The grave of Lady Flora

“He WHAT?” His father yelled.
Why did he always have to yell whenever something didn't go as he had planned?
“He... demanded another two percent, your Highness.” Firian felt sorry for the messenger. Having to repeat that message would not calm his father's anger.
“Outrageous!” Takato spat. “I will have none of it! You can tell your lord he will not get his two percent and if he dares to ask again, I will take away two percent of what he gets!”

“Y...Yes, your highness.” The messenger bowed and quickly left the room.
“Those bastards up in Yore...” Takato spat as he got up from the High Throne. Firian flinched, hoping his father would calm down soon. The late afternoon sun filled the throne room with a warm light, but Firian felt cold. For a year now, he had been forced to attend the weekly open meetings his father held, where messengers from all the different kingdoms could deliver messages and requests from their kings.

Of course, as heir to the throne of Asterian and as the future High King, Firian was supposed to learn how to handle these meetings, and the best was way to see how it was done.
“But father...” Firian started, slowly.
“What?”
“Well... Yore's population has grown by almost 10% the past ten years. I think they do deserve some more...”
“No! If I give in to them, all the other kingdoms will come and ask for more as well.”

High King Takato jumped off the throne.
“I suppose that was it for today.” He said as he took off his crown. Firian sighed with relief. At least it was over for now. Gazing outside, he noticed it was not yet dinner time. He still had some time. Maybe he could...
“Firian.”
Or not.
“Yes, father?” Firian sighed as he got up, too.

“Please find your sister and meet me in my study before dinner.”
Takato didn't bother to tell his son what for, as he simply left the throne room, leaving his son behind. That was just great. He had hoped he could finish his painting, finally... but Firian guessed it would not be today. He couldn't possibly finish it at night, without the sunlight. Tomorrow, then... if his father would give him a moment or two. Probably not.

Firian left the throne room and decided to just fetch his sister. He didn't want to get his father angry as well. He wandered through the castle towards his sister's room, greeting all the servants he ran into. “Aste?” he said as he knocked on his sister's door, but there was no reply. He peeked inside after a moment, but Aste's pink room was abandoned. Her plush toys were scattered over the floor, and the sheets of her large bed, with a pink and white star print, were on the ground. He would have to send a servant in to clean up. Again. Well, that was only the third time today. It had been worse.

Firian closed the door and quietly descended the stairs. There was something peaceful about this quiet summer afternoon. Apart from the messenger there were not many visitors to the castle, and most of the servants were already in the kitchen. Even in the large hallway at the bottom of the staircase, he saw no one at all, and he hoped it would remain that way when he entered the gardens.

There was only one gardener at work, tending to some roses. Firian greeted him, too, as he looked around looking for his sister. Where had that girl gone now? Her nanny should have informed them if they had taken off somewhere! He couldn't imagine Asteria being somewhere inside the castle at this hour, with the weather as nice as it was. Her classes would be over by now, and if the girl was not in her room she usually was outside, playing.

So far for finding his sister quickly. Firian walked along the path that led him deeper into the gardens. The gardens of the royal palace were once bright purple, shining with prana as the sun shone every day with light. ZoroAster, capital of the kingdom of Asteria and the seat of the High King of the west, was one of the places with the highest concentration of prana.

But when the queens of the east gathered the five stones and summoned the guardians fifteen years ago, the breach between the east and the west all but disappeared, meaning prana slowly began to flow over the world. They could summon prana in the east now, too, and according to some researchers prana sometimes was visible in the east without anyone summoning it. And it was visible here, too; the amount of visible prana became less every year. Nowadays, prana was just a nice little extra glow covering the trees and flowers- not the primary color you saw when you looked at the garden.

Where was that girl? Firian had circled almost the entire castle by now, and still there was no sign of his sister. Or her nanny. Was she inside then, after all? Firian was about to head back to the castle when he spotted movement in the one part of the garden he did not expect his sister to be. It couldn't be... what would Asteria be doing there?

Yet when Firian got closer, he realized it was indeed her nanny he saw standing at the fence. That could only mean Asteria was there indeed.
“Miss Holly.” Firian said as soon as he had gotten close enough.
“Oh! My lord Firian.” Miss Holly said, startled.
“I'm looking for my sister.” He announced.
“Asteria is here. She insisted we go here after class. I'm sorry, I'm not much help. She didn't explain to me either. She just told me we had to go here and I had to wait for her here.”

“That's okay.” Firian smiled. He didn't blame the girl. He knew how persuasive his little sister could be. Firian entered the cemetery, the place where all his forefathers were buried. He recognized the grave his sister was tending to. He had been there often enough himself, and lately he felt like he didn't visit it often enough.

“Asteria.” Firian said to his ten year old sister. Such a little girl still... her blue hair was tied in two ponytails, and a pink ribbon decorated her tail.
“Big brother!” Asteria smiled without even looking at him. He saw now Asteria had a bucket of flowers, the special flowers he only saw in the royal gardens... flowers that only grew in places where prana was strong.

“What are you doing, little one?” He asked as he sat down beside her.
In front of them were two graves- one of Asana, his aunt he had never met. She had been murdered by his grandfather years before he was even born. The one next to it, however, belonged to his mother, lady Flora. He remembered her... maybe it was vague, but he remembered her. Her smell, her smile... Her cries when Asteria's birth went wrong and she knew she would not live to see her baby girl.

