Royal Lotus 5 1

Draco was a terrifying being. The years I've known him, I always concluded to myself that he was too much of an easy-going individual. Yet, he surprised me on my fourth birthday when he agreed to teach me magic after witnessing me make frozen dessert for my mother in secret. I was a prodigy, he stated. I should have taken in caution of the way his eyes gleamed under the sunlight that day. But it wasn't until he started to teach me that I truly begin to understand why he was nominated to the commander of the royal military. He was one h.e.l.l of a trainer. No matter how much I panted and stated I needed time off, something I rarely ever did, he would shut me up by threatening to add in more intense training. Such treatment was something I didn't even experience at the academy.

My mother, who surprisingly did not mind our training, would only watch in what I believed to be amus.e.m.e.nt as she sipped tea with Coco and Becca -- a strange and new development that occur a few weeks after I made up with my mother. The three of them also took the time to start sewing me new training clothing, ones with materials that could withstand the training.

Two months into countless reading and magic training, Draco shoved me into a battlefield, stating that I was more than ready to take on weapons. I could only bury my face into my hands at his sudden change in att.i.tude. One moment he was treating me with caution, the next he was shoving me onto the ground with full impact while stating I would be dead had it been a real enemy. His style was unpredictable and vicious, so unlike the a.s.sa.s.sin I faced more than a year ago. He was a true warrior; one that had seen a b.l.o.o.d.y battlefield, while that a.s.sa.s.sin had probably received little to no training. To think I had been foolish enough to let myself be grazed by that weak man.

I had been so focused on training with Draco that I failed to notice how fast time was pa.s.sing by. One moment I was three, the next I was turning five - an age I was not prepared to face. It didn't matter how hard I tried to calm down, the anxiety of what was to take place was unstoppable. He, my father, was to arrive sometime in the morning - on the day of April First - for a visit despite the notice stating he would arrive in the afternoon. After all, his precious daughter and first child, Luna, was turning eleven on the same day I was turning five. So, as he favoured her, it only made sense that he'd rather get the visit over and done with in order to solely focus on her afterward. In my last life, he had been quick to see if my magic awakened -leaving as soon as it was confirmed I had ice magic. His visit had been one of the longest time, lasting for at least ten minutes, I ever stood in his presence - other than the day he decided to exile me and drugged me with poison. Luckily because my magic had already been awakened, I could shorten the visit.

I looked up at the clear sky reminiscing the times when I would wonder the dark forest in hopes of finding something edible; the times when I would work the crops and later clean myself off in the stream; and the times when I truly understand what it meant to be human. And as crazy as it sounds, living the life of a n.o.ble again only made me want to experience the hardship of being independent even more. I craved to dig my hand into the dirty soils as I dug for worms to catch fishes with, to hurt myself as I cut down branches to place in the fire pit, and do so much more.

I despised such a life at first, but it eventually became a lifestyle that I was fine with living. Yes, I was extremely poor, and struggled to even get one meal a day during my first year, and the last remaining days I spent dying a painfully cold death. But I deserved it. I deserved whatever karma was there for me because of the evil I committed.

A fiery and intimidating presence pushed me out of my thoughts. Sucking in a breath, I quickly got off the swing Draco made for me, and bowed.

"Your majesty," I greeted, trying to hide the panic in my voice. He was here a lot earlier than last time. Luckily my mother wasn't around to cling onto me like last time since I hid the letter informing the manor of his visit. I continued to look down at the ground, not daring to meet his gaze. Truth was, I didn't need to meet his gaze to know that he was glaring down at me. That was what he had done last time after all; his scorching red eyes had held great resentment and disgust towards me. I didn't want to see such a look again.

"Ice Juntasa?" he spoke up. There was a slight sting when I heard the way he spoke my name as though it was something revolting. "Are you aware of the reason for my visit?"

"Yes, fyour majesty," I replied. As much as I wish to call him father, I can't lie and say I don't hold any bitterness towards him. Besides, once I leave the castle, it would be taboo to call him father. Thus it was best I start to regard him as his majesty from now on. Extending both my hands, I began to cloud it with cold mists. Concentrating on the particles that began to swirl together and form ice, I began carving out the details of a flower. My favorite one; the tiger lily. In my last life, there was only so much I could do while living in isolation. So I began to take up sculpting with both wood and ice as a hobby. The tiger lily had been one of my first sculptures, hence gaining the spot as my favourite flower.

There was silence as I dispersed the ice after a solid minute. I waited for him to walk away if he didn't wish to say anything. The minutes continued to turn alongside the awkward and uncomfortable silence. It was only broken by the sound of Draco's confused greeting.

"Your majesty?"

"Dracule," his majesty greeted back.

"What are you doing here?" Draco, or Dracule, asked. His majesty raised an eyebrow, eyes filled equal confusion.

"It is her fifth birthday, is it not?" His majesty clarified, looking down at my small structure. I dare not look up as I shuffled back slightly behind Draco. Tugging slightly on his pants, I looked up at him with pleading eyes in hopes that he would not expose me. The confusion that was once plastered on his face began to fade and was replaced with a sly look.

"Oh, that's right!" he exclaimed, "I apologize, your majesty. I forgot that n.o.bles tend to usually awaken their magic at this age."

"Hmm," his majesty replied. I felt my heart drop a little at his tone.

"You're not one to usually forget though, Dracule," his majesty stated. I bit back the urge to curse at how sharp he was.

However, rather than being thrown off, Draco continued to smile. "That's true. However, the little lady has awakened her magic since last year so you can't blame me for forgetting."

I felt the aura of his majesty grow, "If that was the case why didn't you report to me?"

Draco chuckled, "Why, you told me not to report to you."

I felt my heart sting at the words that Draco muttered. I was well aware of the fact that his majesty hated me, but he was still my father; a father I once hoped to gain affections from. He will never love me though. Never. His majesty let out an awkward cough, "I see. Then I'll be on my way."

As his majesty left, Draco and I remained standing. Looking up, I noticed Draco peering down at me with a mysterious smile. My throat tightened.

"Now that he's gone, mind telling where you hid the note, and why?"

"Because," I said, "I didn't want my mother knowing."

The wind blew gently. Draco remained silent at my answer before reaching down and picking me up. It felt foreign being held in someone's arms. Only my mother ever carried me, but she stopped once I turned two.
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"Don't worry," Draco said softly, "One day you'll live a happier life."

I smiled. One could only hope.