"I support most of your stupid ideas but this one I absolutely refuse." Jean quite literally puts his foot down.

You groan. "Why not?! Do you want to spend days, maybe even weeks, looking for answers when we could literally come here," You point toward the castle, "And just ask the queen who oversees the entire kingdom. Who knows everything and anything about it."

He looks at you like he's never heard anyone say something so stupid. He pinches his thumb and pointer finger together as he speaks slower in attempt to make you understand. "How the hell do you expect to go in there and have a 1 on 1 with the literal queen without saying your identity?"

You avoid his judging gaze and walk toward the castle. "Relax. I have it all figured out."

He stands there, flabbergasted and mostly annoyed. "For some reason, I don't find any comfort in the sentence." He jogs after you.

You stop walking. "Do you trust me?"

Jean's mouth shuts. "I do but—"

"But what? There is no but." You correct him mid sentence. "You either trust me or not."

From the bottom corner of your eye, you catch his knuckles flex into a fist. You laugh. "You can wait for me out here then."

He closes his eyes, his golden eyelashes catching the sunlight from above. You watch as he slowly blows air out from his mouth. "Fine."

You stare deep into his now open eyes. "You promise you won't get mad?"

"Not promising that." He answers swiftly.

You say nothing more and keep walking, face turned away from his as he walks beside you. You could feel his eyes burning into you but you refused to look his way. Mainly because you weren't ready to see the face he was about to make.

When you make it to the front gates, two guards step in your way. "Can we help you?" One of them says.

"I need to speak to the queen." You say as confidently as possible even though you knew how stupid it sounded. You, out of anyone, knew that it wasn't that easy.

The other guard snickers. "You and everybody else. She's busy. Come back another time."

You could practically feel the heat radiate off Jean's skin beside you. You could tell the way they were speaking to you had him on the verge getting fired up. He didn't have "royal training" like you and didn't know how to stay calm in these kind of situations.

You chuckle with a pressed smile on your face. "That's not going to be possible. I'm not from here and I'm kinda running low on time. So the sooner the better."

The first guard scoffs. "And what makes you so special that you think you can just cut in front of line of everyone else?"

You look at Jean for a spilt second and he looks like he's mentally beating the shit out of the two guards in his head.

You take a deep breath for this next part and lift your chin. "My name is y/n, I'm the Princess of Eldia. I need to speak to the queen, now."

Both their eyes shoot open when they hear Eldia but their shocked gazes then look you up and down, studying your very unroyal attire.

You knew you didn't look the part. You were dressed like everyone else and your hair hadn't been professionally done for about a month now. There was no shiny crown on your head and not a single flash of any jewelry anywhere on your body.

The two guards start to below with laughter. "The Princess of Eldia, she says. Dressed like that?" They laugh like it's the funniest thing they've ever heard in the entire life.

You felt anger raise up inside and as much as you wanted to let it overcome you, you understood they were just doing their job and couldn't just let anyone claiming to be a princess just walk right into the castle.

You reach into your bag and pull out a rolled up painting. You whip it open and out comes a portrait of the royal family. "The king, the queen, their three sons and the princess herself."

Suddenly, their smitten faces transform into ones of complete humiliation and self loathe. They both stand up straight and respectfully bow. "Your highness."

You feel a sudden grip of your arm and you know it's Jean telepathically screaming at you and calling you an idiot. You pretend to not feel anything and just smile at the guards ahead. "So, can one of you please notify the queen I'm here? We have important matters to discuss."

The grip around your arm gets tighter and you ignore it as one of the guards runs toward the front door to notify another guard to call for the queen.

"Let. Go." You threaten under your breath. He leans in closer to angrily whisper too. "Are you crazy? What happened to no one knowing you were here?"

The guard returns and gestures for you to come inside the castle's gate. You nod graciously and then carry on with your quiet argument. "Hey, we've made it this far right?"

"Exactly." He snaps beside you as you trail down the extensive pasture that led to the castle. It was a long cement road with gorgeous hedge work and a stunning fountain on each side. "We've made it this far because we were smart and cautious."

You snort. If he only he knew.

Finally making it toward the stairs, the guard continues to lead the way into the doors. When they open, Jean stares in awestruck. "I know I grew up in a castle but man.." His head was tilted up as he stared at the celestial chandelier that hung over his head. "This never gets easier."

"If you go down this hall to the right, there will be an waiting area." The guard gestures. "The queen will be with your shortly, Princess." He bows and exits.

Jean gives him a disgusted face as he watches him leave. "He started treating you completely different once he found out you were a princess."

You laugh and make your way down the hall, admiring the art on the walls. "Yeah, they'll do that."

He walks steadily behind you, hands locked together behind his head. "So, why didn't I know you brought that painting with you?"

You clutch your bag. "Because if I told you, you'd ask why and you would've just been negative about it and tell me not to do it."

He doesn't say anything. Mainly because he knew it was true. He would've never went through with the plan if he actually knew how you were executing it.

"Hm." He hums as he walks behind you in the same laid back manner. "You were pretty good at keeping your cool. That guy was annoying."

You turn the corner and walk into a huge room full of artwork wall to wall that lead into a even bigger room. "That's royal training for you. They teach us how to be polite before they even teach us how to do anything else."

Jean stops in his tracks. For a moment, he's completely lost. His mind takes him to a whole other world as his eyes undressed every painting at what felt like all at once.

You smile as you watch him. The way his hazel eyes study each painting and he decodes everything from the brush strokes from the paint type. From the way the lines twist and turn and the way it all beautifully blended together.

"I could never." He finally responds, his body was here and present but his eyes still escaped into whichever lucky painting he looked at.

You walk around the room and admire the art too. "I don't know if you noticed but good things don't happen when I'm angry. Not even when I'm sad. I just try not to be either of those things."

He walks closer to you but stops a few feet away, his eyes peering into the next art piece. "Sounds difficult."

You chuckle and raise your shoulder to your cheek. "Some days more than most."

He steps in front of the next painting, slowly inching toward the one you stood in front of. "Are you happy now though? That you made it here?"

You turn away from him and look at the painting that stared back at you. "I'm happy I'm here but I won't be happy happy until I get what I came here for."

He nods and goes to the next frame. He was now only two away. "So how exactly are you going to ask the queen? How do you even know she'll know anything about it?"

