Lord Satqin looked in the Princess' eyes and saw that she had changed drastically since he had last laid eyes upon her. She had become wise beyond her years and was now acting like a true Princess. He could see she was weighing her decisions carefully before taking any action. He closed his eyes as he lowered his head and wholeheartedly said “I'm sorry.”

             Princess Valora could tell his words were sincere and that he truly regretted his actions. She approached Lord Satqin, lowered herself to the floor and embraced him. Without a word, she demonstrated her forgiveness and trust.

            Lord Satqin was shocked and didn't know how to respond to the Princess' actions. He knew that she could have sentenced him to death, but instead she was forgiving him. He was flooded with emotions and couldn't maintain his composure anymore. He wrapped his arms around Valora and wept uncontrollably.

            When he finally regained his composure, Valora stood up, smiled gently and offered him her hand. He looked up at her and smiled, then graciously accepted her outstretched hand and followed her as she led him out of the dungeons. When they reached the courtyard, Lord Satqin was surprised to find his wife waiting for him.

            “You should go to her. She has been worried about you” Valora stated kindly and, without questioning, he obeyed.

            Lady Saundarya rushed to meet her husband at the foot of the stairs and embraced him. She had been certain that he would be executed for his actions and that the unborn baby growing within her would be deemed the child of a traitor.

            “Lord Satqin and Lady Saundarya, I would be delighted if you would join me for tea. There is something I wish to discuss with you” The Princess called out to the couple.

            “It would be our pleasure, Princess” Lord Satqin immediately responded despite his wife's hesitation.

            Valora escorted them to the gardens and called for tea to be served. Once the maids delivered the refreshments, the Princess ordered everyone to leave and told them not to disturb them for any reason. Once the servants had left, she turned her attention to her guests. “Now then, where should I start?”

            “Princess Valora, please have mercy on us!” Lady Saundarya nervously intervened.

            The Princess gave a little chuckle. “There is no need to worry. I hold no malice towards you. I merely asked you here to discuss the future.”

            “The future, Princess?” Lord Satqin inquired, puzzled as to what she meant.

            “Please allow me to explain.” The Princess took a deep breath as she organized her thoughts. “The people of Avaris trust the royal family unconditionally, but there are still those who distrust us. For the past sixteen years, the council of advisors were focused on one task; to remove my father from the throne. Ever since he had returned from his quest, they feared him because of the power he had obtained from the Gods. They also feared me because I inherited those powers. That is why they wanted to kill me as well. They manipulated you, Lord Satqin. They used your insecurity to trick you into attacking me. They had hoped that my death would enrage my father enough to use his powers against his people. This would prove that he was unfit to rule and the council would then be given complete control over the kingdom.”

            Satqin was speechless; he didn't know how to react to what the Princess was saying. Although she was fifteen years younger than him, she had obtained an understanding of events that he could not even begin to comprehend.

            “When my mother died, they believed that their plan had failed. My father did not use his powers despite being enraged. They had no choice but to admit their defeat. Then the unexpected happened. My father was overcome with grief and decided that he would remain in my mother's tomb. He resigned himself to his fate and left me to carry on in his place. The council saw this as the opportune time to claim power over the kingdom, but they were wrong. I had foreseen their actions and knew I had to act before they did. So, I summoned the council of advisors early this morning and dismissed them from my service.”

            “Are you insane? Do you realize what you have done?” Lord Satqin was unnerved. He couldn't believe the Princess would make such a rash decision.

            “You don't have to worry, Lord Satqin. The council of advisors were understandably angry with my decision at first, but in the end they all submitted to me.”

            Lord Satqin could not believe what he had just heard. The entire council of advisors willingly submitted to her and accepted their dismissal? What did she say to them? “Princess Valora, without the council of advisors, how are you going to maintain order within the kingdom?”

            “That is why I wished to speak with you, Lord Satqin. I'm sure the people will not favor my decision, because they believed that the council was campaigning on their behalf. I believe that in the near future, they will call for a change in government because of my actions.”

            “If you knew this would happen, why did you do it?”

