Chapter 106
The wooden door closed behind Princess Flora.
Click.
For a long moment—
she simply stood there.
The conversation with Guinevere still echoed inside her mind.
Every word.
Every silence.
Every look.
The corridor felt strangely narrow.
The ship rocked gently beneath her feet as waves struck its hull.
Around her, members of the Worshippers of Justice moved through the passage carrying maps, crates, and lanterns.
Some glanced toward her.
None disturbed her.
"...Your Highness?"
A gentle voice finally broke the silence.
Flora blinked.
A young woman dressed in white robes stood a respectful distance away.
She bowed.
"...Forgive us."
"We were preparing a room for you."
Flora looked at her for a moment before giving a small nod.
"...Thank you."
"If you'll follow me."
The woman led her deeper into the ship.
Unlike the royal vessels of Lumivale—
this ship had never been built for nobles.
Its corridors were narrow.
The ceiling low.
Every few moments the wooden floor creaked beneath the sea's rhythm.
Flora quietly watched the people passing.
A young boy hurried by with a bucket of fresh water.
Two elderly worshippers discussed tomorrow's route over a faded map.
A woman sat against the wall carefully stitching a torn cloak.
No one carried themselves like servants.
Everyone simply...
worked together.
"...Here."
The woman stopped before a modest wooden door.
She pushed it open.
"I'm afraid it isn't very large."
"We've rearranged several cabins."
"...I hope it will be enough."
Flora stepped inside.
The room was simple.
A neatly made bed.
A wooden chair.
A small table.
A lantern hanging from the ceiling.
And beside the bed—
a round window overlooking the endless sea.
The moonlight spilled quietly across the wooden floor.
Flora smiled faintly.
"No its okay.."
The woman looked relieved.
"I'm glad."
"If you need anything..."
"...please tell us."
Flora inclined her head.
"...Thank you."
The woman bowed once more before quietly closing the door.
Click.
Silence.
...
For the first time since leaving Lumivale—
there was no one beside her.
No guards.
No Marco.
No Guinevere.
Only the sound of waves.
She slowly removed the silver cloak clasp from her shoulders.
The heavy fabric slipped onto the chair.
Her sword rested carefully against the wall.
Then...
she sat down on the edge of the bed.
It creaked softly beneath her weight.
The room suddenly felt much quieter than before.
She let out a long breath.
"..."
Her eyes wandered toward the round window.
Outside—
the moon floated above the sea.
Silver light danced across countless waves.
Beautiful.
Endless.
Lonely.
Without thinking—
her fingers slipped beneath the collar of her dress.
They found the familiar necklace resting against her chest.
The metal had long since grown warm from years of wearing it.
She wrapped both hands around it.
Closed her eyes.
"...Mother..."
The whisper barely existed.
Another followed.
"...Father..."
Her voice trembled.
Only slightly.
"...I..."
She stopped.
No words came.
Instead—
she lowered her head until the necklace rested against her forehead.
"...I wish..."
A shaky breath escaped her.
"...I knew what to do."
Silence answered.
The ship rocked gently.
The waves continued their endless song.
A single tear slid quietly down her cheek.
She didn't wipe it away.
"...Everything feels so heavy..."
"...and I'm still..."
Her fingers tightened around the pendant.
A quiet tear rolled down her cheek.
"...I knew what to do."
Silence answered her.
The lantern above swayed gently.
Its warm light blurred as another memory slowly surfaced.
One she had carried her entire life.
---
I don't remember the day I was born.
How could I?
Everything I know about that day... came from the people who loved me.
Mother used to laugh every time she told me the story.
"You announced your arrival before anyone else could," she would say.
"The moment you were born, you cried so loudly that the entire palace knew a little princess had arrived."
Father always disagreed.
"No," he would say with a smile.
"The entire kingdom knew."
---
The Royal Palace of Lumivale.
18 years earlier.
Rain had fallen without pause throughout the night.
But as dawn arrived...
the clouds slowly parted.
Golden sunlight poured across the white walls of the palace.
Then—
the bells rang.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Again.
Their joyful sound spread from the palace to every corner of the capital.
"The Queen has given birth!"
"It's a princess!"
"The royal family has an heir!"
Cheers erupted throughout the streets.
Merchants abandoned their stalls.
Children laughed as they chased one another through the marketplaces.
Knights raised their swords toward the sky.
the kingdom celebrated.
---
Inside the royal chamber—
Queen Anastasia rested upon her bed, exhausted but smiling.