"Call it a gut feeling." You suggest. He side eyes you. "Let me guess, you saw her in the dream."

You shake your head as you laugh. "No, not in a dream. I just feel it. I'm sorry, I'm not really sure how to explain it. I probably sound crazy."

Next painting. Now he was in front of the one right beside yours. "Nothing you do really surprises me anymore."

You scoff. "Are you claiming I'm predictable?"

"I'm saying you never cease to amaze me." He says as quick as it made your heart skip a beat.

You turn away, just to slightly hide your sheepish smile. He steps next to you now, your shoulders maybe only two inches apart.

"I've seen this painting before." You point at the frame the two now stand in front of together.

Jean moves slightly, your shoulders briefly bumping together. "You have it back home? Or are you about to say in a dream again."

You shake your head. "No, in a book somewhere. It's called The Swing by Jean-Honoré Fragonard."

Jean smirks. "Jean, huh? No wonder it's the best painting in the room."

You laugh and gently bump into him. "Get over yourself." You turn your head back to the painting. "It really is a gorgeous painting though. The meaning behind it is even more beautifully tragic."

"Tragic?" He asks as he studies the apparently sad art. "It's just a woman on a swing. She looks like she's having the time of her life."

You look up at him. "Oh, come on. Aren't you the one with the artist mind? You should be able to interpret it better than I can."

His eyes dagger in your direction. "Just shut up and tell me."

You roll your eyes and turn back to the painting. "The man behind the woman, pushing her on the swing, is her husband. He's tugging on these ropes which signifies him pulling her toward their marriage."

You point to the lower left corner. "The man right here on the grass is her secret lover. He's looking up her skirt as she swings in mid air. Pretty much showing their bond is mainly sexual."

You then gesture a few inches above the second man's head. "The statue of cupid has a finger to his lip. It's keeping the secret of the woman's infidelity."

"The swing is made of rope and if you look carefully, you can see the rope is slowly being ripped. The rope symbolizes their marriage falling apart." You explain.

You look back at the husband pushing the woman in the swing. "The dog by the husband's feet is barking in distress. Dogs symbolize loyalty so he knows something is up and is trying to warn the husband."

The hand that you were using to point to each spot comes back down to your side and your knuckles grazes up against his that rested in the same spot. "The woman is smiling because she thinks she's somehow miraculously able to juggle the two but she has no idea everything is falling apart around her."

"What is done in the dark will always find a way to shine." Jean realizes as he sees the painting in a whole new light.

There's an overwhelming feeling arising in your chest as you feel his hand inch closer and his fingers teasing yours. It wasn't even the fear someone would see because there was no one around. It was something else.

Guilt.

Here you were casually explaining a painting that was the exact symbolization of the life you were currently living. You were practically drowning in the irony.

You clear your throat and move your hand away. "Let's go over here."

You walk deeper into the room and as distantly possible from the paintings against the wall.

There were rows and rows of massive, heavenly crafted vases that spouted stunning bouquets. Each vase had a different assortment of beautiful, lush flowers. The rows seemed endless.

You walk down one aisle, hands tied behind your back as you admire each arrangement. The carefully hand painted vases were a true beauty. You couldn't help but admire them just as much as the flowers they held so proudly.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jean asks with no prior explanation.

"Don't try to talk me out of it now." You warn him.

He walks on the other side of the aisle you walk in and he keeps the same pace as you, his frame covered by each pedestal you pass and then skipping before it gets covered again. "Just asking. You're taking a huge risk telling someone your real identity. Especially the literal queen of a kingdom who could easily contact anyone and spread the word."

"I did it back in Marley and nothing bad happened. It'll be fine." You say without even thinking and also immediately regretting it.

The two of you both freeze at the same exact moment, a bouquet stuck in between you. He cranes his neck out to see past the vase and toward you. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?! Who did you tell?!"

Idiot, Idiot, Idiot!

Not only were you going to get scolded for telling someone in general but to make matters worse, it was literally Jean's father, that you said it to in the heat of the moment and just to win a petty argument. How could you possibly even explain that to him without having to say you saw him? With the family he left Jean for to make matters worse.

"Your dad." You say simply hoping he'd take it as a joke like the ones your brothers used to say in their early teenage years. You were praying up and down that it'd work to avoid a heavy lecture.

His shocked face transforms into one of immense annoyance. "You're so funny. What are you 12?"

Thank god for immature brothers.

"Nineteen." You correct him.

He keeps walking, his presence still vexed that you "tricked" him. "Same thing."

You crinkle up your face. "Excuse me? In what world are 12 and 19 the same thing?"

"Both immature and childish." He says as if he wasn't 19 himself not that long ago.

"You're only two years older than me and men are actually scientifically proven to mature slower than women." You laugh.

He stops walking and holds two fingers up. "2 years wiser."

You spin around and step in front of him. "I think we both know that's not the case."

He raises an eyebrow. "What? You don't think I'm wiser?"

You mimic his expression. "Are we being honest or are we protecting your manhood?"

He rolls his eyes and brushes past you. "Very funny. Like I've said before, you underestimate me, Princess."

"Okay." You shrug. "Tell me something I don't know."

He stops walking by one of the columns that held up the vases and plucks a soft purple flower from the bouquet. "Did you know lilacs symbolize first love?"

You look at him, surprisingly amused but trying your best not too show it. "Is that true?"

He holds the flower up to you. "Where we come from, yes, it is. Things can be interpreted differently all over the world."

Your heart flutters for just a moment and you smile as you take the supposed symbol of first love that he offers you. "Hm. Okay, one point for that one then."

You twirl the stem of the sweet smelling lilac around in your fingers as you continue admiring the art painted onto the vases. It was some of the most beautiful work you had ever seen.

"Isn't that your favorite color?" Jean trails casually behind you. "Lilac."

You tilt your head. "Close. It's royal purple." You wink. "Obviously."

"That color flatters you." He easily compliments you. He always stayed close while maintaining a small distance. He'd occasionally find an excuse to get closer and brush against your skin here and there.

Seriously? He's asking me about colors? You would've thought you'd be pass the "getting to know you" part of your relationship by now.

You smile. "Thanks."

"But so does every other color." Jean adds.

You stop in your tracks and narrow your eyes in his direction. "Why are you being so nice to me? Is it because we had sex?"

He laughs wholesomely. "I'm being genuine. You really do look good in every color."

