"They erased the Queens from history, but they couldn't erase the truth."
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'Adira, sweetheart. Are you in here?'
The door swings open, Mamma standing at the doorway.
'Mamma,' I whisper, my eyes wide like a deer in headlights.
'Adi-' She stops talking, taking in the ice surrounding me.
She walks in, closing the door behind her with a soft click. Standing against the door, Mamma doesn't move.
'Are you alright, sweetheart?' She asks with a slight tremble in her voice.
'I'm alright, Mamma. I just can't stand.' My voice cracks from fear.
'Good.' She says nothing, just stares at me for a long moment. 'You have magic.'
'…I think so…' There's no way I'd tell her I knew about this beforehand.
'You did this?'
'Yeah,' I nod.
'Then you have magic.'
'Women aren't supposed to have magic…'
'Everyone has magic,' Mamma says flatly.
I frown. Everyone? I thought I was different because I can use magic, but everyone has magic? How's that possible? I thought only men had magic.
'Everyone?' I ask, confused.
Mamma sighs, and with a swish of her hand, the icy spikes disappear into fine powder. Shock spreads through me. Mamma can use magic too? What's going on? She walks towards me.
'Yes, everyone.'
'Aren't men-'
'Men and women have magic, but we're not allowed to use magic.'
'Why?' I ask.
She pulls me up off the ground and brings me to the sofa next to the window.
'Well, that's a long story, so why don't we get comfortable?'
We sit down, my legs curled up in my dress.
'Where should I start?' Mamma muses.
'From the beginning!'
'Well, as you can see, women have magic too.' She lifts her hand in front of me, forming a shard of ice in her hand.
'Like men, we need to hone our magical abilities or we won't be able to use it unless in extreme situations when our emotions are highest.'
'Wow! So I always had ice magic?'
'Yes, sweetie.'
'But if we have to hone our magical abilities, how are you able to do it?'
'Well, that's a history lesson.'
'A history lesson?'
'Yes. Women could originally use magic in everyday life.'
'What do you mean by that?'
'Well, prior to 300 years ago, all women used magic. We were taught how to use magic and how to fight.'
'How to fight?!' I exclaim. 'We were allowed to fight?'
'Yes. The armies were comprised of just as many women as men. We could do anything that men could do, but we'd never had a Queen on the throne.'
'Well, a Queen on the throne is pretty unrealistic.'
'Are you so sure of that?' Mamma asks, amused.
'We had a Queen?' I ask, astonished.
'Yes. In the 1700s, seven Queens rose all around the world.'
'One for each kingdom?'
'Exactly. Queen Arabella of Oceania, Queen Deidre of Europe, Queen Suri of Asia, Queen Mina of Africa, Queen Brittany of North America, Queen Maria of South America, and Queen Emmaline of Antarctica. These were the seven ruling Queens.'
Queen Deidre of Europe! I named my daughter Deirdre! My dear daughter, I hope you survived when I died. If you ever become my daughter again, I'll name you Deirdre again after the powerful will of Queen Deidre.
'Wow! What happened? How did Arabella become Queen?'
'Arabella was the second princess of the Oceanian Kingdom in a time of war and strife.'
Mamma's voice softens, as though she's remembering a world she never got to see herself.
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'Hiya! Hup!'
Slice.
Slash.
'Stop it, Arabella! I can't keep up!'
'Hahaha! Come on, Vivienne! You have to try harder!'
Clang.
My sword clashes against Vivienne's. She's the last sister I have to beat. Being the best at fighting is my aspiration and my life.
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'Arabella was the strongest of the princesses, even stronger than the princes. Her fighting style was wholly her own.'
Shock fills me as the idea of fighting is foreign to me. What female wields a sword?
'Wow! But she's a female. How can she be stronger than the princes? They're supposed to be the heirs.'
'Well, she trained and trained, constantly trying to improve.'
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Fifty-one.
Fifty-two.
Fifty-three.
Slash.
Stab.
Slice.
My goal is 300 today. Yesterday, I got to 250, but that's not enough. I must get stronger. Only I can be in control of my future. I don't want to enter into an arranged marriage.
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'That's so cool! So, was she able to escape an arranged marriage?'
'Yes. She was able to escape her arranged marriage by joining the army.'
I look down in pain and fear, thinking about my marriage to Asmodeus, hiding it from Mamma.
