Chapter 37: Hail The Crown Princess Elizabeth (I).
Years have gone forward, many winters have passed.
The princess bloomed into a beautiful cold flower, its petals looking soft and tender. By the time she aged, her heart never changed but her hands had gotten rough.
Countless attempts to bring her death failed; poison, shame, or with the tip of a sharp blade.
She avoided it all and survived.
…
Living in a life of royalty wasn't all that grand. The wealth and power it gives you, others would grow with envy. Their eyes and attention are all over you, placing a target on your back.
The princess learned how to fight with her maid by her side. The council and emperor has agreed on letting the maid teach her the ways of war- once was a man's duty now it can be passed through a woman to learn.
"The time has come to teach you the art of war when you have come of age and the council has reluctantly agreed." (Victoria) kneels down, patting Elizabeth's head happily with a smile. "I would be honored to teach you all I know."
With the way of weapons, her body at first was frail.
The sword was heavy, a few swings left her gasping for breath. Facing an enemy made out of hay is at least unnerving.
"Hah… hah…"
The bow was hard to aim, her finger pulling the string, her heart- true it may be- taking an arrow from the quiver was nerving- a few missed shots, disappointment on her face but the princess continued on her learning.
Holding the spear in her hand, grasping it in its middle point.
Princess Elizabeth copies her maid Victoria no longer in her usual maid clothing but tight fitted pants and white shirt.
"Don't be afraid of the spear, lay on a firm hold on the pole and mind the sharp tip of it. We'll be having your body acquainted with a set of thrusting and throwing moves of the weapon." (Victoria) points and showed a few techniques, giving striking blows to the dummy that was made out of hay.
"You can try the basics, do not strain your body and make sure to stretch first."
Seeing Victoria teach her the art of war, the skills she displayed just made the little princess admire her guardian and followed each of her instructions carefully.
"Yes, Victoria!"
Her thirteenth birthday has come, living with the fear of not awakening her magic- it was her last year to try and unlock it using an appraisal orb.
A rare item by the church district of their kingdom.
…
Everyone in the council and the emperor has grown worried with fear, if the current princess doesn't possess qualities of magic should they urge to find a concubine and hope for a son?
The day of the coronation, if it fails the princess has passed the age of magic awakening date. She would be considered a [Morama], a person incapable of using magic if the orb does not forcefully awaken her magic.
Elizabeth's POV
The coronation is in a few hours, I know I should be preparing but I'm hiding right now from my subjects and servants- I needed a few hours of alone time in my mother's laboratory that I've grown attached to.
The years changed and I made it into my own. Some of my mother's research books have been placed somewhere safe in the corner.
I haven't awakened my magic yet after years of waiting- so I ended up learning my mom's inventions and studies instead. Making my own set of blueprints and inventions of convenience-
With a bit of explosions on the side.
"If I take this command and then mix it with an array- I should be able to improve the code command.order of my mom's version of seeing the time in this world, not only it will show me the time but also the date and weather."
Making a magic satellite is rather hard.
It took me a while to gather the metal, study the power sources of the lab- and connect it into my satellite and I needed to learn a bit of my mother's magic through a book that she left me for my birthday from Victoria.
Math too- there were a few advanced books here that the library doesn't even provide.
"The former empress was a crazy person- is what they all say. I think she was too smart for the people in this medieval world." I chuckled, seeing the wires of my current project that I work on in my free time.
I held my screw, putting the metal nut in the hole.
Everything in this lab was way ahead from a medieval world, further suspecting more of my theory that my biological mother might be another world person.
"There we go- now I just need to find a way to launch it up in the sky. Wind magic might be the best thing for it but to have the proper mathematical equation for it to be properly placed beyond the sphere of this world is uncertain." I stood up, dusting my knees looking at my metal creation.
Whenever I'm in this place I am free to wear pants and walk around without minding much of my etiquette.
