To Lemuria

Prologue

The group of seagulls knew where to go. They flew together in their formation, going low; their wings almost hitting the shores. Then they flew up over the cliff, rolled as one and dove down to rest at the beach.

She smiled when she saw the flock, her mind had a sudden inspiration. She walked to the edge and she reached for the wind as she let go, tumbling down the plateau. There was a split breath before she reappeared behind him. He was nervous that she actually did it. But despite of him, he was amused of how well she did this, as though she had been doing this for so long.

"My Empress, your Father Emperor will not be so as pleased when he found out about this," Haru bowed to her.

"Oh, Haru, your mind speaks to me and it says you are impressed," she laughed at him. She was right.

Haru looked back at her. She was a vision of beauty and wonder. Her long locks of hair that curls from the middle to the end were auburn. It was bright in the shimmers of the sunset just like her smile. Her cheeks were naturally flushed with colours of laughter. It matched her hair.

Her robes flew with the wind, it was immaculately white. Her hair was adorned with her favourite flower-crown of white native plumerias. She has always looked the free-spirited princess that she was. She had always had spring in her feet and jingle in her laughter. She laughed heartily as always and laughed at Haru the most.

Haru grew up from his normal Lemurian tribe-boy life. He used to have brown hair that fell just above his shoulder, now he always tied them down at his nape. And his eyes that were a little bit chinky smiled along his lips all the time. He was as good-natured as he was a gentleman.

Though his family belonged to those that didn't have much, he wore his tunic with pride. He wasn't supposed to, but he felt happy with the job given to him. Although he was not royalty, he was privileged to roam the Empire royal grounds and knew so much about it. The servers of the Emperor ran in his blood, as it did in the rest of the family. It was an honour, his father had said. And it was a legacy, his grandfather had said before him.

But now for him it was more like for the matters of the heart.

And looking at Meia now, he prove more and more of that.

"My Empress, we should be back to the feast," he addressed her, looking down once again. He should never have agreed on going out like this, not while the feast was in full swing. His mother might be looking for him now. They always needed extra hands in these times of the year.

"Oh Haru," she whispered. "Please forgive me for I have been too much a trouble to you." She looked and sounded really sorry.

He was startled. Perhaps the elders are right about her. She was bound to be the greatest Empress in the history of their Empire. She was already doing great impression to the few people that knew her, just like him.

She looked ahead again at the horizon. The beach in the distance was pristine and white with glimmers of gold as the sun set. The sky was blindingly beautiful as the clouds unveiled the moon. Sometimes she thought why wonders like these bothered her so much. She sat down at the edge of the cliff and then looked down at the drop. The water of the ocean, hundred feet down her was kissing the marble rocks.

She thought wonderful things bothered her because she couldn't be as wonderful as they were, or as free as they were, because she was destined to be somebody. Her life was predetermined by destiny.

"I know what all of you are thinking," she sighed. "But I am just an ordinary girl. I can't be all the things you expect me to be."

He knew he doesn't need to talk, anything he thinks were far louder to her than anything he could say.