A Song In The Wind

The chapel had a giant stage in front of it. It towered over the kingdom's people who crowded under it to get a better look.

At the front was the priest who would pronounce the princess as queen. There were officials at the end who would overlook the entire ceremony and speak for the kingdom to accept the new queen.

I waited with the rest of the citizens until sundown.

When the ceremony began, the place was even more crowded than before. The festival was put on hold as everyone gathered to watch the ceremony.

I didn't remember as many people gathered at mine. I suppose it would have less excitement since mine was inside and private. Even then, I didn't hear as much excitement in the air. Not that it matters.

The music began and my sister came out from the side of the stage. She wore a light blue dress that dragged down to the floor. Her hair was worn in an updo that looked like it took hours to finish. She wore light makeup but even from the crowd I could see the shadows of under eye bags.

She walked with her head held high across the stage. She never once looked into the crowd.

She listened to her duties and made her vows. When she finished, she kneeled, and the priest placed the crown on her head.

The cheers at that moment could be heard across the world, and I realized the difference between Daphne's coronation and mine.

During mine, the whisperers of judgment and the murmur of forced clapps around the chapel were the most you would hear. It was honestly embarrassing if you think about it.

Who was I kidding? This hurt more than that damn song.

When she stood back up, she faced the crowd. Her face was struck with horror. She was scared.

*She finally realized the weight of so many people dependent on you.* I thought

She searched in the crowd for something until she found me. Her face finally lightened up before falling again.

*Don't worry. I won't expose you or myself*

I turned and walked past the cheering crowd and away from their queen.

Night fell, and the festival hadn't let up. In fact, people started partying even more.

When a soldier approached me, I didn't say anything and simply followed them.

The soldier brought me inside the chapel, where my sister sat on the floor next to the statues of mother and father.

"You're back." She said

"And you're on the floor," I replied

She huffed a laugh and patted the ground next to her. I sat down in front of her.

"What will you do now?" She asked

"I should ask you that."

"I want to tie ends with the fire kingdom. I'm going to propose a peace treaty to the king." She said

"And to do that…" I started

She nodded, "I will need to welcome the fire prince as my husband and king."

"…Do what you want. It's too late to go back." I said and got up.

"What about you? Where would you go?" She asked

I shrugged. "Don't worry about it, your majesty."

Before I walked out, Daphne called to me, "We're okay, right? You understand why I…"

"Killed me and stole the throne from me," I finished

"Uh…yeah. Do you forgive me? I'm your sister."

"No. I don't forgive you. And I don't think I ever will." I said

She opened her mouth to speak, but I interrupted her. Not wanting her to argue.

"Being related doesn't give you the right to do a shitty thing to me. You hurt me. I love you, but I won't forgive you." I said

"I did it for the kingdom." She whispered as her face grew pale, and she finally understood the consequences of her actions

I laughed, "Where have I heard that line before? Don't be a hypocrite. It's not a good look on you. It suits you, though."

I walked out of the chapel without another word. The door closed, and it took everything in me not to run back and tell her lies to make her happy.

I sighed and wandered around the festival once more to gather my thoughts.

I should try to make a life for myself. I would need money for myself. I thought back to the coins thrown at me while I sang. I groaned. I don't want to, but…

I went back to the tree. It was far enough from the castle that people wouldn't recognize my face when I returned to normal. I should think of how to cover my face when the day comes.

There were still people hanging around, so I sat by the tree and began to sing. I sang of the bird who rose from the ashes and sang its song to the wind. People threw coins at me, thankfully not at my face. When I finished, I heard people whispering.

"Any suggestions?" I asked, "A song you'd like to hear?"

"T-the song from before. Will you tell us how it ends? We realize our mistakes, and we won't throw coins at your face anymore," a boy said

The crowd was filled with faces filled with shame etched in.

"Promise?" I asked

"Promise!" The boy said

"Okay…but if you do it again, I will never sing again," I said

Lies. I need to earn money somehow.

"We promise! We promise!" The crowd cried.

"Alright, then, where did I leave off? Oh! I remember now. The lost girl screamed so loud that the whole kingdom could hear her. One day, she was cut off, but the music still played." I tapped my hands against my thigh to make some sort of rhythm. "The girl never sang again because she lost her voice. That's how it ends."

"That's it? She doesn't find her mother?" A woman asked

I shook my head.

"Why would she want to anyway? A woman who sells her daughter…I can't understand it." Another woman shook her head and held her baby in her arms tighter.

One of the kids beside me asked if I would sing another song. I agreed.

This song was a happier song about the blooming flowers as the sun touched them.

"How about a silly song? I wanna dance to your voice!" A woman started moving her body to an imaginary rhythm.

And so I sang about a love confession from a girl to her childhood friend.

Everyone danced, and I sang to them. I also told a few stories here and there. As more people gathered, I soon had a large crowd listening to my singing.

"Sir! Your voice is very beautiful!" One of the kids said as the boy's mother took him home. "I'll come back tomorrow! Don't go anywhere!"

I smiled and waved goodbye. *It's not like I have anywhere else to go.*

When the sun went down, everyone had left, only me and the coins they left behind for me.

I gathered the coins and figured I had enough to find somewhere to sleep for the night.

I walked around and found a small motel. I barely had enough for a small room for the night, and I was happy to have a roof over my head for the night.