            “It does not matter whether it was now or ten years from now, this was something that was going to happen eventually. Nothing I do can stop this change from happening. I have accepted that and I am willing to be the one who initiates the change.”

            “If you are going to willingly turn the government over to the people, what is there to discuss with me?”

            “The people have lived peacefully for the past sixteen years and have forgotten what life was like before my father became the Dragon King. If the people take control of the government and choose to eliminate the offerings to the Gods, I fear that Avaris will fall to ruins once more. That is why I want to provide the shrines with the means to manage and maintain themselves. We need to find a way to protect them so that the government will not be able to interfere in their affairs.”

            “Why are the shrines so important?”

            “My father was the one who had the shrines built. He was told by the Gods to build the shrines in those specific locations. If the people were to forget this fact and abandon all that my father has done, then the Gods would unleash their wrath upon them.” The Princess began to contemplate the situation. “The shrines have already been informed of the situation, but the problem we are now facing is how to provide funds to sustain the shrines for the future.”

            The three sat quietly while pondering the situation. Then suddenly Lady Saundarya spoke. “That is simple, Princess. Each of the shrines has an account at the bank. All you have to do is make a donation, or deposit, to it anonymously. “

            “Thank you Lady Saundarya! It is so simple, that I can't believe I overlooked it.” The Princess smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Then, in an instant, her expression changed to a look of determination. “With this now settled, I have but one last task to perform.”

            “And what might this task be, Princess?” Lord Satqin asked nervously.

            “The shrine of Oro has no priest. It has been left under the care of the royal family.” Princess Valora looked across the table at her confused guests.

            “That is true, Princess. Your father was the one who maintained the shrine of Oro.”

            “I believe that without a caretaker, the shrine of Oro will fall to ruins.”

            “What are you saying, Princess?”

            “I want you, Lord Satqin, and your family to become the caretakers of the shrine.”

            “You must be joking, Princess. You want us to maintain the shrine of Oro? Why us? Why not somebody better suited to the task, like a priest from one of the other shrines?”

            “The reason why I have chosen you, Lord Satqin, is because I trust you with my life.” The Princess spoke with unwavering certainty. “Once the government has been turned over to the people, I shall go to the shrine and take my place in history.”

            “What do you mean? What are you going to do, Princess?” Lord Satqin became increasingly anxious by the Princess' words.

            “When the shrine was built, a glass coffin was placed atop the altar. This was to be my father's final resting place.” The Princess looked at the Lord and smiled. “Because my father has decided to rest within my mother's tomb, I will take his place within the shrine.”

            “Princess! There is no way I would allow you to harm yourself! You can not do this!”

            “I only said I would take my father's place in the shrine, Lord Satqin. I did not say I was going to harm myself.” The Princess smiled and tried her best not to laugh at his misunderstanding. “I do not blame you for coming to that conclusion though.” She smiled once more, then she rose from her chair and spread her wings out wide. “As you know my father and I are... unique. I'm sure you have noticed that my father has barely aged these last sixteen years.”

            “Now that you mention it...”

            “This is because we possess...”

            “The power granted by the Gods” Lord Satqin interrupted, finishing the Princess' explanation. “This is the secret your father has been keeping from us. You are both immortal.”

            “No, Lord Satqin, we are not immortal. We just age at a much slower rate than everyone else. We also have the ability to sleep for extended periods of time. That is why I will be going to the shrine. I will take my place in history as the Sleeping Princess of Avaris. I will only awaken for a brief period of time each year to present the offerings to the Gods, then I will return to the shrine and rest once more. That is why I need you and your family to take care of the shrine. I know I will be safe with you watching over me, Lord Satiqn.”

            Immediately and without wavering, Lord Satqin replied “You have my word, Princess Valora. My family and I shall become the caretakers of the shrine of Oro.”

            The Princess smiled and humbly said “Thank you.”

            A few weeks later, the people of Avaris demanded a change in the government, just as Valora had foreseen, and she graciously stepped aside to allow them to take control. The shrines were deemed sacred and historical places, so they could not be destroyed. Lord Satqin and Lady Saundarya became the caretakers of the shrine of Oro and the guardians of the Sleeping Princess Valora.