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King Morion’s gravesite was situated close to Brodia Castle, in a peaceful spot that was near silent save for the occasional breeze whistling through the air. It was a stark contrast to the person honored there, who had been known for his uproarious laughter and his apparent inability to speak quietly.
This silence was broken by the soft sound of footsteps. Shy, gentle footsteps that the late King Morion would have recognized instantly if he had heard them coming toward his office.
A young woman was walking toward the gravesite, carrying a plate of steaming roasted fish. She wore a dark red dress coupled with a warm fur-lined jacket. Her silky blue-black hair came down to her shoulder blades and was loose save for a silver clasp keeping her long bangs out of her ruby-red eyes. She took a deep breath as she approached the gravestone, as though she were nervous.
She bent down and slid the plate of fish in front of the gravestone, then knelt on the ground and managed a small smile.
“Hello, Father,” she said. “I’m sorry it’s been so long since I last visited you. I brought your favorite food… I hope you like it…” Her voice faded out, and she swallowed.
“Come on…” she whispered to herself. “You practiced this in your room this morning, didn’t you? Even if he probably can’t hear you, you’ll feel better once you tell him…”
“I’m sorry,” she said out loud. “I know it’s been a while. Y-You’re probably wondering why I’m wearing a dress…” She took another deep breath. “And that’s what I came here to tell you about. The thing is… I’m not actually your son.”
She looked at her father’s name engraved on the stone.
“During the war, I finally accepted who I was,” she said more softly. “I’m actually a girl. A princess. My name’s Agate now. I don’t know how you would feel about this… Mother says that you’d be confused at first but really happy for me, and I think so too.” She smiled ruefully. “And you always wanted me to be more sure of myself, didn’t you? That’s happened, actually. I used to think it was impossible, but now, for the first time in my life… I actually like myself.”
Tears welled up in her eyes.
“I just wish…” She sniffled. “I just wish I could’ve told you, Father. I’m sorry I didn’t put all the pieces together before… before you died…”
She let out a sob and wiped her eyes.
“I love you, Father. I miss you. And I promise I’ll visit you more often after this…”
Agate let herself cry there until her tears stopped. Then she breathed in, then out, giving her father’s grave another small smile as she shakily got to her feet.
“Thank you for listening. I’ll see you later… all right?”
As she slowly walked away, she thought she could feel her father smiling. Maybe he really was happy for her.