The Kingdom of Golden Needs

"Princess Avery, your finery is freshly made, your golden earrings on your dressing table, and your other essentials are kept on your bed." The retainer spoke, solemnly. "Your Mother expects you to be in Gleam before 21 00."

I showed warmth towards the very "freshly made" wine-coloured, silk gown with a skinny waist. I was sure it was longer than my height but I still clothed myself with it on the insist of the retainer, after he left.

The scarlet sandals managed the length of the dress and this outfit became one of my favorites as the light reflected me on a full-length mirror with additional bits of beauty and allure.

I made a mind note of adding it to "The Favourites"

The two retainers standing outside my room led me to the Gleam and for once in months I felt myself getting nervous as I kept my gaze on my sandals. I gave myself the fake satisfaction of the function's environment being normal.

"Being normal seems normal but for some it is a challenge".

Gleam was a hall filled with cloudy and cerulean lights. The lights illuminated the dresses and expensive-stoned jewellery of ladies, around.

The Gentlemen were mainly dressed in suits and coats. People from Royal families tend to look good when it came to the bigger things like this. All the males and females were coupled with glasses of red wine.

Today I realized, why it was named as the Gleam. I found myself only staring at the lights and leaving the other attractions behind. The light were high above my head and walls which held the the accommodated mammoth glass windows, showed the events taking place outside the Audria Realm and I needed some fresh air in my lungs.

It was that time, I came to know that the hall was immensely packed but adequate for me to smell the floral perfumes with hits of sharp undiluted men's fragrances. Before, I could look for my mother, her hand landed on my shoulder. I turned around to find her there and was grateful for her presence. I gave her a moist smile as she smiled back.

"Just hold on for some more minutes and the announcer will tell you why we all are here. Don't worry." My mother was one of the beautiful ladies I had ever met in her early fifties. She made great efforts to make me feel congenial, in these types of mega gatherings. I lived to love her for it.

A tuxedoed emcee arrived on the stage in hurry but his posture was fine. Only by seeing the way he walked I could guess it was Bartley. He announced,

"Good Evening to the respectful Royals from various parts of Glarmheave. Your presence is truly appreciated, the purpose of gathering the majority of the Grands here is to inform them about the modified version of the policy we all have been following for years."

"Where is Father?"

"Still in Azure Court."

"All the Princes and Princesses are required to keep their extreme needs in the special places of their rooms which are directly attached to Cosemand so that it can take hold of it."

"Did he send any letter?"

"Not yet."

"And in addition to that, they must attach a paper along with it describing its importance in their life. This policy is named as the "Force of Desires"."

"I am worried." This time it was Mother who started the conversation between the words of the emcee.

"Don't be." I said not knowing if she was worried about Father or the change of the rule.

"The change of regulation was made by Cosemand long ago as she believed it was necessary to change this policy."

"When did it change?" Mother whispered to Alys, one of the most closest and oldest servant I've known.

"Long ago," she mumbled back.

"But why do I not know this?" She struggled to keep her voice low.

Behind her words, the emcee still went on about this new policy making a bit change in some people's lives followed by some consolations but I mainly focused on Mother's vocals.

"Last night the whole staff was called by Cosemand right here in order to inform us about the change. We were just as perplexed."

"I want to meet her right now," Mother commanded, now looking directly above, in all the doors as Cosemand's was in the centre.

_________________________

Mother was just desolated after she visited Cosemand. Her eyes told me precisely. She lay hold of my hands in hers and spoke briskly but her voice low. "Avery sweetheart, you heard what Bartley said at the stage in Gleam. I am sorry it must be a big disappointment for you to undertake it.

"Are you curious to know why it has changed, the rules, I mean." She quizzed.

"I am not really ready to know." I scrupled.

"But you know that you have to, sweetheart. "Cosemand was the one who decided to change the principle of Audria Realm. It was made to escape you from where you came from, where you took birth." She pronounced Cosemand as Coze-mand.

My eyes widened automatically in horror and heart repeated the words "No, No" again and again. My brain swirled around the worst possible ways, it can affect my mental state and my relation with Sage Green people. I stayed quiet and looked at my mother for a good while, waiting for her to clear any misunderstanding.

But it seemed like some invisible force halted her when she tried to recommence. I did not think I was in the shape of hearing any of it so I told mother my head ached and went into my room.

The gathering had finished. Only staff was to be seen, cleaning the floors and accumulating the leftovers.

Today was the day I got an excellent thrust from my normal life. I wondered what will the people of Sage Court think about me leaving, forever maybe.

In my room, I craved for a good breath but it felt as if my air sacs had compressed themselves and only air in bits could be inhaled. I felt panic seizing over my body.

Your other essentials are kept on your bed.

I reached my bed and searched for my inhaler in such desire that whatever came in my way was thrown away or crushed. At last, I obtained it and breathed with it. All the parts of my body came in place and my body calmed. My body itself released a sigh of relief.