You could feel your blood rush to your cheeks as they tried their best not to show how wide you wanted to smile. "I thought I told you to tell me something I don't already know, Kirstein?"

You walk away from him and continue down the aisle, leaving him behind. He watches you walk away and he smiles as he does. His tongue taunting the inside of his cheek.

He jogs to catch up to you. "Although, I don't think I've ever seen you in yellow."

You think for a moment. "Yellow?"

"Mhm." He plucks a sunflower now from one of the bouquets, causally adding to his growing collection of stolen flowers. "Like a sunflower."

Your nose scrunches together. "I don't think I would look good in yellow, if we're being honest."

He frowns, seeming genuinely offended you would even say that. "And why not? Maybe not a pure yellow that's unflattering on mostly everyone but an off yellow like..hm, like honey."

"Honey?" You look up at him, your eyes meeting his for the first time in a while. He smiles. "Yeah, it would look amazing on you." You watch as he gets lost into your eyes for a moment.

You couldn't deny you were living for the sudden shower of compliments. Especially from the person you want to hear it from most. "How come?"

His eyes bounce back and forth between yours. "Well your eyes, sometimes there's these tiny golden specks in them in certain light when you smile. It reminds me of honey."

Your hand comes up to your eyes. "Golden specks? I'm pretty sure that happens to everyone when they look at a bright light."

"That's not what I mean." He rolls his eyes. "I obviously know that."

You giggle. "Believe it or not, I don't like to stare at myself in the mirror too much."

He snickers. "I actually am having a hard time believing that."

You scoff and hit him with your elbow. "Like you're one to talk. I'm sure you stare into that mirror much more than I do."

He points a finger at his chest and pretends to act offended. "Me? I wake up like this. No need for a mirror." He answers, cooly shrugging it off like it was nothing.

You step forward. "Yeah? What about this hair, huh?" You run your hands roughly through his hair making sure to leave a mess in your wake.

He gasps and grabs at his head. There was genuine betrayal in his eyes. "You did not."

He chases after you and you scream as he does, dodging his movements. It reminded you alot of the day your birthday parade took place and he was chasing you everywhere just like this.

For some reason, you loved the idea of him chasing after you. You loved being able to look back and see him right there, just an arms length away. Mostly, you just loved having him by your side in general.

You fishtail through the aisles, hiding behind the massive vases and silently praying you don't drop any of them.

The sound of your laughter echos through the celestial room and it mixes in harmoniously with the sound of his.

He reaches his hand out for you and for a spilt second, you slow your speed just so he can reach you easier and when his fingertips graze the skin of your arm, the doors swing open.

The two of you stop running and you feel a sting of sadness that you were interrupted but the feeling quickly disappears when you look up to the second floor.

A beautiful woman with golden blonde hair and draped in a beautiful gown stands at the top of the steps. She doesn't hesitate to run down the steps, her hands cautiously picking up the ends of her dress so she doesn't trip over it.

[artist:DeviantArt]

You and Jean both respectfully bow as she makes her way down. "Queen Historia. Thank you for gracing us with your presence. I'm Princess Y-"

"I know who you are." She stops you when she makes it to the bottom floor. She breathes sharply like she exhausted herself from speeding down the stairs.

She steps in front of you and stares at you in awe. "My god, you look just like you did that day. You haven't aged one bit. It's amazing."

You send a confused look toward Jean who shrugs and was equally just as lost. You turn back to Historia. "I'm sorry, what day?"

She smiles softly. "I met you once. You were just a few months old. A baby, yet you still look just as youthful. How old are you now?"

"Nineteen, your highness." You answer.

Her eyes stretch with surprise. "Nineteen? My, has it really been that long? I remember it like it was yesterday."

You were in disbelief that she had known you since you were a baby. She didn't look much older than you, if anything only by a few years.

She sticks her hand out, palm up. "May I?"

You hold your hand out and she takes it in between both her hands and just a second later, she gasps and releases it. "It really is you."

You stare down at your hand once she lets it go. The same sense of deja vu you had earlier finds it's way to creep back into your mind. Her touch felt so familiar. "I really wish I knew what you were referring to."

She looks back at the guards who were standing idly by. "Guards, leave us." They, without question, nod and exit out the door.

Once everyone is out of ear shot, her sky blue eyes pierce into yours. "You inherited the sol celestite."

Your eyebrows raise. "The what?" For some reason, the name sent chills down your spine.

She looks at Jean from her peripheral vision and lowers her voice. "Wait, does he know about..."

You lean in closer. "Wait, are you talking about my powers? You know about them?"

She cackles with laughter. "Honey, who do you think gave them to you?"

Suddenly, your heart sinks down into your stomach. This was it. After years and years of self research and finding almost as little to nothing about your powers, here was the source. Right in front of you.

Was that why she looked so young even though she was much older than you? Did she somehow have the ability to make herself appear younger? Did she have the same power as you do?

There was a strange combination of fear and excitement swarming inside you. You wanted to ask a million and one questions but your brain couldn't even begin to process to ask even one of them. "I'm sorry, I'm so confused."

She waves her hand to signal you to follow after her. "Here, come sit." As she walks, she looks back and smirks. "Your boy toy can come along too."

You jump up and wave your hands furiously in the air. "Oh, we're just friends!"

"Mhm." Historia giggles. She leads you down the hall and into a much smaller room but was still very much large in size. The room was full of more decorative art and large sofas and chairs with tables full of finger foods and fruit with small snacks. It reminded you of a much nicer version of the family room back home.

She gestures toward the table. "Hungry?"

"Oh no, I'm fine. Thank you." You politely decline as you take a seat. In all honestly, food was the last thing on your mind. Your excitement ate up all your appetite.

Jean, however, doesn't hesitate to take up the offer. "Don't mind if I do." He says as he begins to load up his plate.

You laugh and adjust your dress to sit comfortably in your seat. "Sorry, I overwork him." Quite literally.

The queen laughs too. "I'm sorry, what is he to you again?"

You watch as Jean grabs one of everything and clumsily attempts to fit all of it on one plate. "Um, well, he's my bodyguard. I wouldn't be
allowed to come over here without one. You understand, right?"

She sighs and sinks back into the chair. "Oh, do I." She then leans forward. "Wait so, your parents know you're here?"

