Lucy's POV
I entered my Mother's bedroom with heavy steps making my presence behind her known.
"Please...take a seat" she said as she pointed at the seating nearby, with a table in between. She took the seat opposite mine.
I sat there silently, staring aimlessly at her just as I had done with my father.
"What did you want to talk about your Majesty?" I asked.
"Lucille...Lucy, please, I am your mother. You don't have to call me that" she said with shaky, expectant eyes.
"You know exactly why I cannot and will not your Majesty, if that was all you called me here for I think we are done here" I said as I got up.
"No! wait..please wait" she cried out loud.
I looked back and her eyes were moist. I sighed and sat back down.
"I just wanted to talk to you...you are my daughter, I just wanted to get to know about you" She said.
I furrowed my eyebrows as I heard her speak. I had my own questions but I kept them to myself for now and decide to humour her.
"What do you want to know..." I asked, still in my monotonous voice.
"Well about your life, about you. I want to get to know my daughter, what did you do all these years there?" she asked, a faint smile appearing on her lips. She didn't expect me to respond.
She wasn't going to be happy with my response though.
"The day I was sent there I went to the training arena and practised till I collapsed from exhaustion and almost died. The next day I spent the whole day in the library learning till I passed out. Once I woke up I trained again till I collapsed again. A few months of this mostly, but then I was finally invited back to the palace for a day for a banquet, of course, you never noticed I was even there. I was thrown into the pond behind the castle and tied to the floor of the pond with magic by the noble children, I almost drowned. When I went back, I decided to start training near the dark forest and that day I almost lost my wings to a beast. The next day I went back and killed it" I said nonchalantly.
My mother's aghast face was like a feast for my eyes.
"I forcefully opened my mana paths and bled from my eyes and ears for days on end for months as I did so. Once my mana absorption was sufficient I went inside the dark forest again, on the first day I lost my right hand to a beast. As I was bleeding I barely made it into a cave where I had to sit for a week straight till my healing factor healed my hand completely. I killed the beast that ate my hand of course. This was when I was eight, the next week after this I was called back to the palace again for my beloved brother's proclamation as the heir. The day I arrived he took me to the dungeons of the castle to show me something special. He threw me into the cellar with the hellfire dragon which was supposed to be his opponent in the proclamation exhibition match. I left with a hole in my torso, I had to call Serena to take me back the next day. Again you wouldn't know because you were too busy I guess" I said with a smile, my eyes staring right at her.
"When I went back I had to take time to heal so I spent my days in the library researching this world. Did you know that the first emperor of the empire was also a light mana user, crazy how things happen huh? What much is even there to say, this just kept on repeating, again and again and again and again and again and now here we are. At this point, I have lost and grown fewer fingers than the times I have almost died. Again...you, of course, wouldn't know, don't worry nobody else does either if that helps" I said with a haughty laugh.
"But I guess all of that was worth it in the end, because my oh-so-beloved brother, the apple of your eye turned out to be fucking idiot. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't even have challenged him to the successorship duel because guess who is the heir to the throne now" I said my laugh getting louder and more obviously filled with disdain.
"Speaking of which, wasn't that the last time we spoke....what did you say that time. That I would regret it, that I should know my worth. Guess how that turned out" I said, not even trying to hide my disgust any longer.
"I-I am so sorry, I did all that for your sake...you have got to believe me. If I favoured you in public, the people would not be happy. I had to keep you away...please I'll do anything, I just want to be your mother again. I am so sorry, please believe me...I love you!!" she cried as tears streamed down her face. She had gotten up to hold my hand but she had fallen down near my feet.
I placed my palms on her cheeks and wiped her tears. A smile was radiant on my face.
"I will give you that privilege only one more time. Move on mother, revelling in your guilt will get you nowhere. I have absolutely no intention of forgiving or repairing any relationship that I was not even responsible for breaking, that's on you. You may not have realised it but in a way you were the one who raised me to be this way and let me tell you one thing, you raised a vindictive child. These are the consequences of your own actions, learn to accept them. I could always ask why you had a sudden change of heart but we both know the answer to that question".
"You said you would do anything because you love me....alright then, I have only one request. Don't talk to me about this ever again, let's keep the status quo of the relationship we had till now...strictly transactional. I do not need you or anyone else for that matter to make me whole, I have already found that person and they are already mine" I said as I got up and headed for the door.
My mother was still shrieking and crying on the floor, begging me to stay. I had no intention to of course.
"I will take your leave your Majesty" I said as I closed the door behind me. Her muffled screams getting less audible as I walked away.
I wasn't worried about her relaying all the information I had told her to my father, even the hint about Haruto. The guilt was already eating her alive, this would just kill her.
I went back to the Palace gates as I whistled. I felt like a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I was feeling light and energetic. But my Haruto meter had gotten drained...I wonder how I should attack him today fufu.
I unravelled my wings and took off back home. Leaving more damage to the surroundings than when I arrived. For the first time in a long time, I actually enjoyed flying, I was taking in the cold feeling of the clouds and the droplets of rain in the cloud splashed against my skin.
It took me a few more hours than intended but I finally arrived back home. What I didn't expect was that Haruto would be standing at the edge of the tiled courtyard waiting for me.
"Welcome Back Lucy!" he said with a smile.
I looked at him with a shocked expression.
"Haruto...what happened? Why are you here, how long have you been waiting?" I asked.
"Well...umm, we need to talk" he said.
I was beginning to sense a pattern here.....
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NOTE- Hey guys so I have some news to share with you all. Webnovel has offered me a contract and I do intend to sign it soon, probably once I get into a better schedule.
Why is this important you may ask, especially for you? Well, I will have the option of locking chapters when I get contracted, so that means you all will have to unlock it with coins to read. HOWEVER, I assure you this, I am not going to start locking chapters immediately after I get contracted. When I do though, I will inform you prior so I don't leave you hanging.
As much as writing is a passion of mine, I am also a broke college student and I need some income as well, the main reason for my signing the contract. If you like what I do and want to support me and have the means to do so please support the novel in ways like gifting or just reading the chapters after I do get contracted. It is the only motivation I need to write and it is your support that keeps me going.
Thank you for reading, I hope you like what I have in store :)