The day after my powers returned, I spent in my room not coming out even for meals. I felt trapped and the reality of that depressed me more than anything.
I was tired of playing my mother's games, living under her rules, taking every blow she dealt to me. I wanted to be king so badly, but my determination couldn't win against my mother's determination to see me fail.
But another issue arose. Where could I go? My powers were back and I had already seen and heard what the people thought of my powers.
It wasn't that I truly wanted to belong- though some part of me wanted that- it was that I wanted to be somewhere I could truly be free in. I didn't care if I would be the only person there, I just- for once in my life again- wanted to be happy.
A knock at my door didn't stir me the first time, but after the third time I got up to answer it.
"Hey." Behind the door, bright-eyed and cheery, Emmony stood giving me a playful expression that quickly faded when she took in mine.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
I didn't want her to see me at this hour, but I knew getting rid of her would be a tough feat.
"Don't lie, something's the matter."
"It's just the same things. Nothing has or ever will improve." I said frustrated.
She followed me into my room as I paced about.
"Don't believe such negative thoughts." She said firmly. "Nothing last forever- the good or the bad."
I stopped pacing to look at her then sighed again.
"I know, but- but even when you say these things and I know they're true, it...I don't know..."
Placing her hand on my shoulder in a tender way caused me to calm down and look her in the eyes. Her presence was like my mother's when I was younger; it could always calm me even when the world felt like it was falling apart.
I waited, expecting her to say something, but instead she leaned forward and gave me a soft kiss on the lips.
"I know it feels like the bad in your life is winning," She kept her voice at a low volume and her lips only inches from mine. "But it'll pass. Like every storm, it passes."
I dropped my voice to a hushed whisper as well.
"Do you ever get tired of trying to comfort me?"
"Mh-hm."
A playful smile spread across her face and she kissed me again, this time longer. When we finally pulled away, I felt confident again. She was the air I breathed, the substance I needed to continue.
"Let's go." I said.
She gave me with a puzzled face.
"What? Where?"
"Anywhere, I don't care, let's just wander till we find a place we like."
The only response she gave me was a frown. I held her in my arms and gave her a hopefully look.
"Isn't that what we wanted?"
"Yes...but-"
"But what?" I said. "We could explore Edalirwen, just the two of us. There's so many places to see. Besides, as long as we're together, I couldn't care less where we go."
"Yes, I want that too-"
"Then let's go." I said already hurrying to gather things.
"Are you sure we're doing this for the right reasons?" She asked with arched brows.
I paused to look at her. "You really must've grown up. The Emmony I knew would've jumped at the opportunity to explore the world."
My playful taunting worked and she couldn't help the mischievous expression running across her face.
"I just want to let you know, I'm only coming along because I know you'll get lost without me. I would feel quite guilty about it if I knew you walked off the edge of the world because I wasn't there."
"Fair enough."
We hurried about, packing as light as we could before heading into the halls. I prayed we wouldn't accidentally cross paths with my mother on the way out. I couldn't imagine the outburst she would have with this.
Not dwelling on the fact that we were leaving everything we knew behind, all I could focus on was our new life together in the vast world.
"We need to pack some food for the journey." She said.
"True, but we can buy some on the way. I don't want to stay here any longer."
All we had to do was head to the stables and saddle the horses, then we would be gone for our new life. I had never felt so close to freedom in a while.
"Your majesty."
We both halted to a stop in the middle of the hall. Emmony glanced at me and I at her. Behind us, a guard approached with a grim expression and a letter in hand. He didn't wait for me to respond before talking.
"Your majesty, I'm afraid I hold some unfortunate news."
I glanced at Emmony then cleared my throat.
"What do you mean?"
"Her majesty has not returned to palace since she left early this morning. She informed me to hand you this letter if she had not returned by dusk."
He handed me the small paper before heading off.
Neither of us spoke, only exchanging concern glances.
So many thoughts were collecting in my mind. "Where was my mother? Why did she leave? What does this note say? Why did she write it?"
Emmony spoke up first as if reading my thoughts.
"Perhaps things would be explained if you read it."
She gave me an encouraging nod, prompting me to open and read the letter in my head.
