Guess what day it is? It's the big day! The Reha festival is here upon us, and starting it off is Ruyim. So exciting right?! 'Why am I getting so excited for this? There is no reason for me to be so excited!' Hilana came into my room with her usual morning smile. Greeting me and getting me all dressed up. "Princess you look absolutely wonderful for Ruyim." I looked in the mirror. Aside from my usual demon-like eyes, the top of my head was braided down to the bottom. The rest underneath was left free-flowing on the back that looked too bright and long. I wore a long-sleeved fur-rimmed dress with simple embroidered flower patterns spread across. Fur cloak and thick blue pants plus cute little boots. Honestly, it's pretty cute. We walked out of the room to find it snowing lightly. "Morning Princess, Hilana!" Avia called out, running up to us with her arms full of paper?

"Calm down Avia no need to rush." Hilana said, wiping off Avia's sweat with a handkerchief.

"Sorry just got too excited! This year will be especially special! I have the paper ready and everything!" Avia smiled brightly, with her nose and cheeks tinted slightly red from the cold. The three of us walked to the dining hall, and it was packed with people and chatter. Here's something surprising I haven't seen any nobles, or maybe I have, and they're very low-key. Anyway, outside the window was the training field, and it was filled with tables and soldiers. For once, the training field actually looked lovely with all the bright colors and hanging lanterns. I looked back at the dining room to see the twins, Druvem, the two assistants, my two guards with other guards around the place, Romulus, and speaking of him. Oh boy. The moment we made eye contact, he sped straight for me.

"Princess!" He yelled with that happy smile of his. 'How does he have so much energy?' Hilana lifted me away from Romulus's incoming attack. He stopped himself before he fell and looked back at us.

"Nice to see you are doing well Chancellor." Hilana said, smiling at Romulus while carrying me in her arms.

"It's been a while hasn't it Hilana, you look the same as before and call me Romulus. I need someone I can talk to casually after dealing with all those old stuck up retainers and nobles." Romulus sighed. Hilana chuckled and nodded her head. "Anyway, how have you been princess? That bully Lyer didn't do anything mean to you right?" Romulus asked out of goodwill, but I wish I had the chance to warn him.

"So I'm a bully? Then I'll have you cooked and sent out as the sacrifice to the dead." My father said, and Romulus's face stiffened.

"Now Lyer don't be cruel to your dear old friend and probably one of your only friends." Romulus, you are now asking for a death wish. My father pulled out his sword and put it right up against Romulus's neck, ready to taste some excellent fresh blood.

"Is that so. I'll end your misery." Romulus still had a nervous smile on him.

"Don't make me do it Lyer. You know how much I don't want to." Now, this piqued both my interest and my father's interest.

"I wonder what kind of trick you have up your sleeve, either way, this will be your death day." My father said very nonchalantly. He must be bored.

Romulus fidgeted out of fear, and who could blame him. My father's the devil in disguise. "Mitanya(1)!" Romulus shouted, pointing behind my father. Then, almost as if on a reflex, my father turned behind him, and there was nobody. Romulus, on the other hand, took this chance and ran.
My father, now realizing he had been tricked, clenched his hands, and you can see the killing intent in his whole body. "Papa." I went and called out to him. How dumb must I get until I am satisfied...I do not know. My father looked over at me. It seems like he finally noticed I exist.

"When did the bug get here?" My father said, still crude as ever. I despise him on so many levels. But, nevertheless, I smiled up at him.

"Papa!" I called out again with more cheer than I was willing to admit. My father looked uninterested and went back to his seat, sheathing his sword along the way. 'Yes, it went well! Now I just have to keep it up until I'm at the ripe age of killing.' Hilana, on the other hand, had other thoughts in mind.

"How about you and his majesty make a lantern together princess." I shook my head, definitely saying no, but for some odd reason, my nanny pretends as if she didn't see that. 'No, no, no, no nanny! Please, nanny, don't do this to me! No nanny~!' My pleas were not heard. Actually, I think they were ignored.

