Journey

Leaving the castle was a short and solemn affair despite the villagers who cheered as they passed. Lila was glad she was forced to sit inside a carriage for once because it means she didn't have to force herself to pretend to be happy. As soon as Lila got back from her "hike" she was ushered into a new outfit and stuffed into an extremely large carriage that is unnecessarily fancy.

The rest of the trip was boring, to say the least. As soon as they left the cobblestone roads of her kingdom, the path only got bumpier. You might think the bigger the carriage, the more comfortable. Wrong. The bigger the carriage the more bruises you'll get from all the jostling. And in this case, it feels like the carriage is purposely trying to throw Lila against the walls.

Lila could feel every, rock, bump, and pebble on the road as the carriage rumbled on, uncaring of her scuffed state. At this point, she was done. Her eyebrow twitched in irritation as she pushed herself up for the millionth time after the carriage hit a pothole. I must rather ride outside on Blackout, Lila groaned in her mind. She could hear her horse snorting outside as the others tugged her along, making Lila's heart ache for her. Maybe I could sneak her a sugar cube later. Those are her favorites.

A sudden knock on the carriage door startled Lila, making her wince as she moved. Her back was as stiff as a board after sitting in one place for so long.

"You good in there, Lila? We're almost at the halfway mark to the camping point." Blake's muffled voice emanated through the carriage door.

"Yeah," Lila said through gritted teeth. "As good as I can be after riding the carriage for several hours." She heard her brother chuckle, making her want to draw the curtains open and give him a death glare. But she couldn't. Not when her father and a squadron of guards were outside as well. Lila settled with sighing and shooing Blake off, telling him to make sure they stop to take a break soon.

As soon as Lila was sure that no one was to barge in, she slipped a thin notebook out of a hidden pocket. She knew that memorizing everything important was necessary, but she never broke out of the habit of writing her thoughts down. As the years passed, it became more of a journal rather than a planner to her. Where else would she put the thoughts that she was too afraid to speak out loud?

Afraid that someone would find and read it, Lila always wrote using music notes. To the barest glance, it would look like a simple piece of music and she intended to keep it that way.

But it wasn't only just a journal. It was a music book. Her grandpa's to be exact. After he handed off his crown to Father, he became a composer. He never published his songs, but every single one was special to her in its own unique way. Lila never liked doing anything a so-called "lady" was required to know, but music was something that her Father never denied her.

Lila would even say she grew quite good at translating her thoughts to music. Not only did the sound of the music piece hold a message, but every note, string, key she played did as well. Despite all the instruments in the castle to pick from, she chose the one that no one would dare touch. The harp.

Why do you ask? Well, it is the only known harp on the map. Well, apparently it is illegal to make a harp without the approval of the King. The story behind it though...is a mystery that Lila had yet to decipher.

Before Grandpa had left, he gifted me the harp. He told me that this little book holds the truth to all the lies that lay secret. But I've only been able to translate one of the many songs. When the piece is played although, it tells a story of longing. It was the story I was told since I was a little girl.

The bride of the old king who was married to him from a kingdom across the ocean as a truce. She was sent here after traveling miles and miles. But she only brought one thing. A harp from her country.

The king fell in love with her the moment he saw her, but even after they married, the bride would sit outside on a patio above the water watching the moon. Every single night.

Every month, she would play the harp once. The same mournful song. When the king asked his wife why she would do it, she only shook her head and gave him the same sad smile that always seemed to linger on her face.

The King could only watch helplessly as she grew weaker and weaker with every passing night. Until it reached the time of the month she would play the harp again. It was the twelfth time she had brought her harp out to play, and this time she played a different piece. It was one filled with hope and reminisce, but it spoke of a final goodbye. It was that night that she passed away in her sleep.

The old king, wanting answers, sent a letter to find out the story behind the actions of the one he loved. But what he discovered only served to sadden him more. No one knows what he had found, but soon after he died he destroyed all the harps he found but the one she brought from her Kingdom. It was stored away until her grandfather took the throne.

The past history of her kingdom always intrigued her, but this story stood out. It called out to her but she just couldn't figure out why.

Suddenly, the carriage came to an abrupt stop, as if it had hit something. Unprepared for it, Lila fell forward and felt her head slam into the opposite seat. Stars swam in her vision as Lila slipped her notebook into her dress with trembling fingers. Attempting to stand up, she vowed to stop this torture once and for all.

Her vision faded in and out as she slipped onto the seat, trying to focus.

"Ouch, I hit my head harder than I thought," Lila muttered, barely able to think straight. A sharp pain shot through her head as she shifted to a sitting position. As she leaned her head back, it took her a moment to realize the sounds of battle rang faintly from outside. The yells and clanging sound of swords clashing seemed to snap Lila back into focus. Another assassination attempt?