You bite your lip. "Not really. I mean, they know but I didn't exactly... ask for permission before I came."

Historia begins to howl with laughter once again. You didn't know if you were that funny to her or she just laughed at everything like you did. "Lana is probably having an absolute heart attack right now. Well, I guess it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission, am I right?"

You lean your head back. "Lana? As in Solana? As in my mother? You know her?"

Apparently enough to be on a nickname basis with her. The only person you ever heard call your mother Lana was your father whenever he was in a loving mood.

She grabs a kettle that rested on the table that was full of hot tea and she pours it into a small, beautiful teacup in front of her. You watch as the hot liquid comes out the spout and steam flows out with it. "Let me tell you a little story."

Jean finally returns from the table and sits down beside you. He immediately begins to stuff his face as if he hadn't ate all day long.

"Before your mother married your father," Historia begins. "She was a princess of a land called Celestite."

It was funny. It wasn't until now that you just realized you didn't really know much about your mother's homeland. She didn't really talk much about it anyway.

"Celestite. Like the crystal?" You ask, pouring yourself a cup of tea too after smelling the tempting aroma.

She takes a sip from hers. "Exactly like the crystal." She smiles like she's proud you caught the connection. "Have you ever been?"

You shake your head. "Believe it or not, this is the first time in my life I ever left Eldia. I've never been outside the castle walls until now."

"Oh I believe it." She chuckles as she sets her cup down. "Well, you should visit one day. It's not as lively as it used to be but the mountains are the most magnificent thing you'll ever see. Their famous for their mines of gemstones and crystals, hence the name. You can find every crystal known to mankind in their mines."

You smile as you think about your mother in her younger days. Unmarried, free and young. Then your smile fades. "If it's so amazing, I wonder why my mom never talks about it."

Historia's energy shifts. "After your mother left to marry your father, there was a devastating explosion in one of the mines that killed about 70% of the kingdom's population. I'm sure it's not easy for her to bring up."

Your chest tightens around your aching heart. "Wow. I never knew that. I can't even imagine if something like that happened in Eldia after I left. I would be so heartbroken. I'd feel so... guilty."

Historia sends you a sad smile. "You're like her in that sense. She quite depressed for a while over it."

There's a moment of silence for a moment, even Jean takes a second to stop his insistent munching. Then Historia claps her hands together. "Okay, that got dark fast. Let's get back on topic."

She fixes her posture. "So Princess Solana of Celestite, right? When your mother was younger she was raised by a nurse just like all princesses usually are. I'm sure you had one too."

You tilt your head in Jean's direction. "Mine was his mother." Jean waves as he shoves food into his mouth. He clearly didn't care he was in the presence of royalty enough to not stuff his face. Considering he grew up around royalty, he probably forgot how he's supposed to act around them.

She nods. "Well then you'll be able to relate in a way. See, your mother's nurse raised her as a child and then she ended up having a daughter of her own when your mother was in her teenage years and didn't need as much help anymore."

Historia takes another sip of her tea. "The nurse would bring the daughter around and she would follow the princess, your mother, everywhere like a lost puppy."

She smiles gently but you can see a certain sadness in her eyes. "Her name was Ymir."

She lets out a shaky breath like she was trying not to cry. "Ymir saw your mother like an older sister and admired her in many ways as a child. As a poor girl growing up around a literal princess, she idolized your mother and wanted to be just like her."

Her finger circles around the rim of the cup and her eyes are off somewhere distant but she still continues with her story and you and Jean patiently listen.

"Eventually your mother got married and sent away and since she was the youngest of her family, Ymir's mother was no longer needed so she went in search for another job, taking Ymir along with her." Historia explains.

She holds her hands out like she's showcasing the very room you're seated in. "And they came here to Paradis."

Your back straightens up. "She became your nurse."

Historia nods. "My original nurse got too old to take care of me so my family looked for another one. This is where Ymir's mother came in. When they arrived, Ymir and I were the same age and we became friends instantly. I mean we were practically inseparable."

She looks down at her hands. "She became my bestfriend. I loved her to death." You notice her hands have a slight tremble to them like her body was losing the strength to tell the story without getting emotional.

You could tell the story didn't have a happy ending.

"One day, there was a deadly and contagious virus going around and Ymir went to go visit your mother in Eldia unknowingly carrying the disease along with her." Historia says.

Her sad eyes finally look up to yours. "Ymir heard Solana was nearing birth with her first daughter and was so excited to meet you. As well as your older brothers who she hadn't met yet either."

Your heartbeat began pumping faster and faster as the story went on. It was almost a struggle to sit still in your seat. It was like your brain was itching for more.

"Her plan was to stay there for a couple weeks since the day wasn't determined yet." She carries on. "Within the next few days she got sick, very sick. And so did you mother. Ymir had accidentally passed it on to her. They were both on their deathbeds."

She sets her hands down in her lap and her legs bounce anxiously like she doesn't want to say the next part. "I love her more than a friend or a sister. I was in love with her. I didn't want her to die."

She takes another sip of tea in hopes that it calms her nerves but it doesn't help much. "There's a flower named the Sol Celestite. It doesn't grow anywhere in the world but right here, in Paradis."

She scoots closer in your direction. "There is only one in the world. It's a flower that possesses the ability to heal all things."

Your heart rate almost felt like it was going to sprout legs and run right out your chest. This whole time... it all came down to a flower? A fucking plant?

"I begged her to take the flower so she'd live." Historia's voice quakes. "But she refused. Ymir insisted I give it to your mother instead since it was her fault she got sick and could lose her life because of it. Not to mention, she was pregnant and the baby would die too."

Suddenly, the room felt ten times smaller. You started to feel uncomfortably claustrophobic. "Oh.. I see where this is going."

She laughs bitterly, looking down at the ring on her finger and twisting it around. "I was furious. I was devastated. I felt betrayed like she didn't want to spend more time with me."

Her blonde hair moves elegantly as she shakes her head down at the ground. "And then I realized how selfish I was being. It was her choice at the end of the day. Not to mention, a baby was also involved."

She inhales sharply and slowly lets it out, her shoulders relaxing. "So I gave it to your mother instead. She drank the flower brewed in tea form just before labor. Both she and her baby survived. Ymir died a couple weeks later, her body officially losing all strength to fight the illness."

You felt terrible. You knew you were far too young to even have a say in that situation at the time but for some reason, you still felt to blame. You got to live only because someone else died in your place.