I remembered being nervous while going to the Gleam. In my hesitation, I always perform one or two things wrong but forgetting the needed inhaler before entering a crowded place was not really considered a mistake.

Mother never lets me use it in front of others. She considers that others can take advantage of my tell and I always tell her to chill. She used to teach me the importance of it in my life, with her soft and polite words that made me feel ok about my asthma, not any worst.

I remember her saying,

"It is valuable in your life just like you are valuable in my life."

Valuable.

Soon after the gathering at Gleam, I scratched my brain about the special thing I would like to give to Cosemand. I think giving my inhaler would be the best option.

"Give your best when it comes to the rules of family." I heard my Father's voice in my head.

I placed my inhaler and the letter which I wrote, in the favour of the inhaler and its importance in my life, and put it in the middle of the air conditioned cool room attached to my room from a wooden door. The room had white walls and was flawless. Without saying any other word, I came back into my room and prepared to go to Sage court.

_________________________

"Get your head out of it!" I shouted at Noki and tried my best, not to laugh.

Noki's head was thoroughly adhered to the hive while struggling to find for some Honey.

"I can't breathe." Her muffled voice traveled its way to me. Her acts, words and schemes were always better than others, genuine with bits of comedy in them.

"Here I will help you." I tread towards her for assistance when I heard something.

"Ave!" I jerked backwards as lilies made their way towards me and hugged my legs.

"Oh you little lilies!" I squealed.

They were my favourite part about the Sage Court. They had huge smiles on their faces, without exception. I used to look for them in my childhood as they are the perfect people to play and have fun with.

They busied themselves in telling the tales of what had happened in Sage Court in last two weeks before because it had been days, I had visited them.

I looked up to watch the mint-coloured sky with juniper large trees. Lilies paused while telling the stories as I wandered about the fern houses, Sage people lived in. Whenever I pay a call to them, they get extremely thrilled about my arrival.

I grew up with these people.

Since my childhood, I had never thought to leave them it was hard for me to shift from here to Audria Realm or even to my room. I always desired to be here.

But as Mother had said this was going to be the endmost visit of mine here. I wanted from spend a good amount of time here until the Force of Desire stops me to come here but to my misfortune I had really less time left to complete the job, I was given. People in Gleam, said that it should be done today or else it will affect the Cycle of Rules.

I found for the highest moss rock, I could look for and clambered up to face the people down. "Listen here," their all gazes moved upwards. I saw that unforgettable yearning in their eyes and shimmer in their smiles. My stomach flipped before I could say something more.

I was nervous again.

"I-I have to leave, this recently developed policy in Audria Realm claims that I have to give up on something needful to abscond from the world I came from."

Their eyes were sympathetic but they didn't say a word or raise a question until I was done.

"In my opinion, the rule is changed because the other royal teenagers are scared from the world they came from or even furious at their birth places because somehow, they think," I looked at my feet, "The places where they come from can be the places where they die."

They all made disturbed voices and I actually felt the pain this time. I couldn't find any other word to say so I decide to descend from the rock.

The second I came down, I was surrounded by warm hugs and good luck wishes. It almost felt like it was my birthday. They all were emotional but they concealed it well.

Afterwards, Noki took me to the door which connected the way from. a certain room in Audria Realm to Sage Court.

She hugged me eventually. "I hope you find peace." She said in her softest tone, still smelling like honey. Those were her last words and then she was gone. I took a last glance towards the Sage Court and mentally prepared myself for never seeing this place again.

"Princess Avery!" Someone shouted behind me. People here rarely called me by my full name. I turned around to catch the eye of Jade standing behind me.

Jade came running towards me with a purpose in his eyee. He took heaps of air in as he reached in front of me.

"Avery," he repeated and calmed himself. "It is a disaster to see you leaving," he looked away. "I know you are getting late but," he fidgeted. "I want to tell you something." and he stepped forward to fill the distance between two of us and squeezed me in is arms.

"I - I will sincerely miss you."

I sought for more words but there weren't any left. I searched to say something just as good in reply but I only said, "it's not really my choice, you know."

As he released me he said, "Can I know what was the needful thing you gave of yours?"

"It was my inhaler," I was timid to admit it.

"No you didn't," he gasped. His eyes worried.

"Yes, I did. I believed it was the best choice."

I remained quiet for some moments, trying to store the feel of standing in front of a Sage person, their smell, almost like plants and the substantial humidity in the air.

I tried to inhale deeply and this time it was not really hard to breathe. Nothing felt suffocating in Sage Court, it was a place to be vivacious.

"Yo - You look at your feet when you are nervous. I have been seeing you do that since I knew you, so," he ducked down and wrote "It is the right time to shine." on the side of my feet.

"I hope nobody sees that."

"Nobody will."

_________________________

I saw the doors of Sage Court closing until it was removed from there and I certainly thought my heart shattered into a million and two pieces. My back slid down the door of Sage Court and I sat there. For once, I was done with the Cycle of Rules.