In her arms slept a tiny child wrapped in white silk.
The King sat beside them, unable to look away.
"...She's beautiful."
Anastasia smiled softly.
"...She has your Smile."
The King chuckled.
"I was hoping she'd inherit yours."
Very carefully...
he touched the baby's tiny hand.
Her little fingers immediately wrapped around one of his.
His heart melted.
"...She's stronger than she looks."
Anastasia laughed quietly.
"She's your daughter."
A knock echoed from outside.
A royal physician entered and bowed.
"Your Majesty."
"The examination is complete."
The King looked up.
"And?"
The physician hesitated.
"...The Princess bears a birthmark."
Anastasia frowned slightly.
"...A birthmark?"
The physician nodded.
"It rests upon her lower back."
"It resembles..."
He paused.
"...a blue flower."
The room became silent.
The King exchanged a glance with Anastasia.
Years passed.
The tiny princess learned to walk.
Then to run.
The palace corridors became her kingdom.
She chased butterflies through the royal gardens.
She hid behind marble pillars whenever Father pretended not to notice her.
She laughed whenever Mother lifted her high into the air after returning from another expedition.
Those days...
felt endless.
And perfect.
Until one morning.
---
Flora was barely four years old.
She sat quietly upon the palace steps, hugging a stuffed rabbit almost as large as herself.
Across the courtyard—
the rhythmic sound of swords echoed through the morning air.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Her emerald eyes sparkled.
Queen Anastasia stood in the center of the training grounds, her silver blade moving like flowing water.
Every strike was graceful.
Every step carried confidence.
Royal knights attacked one after another.
None could touch her.
Little Flora watched with wide eyes.
"...Amazing..."
The words escaped her without thinking.
One knight was disarmed.
Another found himself flat on his back.
A third surrendered with a helpless laugh.
The Queen lowered her sword.
"Again."
The knights groaned.
"Your Majesty..."
"...Please show mercy."
Anastasia smiled.
"On a battlefield..."
"...monsters rarely do."
The training resumed.
Flora never looked away.
Her little hands tightened around the stuffed rabbit.
Mother looks so cool...
Everyone depends on her.
I want...
She slowly stood.
...to become someone like that.
When the training finally ended—
Anastasia noticed the tiny girl waiting patiently at the edge of the courtyard.
She smiled immediately.
"My Princess."
Flora ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.
"Mother!"
Anastasia caught her effortlessly, lifting her into her arms.
"You watched the whole time?"
Flora nodded so enthusiastically that her golden hair bounced.
"Mhm!"
"You were amazing!"
"You beat everyone!"
The Queen laughed.
"They were only training."
Flora shook her head.
"I want to learn too!"
Anastasia looked into her daughter's shining eyes.
"...You want to use a sword?"
"Mhm!"
"I want to protect everyone too."
For a moment—
the Queen said nothing.
Then she gently kissed Flora's forehead.
"...One day."
"When you're older."
"I'll teach you myself."
Flora's smile became brighter than the morning sun.
"...Promise?"
Anastasia smiled.
"...I promised...
The memory drifted onward.
Like waves carrying pieces of a forgotten shore.
---
Mother kept her promises.
But before I ever held a sword...
I learned something else.
Being a princess meant learning how to say goodbye.
---
Flora was five years old.
The palace gates stood wide open beneath the morning sun.
Hundreds of knights filled the courtyard.
Horses stamped impatiently against the stone.
Servants hurried between wagons loaded with supplies.
Another expedition.
Another village needed help.
Another monster nest had appeared near the kingdom's borders.
The King adjusted the straps of his armor while speaking with his commanders.
Not far away, Queen Anastasia tightened the clasp of her own silver breastplate.
Flora stood between them, clutching the edge of her mother's cloak.
"...Do you both have to go?"
The King crouched until they were eye level.
"...The people need us."
Flora lowered her head.
"...They always need you."
The words were innocent.
But they made both parents fall silent.
Anastasia gently knelt beside her daughter.
"...Do you know why Father and I leave so often?"
Flora slowly shook her head.
The Queen smiled softly.
"...Because every child in this kingdom deserves to sleep without fear."
She brushed Flora's golden hair behind one ear.
"...Including you."
The little princess looked up.
"...Then..."
"...who protects me?"
The King laughed warmly.
"You have an entire palace."
"And more knights than you can count."
Flora puffed out her cheeks.
"...That's not the same."
She wrapped her tiny arms around both of them.
"...I want my mother."
"...And my father."