"The floating lanterns...you do them on the day of her death. That's why the ceremony is so close to my birthday." You realize.

You sit beside her and grab her trembling hands. "I'm so sorry, Queen Historia. I can't imagine how it must of felt having to make that decision."

She squeezes your hand reassuringly. "It's okay. It wouldn't have worked on her, anyway."

"Why not?" You ask.

"The flower will only work on a pure heart." She answers. "It's too ensure the gift won't land in the wrong hands. I didn't know that until after I tried to give it to her."

She smiles. "Ymir was an amazing person but unfortunately, she wasn't pure. It's quite hard to find someone with a pure heart. Especially these days. The only reason it worked for your mother was because you were inside her."

Historia gently pokes at your chest. "You had the pure heart. You were a baby with no negative thoughts or experience. You were the perfect host. If it wasn't for you, your mother would've died."

You sink back into the couch. "Wow I...This is so much to process."

"Here." She stands up and extends her hand out to you. "I'll take you to where it grows. You'll find everything you need to know there."

You take her hand and stand up on your feet. Before she leads you anywhere, she says, "Just so you know, if you feel your powers being suctioned by me, I'm totally guilty of taking advantage of your touch right now. I've been so stressed out and my back is killing me."

"You're fine. I'm used to it." You laugh. Jean stands up from the couch and follows idly beside the two of you. "A lot on your mind?" He asks.

Historia groans. "I have a ball to host and I've been going crazy getting it prepared."

Your ears perk up. "A ball?"

"Yes, I always do one the day after the lantern festival and invite everyone from around the world. Sorta a party to finish the year off since it's the end of December." She explains.

She then gasps and releases your hand. "Oh! You two should come!"

Jean speaks for you. "Oh, I don't think that's—"

"We'd love to!" You interrupt him with a grin.

He tugs on your arm to turn your body in his direction. "No, we wouldn't."

You open your mouth to speak but Historia does it for you. "Relax, it's masquerade! No one would be able to recognize her!"

You look at Jean and wiggle your brows. "See, perfect!" Then there's a sudden realization within you and you turn back to Historia. "I actually don't have anything to wear. I only brought along a bunch of old dresses of mine I didn't mind getting dirty."

She tucks a blond lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll set you up with my tailor. He's amazing. He and his wife work absolute miracles."

She skips down the hall and the stops again. "Oh! And if you need a place to stay, I have plenty of space here!"

"We actually have a cabin we rented out here but thank you!" You explain. "As for the dress offer, though, I'll definitely take you up on that."

She squeals and claps her hands together. "Yay! I'll get you their information after were done here."

Historia proceeds to trail down the hall as she continues to lead the way and Jean scowls in your direction. "Seriously?"

"Wouldn't it be fun?" You whine. "I've never been to any parties that weren't my own. This adventure it's supposed to be me trying new things for the first time, remember? Kinda like last night when we—"

"Alright!" He stops you. "I get it."

You bat your eyes. "So, we can go?"

He sighs. "Sure." He then waves his finger at you like he's giving you a serious lecture. "But you better put on the biggest mask you can find."

As you begin picturing your outfit in your head, it occurs to you that Jean will be in a suit. A high quality one in fact. You were so used to seeing him in his work clothes and now recently, his pajamas but a suit? You couldn't even contain your excitement.

As Historia continues to guide you around the castle, she takes both of you down a set of stairs that lead to what looks like a floor underneath the ground.

You found it strange that a flower, which requires a decent amount of sunlight, would be somewhere locked up in a basement. It didn't seem scientifically possible. But neither did a plant having fucking healing powers.

After heading down the several flights of stairs and entering what looked almost like a secret underground lair, two heavily built guards stand outside a golden plated door.

Historia pulls on a string that was wrapped around her neck and out of her dress comes a bronze key that was secretly hanging from her necklace.

She unwraps the necklace from around her neck and places it directly in your palm. "This is as far as I go. I have to go do some arrangements but everything you need to know is in here. The book will explain everything much better than I can."

You gaze down at the key. You couldn't believe that this tiny object was the literal key to unlocking everything you ever wanted to know about yourself. Here in the palms of your hands was the answer to endless sleepless nights of wondering.

"Thank you." You ambush her with a hug, her much smaller frame slightly loses her balance. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

She giggles and hugs you back. "It's no problem. It's your history, you have every right to know about it." When she pulls away, she smiles at you. "You can repay me by coming to my party."

Her hand gently lands on your shoulder. "I'm glad it's in the hands of someone deserving." As she starts to walk away, she waves a temporary goodbye. "Look for me later when you're done with the key but there's no rush."

You watch as she leaves the two of you standing there at the entrance. Your grip strengthens around the key and your fingers trace the grooves of the pattern engraved in it.

"Well," Jean speaks. "Aren't you going to open it?"

You bite on the inside of your cheek as you try to think for a moment. "Is it stupid that I'm nervous? I mean, I've dreamt of this moment for my entire life but now that's it here... all I feel is...scared."

He looks toward the door and the two guards standing outside it. "Is it better to know or not to know?"

You hand him the key. "You open it."

He declines. "This is all you. I'm not taking your moment from you." His hand reaches for your vacant one. "I'll be right beside you the whole time though."

The second his skin touches yours, all the anxiety somehow slips away. You take a deep breath and close your eyes. "You're right. This is it. This is the moment.

You release his hand and step forward to the door and in between the two guards who eye you carefully. You cautiously slip the key into the key hole and turn it.

There's a small click sound on the other side of the door and the grooves around key hole begins to shift and the abstract, vine-looking lines of the door twist into the shape of a flower. The door comes open shortly after that.

"Here goes nothing." You say as you push the door open and take the first step in. Jean slips in behind you and the door shuts once the two of you are inside.

The room was mostly dark considering all the candles set up around the room were unlit. There was only one source of light and it came up from the roof.

You tilt your head up and see there's a single small opening, maybe the size of a basketball, way up above that sent a direct beam of sunlight toward a spot on the ground.

As you follow the light to the floor, you see a square patch of grass with rich soil underneath it. Even though the grass was bright green and healthy, there was no plant growing from it.

"I'm guessing that's where it would've been if they hadn't given it to your mom." Jean points out.