"I should find any blueprints or information on this world's sphere." I muttered, placing my hand on my waist looking at my scribbled equations at my blackboard with chalk. "If there's even any."
"Princess Elizabeth, where are you? Are you here?"
Is Victoria looking for me?
Hmm… there's still enough time before the official coronation so why is she looking for me at this hour?
"Yeah... Victoria! I'm here in the study room working on my satellite!" I shout, waiting for her figure to come staring at my muddled equation.
Not long after she sees me and smiles, "Why am I not surprised that you're working on that gizmo of yours?" she tells me leaning her back on the wall.
"Everyday you're slowly turning out to be like your mother." she laughs, coming over to pat my head. "And at least you're a bit taller."
"I told you when I grow up I'll be taller, not so shrimp heighted now am I?"
"Yes, yes. My dearest beautiful princess in the land has passed her era of being teased." (Victoria) stopped patting my head and I showed her my math equations and graphs.
She furrowed her eyebrows trying to grasp what I had written. "You even make such detailed notes- it's making me dizzy."
"Advanced math is hard but let me tell you if we can get this gizmo of mine working, the code you taught me before that shows the exact time- will be upgraded and now that code can tell us what the weather will be tomorrow or the date! It can also help in navigating enemy locations-! I know I'll be needing to make a server with this but-" My mouth rambled on, I grew to love my mother's findings and research- that I've become quite the nerd.
"After a few years of investing my time on this project I can make more things- I've been wanting to build one of my mother's blueprints." I took it out from my [Storage Ring].
An item I was given to have my valuables to be stored in.
I opened the rolled blueprint and showed Victoria my mother's past work.
"A train system that connects all the villages, cities, and perhaps to other kingdoms too. The common folk won't have to rely on carriages or walk with freezing feet, the horses won't have to suffer in winter and some goods will be delivered without getting damaged or stolen!" I tell Victoria with excitement seeing that I've stuck gold with this.
Victoria eyed the blueprint and sighed.
"That is good and all your highness, but remember the kingdom is still not fully recovered from the war. Years have gone by but our people are still suffering from famine, the women are barely accepted into jobs- and the taxes are inflating."
"You'll need a huge investment to have a project like this to be approved and take future measures, including the labor cost." she tells me and I have already thought of that fact.
"I know… I've already considered that but this could make trading an easy access and even strengthen our community- alliances with the other kingdoms- give jobs too." I tell her and she smiles softly, listening to my persuasion but never agreeing.
"Take your time, when you are an empress, maybe you can have it approved." (Victoria) assures me and I gave up persuading her about the train system for now. "Now how about you turn that frown upside down and get into your birthday gown, because later you'll have your magic appraised!"
"Why the rush… and excitement about my magic. I'm already thirteen- it still hasn't come. I'm probably a [Morama] now. The coronation isn't that exciting compared to our lessons." I complained but she shook her head and pinched the tip of my nose.
"Now, now. Just because your mother was a [Morma]- doesn't mean you will be too." (Victoria) told me after getting older that my mother- the empress- the reason why she was cooped up inside the castle often to work on her experiments was because she was a person without magic.
I've already accepted my fate, I have a hunch that the god of chaos toyed with me again and wasn't even planning on giving me magic to make my life harder.
"The council is already making me feel like one, father- the emperor already took on a few concubines but remained unsuccessful to sow a seed out of all of the dozens of women he brought in his room." I said as I crossed my arms, understanding the predicament I was in.
She was stunned silent not knowing what to say.
"Why must we prepare early though? Can't a princess have her nice long rest before her crowning publicly as the Crown Princess of the land of snow?" I complained but still followed Victoria's instruction by leading her outside of my mother's lab and into my room.
"Complaining while still following orders… just like her mother."
We walked into the hallway seeing so many male servants running.
"Excuse me, good morning your highness!"
"Ah! Good morning, your highness watch your step!"
"Apologies, please be careful, your highness!"
Oh wow, they're up and early to prepare too.
"Shall we go to your room now?"