Red Moon Princess

CHAPTER 11: Where's my gift?

"You're right." The Queen said after a moment of trying to feel her daughter’s gift. She stepped back, sitting next to her as she rested a hand around her shoulder. 
Maria's mood drenched slowly, and she looked down with a sad frown. Her mother was the second person to tell her she didn't have it in her.
'Why can't i be like others?' She thought. 

Maria watched her mother and father share a glance and felt the weight of their thoughts fall upon her. the feeling of disappointment she felt at that moment was unbearable.

A frown crossed her lips, and she looked down, shaking her head.
The Queen, noting the change in her daughter's mood, reached out and placed a comforting hand on Maria's shoulder. "It's going to be alright, we'd find a way." she whispered softly, her eyes meeting her daughter’s. "We always do." Delvin added.

Maria nodded, letting out a sigh as she stood up. "I'm going to my room, I'm tired." She mumbled before taking off. 

"Maria-." The Queen not wanting to leave her daughter on her own at the a moment like this where she wanted nothing more than a person whose going to tell her everything is going to be alright stood up when Delvin gestured her not to. "Let her be. She might need some time." He stated.

"I feel so bad." Yvanna conceded, sitting back down, as she watched her firstborn dissappear out of sight and out of the throne room.

Maria walked straight to her chambers, her legs carrying her across the familiar walls of the palace she grew up in.  ignoring every guard or maid that bowed down and greeted her. Normally, she'd have been more than happy to talk to them, and she even got in trouble multiple times for distracting the maids from their assignments. But now she was in too deep in her mind to notice or care about anything else.

The second she entered her bedchamber,  she locked her door and laid down on her cold bed she loved that feeling, finally on the familiar surroundings, maria let her emotions get looose, tears of helplessness and frustration dared to escape her eyes like a raining sky.  "I hate it." The words came out as a broken mumble as she covered her face with a pillow like she might get noticed by someone that's invisible. 

"Delvin, what should we do?" The Queen asked. A motherly worried face painting her soft features. 

"We'd go to Neroliner. If that doesn't help, i don't know what will." He paused, casting a glance at the pair of the throne seats that laid there ever so gracefully at the far end of the huge chamber."I can’t let balrus win the realm over."

"Neroliner? When?" A bit of anxiety laced the calmness in her heart, making it beat anxiously.

"He's coming in 20 moon rises, I'd go and come before that." Delvin answered, a stern look on his face like he was determined to go there no matter what.

"Delvin, you know it's quite unstable there in the meantime,  and you also know it'd take more than 20 days to figure out what's wrong with our daughter." Her voice lowered an octave as she stated her words. She'd also want to do something for Maria, but going to Neroliner now isn't a solution. For a conflict is taking place between the puplic and the royals, after the fall of her uncle at the hand of the rebellions, when he forcefully took the throne after the death of her father years ago. 

"I have no choice. If balrus comes here and learns of her condition, it would be unfair to not give him or his son the crown." He knew that it's a must.  for a powerless royalty can't rule a kingdom, but he also knew giving balrus the crown is like letting your enemy rule your world.

"I know." The Queen conceded, a tired expression on her face. "But Neroliner is dangerous, what if-?"

"Nothing will happen. No one would know besides your brother. We'd be fine, yvanna." Delvin answered, cutting her off.  Her brother is the rightful heir to the throne, and now he's trying to win his place back against the rebels that want the whole ocoeoric dray family dead.

"No." She stated, standing up. "You're not going there with our daughter leaving me here to greet your brother alone. And before you say I'll be here before he comes, i know for sure you won't. " she raised her hands, cutting off whatever words of convincing he'd say.

"You'll stay, and I'll go." Delvin's expression hardened at her statement and abruptly shifted up from his seat. "I won't let you do that, Yvanna."

"It's either none or me, delvin." Yvanna said stubbornly. One of the traits her daughter inherited from her, and God, was it a headache to Delvin sometimes? 

"You can’t expect me to let you go alone."
Delvin replied in a calm yet firm tone. He knew there was no point in arguing, so what was the point in yelling? Delvin walked around the table and stood next to his wife, his eyes meeting her firmly. "I can’t just not do anything. At least let Ko come with you."

"Fine. Just us three. And you stay and deal with your brother when he makes his appearance."