The King's Daughter

She met him when she was six. It was the anniversary of her mother’s death. Her father said he often met her mother at the praying tower and so they went. She bumped at him, he was tall, when she saw his eyes, sharp and deep, she quickly reacted as she was hurting her head. The man crouched down and asked her who she was. And then, her father called her and she quickly hid behind him. At the time, she didn’t understand why her father had to kneel in front of the man and the man looked at her before turning away.

Not long after that, her father took her into a big place called the palace. Her father said this was where the king lived. That day, she met again with the man, sitting on the throne and with her six year old mind, she understood the man she met the days before was the king of the country. The man smiled when their eyes met and she smiled back.

She didn’t come to the palace for months after that. When she was having her 7th birthday, the king’s messengers came to her house, they said they were ordered by the king to give birthday presents for her. She only saw her father looked at her with sad eyes when he received all the presents on behalf of hers.

She met him again on the anniversary day of her mother’s death, still at the praying tower. This time she bowed to him and greeted him. The king smiled and caressed her cheek, saying she just looked like her mother. The king and her father didn’t say much and later that day, she found out her father was the king’s brother, which made her the king’s niece. She blinked when she found out.

Her father took her to the palace weeks after the anniversary, saying the king wanted to see her. When they met, the king only stared at her for a long time before rose from the throne and approached her. She quickly ducked her head, a habit he learned from his father. But, to her surprise, the king said, “You don’t need to hide your face in front of me.” With surprise blinks, she lifted her head to meet the king’s eyes and saw the loving eyes stared back at her. She smiled and said her gratitude.

Years after, she grew up and her father said she resembled her mother as the years go by. She visited the palace now and then, sometimes her father took her and often when the king requested it. Every year the king always give her birthday present, never missed and never late. She was not six years old girl anymore. She was curious why the king seemed to pay more attention to her rather than his own children. During her visit to the palace, she never met the Queen, but she heard stories. She knew about the princes and princesses; one of them didn’t even live to see another day for he died when he was born; she was one of them too, but she never thought she was the one who would follow the rules of being royal family.

To her surprise, the king was very warm and playful person. He liked to joke with her and asked her about how she lived with her father. He took her one day to the praying tower, without her father, and suddenly asked her, “Does your father tell you about your mother?”

She smiled wistfully. “Yes, Your Majesty. My father said she was beautiful and kind, and I resemble her so much.”

The king only smiled back. “That is true. Very true. And does your father tell you I know your mother?”

She blinked. “No, not that I recall, Your Majesty.”

He nodded and gave her playful grin. “Well, it’s the story for another time, then.”

When she asked her father later on about it, he only smiled and caressed her hair while saying, “Someday you will find out. I’m surprised he holds himself for years to do so.”

At the age of 13, she grew up into a beautiful young lady. The king took her again to the praying tower and to the place where she met him the first time.

“Your mother was a very lively person. She had the princes, my brothers’ best interest, at heart. She has special place in my heart until now,” he said.

She looked at the king’s face. Years went by, he was older, aged, the country knew him as a wise and kind king, but could be strict to those who didn’t follow his rules. But, the same thing didn’t change was his expression whenever he spoke about her mother. She could feel the tender and longing.

“I guess you knew her very well, Your Majesty.”

The king smiled. “Yes, I did. There are a lot of things I want to say to her before she passed away. That’s why this is my favorite place. I can feel her presence and I can speak to her freely.”

Again, she couldn’t place the tender feelings the king had for her mother until she turned 15. She slowly began to understand the feelings between man and woman, not that she experienced herself, not yet, she just knew. And with that, she understood the king must have loved her mother. When she visited the palace on her own, the king took her again to the praying tower, their favorite place.

“You become a beautiful lady now and you’re on the age for marriage. But, don’t worry, I won’t mar