ⒸⒽⒶⓅⓉⒺⓇ ⓍⓍⓍⒾⒾⒾ
Status.
Honor.
Strength.
Praise.
Wealth.
Delicious food.
It's all the same to me.
⇠⫷❖◈❖⫸⇢
"It's a little girl! The queen had a little girl! Praise the demon king!" calls a town citizen.
"Mama! Papa! Did you hear?! Our queen had a little girl! Oh, how I wish I could meet her!" cheers another.
"What a miracle!"
"I bet the princess is amazing!"
"I bet she looks wonderful!"
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"Y/n, why won't you eat your food? It's your first Tifari. You should be eating up."
Tells my mother, taking another bite of her...
Steak...
I sigh and reluctantly eat the food. Trying not to make a sour face.
This tastes disgusting.
I thought, forcing myself to eat more.
⇠⫷❖◈❖⫸⇢
"Mama,"
I call for my mother's attention. She was eating, as usual.
"What is it?"
She asked.
"Can I meet the townspeople?"
I ask, hoping she'd say yes.
"No."
Was her response.
"Why?"
I ask.
"Because you don't have enough power yet." she continues. "Wait until you grow older, people will respect you more. If people respect you more, then they're more likely to do your bidding."
I sigh.
"But I want to make friends."
I tell her eagerly.
"Isn't having your stuffed cow enough? Or all the gold and riches we have?"
I stay silent, clutching my chibi styled stuffed animal.
She takes my silence as something completely different.
"Oh, but of course! We can never have enough of anything! How could I have let this slip my mind, such a thing! You're right," she picks me up and puts me on her lap.
"My dear Y/n. When you rule someday, you must strive for more than me." the jewels all glitter in my eyes as one of my tiny clawed hands lightly grip at my mother's dress.
She pets my hair. "One day... You'll be great."
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"I don't want to eat humans."
My mother spat out her meat.
"WHAT?!"
She boomed throughout the ballroom.
"I said, 'I don't want to eat humans.'"
I repeated myself.
"WHY NOT?!"
"Because. I don't like the taste. It doesn't taste good to me."
"WELL HOW IN THE DEVILS NAME DO YOU EXPECT TO LIVE?!"
"..."
"I dunno."
My mother scoffs.
"Stupid child."
I go back to my room.
⇠⫷❖◈❖⫸⇢
"99 Jars of Humans on the wall, 99 jars of humans..." I mutter the counting game my mother typically hums whenever she's doing something. Which, now have only progressed to just eating and sitting around.
"You gobble one down, pass it around, 98 jars of humans on the wall..." I skipped around the empty fortress.
I can't really leave unless it's with a servant.
The townspeople started noticing and pointing out that I am the princess who hardly leaves since I have a special mask and robes to protect myself.
I walk around the market with a housecarl from the fortress, looking at fancy jewelry to get my mother as a peace offering for our recent argument about me eating humans.
This should make her forgive me, at least a little.
I got back with a large diamond necklace for her, and she liked it.
"My sweet Y/n. Thank you for this. I'm glad you've seen my way."
I haven't, but if it'll make us stop arguing, then that's okay. I guess.
"Mama," I start.
"Yes, my dear musume?"
She says, putting on the necklace.
"When will I get to meet my other oji?"
She ponders for a minute.
"I don't know, whenever he feels. Right now he's running a business, so he can't come and see you until he's available."
"What was his name again? I kinda forgot."
"You have two ojis, two uncles." she starts.
"Oji Sonju and Oji Leuvis."
⇠⫷❖◈❖⫸⇢
I want to leave.
Ever since I fully voiced my opinion on being the next queen, eating humans and all. My mother has completely ignored me, getting mad when I disturb her from eating.
I've been restricted from my food since my mother thinks it'll teach me a lesson.
I don't want to, even though I know I have to.
I feel myself growing sicker each passing day. It's only been three days, but I feel like poison is racking itself through my veins.
Food.
I need food.
Right now.
I chase my Oji Sonju out the gate of the capital, I beg him to take me with him.
