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Aanya had always known there were things about her parents that people kept from her. Lady Rira, the firm woman who had been regent of her kingdom until Aanya was ready for the throne, had never backed away from a conversation in her life, not even in the presence of the child queen, and yet she balked at the mere mention of the fallen queens, though she was quick to remind Aanya of their courage and selflessness.
She knew they were very brave, fair, and kind rulers that cared deeply for their people, and she was told that they had loved her more than anything, even if they hadn’t been able to get to know her. Countless members of court, from her handmaidens to the highest ranking duchesses were quick to assure Aanya of her mothers’ honor and each time she asked someone to speak about them so she could begin to understand them a bit better, she would hear stories of Annika’s lively nature with her jokes and pranks, and of Neha’s sharp and witty conversation, never failing to make someone feel understood. People complimented her for reflecting the best parts of her parentage, and every time she was told she had Annika’s smile or Neha’s eyes, she felt a little closer to them.
And yet, despite all of Duren seemingly singing their good graces, Aanya still felt like there were things she wasn’t told when it concerned their lives. She only knew they had died, had sacrificed themselves for the greater good, but not even the ever talkative servant boys in the kitchen would fess up the whole story when she pestered them for the details. Aanya had been treated like a young princess her whole life, a child not to be taken seriously, which may have been warranted for the early years of her life, but it quickly got old as she grew into her duties as a soon to be queen. Even though getting people to talk to her like an adult was a never ending battle, she felt she had a real right to know about her heritage that was denied by the people in her life.
She had dodged assasination attempts constantly over the years, the first of which occurred at the age of 6, inspiring her to take up archery and cavalry training, proving herself as more than capable of a true battle by the time she was 9. She could literally wield a sword, and somehow she wasn’t ready to know about her past? She had even managed to settle everything from land disputes to treaty renewals and had aided Rira increasingly more and more with each year, which finally rewarded her with the council consenting to her coronation on the half-birthday of her ninth year. Though she wouldn’t be allowed to speak for her kingdom publicly until a few months past her tenth birthday, when Lady Rira returned to her post as an adviser and Aanya met with the other rulers at the summit of the Pentarchy.
However, it was about three weeks into her official rule, several months before she was to become a fully realized queen, that she finally stumbled across the answers she’d been yearning for. With no other living family members to inherit them, save her aunt Sruthi who lived in Del Bar and rarely visited, all of her parents’ things had been stored away for her to go through when she was old enough, and when she requested once more that she be allowed into the locked room, she was, for the first time, met with little resistance as no one wanted to disobey the true queen.
She strode into the dusty room, golden eyes flitting over the stacks of odds and ends, until she was met with a small wooden box sitting on the vanity, the only thing that had a hint of a sheen to it. Aanya frowned and picked the trinket up, turning it over in her hands, wondering why it seemed so much newer than everything else.
“Oh!” She gasped in surprise, almost dropping it when she noticed the seal of Katolis carved right into the design of the wood’s underside. Wait—that wasn’t just the seal of Katolis. That was King Harrow’s seal specifically! But what was his seal doing on her mothers’ box? Aanya knew little of Katolis apart from what she’d learned from her tutors, but despite knowing of them as great allies to Duren, she had no reason to believe that Katolis’s king had close enough relations to her parents to send them such ornate little gifts. Aanya fidgeted around with the box some more until she saw a little latch, which popped open to reveal a beautiful necklace sitting on soft blue velvet.
The pendant seemed to have been expertly crafted, with gorgeous glossy metal delicately curled into the shape of a closed flower. She smiled, recognizing it as the flower of Duren. Maybe this was a wedding present to Annika? Aanya knew that her mother was known for being dedicated to her gardens. Though it seemed strange not to include a matching set for Neha, if it truly was for a wedding. That’s when she touched the petals of the flower and the metal seemed to spring to life under her fingertips, unfurling to reveal a tiny scroll tucked into another loop of metal. Hesitantly, she flattened out the paper and was more disappointed than she thought she’d be when she didn’t recognize the handwriting as belonging to her mothers. Instead, she was greeted with the flourishes seen in formal addresses between royalty, and noticed the signature was King Harrow’s, though the date was from about nine years ago. The most startling thing about the letter, however, was that it was addressed to her .
Aanya sat down at the foot of the vanity, her dress spilling out and collecting dust as she read the rest of the letter. It recounted the story of her mothers’ death—the whole story, with the Katolan King sparing no detail. Their sacrifice, their selflessness, all of it was so powerful . She couldn’t even begin to feel resentful that they would willingly sacrifice themselves and knowingly orphan her, not when she knew they had a kingdom full of people depending on that spell. Aanya hadn’t even realized she was crying until she went to roll up the paper and found her tears wetting the sleeves of her dress, her head bowed over the letter.
She pocketed it to keep with her before returning her attention to the necklace. She knew now that the necklace itself was a gift from the King, but the ring it contained was from her mothers. According to King Harrow, Neha had pressed it into his palm right before they charged off into battle, and he’d ensured its safety in order for Aanya to have that keepsake. She’d never been more grateful for such an act of kindness, and slipped the necklace over her head, vowing to never take it off. She couldn’t wait to officially meet the kind king who had helped Duren’s plight even to the risk of his own people, so that she could truly thank him in person for his generosity to both her and her mothers.
She never got the chance.