"Remember that something internal came from the external first."
In the palace, it is immaculate with a design of pristine aesthetic and think about that the fact that it was only created by only one material and a few color shifting processes to make not only the palace, but the entire empire itself which still stands like a sword impaled on a stone that gradually grows to attach to its structure—pulling the sword means will lead in unsoiling the ground. Especially that the palace stands proud with its mighty structures that hold 20 stories.
On the third floor, there was a chamber called "The Dining Room". Specifically for the lineage of the royals that govern the Light Empire, noone had been able to sat on its thrones that materializes upon sitting infront of its table—And speaking of three, there is the three, Folly, Shògenji, and Lowefed quietly waiting for the grand doors that extends almost to a great wall.
And finally, it opened. The gates had opened so quietly and smoothly that no sound had ever occurred, not even dust fell to the floor like rocks in a flowing lake. Inside, the room is grand, illuminated by intricate chandeliers and light fixtures made of Luxinum, the material of light that dominates the empire. At the center, an extensive well-designed table stood, adorned with fine dishes, with food that is too perfect laying steamed and hot at every area of the table, as if the daily lives were choreographed.
The walls were adorned with paintings, sigils, and artifacts in its most mundane spaces. But either way, at the head of the table, there lies the Empress of Light, Teruhikari. She stood quiet, but with a warming smile as she saw her children entered the room and behind her, is a ornate, Fabolous throne, and even the tiny specks of it has a story to be told and musical papers written all over it as if it is meant to be played by a fine violinist.
There, she stood there and was not even sitting at her throne—She only observed them right as the gates opened and right after she saw their faces, her eyes shift into a pink one briefly and she uttered, her voice, trying not to be loud, was still hearable from far away like an echo was made just for it to be perfectly clear. "Rise and shine, dears." She was dressed in a white kimono robe, standing still—her hands vow on the table's elegance.
Folly immediately ran at the tables like a hyperchild he is—along with Shògenji walking with a stern face. Lowefed on the other hand, only bowed and stood still until the doors closed at his face. Folly came running to hug Teruhikari by holding her knees tight with his little arm and rubbing his head on it affectionately. "Mommy!" Folly shouted.
"Did you have a great sleep, dear?" Teruhikari chuckled with warmth as she gently placed her hands on Folly's hair. "Hey mom." Shògenji spoke as well before sitting on the elegant seat, with its apron appearing first before it fully materialized after she decided to sit.
Teruhikari then grabbed Folly and placed him on the seat who also materialized before the moment she placed him. As Folly took a good look at whatever plates the table had to offer—there was no dragon meat. "Aw, no dragon meat?" Folly sighed, crossing both of his little arms. "We don't eat dragons here, my dear." Teruhikari chuckled as she took a seat at the very head. "We train them."
As Teruhikari observed the two like a careful tower, they were already eating with the finest meals. "So, how's your day going?" Teruhikari inquired, she still kept observing them with an empty plate.
"I don't know, I just woke up." Folly said while eating with his mouth open, chewing on everything that was in his mouth. While Shògenji kept eating with her mouth closed, she just stared blankly and continued eating. Teruhikari chuckled at Folly's remark and shifted her gaze at Shògenji, "what about you, my dear?" Teruhikari inquired, "I saw you go outside very early where most commoners were still asleep."
"Not really." Shògenji responded, she swallowed the food first and added, "Y'know. Just patrolling half of the Polis where a crowd formed for no reason and some training." After the remark—Shògenji continued eating.
Teruhikari spoke with a warm regard, ""Hmm, that's pretty prodigious of you." Shògenji then smiled for the first time of the day and continued again, "And then I encountered these rascals, stealing something from one of the bystanders: Three of them!" Shògenji continued gesturing to her fork, "The other two were roughly in their adult-teen age and one of them was still a child!"