I got placed down next to my father on the table. We had a short staring contest before we both looked away, probably sick of looking at each other. I looked over to my nanny only to find her gone from sight. 'So fast!' my nanny is too quick for me to follow. I looked at all the others, and they had wrapped colored paper on the lantern skeleton. Each one varied in color and ranged in many colors too. My father had his lantern placed in front of him, but knowing him, he would've cared less. This really reminds me a bit of the obon festival, just a bit weird, like a crossfire between an obon and mid-autumn festival.

'If you're not going to take it then don't mind if I do.' I picked up one of the colored papers. Idiot moment incoming. I started plastering them on the lantern, but it wouldn't stick. I kept trying to plaster the paper on, but it just won't stick. 'Why won't you stick! Why!' I feel very frustrated and kinda stressed. My heart stung a bit. 'I think I'm gonna die young.' I ignored my deathly thoughts and concentrated on the lantern. I looked at the others and saw the paste they used. 'Oh, I am such a dummy!' I looked around and found the paste on the other side of the lantern. I crawled over and grabbing the brush. I applied it as best as I could to the lantern, which was a slather. I pasted the paper on the lantern again, and this time it stuck. 'Yes! I shall conquer you!' I was happy.

I looked over at my father to see him doing his lantern, but he controlled everything with magic. I pouted, and he looked over at me, smirking. 'I'll show you. That's not an impressive trick. I can do it to! You're not special!' Acting like a complete kid, I focused on the lantern and kept thinking about it being a perfect obon lantern. I mean, if it was this easy, then I would've been god by now, but sadly luck wasn't on my side, and I couldn't have it do anything. I could hear him snicker at me without even looking. 'Just you wait! I'll do it!'

I focused again, closing my eyes and imagining the perfect lantern in front of me. I opened my eyes again, and still no movement. I got disheartened until the paper and brush started moving by themselves and covered the whole lantern to complete perfection. 'Yes I did it but my magic must be a late starter or it's just a big prick.' I looked over at my father with a smug smile. He, in turn, rolled his eyes at me. 'Well you suck to!' He went back to finishing his lantern, and I looked at my lantern in content, but now I'm feeling awfully dizzy and tired.

I fell back but got stopped midway. I was gently pushed forward to a sitting position again. "Be careful now dear princess. You don't want to hurt yourself." Oh, it was the demon. I guess he was the one who helped me up. His hand feels nice and warm on my back. "Feeling better?" He asked, and surprisingly the dizzy, tired feeling I got earlier was gone. I nodded my head. "Oh come on now Lyer don't look at me as if you're ready to desecrate me. I do have feelings you know." He joked, and I looked over at my father, and he was anything but smiles. It was more like he was ready to murder the demon.

"Oh, princess have you decided who you were going to write on your lantern?" This damn demon just had to ask the one thing that really shouldn't have been asked. I looked at him, totally dumbfounded. 'You really want me to sign my death sentence, don't you.' I thought, and he just smiled at me. "So who you gonna write princess?" 'You know what! Might as well finish what you've started.' I looked at my father, and he was staring at me uninterested. I looked back at the lantern, and for once, I felt nervous. Not because I was scared but because I never truly realized that I didn't have a mom. Sure, Hilana is like a mom to me, but she's not my mom, especially after that incident. I can't even bring myself to say I love her anymore. In a way, Hilana may have broken the illusion I have placed on her. Even now, I can't tell if it was a good or bad thing. 'Other life it was the same and even now it's the same at least this time I have a father.' I shook my head ever so slightly and sighed.
"Momma." I said very quietly, almost inaudible, but I knew my father heard it because of the shift of his body. He looked at me with his bored face, and I looked back at him, not particularly excited either. After a few moments of staring at each other, he took my lantern, an ink brush, and started writing on it. 'He better not be messing up my lantern. I used a lot of work to make that.' I'm going to be so mad if he was about to ruin it with some ugly penmanship. He placed the lantern back in front of me and showed me what he had written. It was writing I didn't recognize. Kind of like Hindi, but sadly his penmanship was really freaking clean and neat.