You frown. "But where's the rest? Is there's really only one flower in existence? We used the only one? What happens when I die, is that it? The power disappears along with me?"

Jean shrugs and points to a massive book sat perfectly on a pedestal a few feet away. "I think all the answers are in there."

He picks up a box of matches from a table near the entrance and starts to ignite each candle, one by one to give you more light.

You squat down and rest your hand directly on the plot of land and leave it there just to test out a growing theory eating at your brain.

But nothing happens. "Well, that was a fail." You stand back up and smack your hands together to clean them. "I thought maybe my power would make more grow but nope."

Jean lights the last candle and blows the flame of the match stick. "Looks like you're not God after all."

You glare at him. "Ha, ha." You make your way over to the book and run your hands over the ancient looking cover. "Dusty." You say as you wiggle your fingers in front of you. "I'm guessing Historia doesn't come in here for some light reading."

Jean snorts. "No kidding." He flicks the book cover open to show all the thousands of pages hiding underneath it. "This thing is massive. Nothing light about it."

You pick up the heavy book and set it down on the floor as you take a seat. Jean sits down right beside you as if you were about to tell him some sort of bed time story.

The book had an old leather cover and engraved into it were the words Story of Sol Celestite. You follow the letters with your finger as if you're writing it yourself.

"Open it already. The suspense is killing me." Jean whines.

You flip the book open. "I highly doubt we'll get through this in one day."

He looks down at his watch. "They keep the most important information at the front of the book anyway. It most likely won't matter if we don't finish it."

You lift your right eyebrow. "Speak for yourself." You turn your head back down to the book and reveal the first page. The name of the book was repeated on the first page but on the very next page was a table of contents.

I. The rules
II. The story
III. The holders of history

"I guess we start with the rules even though I probably already get the jist of it." You mention. You take a breath before you begin to read out loud. "The Sol Celestite is a healing flower with tremendous power of both good and evil if fallen in the wrong hands. Because of this, the flower will only give its power to the pure of heart."

Jean nods his head. "We knew that already."

You continue reading, your finger flowing underneath each sentence you read. "The power can not be transferred to others. If a human kills the holder of the power, the power will not go to them but instead will die with the holder."

"That's depressing." Jean exhales and leans back.

"Tell me about it." You say switching to the next page. "After three months of the holder's death, the plant will regrow in its original spot and the rest will repeat."

He adjusts his posture, a silver lining appearing. "Hey, so it's possible to pass it on. It's not the end."

He looks over at you to see if you were as optimistic about it but you just looked disappointed. "I thought there would be more than just one. Turns out it's really just me up until death."

"Isn't that more interesting though? That you're the only one in the world?" He tries to shine more light on the situation.

You tilt your head. "The more help, the better. As much as I hate to admit it, I can't heal the world all on my own."

He lets his head fall to the side as well. "I told you you were just going to disappoint yourself."

You return back to the book. "I'm not disappointed." You flip the page and proceed to read. "If the holder commits cruel acts like murder or rape, the power will be stripped away from them permanently."

"Jesus." Jean mutters his breath.

"If the holder commits small acts of harm such as drawing blood from another human, the power will be suspended temporarily. The amount of time the power will be withholded will increase each time you are penalized." You carry on.

[play Alice by Danny Elfman here]

You run your finger over the corner of the page. "Turns out I don't know as much as I thought."

You snap your head up at him. "You know, I can't believe no one told me any of this. I mean, I should know all this, shouldn't I?"

"Maybe they didn't know either." He suggests.

"I'm sure Historia made sure to mention it before handing them something so important." You fight.

He nods in agreement and reads the next part for you. "The extent of the powers are unknown but written in this book is what is documented so far from experiences of previous holders and their stories."

You move to the next paragraph. "The holder can not die if the power is still in effect. The power will heal the holder and shield it from death. The one exception is decapitation and old age. Holders tend to outlive their loved ones because of this since the power slows down the holder's aging process."

"Hmph." Jean snickers. "So you do have an excuse for being childish."

You shove him lightly. "Don't push it." You keep reading. "If the flower is given to someone whose heart isn't pure, the flower will do no effect to them and will regrow three months later in the origin spot."

"Pretty strict on that rule, aren't they?" Jean jokes.

"I guess so." You flip the page. "The flower has the capabilities to commit amazing things such as healing. Unfortunately, the universe requires a balance in all things. The power can also be used for the opposite purpose and cause harm instead."

You skim through the rest of the rules you were already aware of. You would occasionally stop here and there to read some over to make sure they were true or not.

"The following is the story of the Sol Celestite." Jean reads the bottom of the page. Now you were on the next section of the book with still several pages to go.

"No one knows the true origin of how the flower, the Sol Celestite came to be." You read the first sentence. "Some people believe in a legend that a drop of the sun fell from the sky and landed in that particular spot. Some people believe that the first holder, the original finder of the flower, buried massive contents of the stone Celestite into that one spot and planted magic soil and seeds for life to grow from the healing crystal."

"Which do you believe?" Jean's curiosity speaks up.

You move to the next page. "Both sound far fetched but nothing surprises me at this point."

Jean leans in closer to read the following. "The second theory is the most popular considering the flower was named after the crystal Celestite. Although, the name also includes the word Sol, meaning sun, so many think it's a combination of the two legends."

"The Celestine crystal is a healing stone." You finish the rest. "Known for dissolving pain and bringing in love. It promotes purity of the heart and attracts good fortune."

Jean lifts his head up from the book. "Isn't Celestite the name of the kingdom your mom comes from?"

Your eyes look up at him. "Scary how everything is connected, isn't it?"

You carry on reading even though everything you had already read had made your stomach turn in ways it hadn't before. "The gift is meant to be kept secret due to envious and malicious spirit."

"The very first user, Soleil, was just a common girl who stumbled upon the flower way before the kingdom of Paradis existed. Her backyard was exactly where the castle now resides. She was very poor and malnourished from the lack of food. She claimed when she touched the flower, all her pain and suffering went away." Jean takes the words from the page and reads them back to you with his voice.

You change the tune to yours now. "She ripped the flower from the ground and told her family to touch the flower and they all felt the same overwhelming since of relief. They brewed the flower in some tea and drank it all in hopes it'd bring them good health forever."

"They all lived healthy lives. Soleil believed it was because they all drunk from the tea but it was actually because she was the one healing them without even realizing it." You stop for a moment. "She was the first one ever to get the power."