"To my dear Xalale. This letter will not address all that has been occurring recently. I have tried everything in my power to prevent this from happening, but only the Fates can determine our destiny. If I am not returned by the time the stars come out tonight, then I have gone. I unwillingly have lost my crown and my kingdom, which I had deeply feared. I say this will an involuntary heart- the throne is yours. This path of destruction my kingdom faces causes me dire pain, for I built this kingdom the way it should be. As the time draws near, I could give you countless advice, but all I will remind you is of that of the raven and the crow."
I stared at the letter even after finishing it. My knuckles were white from anger and fear. Emotions running through me, but I remained unreadable.
"What does it say?" Emmony's eyes became troubled as I handed her the letter.
She stared, in shock, once she finished reading. Neither of us knew how to respond to such a thing.
I didn't know where to begin, how to process it.
"Emmony-" I started to apologize but she cut me off.
"It's alright."
Taking my hands in her she gave me a concerned look.
"What's going through your head?"
"So many things..." I trailed off as my mind began to spin with thoughts.
"You know what this means, right?"
I glanced down at her, but didn't respond.
"You're the heir to the throne."
Like that, it finally struck me- I was king. Everything I wanted to be, what I worked so hard to become; it was finally here.
"There's much to be done." I told her.
"There is."
Giving a small smile she then let go of my hands. As I headed down the hallway, she stood there giving me an encouraging nod.
I was fortunate to have someone who cared so deeply about me. But as I glanced back at her one last time, I couldn't help but notice the disappointed look in her eyes that she tried, unsuccessfully, to mask.

I waited two days just to make sure what my mother said was true. She wasn't coming back and I didn't know what had happened to her- at that point I didn't care.
After the second day I was positive that the throne was mine to ascend. As unexpected as the opportunity was, I was ready. Being king was everything I wanted ever since I was young.
There was only one obstacle standing in my way. My age.
I was fifteen, on the verge of turning sixteen, but the law decreed that to obtain my title I had to be sixteen. That left five more months before I could reign. Five months I wasn't going to wait for.
By now news had spread through the palace and was bound to reach outside the walls. This was a confusing time, a rather abrupt shift in power. In order to plan my next step, I needed to be alone- completely alone. I sent every servant and guard out of the palace until further notice.
I would have to plan a coronation, which would mean finding a Djuma to crown me, one that would crown me regardless of my age. That itself would be a feat.
Sitting on my mother's throne, pondering away, didn't feel right. In fact, none of it felt right.
"None of this is mine. Nothing here reflects me."
The more I thought about it, the more I began to dwell on bitter, painful memories- especially in the throne room.
"All of this is her legacy, not mind."
I stood in the middle of the room surveying every detail of the place I had begun to hate.
"I just want to erase her legacy, reshape it into something different."
She built this palace with her powers, now I was going to destroy it with mine.
I knew it might be a difficult task to undertake, but I attempted to summon the darkness that I sought to keep inside.
It took little time to bring the darkness to the surface and surprisingly, little effort to control. I knew my powers could destroy things but perhaps they could do the opposite.
With an arm stretched out, dark energy surged from my hands into the room filling it until not even the light from the window could break through.
It felt strangely relieving to use something I was usually afraid to bring up. It was as if when my mind was at peace I could successfully manipulate them the way I wanted to.
By the time the darkness faded away there was no indication that an icy lair had once been the throne room.
It suited me more than I thought it would. Black stone with a dark, mysterious aura to it. The throne before me nothing like my mother's- this one was mine.
This feeling of being in control was foreign one to me- one I wanted to last for as long as I could.
"If I could do this, imagine what else I'm capable of." I thought to myself.
My hands burned with anticipation. Nothing about this palace would the same once I finished.
Every hall I ventured down, dark mist followed like death as it shrouded everything in darkness. From ice to stone, from frigid to ominous, not a single hall or room remained the way it previously was. The halls became a labyrinth that only I knew the way out of. Light reflected no more and windows were sparse. A gloomy dungeon matched the rest of the estate in its mood. By the time I finished in the front entrance area, nothing remained to remind me of the frozen palace that was once there.
Nothing left to remind me of her.
No more did a graceful, ice palace gleam, now stood a dark castle surrounded by darker forests
It was dark, but it was mine. Everything that had once been hers belonged to me: her crown, her palace, her kingdom.
In my mind, that was the most rewarding part. After trying to hinder me for so long, after trying to prevent the inevitable from occurring, I had finally shown her- erasing every trace of her.
I had finally won.