My mother was many things to me. Strong, beautiful, fair, kind, wise; she was everything I wanted to be.

I always wished to see her perform her role as a queen, but she told me I wasn't old enough yet to learn. Sure, I could study shapes and maps that may never be useful to me, but I couldn't watch her do what I was destined to do some day?

She would spend most of her time ruling, but alway made sure to spend some time with me. She would be by my bed every night before I fell asleep, reciting all the stories she heard as a child.

I would talk about my mother all the time to anyone I could. I would talk about the things we would do together, the wisdom that she had, the memories we made. I loved my mother.

Sometimes when I was talking about my mother to Swethyna, she would smile at me and say that it was nice to see I had a tight bond with my mother.

"It'll get you through hard times." She told me as she winked.

I couldn't imagine any hard times coming my way, but I kept that tucked away in the back of my mind.

My mother was never was angry or harsh with me. To me, she never cried or complained, she was always calm, collected, and ready to guide.

Because I never saw her perform her role as queen, I could only imagine what she did and how she ruled.

"She's probably as just and patient with the people as she is with me." I would think. "Though she's probably not as easy to the bad people who don't obey the rules."

I couldn't understand that as a child. Why people were mean or didn't do the right thing. I always followed the rules, even when I didn't understand or agree with them- I still followed them. People who didn't follow the rules needed to be punished so they'll learn their lesson.

"Why don't people follow the rules if it keeps them safe?" I asked my mother one night as she tucked me in.

"Some people just don't understand that rules are there to protect them." She responded gently. 

Still, I couldn't fathom it. Maybe I never would.

"What are you like as queen, momma?" I asked before she left.

She looked up at the ceiling and thought about it.

"I'm not sure how to describe myself."

"Are you kind?"

She frowned.

"Xalale, this is a lesson you will learn when I start training you. There are going to be times when you, as a ruler, need to show power over feeling."

"I don't understand." And I truly didn't. "Why can't I be kind? What if someone needs to be shown a little kindness? Doesn't everyone need a little kindness? "

She sighed and kissed my forehead.

"You'll understand some day."

I made a face. "Everybody says someday. When will someday be?"

Standing up and walking to the door, she answered. "Why must someday come quickly? Enjoy the days you have, Xalale. Treasure them."

As the door shut leaving me alone to think, only a single thought echoed in my mind.

"Someday."