prologue

Upon the morning gaze of fresh daylight, beams of sunlight foreshadowed the kingdom and its people inside. Some of the now awoken civilians were doing their morning work, waking up or just simply watching the ongoing sunrise - adoring and blessing another day of life. Many species flourished in and about, doing their reluctant common duties; Baking, blacksmithing, crafting, selling, or just simply doing whatever that's on their mind. Today was another casual day for Sizhertoy, and hopefully another peaceful one.
Standing above all else, a castle, standing beyond all the other places in the kingdom, shined the brightest among everything else, with its tints and shades of grey and white, tactile with rounded bricks surrounding it. Inside, there wasn't much commotion going on. Servants were cleaning up things and guards guarded the gates and doors. The silent sounds of the castle shown that it was at its quietest days.

A servant, who was short and filled with scales, and dressed in an orderly fashion of black and red, directed a queen and her child to a garden, complete of blooming flowers, with lush bushes and a beautifully reflected color of blue water around it. It was a spot that she and her child, Kathella, both enjoyed being around in. This was also a way for the queen to take a break from her queenly responsibilities.

"It is set and done," they said, letting out a slow bow, their waving tail glowed with proud gratitude. Sybbyl nodded as she watched the servants finish up the garden, cleaning out any unsanitary things and fixing up the now bloomed plants. "I hope this is to your liking."

"Thank you," she responded with a bow in return. "It is." The servants bowed their heads, leaving her and her child in peace.

Kathella, who was shorter than the servant, continued holding her mothers' hand. "Mother, why do we always come to this garden?" her daughter pondered, her red eyes gazing upon the aesthetically placed scenery.

The queen stared at her for a second, then spoke. "This place was always something I loved to be in every day; Free from the ungodly stress of constant duties as a queen, free from servants regularly coming at my every need, everything. Without a king, it's much more difficult."

She blinked with confused eyes, "Why you don't get a king, then?"

"It's too late for that now, dear." The queen pointed out. She didn't want a king at first due to her lack of interests in all the boys around in Sizhertoy, back before she became a queen. Now, realizing how much responsibility and stress it was being one, she regrets her decisions to this day. Nonetheless, she is still happy she's alone and just with her child.

Her daughter frowned, her eyes fixated on the small lake that cornered around some bushes, reflecting greatly among the sun. She let go from her mothers' hands, stepping near on one of the concrete stairs. "Oh, okay. Do you think I need a king once I grow up?" She questioned, jumping up and down from the staircases.

She let out a chuckle, patting her daughter's back as she stopped her from jumping. "That's on your own accord. If you feel like you need a king, then have one."

Kathella scratched her head. "Is having a king good?"

"Depends on how the king is." She pointed out, holding her daughter. "Many generalize kings as lazy, overly-ruling, stubborn, selfish, and cruel kingsmen." Her words felt sharp in her mind.

"If such people generalize kings like that, what do people generalize queens as? You're Queen Sybbyl, a queen who wouldn't dare be a meanie!"

Sybbyl felt blank for a second from the comment her daughter made, then let out a little chuckle as she walked, still holding her daughter. "Kathella, my dear, I do not know. Queens don't usually have a reputation as bad as kings do. Lots of people rebel over them than us."

"Do kings in this timeline done anything bad?" Kathella asked, tugging on her mothers' dress.

"I'm not sure. Other than hearing Vyberdost was caught stealing supplies from Kaleoni, but that was caused by the people, not the king." Sybbyl brung up, feeling an unnoticeable chill under her arms.

"Vyberdost is a mean place!" Kathella pouted, folding her arms.

"Not exactly," she pointed out, putting Kathella down. "It's the people that make it worse, not the queen and king." Sybbyl reminded her.

Kathella wondered what she had meant. The people? What did the people do that gave Vyberdost an inadequate reputation? In her mind, she always thought the queen and king were to blame for their kingdom's troubles. But, Sybbyl proved her wrong, as it's more than the leaders to accuse of such troubles.

She looked closer at the lake, staring upon her own reflection as her mother watched. Her feet gradually dipped into the water, letting out a small shudder as its warmness tingled her; her worries faded away, staring at the lukewarm water. She stared at her reflection once more, letting out a giggle as she kicked some of the water, in which some had gotten onto her. Sybbyl sighed, patting her shoulders as she fixed her daughter's delicate dark purple dress.