"She never liked the writing here." My father said and got up, leaving the room. 'There's something up with him and my mom that's for sure. It can't be anything simple.' I thought. I looked over at his lantern and saw the same writing from the books I've been trying to decipher 'I don't know what this is?' and totally forgot about the demon in front of me.

"What you thinking princess?" He said, looking at me with that smile of his. 'You know what I'm thinking you freaking psychic, demon, yokai.' I thought back. "Oh now, my dear princess don't be so mean to me. I will be your future husband later on so just rely on me." I looked at him, both shocked and irked. 'Who gave you the right to become my husband and what do you mean by that?! Are you saying I have to depend on you?!' He immediately backed away, raising his hands up. "Alright, I take back the last part. No hate." I rolled my eyes at his antics. 'Fine...no hate.' I couldn't hate him even if I wanted to. He was way too good-looking. Damn the ikemen them and their stupidly good looks. "I'll keep in mind that our little princess has an odd temper." I really wanna kill this guy, maybe even more than my father-Nah that cold-blooded king will always be on top of my kill list. 'One day you're gonna get yourself killed by that tongue of yours.' He just smiled at me.

'Anyway, what've you been up to? I haven't seen you for a while?' I questioned him, and he looked at me with an even wider grin. "Aw, was my sweet princess lonely without me." He is really asking for an early grave. 'You know what, never mind. Pretend I didn't say anything at all.' I was going to forget it all, but the demon wouldn't let me. "Now now, princess, don't be so cruel. I've been quite busy with the old fools at the Selyum Observatory(2)." I was confused, and that showed on my face. The demon grinned at me with delight, and I'm unsure if that was good or bad. ''The observatory only goes up to the 9th floor. The 10th floor is reserved for the salyn council and trust me you don't want to go. It's long and super boring. All you do is sit around and listen to some old people blabber away about how salyn should be destroyed, made more efficient, or kill the gods with salyn. The old fools there love me too much to let me go but don't worry, I have my eyes only for you." I rolled my eyes at him. 'And I have my heart set to ignore your existence.' I lazily thought, but he gave some good info.

It's good to know for future reference, but it must be super boring if the demon's complaining this much, and did he say kill the gods? "Oh princess you have such a cezn's tougnue. I personally don't care about any of that. I don't need any idiot people with strong ambitions to strut up like they own the world. Let things be how they be and nature will take it's calling." I had to do a double-take. 'Wait you said kill the gods with what?!' He looked at me, snapping back to reality, and smirked. "Don't worry your lovely little face about it." He said, chuckling. 'Whatever you say. Oh, I almost forgot. You freaking cheat! You said you would help me with the language here but so far you helped me with nothing!'
I pouted, puffing up my cheeks. In return, the demon looked at me, hurt and ridiculed. "My lovely princess. I never set a time as to when I would actually help you." He said with a smirk. This little...I hate him. I just hate him. There is not even a need for me to use the word dislike. He has officially pissed me off! 'I hope you die an early grave because I'll be there pretending to mourn, while I secretly insult you and laugh at your dead decompisng corpse.' Morium laughed for a while. Was it that funny-he may have a sick sense of humor. Yeah probably.

"Oh my dearest princess. Alright to make up for my shortcoming I'll teach you once the festival is over would that suffice my dearest princess?" I still felt as if that was too long, but I'll take it. 'Alright but you better do it or else I won't talk to you. Mentally and verbally.' This knocked him down a few notches. "Please don't threaten me, lovely princess. It will break my poor heart if you ignore me." I grinned at my victory. "But speaking about ignoring, you should comfort that child." I looked away. I know who he's talking about, and I refuse to go and talk to him. 'Please don't start pulling a Hilana on me. I mean the torture earlier was already suffice, don't make me suffer anymore.' The demon sighed and patted my back gently. "Some of his old wounds got picked at toady so he's feeling especially upset and a little sad. Go cheer him up. I know you can." I grumbled. 'And what makes you say that.' He smiled brightly at me. "Because you are not an average princess. That child's best medicine right now would be you. As for how you will treat him, well I'll leave that up to you." The damn demon said and left. 'Why am I the chosen one. Why can't I be a cannon fodder? I rather have my existence be non-existent. Oh well, what's done is done.'

