Maria - The Blind Princess

Chapter 7

The little girl with gorgeous costume came inside the hospitality. Talking about the appearance, both the prince and the girl were pretty similar with silver hair and ruby colored eyes. Even she was just 13 years old, surrounding her was an delicate atmosphere, with a calm facial expression and a kind smile every time people saw her.

She is Emily, the youngest princess of Eurydia Kingdom and Jacques's little sister.

"E...Emily..?" Totally opposite with his usual cocky personality, the prince was surprised, rushed to the Emily "Why do you come here? Aren't you currently sick?"

"Brother." Her voice was as peaceful as a bird's singing "I just get better this morning so I want to visit you."

"Oh god, my cute lovely sister~" He cuddled Emily with satisfied face "We have just been separated just few days and I already miss you so much~"

"Brother, what happened to you that you have to be hospitalized?"

"I got countered by a new student." Jacques suddenly felt itchy at his stomach "I have to agree, despite he is blind, he is really strong as the rumor said. I'm thinking I will choose him as one of the knight once I become the king."

"If you want to build a good relation with him for your future, you can be your true self and don't have to pretend to become arrogant right? Did you do that?"

Jacques felt ashamed by princess Emily's sharp mind. He had to pretend being like his father for too long, that he almost forgot his true personality.

"...no, I'm sorry."

The princess thought a little while, then she said.

"Brother, you can take someone as your true friend to show your true self. It's totally ok. But you have to be careful, because who know father might be watching us by a monitoring magic devise or something...?

"I think I can ask William's help though. I know he can seal a space to become anti-magic."

"Then go and discuss with him. I know well big brother William, he is very kind." Emily giggled.

"I hope so too."

***

The night after that, Jacques's abdomen wasn't hurt anymore so he decided to left the hospitality to come back to the dormitory. On his way, there were three students same as his age already standing in front of the dorm area's door. On their hands there were some scrolls of papers. 

"Your highness, I helped you taking all the notes of the classes while you were absent today. Please kindly accept our modest efforts.

Oh, also... Please tell me the name of the one hitting your precious body to become like that. We will beat him."

"Thanks." Jacques took the scrolls, ignored the group of students "About that boy, I can take care of him by myself. You better do not intervene my business, you filthy pigs."

"Yes... Yes!! Your highness!!!"

Jacques was having headache, every time he recalled what Emily told him. 

"Brother, being friend with him will give more benefit for you. Why don't you give it a try?"

Being friend? Jacques laughed in desperate. Since his birth, no one would ever dare to come near him because of his title Crown Prince. There was also the fact that his father - The King Alexandre was a brutal and a true dictator. He wanted the kingdom to be shaped like how he wanted, even his children's personality. 

He remembered there was a time when he was three years old, The Queen Alexandre - his mother gifted him an adorable stuffed kitten handmade by herself. At that moment, he was still a kind heart and a day-dreaming boy. He also remembered that William was still the crown prince so he wouldn't mind much about the coronation. He wanted to be free from the palace, become a normal mage and adventure everywhere of this world.

But then one year afterward, it was a nightmare in his life, he couldn't remember anything. There was only an unclear image of his mother being executed on the guillotine, in front of scared vision of everybody inside the kingdom. At that moment, he hugged William and cried a lot. Meanwhile the king witnessed everything and didn't know any emotion. He became more brutal, dictating by raising the tax, kill all of people who against him. There used to be a group of revolution to decrown the king. But once they entered the palace, they could never go out anymore. Because inside the palace, they were caught alive. His father called William and him, gave each of them the sword.

"Behead them." He emotionless ordered his sons. 

"Father..." Jacques could see William's hands trembling "But I can't... This is too much to me..."

"It said BEHEAD THEM!!!"

Surpass the fear, Jacques swallowed all of his tears, raised his sword up and beheaded everyone. 

Many years later Jacques also witnessed many of intense debated between the kind and his brother William. He suggested to reduce the tax to ease the civilian's life, but what he got back from the king was a brutal slap on his face. Jacques couldn't hear clearly the conversation, but he could see by the key hole. The king even hold his sword, pointed to William's chest to warn him. 

After that, William took off his emblem, gently put it on the king's desk. Jacques could guess what he said: William gave up his rights of coronation. 

That was how all the crown prince's responsibility now poured on Jacques. Unlike William, Jacques was trained tougher and stricter by his father. He had to mimic everything, even the king's personality. 

Seeing the b****y scenes almost every time at the execute square, Jacques used to wish the god to take his vision away. So he could be set free from this suffer. But of course, the god would never grant that wish, Jacques thought he could never escape this broken fate. So he blindly followed his father's path. His kindness became fading away, replaced by arrogance and domination. Until one day, Emily once stopped him to commit execute an innocent citizen outside of the palace. It was when he got his sanity back and tried to control his emotion. 

Emily had become the one who could control his monstrous side, that was why Jacques treasured Emily a lot.

When Jacques entered the academy at the first year, every students feared and didn't dare to be involved with him. Except some of the ones coming from high-grade noble families, they were very good at giving sweet words, willing to serve him by any cost just like the marionettes. 

Well, it was ok, he thought so. Everybody in front of him were just like a ghost, emotionless, just went in the academy to study, and went out as a normal noble. He wished he could find somebody who would not be scared when seeing him. Then he would entertain himself by crushing that person's confidence, and bully him days by days. 

Jacques then met a new student, a boy with girly face who will be his roommate this year. He knew he was blind, so to not make him scared, he decided to not tell his name and bullied him as a normal student. It was fun for him, but he didn't expect that blind boy was super strong at combat ability. A single hit from the boy's knee, he felt like all of his organs inside the stomach could be totally broken. 

Instead being angry, thinking back, he felt interested, it was the first time he bullied other person inside the academy despite it was strictly f*******n. But the one getting bullied was somehow... the one he should not involve from the start. After listening Emily's suggestion, he thought this is the person that he can trust on in the future so tonight, he wanted to apologize him.

Jacques heard that Richard had to be left starved the entire of today because of him. That's why he carefully ordered the academy's chef to make a hot vitamin drink for Richard. The familiar corridor which led to his dorm current became so strange to him. The more he walked, the more nervous he was. It was the first time he had to apologize another person so he didn't know how to do.

"Calm down.. myself.. Be natural." Jacques thought so.

Jacques stood in front of his room's door, took a long breath then opened.

"Richard, do you sleep yet? I want to say sorry for everything happened last night........"

But the things happening inside Jacques's room stunned him. His body went immobilized and as hard as a stone. The vitamin drink fall on the ground inside the awkward silence: Gerald was helping Richard wearing pajamas after bathing.. but the problem was...

"Gerald..." Maria blushed "This voice... don't tell me it's from..."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!"