"If you want to be a queen someday, you need to look neat!" Sybbyl glared at her, straightening Kathella's white fur.

"Is being neat important?" Kathella asked.

"Indeed," she replied. "It's one of the main etiquettes to lead a kingdom right," Sybbyl pointed out with a mutter, drying out the rest of any possible water that had gotten to her. "Especially something as Sizhertoy for example."

"I'll be the prettiest queen ever!" Kathella boasted out with excitement, her ears twitch happily.

Sybbyl gave her an unsure look. "Well, being a queen is more than just looking pretty. It's about being mature, distributing certain situations, and a lot of responsibilities."

"Oh, I know!" she quickly stated. "But it's all worth being pretty, right?"

Sybbyl rolled her eyes at her child's unrealistic imagination. "Yes, it is." She was used to hearing about Kathella's dreams and goals, whether it made sense or not. Such a mild-mannered nature often upset Sybbyl, but Kathella is still young. It was best to let her mind roam free than forbid her from what to imagine.

Before speaking out another word, she saw Kathella dash towards a bush of the newly seasoned flowers that were blooming among the shining rays. The flowers were fragile, and ruining them would be a disaster worse than waging war.

"Kathella, get away from those darn flowers!" Sybbyl yelled, racing towards Kathella, who was frolicking around the bush of flowers.

"Mother, these flowers are so wonderful, so! Why ever are people forbidden to use them?" She pondered, snatching one of the flowers out of the bush.

Sybbyl grabbed the flower from her, giving her a hard glare. "They're forbidden because they're exotic, fragile and that they only bloom every five years! No one can touch them - not even myself."

Kathella frowned, folding her ears. "I'm sorry..."

Sybbyl calmed herself, feeling bad for the sharp response she had given towards Kathella. "It's fine, I just want to keep my stuff protected, you know? Multiple times degenerates tried to steal things from me, especially these flowers, and I get often on about whoever tries to touch it."

Her spirits felt lifted, but she refused to look at the flower, her eyes became milky. "Isn't it what being queen is about?"

"What?" Sybbyl felt baffled.

"Like a queen, you want to protect yourself from others, others tried to steal your throne, and that you can be easily fragile if you're not protected - and that you're often on about the people who fail to comply to protect," Kathella spoke, grabbing a flower that represented her theoretical response. She held one of the leaves on it gently, tugging it. "And the more fragile you are towards people," Within an instant, she snapped one of the leaves off, its green texture slowly falling near them, landing softly. "The easier you are to them. Is this what being a queen will feel like for me, mother?"

Sybbyl's mouth opened, unbelieved to hear of such accurate words her daughter had brung up, regardless of her young age. "How did you -"

"I learned a lot from you, mother." Kathella interrupted, giving the flower back to her mother, letting out a concerned, but proud stare.

Sybbyl's spirit felt raised. Her daughter knew what being a queen was going to be like, and that it was just more than prettiness that she's going to focus on. Closing her eyes, she stood on one knee, giving her daughter a satisfying stare, holding onto the flower tightly.

"You will be a great queen, Kathella." she pointed out, her head lays down. "I know you'll deal with the circumstances of becoming the heir of a throne, and you'll deal with it in courage, faith, and belief. Don't let no one or anything overthrow or weaken you, no matter the consequences or situation. I'll support you every day along the way until the Lord calls me." Sybbyl raised her head to face her daughter, giving her an intense look to show she meant every word. Her daughter had possibilities, and those possibilities will be achieved someday. The flower that she had held was locked with her, giving her hope to Kathella.

Sybbyl placed the flower on Kathella's hand, gripping her hand with hers. "Promise me you won't let your mother down."

Tears almost surfaced from Kathella's eyes, jumping up and down with excitement.  "I won't, mother!" she choked with emotion, jumping up to Sybbyl, giving her a tender hug, burying herself on her chest. Sybbyl saw hope in her heart, and she knew one and only one thing that she'll see in her daughter;

She was going to be an extraordinary queen someday.