The Royal Mark-Chapter 91: Hera’s Memorial
It was the day of Hera’s memorial and everyone was busy in the castle preparing the food and decoration of the great hall. Many noble and affluent families in Zemaria had already sent numerous flowers in advance.
Outside the castle, the streets were filled with flowers and candles, offered by the people in loving memory of their beloved second princess. Her passing had been announced the previous night, casting a shadow of grief over the entire kingdom.
Chris didn’t join the royal family and Elsa at dinner last night and headed southeast earlier than planned. They had received word that more packs were making their way to Zemaria upon learning of the return of their Prince, who was currently residing in the human empire.
Elsa rose early, eager to contribute to the memorial preparations, a task she had been unable to participate in when Hera passed away. She had been just thirteen years old at the time, and Hera’s funeral had not taken place. The nuns at the orphanage had only given her Hera’s ashes in a small urn.
Elsa held onto the urn until Ambros adopted her, and together, they had chosen to scatter Hera’s remains on Ambros’ property, believing it would bring them luck and protection. Thinking of her mother only fueled Elsa’s determination to return to Novus and search for Ambros.
She had already lost one of her parents without knowing the truth, and she was committed to ensuring a proper burial if he didn’t make it. Deep within her heart, Elsa held a strong belief that her father was still alive. She couldn’t quite put it into words, but she simply felt that he was out there, waiting for her.
"Elsa," Prince Drake called in, "Are you busy? I want to show you something."
"I think there’s nothing left here that I can do. Everything is in place and all good," Elsa said after looking around her checking the great hall one last time.
"Good, follow me," Drake then moved along and Elsa followed suit.
Elsa found herself captivated by the artwork adorning the walls and the opulent decor of the hallways they passed through. It was a part of the castle she hadn’t explored before, and she was genuinely impressed by the meticulous upkeep that extended to every corner of the vast structure.
Drake picked up one of the lanterns from the hallway, leading them into a dimly lit room featuring a lengthy, spiral staircase.
"Where are we going?" Elsa inquired, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"This is one of the towers facing the front of the castle. Hera and I used to come here when there were festivities in town that we weren’t allowed to attend. You’ll be able to see the town just beyond the castle from this tower. We used to watch from here," Drake explained.
Elsa’s excitement surged, causing her to quicken her pace. She hadn’t seen the town from this vantage point before and was eager to take in the view.
"Wow, there are so many people. Why is it dark in the streets... Are they all dressed in black?" she asked Drake.
"Yes, they’re all dressed in black. Your mother was loved by our people, Elsa. In fact, she was the favorite among the royal children," Drake proudly stated. "She was my favorite..." His eyes welled up with tears as he spoke those last words.
Drake struggled to contain his emotions, tears streaming down his cheeks. Elsa, without any handkerchief or tissue at hand, used the sleeve of her dress to gently wipe away Drake’s tears. This gesture brought a halt to his crying, and he managed to muster a smile.
"You truly are your mother’s daughter, did you know that? She did something like this to me when we were kids. Back then, she used her skirt to wipe my tears," Drake shared.
"So, you’ve always been a bit of a crybaby, huh?" Elsa playfully teased, receiving more laughter from Drake. "She didn’t talk much about her family members when I was young. She only spoke of Zemaria and occasionally mentioned Grandma and Grandpa. I’m not sure why. It would have been wonderful if she had shared stories about her family. It might have better prepared me."
Drake frowned and stood straight, he could sense uneasiness from Elsa’s tone. "What do you mean by that? Is something bothering you?"
"Nothing really, I just feel that the queen and Princess Milda don’t like me. But don’t worry about it. I don’t really care, you and grandma are enough," Elsa smiled at Drake to not make him worry. However deep inside, she’s not comfortable around those two, she feels like they are brewing something under their sleeves from the way they look at her. She can feel it in her guts.
"Even I am not close with Milda. She likes Andrius more, maybe because I was always with Hera and she’s jealous of her. But you’re right, let’s not worry about her, she’s harmless," Drake said before looking out the window of the tower again.
"Look! They are starting to light the candles. Let’s head back, we need to change to black before the memorial starts." Elsa nodded and they both went to their respective rooms to change.
Elsa wore a black long-sleeve dress with a square neckline. The hem of her skirt, neckline, and the cuff of her sleeves were embellished with crystals and silver sequins. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦
Even though she and Valeria were the ones who mainly designed and instructed the servants on how to decorate the hall, Queen Irina and Princess Milda took credit whenever the people who offered their condolences noticed and praised how beautiful the decorations were.
Prince Drake was pretty furious about it, he was standing on the side with Valeria and Elsa while watching the noble and rich families greet the king and queen one by one. However, Elsa doesn’t care about it. Her gaze was fixed on Hera’s crown and some of her things that they would burn later as part of the memorial ritual since they didn’t have a body to cremate.
’Mom, I hope you are now happy wherever you are. I am safe here in Zemaria and surrounded by your loved ones,’ Elsa said inwardly. She then looked at the entrance of the great hall and thought, ’Chris, where are you? I wish you were here with me. I hope you are safe too.’