"How did the King get ahold of it?" Jean asks.

You glare at him, scolding him for his obliviousness. "How do you think? Monarchy
can be pretty cruel. Especially back then."

Jean moves the book in his direction, no longer able to wait for you to read the rest. "Eventually when her family came to the discovery, they decided to share the news with their local village and asked them to stop by if they needed help."

"Here it comes." You lean back, your hands behind you.

"Word got all up the way up to powerful kingdoms in bordering lands. A King in the nearest proximity, came to see the girl with the magic touch. He took the land where the flower grew and their house was destroyed and replaced with a castle where the King of Paradis doubled his kingdom in size." Jean reads.

"Called it." You shake your head with disappointment. You bring the book back to you. "The King forced Soleil to work for him and heal his family and his solders to create a strong army. In return, he let her family live in the castle on the far east wing."

"Asshole." You and Jean say at the same time. You both laugh and suddenly everything doesn't feel so intense for a sweet moment.

But just like that, the eerie feeling returns.

Jean slides closer, grabbing the corner of the book to turn it in his direction but the book remains on your lap. "After a while, Soleil made an attempt to escape. The king was infuriated with her and decided to kill her and in order to transfer the power, he'd drink her blood."

You cringe and look away. You release a disappointing sigh. "I really wanted to like this story."

Jean sends you a sad look. One that read he was right about you getting your hopes up too high and as much as he wanted to gloat, he couldn't. "Do you want to stop?"

You shut your eyes for a bit and breathe in. "This is exactly what I came here for. I'm not leaving until I finish this whole thing."

He laughs, his head falling forward. He knew that's exactly what you'd say. He reads further down the page. "He was unaware that this would not work and the ritual failed. The flower and it's power disappeared for three months until it grew once again."

"This time, instead of Soleil's backyard, it grew in the center of the castle, in a courtyard that was heavily guarded." You continue for him. "God, this somehow seems to only get worse."

He agrees. "Painfully realistic though, you have to admit."

You flip the page. "When the flower finally grew back, the king ingested it but the flower did nothing for him since his heart was selfish and tainted."

"Three months later, he gave it to his wife, who also didn't pass the test. The next three months, they waited by the section of land and anticipated the return of the magic flower. He then gave it to his eldest son but again, nothing." You say as you switch to the right side. "It worked on none of his three sons."

Jean groans and lays back onto the floor. "History really does repeat itself. Let me guess, he gives it to his about-to-be born or already born daughter and it works on her since she's fresh out the oven."

You read the rest in your head and chuckle when you realize that's exactly what happens. "Sound familiar?"

He shifts his head toward you. "Annoyingly so."

You laugh, letting his light lift your fallen spirits. You were truly grateful he was here with you. He smiles knowing he was helping ease your stress.

Then, your mind clicks back into place. "Wait." You rapidly flip through the pages until you get to the The Holders of History section toward the back. "Look! Look at this."

You sit up and twist your lower half to face his and bring the book to his face. "Reiss. Reiss, Reiss." You repeat over and over after you flip through several pages. "These are all the previous holders and they're all royalty. All of the Reiss family. The descendants of the King who killed Soleil. It literally goes on generations. Century after century."

Jean sits up and watches as each name written in the book all have the same last name. "They kept it to themselves." He scoffs. "Can't say I'm surprised."

You go back to the first name on the list. "Soleil is the only one without the last name. In fact, she doesn't even have her last name on here." You feel a sudden pull at your heartstring. "Poor baby, they didn't even know her last name."

Jean grabs the book and flips to the very end of the list and points his finger at the last written name. "Princess y/n l/n of Eldia. It has the day you were born and I'm assuming this empty slot right here is for the date of your death or the last day you had the power."

You look at all the names above yours. All of them had the word Princess or Prince in front of it and the same surname repeated over and over.
Your eyes really pay attention to how the DOB to DOD time space was so long for some and so achingly short for others.

You flip back to the story portion of the book. "Some holders of the flower do not live long contrary to their lifespan being extended and the endless supply of good health. Many holders are killed by people unaware they can't steal the power in that manner. Many have chosen suicide after losing their minds from paranoia."

Your voice shrinks in size. "Some have been sentenced to death because they abuse their powers and cause harm instead of good. Some were killed without even realizing they were causing problems."

You felt yourself get dizzy from the amount of forceful information you take in. "Many holders are hidden away in secret because they faced frequent attempts of kidnapping."

"Maybe we should take a break." Jean says with caution. He, himself, felt extremely overwhelmed and he couldn't even wrap his mind around how you must've felt.

You keep your finger between the page and the next one as a placeholder. "I understand why my parents were so paranoid over me all these years. I mean, look."

You flip back to the section with all the previous holders and right under their date of death, shows the cause of it. "Murder, Kidnapped, Murder, Murder, Suicide, Tortured. Most of the people had miserable lives."

Jean rubs his eyes, his brain beginning to short circuit and no longer being able to take in so much information all at once. "Guess our parents really meant it when they would tell us we would only understand once we got older."

You sit back and allow your tense body to relax or at least make a pathetic attempt at doing so. "I feel terrible. All those years of breaking rules and cursing my parents from keeping me so unbearably overprotected. They were just scared I'd end up like one of the hundreds of other people who suffered in the end because greedy people wanted to exploit their power."

Jean removes the book from your lap and brings it to him as he begins studying each name. "You're the only one to inherit the flower that isn't part of the Reiss bloodline. Historia was supposed to give it to her child once she had one but instead she gave it to you."

"Lucky me, huh?" You mutter bitterly.

All you wanted to do right now was hug your parents as tight as you could. Maybe even your brothers if they allowed it because they were just as protective over you as your parents were. You couldn't deny how much you were starting to miss them.

Jean continues to flip through the book as you picture your reunion with your family in your head. You could practically hear your mother lecture you for hours but it didn't matter because you just wanted to see her again and apologize for always scaring her each time you disappeared even if it was for a moment.

"Well," You lay down on the floor, your hands intertwined together over your chest and you try to heal away your own anxiety. "Atleast I know I really am my parent's daughter. I gotta admit for a while I thought maybe I was born here and they stole me or something."

Jean laughs as he keeps scanning the book. "My mom helped your mother give birth to you so that's all the evidence you need."