"Hilana!" I called out to my nanny. She popped up next to me like she had teleported. 'Nanny you are not to be messed with.' I thought as I looked up at my nanny, who was smiling down at me.

"What's wrong princess?" Hilana asked. I showed my lantern to her. "It's lovely princess. His majesty must've put in some effort for that one." I was not sure how my nanny could tell this was my father's writing, but you know what, I'm not questioning.

"Papa." Hilana picked me up and sat me on her arm while I somehow grabbed the lantern by the edge.

"Alright then. Let's go to his majesty." The two of us headed outside in the training field, and everyone was hanging their lanterns. It was still daylight, but the colored lanterns already gave off so much more vibrancy. We walked past the training field to the Syva palace. "Hm, where could his majesty be?" Hilana asked as we checked any possible rooms he could be in. 'I really regret wanting to meet up with him. He's a prick and a jerk.' I should really shut my thoughts because call the devil, and the devil shall appear. He walked out of a room and looked over at us. Hilana bowed and greeted him like usual. "Here you go, your majesty." Hilana wholeheartedly handed me to my father. 'Why do I feel as if my nanny lost some of the courtesy she had with my father awhile back? This isn't me being mad right?! She's like being really disrespectful!' My father looked at my nanny, also confused.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" My father asked, still holding me. 'For once I have to agree with him. What are we supposed to do, it's not like we get along.'

"Your majesty for the duration of the Reha festival please look after the princess. It would be wise to spend some time together. It's not my place to tell your majesty what to do however as the princess's nanny I am required to look after the princess and all her needs. This includes the need to bond with your majesty." Hilana said, not once lifting her head or standing up from her bow. "I shall be on my way." Hilana lowered her head a bit more and then left. The two of us stared at her disappearing figure, and we looked between each other, then back at her. 'She just left.' I thought, still confused. 'Since we're already at this step, might as well.' I tugged at my father's shirt. I raised my lantern to him, and he looked at me for a decent amount of time. Then, he let out a quiet sigh that I could hear perfectly. 'Well, I don't like you either, so there we're even.' We walked back to the training field, and he looked back down at me. Then this jerk had the nerve to set me down and promptly left a child all on their own. 'Did I ever mention how much I wanna cremate him alive.' I sighed, feeling so irritated. 'Damn, demon probably tricked about all of that sad crap.

Then I got picked up again. I turned my head to see Cxeva. 'It's Cxeva! I really like him even though he's kind of a scaredy-cat and a shy, clumsy boy.' "Princess you can't sit here the ground is very dirty!" Cxeva said, dusting off my behind. I showed Cxeva my lantern, and he looked confused for a moment. "You want to hang your lantern princess?" I nodded my head. Cxeva lifted me higher up, and I was able to hang my lantern. 'You know this is kinda depressing. You would think it's family who does this but no I had to get help from my guard. This is really depressing. Gosh, my life is depressing right now.' I looked at Cxeva's smiling face, and I smiled back at him. 'Truly such a depressing life. I really wanted a normal family. So unfair.' I sulked and complained to myself. Cxeva brought me back to the dining hall where Dynal, Druvem, the twins, and others were. We had a good time together, and I promptly forgot about my jerk of a father.

(Song- Autumns Embrace ©, March 2, 2015, Composed by-Peter Gundry)

1.Mitanya (Mih-tanya)- A person of great significance to Lyer.

2. Selyum (Seh-loom) Observatory- A 10-floor tower that resides in secrecy however all nine floors are dedicated to magic research, inventions, and other of the sorts with the 10 floor resided for the high ranking magic officials that are from different kingdoms and places.