For a brief moment...
neither ruler of Lumivale was a king or queen.
They were simply parents.
The King gently embraced her.
"We'll always come home."
Anastasia kissed the top of her head.
"...Always."
Flora smiled.
"...Promise?"
"Promise."
---
They always kept that promise.
No matter how dangerous the mission...
They always came home.
---
But while they were away...
The palace became enormous.
Too enormous.
Its endless halls echoed with silence.
Flora wandered through gardens by herself.
She spent hours reading picture books in the royal library.
Sometimes she watched birds from the balcony.
Sometimes she simply waited by the palace gates.
Watching.
Waiting.
Counting the days until her parents returned.
---
One afternoon—
she wandered into one of the palace courtyards.
Several noble children about her age were already playing there.
The moment they noticed her—
they bowed.
"...Your Highness."
Flora smiled brightly.
"...Can I play too?"
The children exchanged uncertain glances.
Finally—
one little girl nodded.
"...Of course."
For a while...
everything felt normal.
They played hide-and-seek beneath the palace trees.
They chased butterflies across the gardens.
They laughed.
Flora thought...
Maybe making friends isn't so difficult.
---
Then one of the boys suddenly frowned.
"My father says..."
He looked directly at Flora.
"...girls shouldn't become rulers."
The laughter stopped.
Another child nodded.
"My mother said the same thing."
"A prince would've been better."
One little girl added quietly,
"They said Her Majesty should've had a son."
Flora blinked.
The boy folded his arms.
"Boys are stronger."
"They're better kings."
"My father said kingdoms become weak when women rule."
Another child nodded.
"My father says Princesses only wear pretty dresses."
"They don't protect anyone."
The words were spoken carelessly.
Children repeating what they had heard at home.
But to Flora...
They landed like stones.
She looked down at her small hands.
"...Mother protects everyone."
The boy shrugged.
"My father says she's just lucky."
"And someday..."
He looked at Flora again.
"...you won't be able to protect anyone."
Silence.
The children slowly returned to their game.
Leaving Flora standing alone.
She quietly excused herself.
"...I..."
"...I'll go now."
No one stopped her.
---
That night...
I couldn't sleep.
I kept hearing the same words.
"Girls can't rule."
"A prince would've been better."
"You won't protect anyone."
---
She quietly climbed out of bed.
The palace corridors were dark.
Only moonlight guided her steps.
Eventually—
she reached the training grounds.
Empty.
Silent.
She walked toward the wooden practice swords lined neatly against the wall.
They were much too large for her.
She struggled to lift one.
It wobbled awkwardly in her tiny hands.
She almost dropped it.
"...It's heavy..."
She bit her lip.
Then raised it again.
Very slowly...
she copied the movements she had watched her mother perform countless times.
One swing.
Clumsy.
Another.
Almost falling over.
Again.
Again.
Again.
The sword felt impossibly heavy.
Her arms began to ache.
But she refused to stop.
Not until—
"...Flora?"
She froze.
Queen Anastasia stood quietly at the entrance to the training grounds.
Still wearing her night robe.
Her expression held surprise...
and concern.
Flora quickly lowered the wooden sword.
"...Mother..."
"...Did I wake you?"
Anastasia walked toward her.
"No."
She gently knelt before her daughter.
"...Why are you training in the middle of the night?"
Flora looked away.
For a long time...
she couldn't answer.
Then—
in a tiny voice...
"...Mother..."
"...If I become really strong..."
"...will people stop wishing I was a boy?"
The world seemed to stop.
Anastasia's smile disappeared.
She gently placed both hands on Flora's small shoulders.
"...Who said that to you?"
Flora lowered her head.
"...Some children."
"They said..."
Her voice trembled.
"...that girls can't protect kingdoms."
"...That you should've had a son instead of me."
Silence.
Queen Anastasia slowly pulled Flora into a warm embrace.
"...Listen to me."
Her voice was gentle.
But unwavering.
"...Never be ashamed of who you are."
She held Flora a little tighter.
"...You do not have to become a great queen because you are a girl."
"...Or despite being a girl."
She smiled softly.
"...You only have to become the best version of yourself."
Flora buried her face against her mother's shoulder.
"...But what if..."
"...I'm not enough?"
Anastasia closed her eyes.
"...Then we'll keep growing."
"...Together."
Those words...
became something Flora never forgot.
But even so...
Deep inside the little princess's heart—
A tiny seed had already been planted.
What if...
I'm never enough?
...CHAPTER 106ENDS...