You laugh at your own stupidity. "Yeah, it sounds foolish when I say it out loud. I just had all these years to come up with all these...theories all on my own because no one would ever tell me anything. I can't help the places my mind goes."

"Can't blame you for using your imagination." He reassures. His lips part to speak some more but he shuts them when he lands on a particular page.

You lift your head up from the ground. "What?"

He says nothing. He just stares in complete silence at the page in front of him. Even though he didn't speak, his face said all you needed to know.

You sit up and snatch the book away from him. "What is it? Can't be worse than what we already read, right?"

And to your surprise, it is. Toward the very end of the book, was a portrait of the a woman. At the bottom of the image read the name Soleil, the first Sol Celestite holder.

"She looks like..." You say quietly.

"Your mom." Jean finishes. "She looks like you and your mom. I mean, the skin color, the hair, everything."

You could feel water begin to swim up your throat. "How possible would it be for me to somehow related to this woman?"

Jean cringes. "This is some freaky destiny stuff. If you are somehow a crazy distant ancestor of hers, it's insane how after centuries of it being kept within the Reiss royal family, it somehow miraculously came back to you and your family."

"Or it's just coincidence, right?" You try to laugh off.

Jean looks your way. "It would explain why you feel like you've been here before, like you're from here." He points back to the page. "She's one of the first people born in this land. Your people came from here."

You let out a nervous chuckle. "I don't know about all—"

He scoots his body around to face you. "I mean think about it. No where in the book does it mention what happens to Soleil's family after she was killed. Considering their home was now royal property, they had to have gotten pushed out and had to find somewhere else to live."

He closes the book shut and runs his hands over the stitching of the cover where the title remains. "They ran away to the Kingdom of Celestite. That's why the flower has the same name. That's why your mother was born there. That's why you look the same. That's why—"

"Okay!" You shoot up. "I-I can't take this anymore. It feels like my head is going to explode."

He sets the book aside and stands up beside you. "Sorry, I just got excited. I mean, it's pretty fucking cool."

He beams a big smile. "You were quite literally destined to do this. It was fate. Historia was meant to give you the flower instead of Ymir this entire time."

"I don't know." You walk around and try to allow oxygen flow back into your brain. "I can't think straight right now."

"What if—" He starts up again.

You lose your patience. "Jean!" You shout. "I know I'm the one who bitched and bitched about coming here and now that I've made it I want to stop but I just... I just need a moment to breathe. It's stuffy in here and I'm getting claustrophobic and I just need to get out."

His shoulders fall and his eagerness fades. "Sorry. Want to leave?"

"Yes. Please." You run your hands over your face.

He sets the book back in its proper place and takes the key from where you left it. You take it from him and the two of you exist out the door and make sure to lock the door shut again.

As you walk down the hall and up the stairs, you and Jean don't say a word to eachother. His silence came from wanting to respect yours and yours came from just being too overwhelmed to say anything at all.

You couldn't describe how you felt. Scared? Shocked? Disappointed? Angry? You came here to find the answers to everything, yet you're leaving even more confused than you originally were.

"You okay?" He finally asks as you trail down the long hall. You send him an exhausted smile. "I feel better now that I'm out of there."

He walks closer to you, the fabric of his shirt grazing against your arm. "Not the answers you were expecting, huh?"

You keep your eyes straight ahead. "Go on with it, say you told me so."

Before he can even make up his mind on whether he wants to or not, Historia appears with a handmaiden beside her. "Oh! Finished already?"

"Ah, yes." You say as you watch her dismiss the woman next to her. You hold out the key for her to retrieve.

Her blue eyes stare at the key that now rests in her palm once again. "Don't worry, I couldn't make it through the book either. They made me read it cover to cover after I became queen and I couldn't keep my food down."

You frown. "You?"

She sighs and gestures the two of you to follow her so she can lead you back to the gates. "I had to read about how my oldest ancestor enslaved a 15 year old child and killed her at 19. Then I had to read about how every ancestor I had that inherited after her, almost all died in horrible ways. It's not too easy on the stomach."

The key returns to its original place, around the Queen's neck and hidden away. "I can only imagine how it was for you. There's things in that book I will never be able to understand. I'm hoping you had a better shot at it."

"Not sure if I understood anything at all." You admit.

She smiles sympathetically. "Sorry I couldn't be of more help." She then stops right before the doors of the castle. "But I do still want you to take me up on that offer of coming to my ball. It will be a spectacular time and it's the least I can do."

The queen hands you a small business card. "The tailor I told you about. I already took the liberty of letting them know the two of you would stop by and to have the finest silk ready." She gleams.

You take the card from her and return the smile. "We'll make a stop tomorrow. Thank you, your highness. For everything, truly."

She waves her hand dismissively. "Please, it was pleasure. And you can drop the highness. It's Historia."

Historia gestures over to the guards by the massive doors and they begin to push them apart. "Oh! The lantern festival is tomorrow night, don't forget. I know it's an annual thing but knowing you'll be there will make it extra special for me."

Her hand comes up to yours and she grips it tightly. "Live your life to the fullest. Don't let Ymir's go to waste. It's what she would've wanted."

You strengthen your grip as well. "No pressure, right?"

She chuckles and releases your hand. "This is place will always welcome you." Her now free hand comes up the necklace around her neck. "And you're free to always go back to that room."

As the doors open, she walks you two out into the courtyard. "I hope to see you tomorrow at the ball. In the meantime, enjoy your stay at Paradis. When you return home, tell your mother I said hello and I hope she's well." She then looks at Jean and grins. "That's if you do go back home."

You laugh as you wave goodbye to her and she waves the two of you off. You both now walk down the beautiful landscape. "So," He whistles, hands behind his back. "She's a lot nicer than I thought she was going to be."

"Not everyone has bad intentions." You remind him.

"Not everyone has good ones either." He retorts.

The guards at the front entrance open the doors for you. The same guards who previously treated you like dirt until you told them who you were.

They smile and bow as you both approach them. "Enjoy your day, Princess." One says.

You snicker and look at Jean. "What are your intentions? Good or bad?"

He stops you in your tracks. "The perfect mix of both." He then holds his hand out to you. "Come on, show me around this city. You know, since you know it so well."

The smile on his face was enough to make you feel almost instantaneous relief. It was just as contagious as the one from this morning. "Okay, let's see how scary this prophecy really is."