“I'm making a flowerbed, see? Teacher said Flora means flower, so I'm sure mama used to love flowers. Maybe this will make her a bit happy.” Asteria told him as she continued to arrange the flowers on her grave.
“Oh, Asteria...”
Judging by the amount of flowers already assembled around the headstone, Asteria had indeed been doing this the entire afternoon.

“It's lovely. I'm sure mama would have loved it.” Firian said at last.
She would have. For a few moments Firian simply looked at his little sister. He felt so sorry for her... but she was so much stronger than he could ever be. He knew their father did not love her. Oh, he also knew Takato knew he had to. He had fought his father because his father had killed his sister because she had been a woman, and a shame to the family. High Kings did not sire daughters. Yet Shanjahen had Asana, and his father had Asteria.

But that was not the reason Takato could not bring himself to love this girl. Firian knew his father did not blame Asteria for the death of Flora- he knew Asteria was not at fault. But every single time Takato looked at his daughter, he was reminded of that horrible night in which he lost the woman he loved.

“Asteria... father wants to speak with us. We should go see him before dinner.” Firian said. Asteria did not respond, but only continued to arrange flowers.
“Asteria...” Firian said again.
“I'm not finished yet!” Asteria was upset.
She didn't want to see their father, and by all right she shouldn't have to. Firian was not the only one who could see that look in Takato's eyes whenever he looked at his daughter.

“I know. I know you're not. But I'm sure Miss Holly won't mind coming back here after dinner. You know we shouldn't let father wait.” Firian tried his best to sound calm so he wouldn't upset his little sister further.
No such luck.
“I don't want to go see him!” Asteria yelled, throwing over her bucket.
“I know. I know. But we'll have to. Please? For me?” Firian begged, his heart breaking.

“Will you come arrange the flowers with me after dinner?” Asteria asked, teary-eyed.
“Yes. Of course.” he promised his sister. He had to study, but that could wait. He had time after his sister would go to bed.
“Well... okay then.” Asteria got up and slowly made her way to the gate of the cemetery. Firian followed.

“I got it from here, miss Holly. You can take your time off until after dinner.” he told the nanny, who bowed and then quickly retreated to the castle. Asteria followed him slowly to the castle, through the large but silent halls towards their father's room. The large dark brown doors of the room were closed, indicating that their father was inside.

Firian knocked on the door and he heard his father mumble something inside, so he opened them. His father was sitting behind his large, dark brown desk which stood in the center of the room. The desk was empty except for a single paper on which his father was currently writing a letter. As he noticed Firian enter, High King Takato put down his quill and motioned him to sit.

Firian helped his sister sit in the second chair before he sat down himself. Takato did not even look at his daughter.
“Children,” Takato said as he stared at the empty space between them.
“I have something to share with you two, so I want you to listen carefully for I do not wish to repeat myself.”
“Of course, father.” Firian said.

“I have just received a letter from Taira of the Friendship Lands. I had proposed a visit to their country, and she accepted. So, in two weeks we will leave to visit the Friendship Lands in the east, and both of you are coming with me.” The Friendship Lands?
“The country which summoned the guardians?” Firian asked.

“Yes. It is important that we maintain our relationship with them, and I have some personal favors I would like to ask. Plus, it will be good for you to see how such a visit works.”
Well, it was true that Firian had not been on many visits so far- most often, ponies visited them, not the other way around. And he would be lying if he said he did not wish to see the east. Based on the pictures he had seen, the east had to be so different from the world he knew.

He remembered queen Taira and her family. They had visited ZoroAster, once, and he had met the queen and her family. They seemed nice enough, but he hadn't liked his father's mood those days. He still didn't understand why exactly. His father had visited the Friendship Lands before, too, but he had not accompanied him back then.

“I understand.” Firian nodded.
“Good. As it is a long trip, I do not want either of you to take anything along that is not necessary, understand?” Takato asked.
“Will Miss Holly be coming?” Asteria asked softly.
“Of course she will. Don't ask silly questions.” Takato snapped. “That was all. I expect you two at dinner in an hour.”

Firian sighed.
“Come on, Asteria.” He whispered to his sister.
Why did he have to get mad at her? Miss Holly was as close to a mother, no, as a parent as Asteria would ever know. Of course the girl would ask if her nanny would come along. When they were outside the room and the door was closed, he could see Asteria was about to cry.

“Well, little one... shall we continue with the flowers? We still have some time before we have to get ready for dinner.”
“Oh... okay.” Asteria didn't seem too enthusiastic anymore.
“What is it? Do you not like to go on the trip?” Firian asked as they entered the garden once again.
“No... I want to stay home. I don't want to leave.” Asteria cried.

Firian stopped and held his little sister, who was now crying uncontrollably.
Thanks, dad.
“There, there... it's okay. I know it sounds scary. But you know what? It will be a lot of fun. I'll be there, and we'll get to see many new places you didn't even dare to dream of.”
“You'll be there with me, right?” Asteria said in between two sobs.

“Of course. We'll go there together. I'll be there for you and I'll make sure nothing bad happens.” Firian whispered.
Of course nothing bad would happen to her. If he remembered correctly, a young princess lived there too, wasn't she about Asteria's age? Well, maybe a bit older. He couldn't remember correctly. Asteria would enjoy this trip, he vowed. She would enjoy it, and he would make sure she would, even if it meant keeping her away from their father.