad, I wish this is all some bad dream. I hope to see you again.