Jaeger hated parties.
He snorted at a myriad of things. The strong scent of wine caused his stomach to twist and turn. But most of all, he hated the sound of nobles laughing. Their laughing made his blood boil. It was the sound of entitlement and obliviousness.
But he had no choice. He had been ordered to attend the party. It was a direct order. And as a soldier, all he could do was obey. No matter what his personal feelings were, he had to do it. Duty, honor, and country – that was the oath that all soldiers of Armaso took.
Jaeger raked his fingers through his charcoal black hair with a scowl. He then decided to just try and enjoy. He already bought a suit for the occasion. He had an excuse to test out the watch, signet ring, and leather shoes his cadet gave him. Jaeger smirked. Fully decked out for the evening, he figured there were a few things he could at least enjoy at the party.
He followed the crowd of people that entered the citadel, noticing the lack of attention the guards gave. Strange, he thought. For a royal party, he expected more security. He looked up. No one stood at the ramparts either.
"Weird sense of security," he murmured.
Jaeger followed after the crowd and found himself in Xychosia Castle's decorated courtyard. Although he welcomed the soothing Lavender scents, he frowned at the sight. The whole place was filled with nobles who didn't seem to care. He saw how some looked at the other attendees with disgust. Others had a practiced smile. His blood boiled at the sight. But he reminded himself...
"Duty, honor, and country," he repeated the words like a mantra. "Duty, honor, and country..."
While it slowed his heart down, his stomach begun to cramp. It twisted and turned as if to make him regret eating that bowl of Chocolate Rice Porridge he found in the fridge. However, he knew it was not indigestion. It was something else.
"Sir, are you alright?" asked someone.
He turned around to find a waiter offering him a glass of water.
"Ah, thank you." He took the glass gratefully.
The waiter smiled. "No need. You looked a little out of it though. You had this blank stare for a good few minutes."
What? He was out that long? "Oh. Sorry for the trouble." Jaeger scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Ah, as I said, it's alright. Her Highness would like everyone to be comfortable after all."
Her Highness? "Ah yes. Queen Regina's generosity is quite well-known in Zemlya," he replied. Now if only the other nobles could follow her example...
"That is true. I sure hope the princess follows her example when she takes the throne."
Jaeger blinked, bewildered. "I was not aware the queen had a daughter."
"Oh, but she doesn't."
"You mentioned a princess. Is the princess not the daughter of the queen?"
The waiter laughed. "Oh no she is not! But I heard that she is supposed to ascend to the throne in Sofiene."
Jaeger's emerald green eyes widened. Wait, Sofiene? Who would want to rule over that city? For the last three years, not even a single person wanted to be within a kilometer near that city. He remembered some of his comrades who left to inspect the city. The same day, the squad of 10 returned only as a pair.
"But Sofiene is a complete" —he bit his lip for a moment— "mess?"
"True but they said that when she rules Sofiene, it'll be restored to its former glory."
Former glory is more of a farce, he thought. One could never really restore what was lost. His hand instinctively moved towards his lower back. He winced slightly but shook his head. That was a lesson he learned the hard way.
"Could she truly perform her duty?" asked Jaeger.
"She better! It's her destiny and responsibility!"
Destiny. Responsibility. Those words made him click his tongue in annoyance. He heard those words from many men. Dying despots, overthrown tyrants, warlords that lay dead at his feet — they raved about their acts being their destiny and their fulfillment of their responsibility to their people. He clenched his hands into a fist. His knuckles paled. His blood boiled in fury until the blaring of trumpets redirected his attention to the front.
He had attended large celebrations before. And for now, he was quite thankful for the distraction it served him. Blue and lavender fireworks shot up into the starry night sky. Seemingly from behind the curtain, jovial orchestral music played. He smiled and applauded with the rest of the crowd. At least — he thought — the party was a lot better than listening to someone's nagging for the umpteenth time for his decision to become a soldier.
"Good evening, citizens of Xychosia and selected guests!" A voice boomed from somewhere. "We are happy to see you all here tonight in this wonderful gala!"
Jaeger winced at the volume of the people's cheers and applause. He chuckled lightly. It looks like Xychosia really knows how to throw a party, he thought. His eyes wandered towards the nobles who applauded but retained a scornful look. He snorted. There were just some people who could never be happy.
"They could at least look like they care," he muttered.
"And for our opening remarks, we would like to humbly request Her Highness, Queen Regina to grace us with her words."
Queen Regina's appearance, Jaeger realized, was sorely understated. While she had the air of a noble, it was also accompanied by an aura of comfort. Her smile, although he knew it was diplomatic, appeared so authentic that he would have mistaken her for a nun of Deus. She glided towards the podium without her heels letting out so much as a single click.
"Thank you everyone for attending this gala," Queen Regina began. "I shall keep this short and simple: do you wish to know why we celebrated this gala today?"
Jaeger nodded. That was one thing he wanted to know. Based on the calendar, Xychosia didn't have any upcoming holidays. Religion-wise, they were an open city. It didn't matter what they believed in as long as they did not engage in anti-social behavior. It was why Xychosia gained a moniker: The City of Freedom.
"Today, we remember the 3rd anniversary of the tragedy that befell Sofiene," she continued.
"Tragedy" was an understatement. It was a one-sided massacre last he heard.
"But today, we also celebrate for Sofiene has not yet been lost to us. Today, we celebrate the 21st birthday of my goddaughter: Princess Anastacia da Sofiene!"
Jaeger's eyes widened. Did he hear right? Did she say what he thought she just said? He heard the bewildered mutters and murmurs from the audience. It was common knowledge that no one survived the notorious Rape of Sofiene. The city burned. Corpses piled as high as the Theora's Gure Andrea. That is one sick joke, he thought.
But there she was. From the blue curtains behind the queen, the said princess stepped out. She barely looked worse for wear! A brilliant rosy smile adorned her face. Her grey eyes sparkled with innocence. It was as if she wasn't even there when the tragedy occurred! But the report said no one survived. So, that begged the question:
Who in the world was this princess?
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