Delavia, the city of light. The capital of the Kingdom of Dawn was every bit fit for its nickname. The light blue walls of every building, each reaching for the skies in elegant curves and spires, sparkled with soft reflections wherever the sunlight touched them. Yet those reflections were very pleasing to the eyes, not blinding like direct sunlight itself.

It took Lucas a moment to notice the train had stopped at the station, occupied as he was with the view through the window. Quickly he grabbed his backpack and hastened to get out before the vehicle would continue on its way.

The station area was full of people, possibly more than he had ever seen in one place at once - even counting the gatherings for his entire hometown. Some of them were staring at him openly, only to quickly avert their eyes and whisper among themselves when he looked back at them.

His father had warned him that this would be the standard reaction outside the Skyfall territory, though. The Kingdom of Dawn did cover the whole continent, but the different areas were inhabited by people of different origins - and different appearances. Here his dark complexion stood out like a dirt stain on pristine white cloth.

Nimbly he maneuvered through the crowd, at times only able to hope he was heading to the right direction as he wasn't able to see much with his 12-year-old's height in this sea of people. Eventually he made his way through the station building and only stopped briefly to buy some juice and snacks before heading out to the city itself.

~*~*~

Meanwhile, in the palace at the exact center of the city - surely the most glorious building ever made by human hands -, princess Mrei sat at the bedside of her father, the king. He seemed a little better today. He still couldn't even sit up, but his face wasn't quite as pale as the past months and he was smiling as she recounted even the littlest things that had happened in the elite school she attended over the past week.

Some might have found it strange that a princess went to school with other children instead of being homeschooled, but that had always been the case in the Kingdom of Dawn. There was no such a thing as crimes more serious than minor theft in Delavia, and it was perfectly safe for anyone to walk the streets alone. And all citizens of the kingdom loved the royal family.

"You're such a good girl, Mrei," the king said and caressed her cheek tenderly. "I'm sorry I can't be a better father."

"Nuh uh. It's fine, daddy. You'll get better soon."

"I hope so. Now I'm afraid I must rest some more."

Mrei nodded. "Okay, daddy."

She remained sitting at his bedside until a middle-aged woman in stylish yet casual suit quietly entered the room and stopped behind her. "Young highness, we should go. Your lunch break is almost over and you still haven't eaten your lunch."

Mrei gave the woman a sad smile. "I know, Tamaris. I just wish I could do -something- for daddy."

She gently stroked her head like a mother. "The doctors are doing their best. He will get better soon enough. What you can do is focus on your own duties, studying being the most important one at the moment. We can't have a princess who can't even name the major cities in the kingdom, can we?"

Oh no! The teacher had said there would be a test about that in the afternoon! With a quick kiss on the cheek and a whispered "I love you, daddy" Mrei hurried out of the door, Tamaris close on her heels.

"Would you read it for me one more time while I eat?" she asked with her cutest expression. Tamaris never denied her anything. Not at all like the teachers at school. They treated her with utmost respect because she was the princess and the heir to the throne, but they seemed even stricter with her than with the other children in her class.

Tamaris frowned, very much like a real mother. "Princess Mrei, are you telling me you forgot to study?"

"Eh...I can't remember everything all the time? I'm only 10 years old."

"You will also be the ruler of this kingdom, possibly quite soon, young highness," a male voice put in. "You can't afford to be a carefree child with your father in the condition he is in."

"Chancellor Varlon, are you trying to upset me?" Mrei asked as she stopped to face her father's most trusted advisor. As always, his gray hair and mustache were carefully groomed and he wore the same light blue and pale yellow clothes and a mantle with a rising sun emblazoned on it. The colors were the official ones in the kingdom, common in the clothes of all their employees, but Varlon always seemed to wear the exact same ones. Sometimes Mrei thought he didn't have any others.

"Of course not, young highness."

"Daddy will get better! I know he will."

The chancellor sighed. "Young highness, that is not guaranteed. We are doing everything we possibly can, but he has not gotten better this far and we are running out of methods and medicines to try. You should prepare to ascend to the throne in the near future. Just in case."

No, that was not true! Daddy could not die! She had already lost her mother at young age - she couldn't lose her father too.

Tamaris laid her hands on the princess's shoulders. "Please don't cry. There is always hope."

"I hate you!" Mrei screamed at the chancellor, fighting back the tears, and dashed off.

A moment later she was in her own room, with the door locked tight. She slid down to sit at the floor, her back resting against the door. Someone knocked, but she ignored it.

"Young highness, please open this door!" Tamaris's voice called out.

Mrei hesitated for a moment, then stood up and unlocked the door.

The woman pushed the door closed once she was in the room, dropped to her knees and wrapped Mrei in gentle embrace. "I'm so sorry, Mrei. Chancellor Varlon may be right - your father may not get better. But there must still be something the doctors haven't tried. Don't give up yet."

Other than her father, Tamaris was the only one who could call her by her first name only. She had been her nurse from the day she had been born and her primary caretaker after her mother had passed away. In the safety of her arms Mrei could completely drop the princess act and cry like a normal 10-year-old.

Tamaris waited until the sobs ceased and Mrei voluntarily let go of her before standing up again. "You should get some rest. I will send a message to the school that you are not feeling well."

~*~*~

Mrei woke towards the evening to loud sounds like explosions and bright flashes illuminating the room. She quickly scampered out of bed and hurried to the balcony, right on time for another burst of colorful patterns to paint the darkening sky. Beyond the garden in front of the palace she could barely see the crowd of people milling around in the streets and hear the faint echoes of cheerful music.

The Unification Day! She had gone to see the festivities every year with her father the king. Except this year. Now daddy was too ill to go...But now that she thought about it, she really wanted to go. And maybe...just this once not as a formal representative of the kingdom, but as an ordinary girl. She had wanted to try shooting the water balloons and eat the messy sweets last year and the year before and...well, probably always, but everybody always said that it would not be good for her image.

She returned inside and took the photo frame from her bedside table. It contained a picture of her family from when she had been just a little baby. Now was her only chance. Once daddy got better, she'd always have to go with him and be a princess. "Mommy, daddy...Just this once, okay?"