'I don't want to enter an arranged marriage… I'm scared of what might happen after I marry…'
Mamma hugs me.
'Oh, Adira. I know you're scared. It's alright. I'm here. I'll protect you.'
No, Mamma. You won't be able to protect me. You will die in less than two months. How can you protect me when you're dead?
'So what happens next?'
'Arabella trained herself and her lightning magic until she felt she could beat the Knight Captain. She used her lightning magic in such creative ways, the Knight Captain couldn't hurt her. And so she joined the army. Back then, there were multiple battles with the Asian Kingdom. They were the closest to us, and our fiercest competitors. Many of our people joined them, just as many of their people joined us. The battles were slaughters.'
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Slash.
Shing.
Clang.
Slice.
One down.
Two down.
I have to keep fighting, or I'll die.
'Commander!'
I look around. Where's Vivienne calling from? I see her on my left.
'Vivienne! Look out! Behind you!'
Vivienne turns, blade ready.
'Hah!'
With a cry and slash, Vivienne slays her opponent but is injured in the process. Walking to her, I pull her to her feet.
'Retreat, Vivienne. Get your wounds healed.'
'But I'm your last aide! I can't leave you alone!'
'I'll be fine. You, my dear sister, need to heal up and rest.'
Vivienne nods, saluting.
'Glory to Arabella. Stay safe.'
'Glory to Oceania. You too.'
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'Does she win?' I ask excitedly. 'Does Vivienne survive?'
'Yes. She wins the battle and yes, First Princess Vivienne does survive.'
'What happens next?'
'Well-'
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Kneeling before my father, King Evangelin, I wait for his permission.
'Second Princess Arabella, what would you like as your reward for winning this battle against the Kingdom of Asia?' He asks.
'Father, please allow me to become one of your heirs.'
'What do you mean by that, Arabella?'
'I do not wish to marry into another Kingdom's royal family. I wish to take part in the Kingship of Oceania.'
'Preposterous!' He bellows. 'No way will I allow my daughter to participate in matters of the state. Yes, I allow you to go into battle, but this is not an option.'
'I do not wish to marry into another Kingdom, father. Vivienne is promised to a Prince in the Kingdom of Antarctica, and Seraphina is promised to the Prince Heir of the Kingdom of South America. I wish to become heir of Oceania.'
'Never.'
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'Then how does she become Queen?'
Fully invested in the story, I can't wait to know more about this distant ancestor of mine.
'She beats all of her brothers in martial arts, magic and Kingship studies.'
'Kingship studies?'
'Yes. Back then, princesses were allowed to participate in Kingship studies so that they could help their husbands rule. After all, if the prince they're married to becomes ruler, they need to be able to support them.'
'Wow! That's so different from now!'
'Yes. Back then, women had more freedom.
'So how does she change her father's mind?'
'Do you know what the Oceanian Heir Trial is?'
'Yes. A free-for-all battle. You must kill all of your brothers, whether it's through poisoning, duels, random fist fights or something else, you need to have the ability to kill your brothers and be the last man standing.'
'Exactly, and that's what Arabella did.'
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Clang.
'Surrender, Brother Mauritius. You're the last one.'
'Never! If you want the throne, you must cleave my head from my shoulders. I will never surrender to you, Arabella!'
'…Fine.'
Shing.
Swish.
Thunk.
Beheading Brother Mauritius was easy. Why couldn't he just surrender? Why did most of them prefer death? Of my eleven brothers, only Brother Beau and Brother Franklin surrendered to me.
I turn to Father.
'Father, nine of my brothers are dead, and the remaining two have surrendered to me. Please name me as heir.'
Father closes his eyes, his hands trembling.
'Fine…. Evander!'
'Yes, Your Majesty?'
'Record my decree. Second Princess Arabella is my heir. She will be the future Queen of Oceania.'
'Yes, Your Majesty.'
Evander bows low.
'This servant greets the new heir of Oceania.'
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'Wow! That's so cool! She killed most of them?' My eyes shine, as I stare at Mamma, wanting to know more.
'Well, two of her brothers poisoned each other, and Prince Mauritius, Prince Beau and Prince Franklin killed one each, leaving one other one for Arabella to kill.'
'So when does she become Queen?'
'When her father died, of course.'
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'King Evangelin is dead! Long live Queen Arabella!'