Teruhikari inquired, raising her brow in intrigue, her eyes turned green for a moment. "Hm, then what happened?" Shògenji responded, "They all ran. I wasn't able to catch up or take a good look at their faces."
Teruhikari sighed, still observing the two with yet—an empty plate, "You should have at least trained your speed, or perhaps: your sight. You were able to see their faces, right?"
Shògenji chuckled at the remark sarcastically as she found it absurd. She replied, "Ma… I'm a chief, I'm no fighter, ask that to the men." She then proceeded to take a drink from a goblet and continued, "It would just be a waste of time doing some physical training; only for me to just sit and watch the fray."
Teruhikari responded, finally taking a sip of wine from the by holding its lid, "True power comes from strength, but intelligence is what makes it last." she added after drinking, "It's about becoming both—smart and strong—or else you'll fall by the wayside."
Shògenji only nodded and continued eating, you could tell that she was slightly having none of that, only looking at her plate and nothing else. Folly finally spoke after eating many times without uttering a word, "Mommy, am I ready for school?"
Teruhikari nodded and smiled warmly, her eyes turned pink. "Mhm, you will." And after a while—Teruhikari remarked again, "Oh, as I remembered; tomorrow's gonna be a remarkable day."
"Why is that?" Shògenji asked, looking at her mother as she drank the goblet. Teruhikari answered, "It's gonna be the Parliament Day."
"Oh, ya-ay. I guess?" Shògenji responded, her plate was just filled with bones and sauces, meant to be thrown away but she just continued eating and biting the bones, and even licking the substances with her fork.
"Yay indeed." Teruhikari retorted, as she poured a container of drinks to her wine and aswell as the other goblets used by her children. "It's gonna be a wonderful moment for my son and daughter."
Shògenji spoke, "But what does it have to do with us?" Teruhikari chuckled, her eyes shifted to pink briefly and took a sip again, "Hm, well as my beloved children, it is required for both of you to participate during my speech infront of the commoners.
Shògenji shook her head while still taking a nob at the piece of bone, she then asked, "How about I just guard?" She added as she was chewing a fragment of the bone. "Like as you said, I need to improve my cognitive, perceptive—I don't know, my eyes?"
"There will already be guards there, no need for your assistance." Teruhikari added "What I need from you: is to participate with your mother." her eyes shifted in pink. Shògenji only nodded and murmured, "...okay."
Teruhikari's eyes turned into blue, shimmering eyes—the usual pupils she has but it had a taint of grayness in it, particularly below it. She spoke with worry, "I know you don't engage in these types of adherence." She added as she caressed Shògenji's hand, "But, I noticed you were quite stagnant throughout the years."
"Well, you already know the reason for that." Shògenji responded, the words she uttered were sternal and austere—which prompted Teruhikari to briefly turn her eyes into orange and looked down at her empty plate.
Folly then interrupted the silence, and throughout all of the chatter, his mouth was just all messy and raised his little fork, that not even his tiny bid could spare him the messiness of the meals. He shouted, "Mommy, can we go to school now?" Then Teruhikari smiled warmly at Folly, admiring his adorableness because of the pink eye. "Sure, dear."
She then shifted her gaze at Shògenji and spoke, "Just ask me if you need something, you are free to not join Parliament Day with us if that is what you want, dear."
Shògenji nodded, with no pieces in her plate now as she devoured it all—All she could do was just swipe the empty plate with her spoon. Teruhikari then stood up, "I better get going now, there's a lot I have to do. I wished we could've talked more." After the statement, Teruhikari approached Folly who was so messy that he needed a whole makeover to get cleaned. "Let's get you cleaned up, dear."
Teruhikari then grabbed Folly and the latter said with excitement, "Are we going to school now?" Teruhikari chuckled, her eyes stayed pink as they both exited the dining room, "Of course, after I'll clean you up."
She then caressed Shògenji's chin and smiled at her genuinely while her daughter smiled back. After leaving the dining room, Shògenji was the only one left, the chambers were filled with silence and all.