I can't stand it here anymore.
He agreed after I told him I hadn't eaten in three days. Then he brought me to a lady with purple braids and she gave me a glass of blood.
"Drink this,"
I did.
And I finally was able to not eat any more humans for my survival.
When she told me, I was ecstatic. Overjoyed. I even hugged her, thanking her profusely.
I felt better.
No longer sick.
But I was still pretty hungry.
So I had my first pig meat.
And it was much more delicious than human meat.
I was jumping for joy when my Oji Sonju took me in to raise.
⇠⫷❖◈❖⫸⇢
I have a lot of regrets.
I felt the fact that I had to eat humans at the Tifari's and in general to survive was the worst part about me.
I wish I didn't have to do what I did to all those children.
I wish I hadn't gone out at sunset.
I wish I did what I was told.
I wish I could forgive myself and stop pushing down all my regrets to the back of my mind.
The friends I have understand, and don't treat me any different.
So why do I still feel this way?
Regret.
Shame.
Guilt.
Power.
Wealth.
Success.
It isn't any different to me.
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"She's dead. For sure this time." comments Mujika. Looking at my mothers foaming and bubbling corpse.
I walk up to it.
"99 sorrowful regrets on the wall, 99 sorrowful regrets..." I change the melody I knew so well. Sweetly humming as I lightly poke at my mother's dead body, my hum turns into a sad mumble.
"Hide them all, resurface them all. 99 sorrowful regrets..."
Sonju pulls me back from her corpse as the three of us watch it rot. The other three tend to Zazie.
"The entire government is dead," I look up at Sonju.
"Will a war break out?"
I ask.
He looks down at me with his lips coiled into a dissatisfied frown.
"It's a possibility."
He finally says.
"Well, can't Sonju be the next king?" Emma asks.
"He's the younger brother to the queen!" she adds. "Or even Y/n could-"
"No."
I immediately say.
I've been trying to avoid becoming queen my entire life.
I won't give in now just because my mother is dead.
My friends look at Sonju.
"No way. It'd be different if Bayon or Yverk remained. But I don't have connections, and I have no clue how to govern." he says. "And on top of that, I'm a traitor who took my mei, the queen's daughter to isolation outside the capital. Therefore, I wouldn't be listened to, and cause more confusion."
"Y/n, why don't you govern then?" asks Norman.
I huff. "I've tried to avoid it my entire life. I couldn't lead the whole capital with my unresolved personal issues and becoming queen, eating at the head of the table for the Tifari would only cause more self agony and despair for me." I hold up a finger.
"I'm also 13. Too soon for any of this crazy rule the capital shit for me."
"Didn't Queen Legravalima rule when she was 10?"
Emma asks, biting her nails.
"I'm not her, bless the demon king." I look up at a corner of the ceiling with my arms behind my head.
"It's all going to be okay," says Mujika. "Sonju and I will take care of this, you all should return to your base."
"HUH?!"
Emma wheezes.
"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine."
Mujika gently pushes me over to my friends.
"It'll be fine. And, it'll be easier if the citizens see us not involved with humans or the queen's missing daughter."
I saw Sonju grip his spear, veins popping out of his hands in anger at something.
Emma hugs him and starts talking as a farewell speech.
I closed my eyes and tried blocking out that fact.
"I thought about death, I don't want to die, but if I had to... I wouldn't mind getting eaten by you, Mujika, or Y/n."
My eyes shot open and looked at the ceiling hearing such things.
Emma...
Even if you wanted to die.
I wouldn't be able to kill you.
Sonju would have to do it if you were absolutely going to die.
"I didn't feel like it'd be possible without meeting you all. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you."
My eyes narrow and I squeeze them shut again. Trying my best to keep myself steady.
I feel myself being pulled by Emma's grasp as we start running to the base.
I take deep breaths.
Shove it all down again.
It isn't worth rehashing any longer.
Die with your regrets.
It's easier that way.
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fun fact: The Constitution of India is the longest known written constitution at 145,000 words (470 articles)