I watch as cheers ring through the crowd. It took me a long time to establish myself as heir. No one wanted a female as heir, but those obstacles were nothing with the help of Brother Beau and Brother Franklin.
Now, I am finally Queen. I can finally marry the man of my dreams.
Henry, I love you.
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'Wait, wait, wait. She did all that for love?' I ask incredulously.
'Yes, she did.'
'Love!'
'Yes, Adira. Love. Love is a very precious feeling. You will know when you fall in love.'
'I doubt that,' I grumble.
Mamma just smiles.
'Queen Arabella marries the love of her life, King Consort Henry. He was a knight of Oceania, a poor one at that.'
'A poor knight? Wow! That's an enormous gap between the two.'
'And that's what makes their love extra special. Against all odds, Queen Arabella and King Henry were the most loving couple Oceania had seen in a long time. King Henry was her only consort, and he also didn't take a concubine.'
'Well, of course he wouldn't. Arabella is Queen, so she's above him.'
'Not quite.'
'What do you mean, Mamma?'
'Queen Arabella rewrote a lot of our laws, you see. She made it so that King Henry had just as much power as she did. They ruled together, not as Queen and servant.'
'Wow! That's so different to today… I wish it was like that for us now…'
'I know, sweetheart. But chin up. Women can survive anything.'
Not everything, Mamma.
'So what else happened?'
'Well, after Arabella's rise, the other Kingdoms also found themselves with Queens as rulers, and together, they destroyed the laws of fratricide. Do you remember what the Heir Trials are for the other Kingdoms?'
'Europe has a Duelling Heir Trial, Asia has an Assassination Heir Trial, Africa has the Beast Heir Trial, North America has the Debate Heir Trials, South America has the Wealth Heir Trials and Antarctica has the Survival Heir Trials.'
'Very good. In the time of Queen Arabella, she and the other Queens all abolished these heir trials and decreed that only the most suitable heir can become King or Queen.'
'Then why do we still have fratricide today?'
'That's because of the following Kings.'
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'Our Queen, Arabella of Oceania, has died. Everyone bow to our new King Hadrien!'
'King Hadrien!' Everyone shouts.
I look coldly at the subjects Mother left to me. Trust my brothers? How can I trust my brothers when Mother only left two of hers alive? Yes, she had eleven, while I only have three, but so what? I still can't trust them. The throne is mine!
'Father, I want to bring fratricide back.'
'Why?' He croaks. 'Do you know how long it took your mother to get rid of those laws? She changed laws that'd been around for a millennium! Don't destroy all of her hard work.'
'I don't care. The throne is mine, not my brothers'. I can't trust them to be as spineless as Uncle Beau and Uncle Franklin. They must die!'
'Hadrien…'
The pity in his eyes was so disgusting, I nearly stabbed him with my dagger! Pity? Why does this dying man pity me?
'That's King Hadrien to you, Father. I just came to inform you of my decision.'
Giving my father one last look, I walk away, my head held high.
'Hadrien!' He cries behind me. 'Please-'
I ignore him as the doors to his chamber close behind me. This is my kingdom now.
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'…King Hadrien was that ruthless?'
'Yes. He reinstated the fratricidal laws and killed his brothers and uncles. All of their bloodline, all gone.'
I tear up. If Queen Arabella's laws survived, I wouldn't have been married off to Asmodeus. Mamma wouldn't have died. I wouldn't have suffered so much over the years. Why? Why did I have to live such a hard life?
'Why is it so hard for us to live, Mamma?'
'Because he didn't want another Queen to rise. Along with the other Queens heirs, he destroyed all the knowledge for women and about women. Everything was gone. And to keep us from rising again, he killed any woman who used magic until we have the society we live in now. Men are in charge, and women are treated like we're nothing.'
Her hands form tight fists as she trembles with anger, the fury coming off her in waves. Then she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and calms down.
'Remember this, Adira. You have a noble bloodline, but you must remember to keep your magic hidden, or you could be in enormous danger. So don't tell anyone. Not even Alexander.'
'Why not?'
'Because he'll kill you if he finds out.'
I look down, feeling sad. The brother who's always been there for me will kill me if he finds out I have magic?
'Why do you know this history, Mamma?'
Mamma grins, pressing her pointer finger to her lips.
'That's a secret for another time.'