For awhile, she was just staring at meals that were not even scathed and that she could even host a feast with all of the nobles. And she took an opportunity to grab more food and continue to eat.
(37 minutes later, in the bathroom, filled with gargoyles that spew out warm, boiling water. Instead of this spectrum of colors that were dominated like ice color blue, the room was colored out of sand instead.)
And Folly was in a large pool, encompassed with foamy bubbles with a temperature that was slightly almost boiling. He was of course naked, swimming around the luxurious pool, gasping for breath. With Teruhikari also in the pool, also undressed, her eyes were obscured by a wet cloth, holding a phone call.
"...are meticulously prepared for the upcoming parliamentary session, so that the dignified assembly may proceed unimpeded and with the utmost grace." Her fingers fidgeted in the waters of the pool, but it was not out of anxiousness. "If nothing is done about it, it may become a chaotic maelstrom, and brimmed with disorganized commoners. Such disorder would surely breed quarrels and strife among the assembled, we wouldn't want an unwanted commotion on an important day ofcourse."
And with a splash on the foamy bubbles from Folly's reckless swimming. She spoke to Folly with a calm demeanor, "Dear, could you stop splashing?" She ordered, "You're disturbing my call."
Someone on the call inquired, "Splashing?" Thinking it was meant for them, Teruhikari replied, shifting the conversation with a simple, "Just be competent."
Folly nodded, "Okay, mommy!" He then proceeded to swim and jump around very slowly, not making any rough waves on the pool. An inaudible sound then came from the phone, "Hm? A meeting?" Her hands still fidgeting in the waters, "Why'd you tell me that? You know I am occupied with other endeavors."
And someone on the phone responded, though still inaudible, but Teruhikari stopped fidgeting and was silent for a while. "I'll arrive there accordingly, but I do not make any promises." Teruhikari then removed the wet cloth and asked the maid next to her, "We've been here for thirty-three minutes, no?" The maid checked the time and nodded, "Yes, my empress. And it's exactly thirty-three minutes."
"Folly." Teruhikari called Folly and stood up, grabbed the blanket and covered her body. Folly heard her and swam to her, "I'm coming!" Teruhikari chuckled and lifted Folly up from the pool that flushed once after he left. She then sniffed Folly at his chest and spoke, "Ah, you're as clean as the purest light, dear."
She then grabbed another blanket and wrapped it on Folly after she placed him, "Can we go to school now?" Folly asked excitedly. Teruhikari with a doubtful look at her son, her eyes turned green. "Hm, I don't think it would be appropriate to do it right now, dear." She responded with an irresolute expression, "I apologize. But it's quite important."
Folly was saddened and raised his little arm high, "...But you said we're gonna go after this?" His eyes were about to water with tears. Teruhikari knelt, caressed Folly's endearing cheeks, "I know. But, today's not the right day." Teruhikari added, "And there's even no school at all on this day. Well, because I suspended it and all of the students were quite happy with it." She kissed Folly at the nose gently while patting his head, her eyes turned pink from that.
"You promise?" Folly asked. "Ofcourse, I always keep my promises." Teruhikari replied with a warmed smile. "But, do not worry, you'll eventually go to school, dear." Teruhikari remarked.
Folly then gasped in excitement and ran and eventually, the blanket that his little body was loosen and he was just running around buttnaked—Teruhikari chuckled, her eyes turned pink as she proceeded to grab the blanket and wrapped it to Folly again but with a tight wrap.
Teruhikari then grabbed Folly and kissed him on his chubby cheeks and remarked as they both exited outside of the bathroom. "Love you." then Folly retorted, and spoke immediately as he was just looking at literally anywhere, "Love you too!"
Teruhikari then asked as they were both walking to the left side of the hall, "No kiss?" And so did Folly kiss her mother on the cheeks and lay his head on her shoulders as they both walk.