Chapter 235: First Life. Alice. (2)
5 years later.
Like cherry blossoms from the very warmth of the first day of spring, the kingdom is merry. Every man, mother and child is happy that they got to witness the season yet again after many nights spent in hope.
The kingdom itself was dubbed Springton in acknowledgement of what this season meant to them and how it made their fields look. It is rumoured that a strange spirit resides here and awakens every spring to pour out its blessings on the land and which is why this time is received with utmost merriment.
Cheers could be heard from the neighborhood around and even hugs were going round to share in the joys and warmth of spring and to celebrate new beginnings. Almost every home in Springton except one, the home of the king himself, the Castle of Fire.
Formerly called the Castle of Flowers, another spring given name, since the advent of the new king to the throne and the infamous acts that got him there, it was now known as the Castle of fire and everyone trembled at the sight of the structure. The commoners dared not look at it and as for those who lived within its walls, dread was their daily bread.
The Castle did not lose its eeriness even on the first day of spring as the reigning King had ordered that no decorations be made and even went ahead to call for court on such an auspicious day. One by one, the courtiers, nobles and council men arrived all bowing before the one true king of Springton.
Each one bringing their head low out of sheer terror more than admiration and some even almost fell before the king. He just stood there, unfazed, unfeeling, waiting, calculating, cold against the burst of spring.
Each seat was taken before the actual scheduled time, no one dared to be late for fear of their position or worse, their head. One by one, the seats filled up except for one, the one beside him.
The hall was silent, each man weighing their words or simply snuffing them out. They held their breaths at the king’s growing impatience, scared that he was already in a bad mood and it had only been a few minutes after dawn.
The clock ticked, the silence creeped and just when it seemed that death would be pronounced on someone in the room, the door to the court flung open and it was light to a looming darkness, like spring to an unforgiving winter.
At the entrance of the door stood elegance herself. Princess Alice clothed in the richest of red dresses, encamped with jewels all about, throwing more light to the beauty of the dress which was a reflection of the one who wore it.