Mother's Guidance

A brief passage of young Leon/Leona and their mother, Queen Olivia.

Leon version.

"Are you frightened, my son?"

The words of his mother touch his ears as they walk along the high paths upon the palace walls. The solid stone beneath his feet and her arm around his shoulders are barely enough to keep Leon grounded to this moment. From up here there's so many people that his eyes cannot even begin to comprehend the enormity of the situation. The cheering is deafening.

Are all of this people here to see me? He marvels to himself.

"I must confess... I am, mother. It's one thing to hear old Graymont babble about this day during our daily lessons, and it's another thing entirely to actually live through it. It's overwhelming." He lets out a shaky sigh, peering between the line of soldiers standing on each side of him, between the prince and the queen, and the entire city.

She smiles and pats the young man's shoulder reassuringly as they walk together. "It can be, if you allow it." Her words alone are enough to sooth the growing panic building on the prince's stomach, but anxiety still coils timidly in his belly.

He smiles, using the opportunity to distract himself from the shouting masses. "Is that how your first time walking here was like?"

She giggles back at him, sighing dreamily while peering down at the multitude of people surrounding the stone walkway. From up here they are nothing more than tiny dots grouped together. Almost everyone can be seen holding bouquets composed of sunflowers and white Dhalias; a shower of yellow and milky white petals raining from the lazuline sky, the gentle summer breeze is enough to carry them across the whole city.

The sight is simply breathtaking.

"Not even close, butter cup." They both laugh at the nickname she gave him as a child. Apparently it was the same nickname her father—Leon's grandfather—used to call her when she couldn't be more than ten years old. The young prince is fifteen, for gods' sake.

While he is the royal heir, with the blood of the first humans running through his veins, his mother at the time of her coronation as the queen consort was nothing more than a simple farmer's daughter. No noble blood ever made an appearance in her family tree, and yet the king was enamored by her at first sight.

Leon knows that now is a day among days. The most special one of his life if he is not counting the actual coronation day.

His fifteenth birthday.

Today is the day he becomes an adult in the eyes of the holy hierophants, which means he will also be an adult in the eyes of the gods. The boy's mother, Queen Olivia, did her best to quiet his anxious nerves, but not even she could accomplish such a mighty task.

"I must confess, mima. I can't remember the last time I was so afraid. How can I live up to our people's expectations the way you did?" Her eyes turn soft at the endearing nickname; she holds her son just a tiny bit closer.

In response to his question she chuckles. "I make it seem so easy, don't I?" A sheepish look overtakes her rosy face, but her eyes still thin humorously, the warm sun-lit currents of her ocean-strong gaze bore into the prince's.

"For them I was an outsider, and to a few, I still am. A peasant's daughter who rose from plowing through cow's shit in some gods' forsaken farm to become the queen consort of the richest city in all of Hylaria." If the nobles could hear the queen say such ill-mannered jargons they would probably faint in horror. "I've gained their trust, not through words but through actions, and one thing you must know about the people, your people, if you want to rule over them one day: don't mistake kindness for weakness."

At that she stops, the crowd continues their standing ovation as the sun bathes the palace with its warmth and golden light. "Don't fool yourself, you are my son, but you carry the blood of the first men. I survived being thrown to the sharks, but you, you will tame the sharks."

To her advice, he just chuckles. If his weakness was a drop of blood than comparing the people to sharks is one way to put it. Warm blue orbs meet her own as they near the Throne Room. The queen reaches for her growing belly, caressing the baby bump with a wistful smile, anytime now the new heir would be born. Leon prayed to Sol for a baby brother, but the most important thing is that, with Vaal's blessing, the baby would be born healthy and as strong as an adult griffin.

"Each one of these people are yours to care and protect. But always remember, you will don the crown and seat on that throne to serve them, not the other way around. They will be weary at first, they will grumble and maybe even hate you, but that is the way of all children. They will grow to love and respect you as they did me, as long as you do the same for them. Trust them to follow your example, everything you need to do is be yourself."

"Alright, I-I can do that."

The queen smiled. “You are a blessing to me, and always will be, no matter what might happen. Sol's gift given to a woman who was not worthy of such love and devotion.”

“Enough about that, mima.” Leon says as she embraces Queen Olivia warmly. “I hope to make you both proud. Well, you three.”

The queen gives a very unladylike chortle. “Don't you dare even entertain such ideas, my little lion. Me and your father are already proud of you, always. I'm certain your sibling will be proud of his big brother as well.” Both prince and queen share looks of affection, the former bashfully scratches at his blushing cheek much to his mother's amusement.

At this moment they are not prince and queen, but just a mother and her son, walking.

“Come,” she says, patting the prince's shoulder and kissing the top of his head affectionately. “Time to become an adult. Time to take your place in the eyes of the great Sun.”

He is finally able to breath calmly now. This is just a preparation for something much bigger; one day he would be king, like his father, but that wouldn't happen for some time, so there is no reason for nervousness, yet.

Leon is going to become an example to be shadowed by his people, and looking at their sunny laughs and open adoration the fear that gripped his hear just few minutes ago evaporates.

The golden prince will be his people's champion, their brighter star.

Leona version.

"Are you frightened, my daughter?"

The words of her mother touch her ears as they walk along the high paths upon the palace walls. The solid stone beneath her feet and the queen's arm around her shoulders are barely enough to keep Leona grounded to this moment. From up here there's so many people that her eyes cannot even begin to comprehend the enormity of the situation. The cheering is deafening.

Are all of this people here to see me? He marvels to himself.

"I must confess... I am, mother. It's one thing to hear old Graymont babble about this day during our daily lessons, and it's another thing entirely to actually live through it. It's overwhelming." She lets out a shaky sigh, peering between the line of soldiers standing on each side of her, between the princess and the queen, and the entire city.

She smiles and pats the young girl's shoulder reassuringly as they walk together. "It can be, if you allow it." Her words alone are enough to sooth the growing panic building on the princess's stomach, but anxiety still coils timidly in her belly.

She smiles, using the opportunity to distract herself from the shouting masses. "Is that how your first time walking here was like?"

She giggles back at her, sighing dreamily while peering down at the multitude of people surrounding the stone walkway. From up here they are nothing more than tiny dots grouped together. Almost everyone can be seen holding bouquets composed of sunflowers and white Dhalias; a shower of yellow and milky white petals raining from the lazuline sky, the gentle summer breeze is enough to carry them across the whole city.

The sight is simply breathtaking.

"Not even close, butter cup." They both laugh at the nickname she gave her as a child. Apparently it was the same nickname her father—Leona's grandfather—used to call her when she couldn't be more than ten years old. The young princess is fifteen, for gods' sake.

While she is the royal heir, with the blood of the first humans running through her veins, her mother at the time of her coronation as the queen consort was nothing more than a simple farmer's daughter. No noble blood ever made an appearance in her family tree, and yet the king was enamored by her at first sight.

Leona knows that now is a day among days. The most special one of her life if she is not counting the actual coronation day.

Her fifteenth birthday.

Today is the day she becomes an adult in the eyes of the holy hierophants, which means she will also be an adult in the eyes of the gods. The girl's mother, Queen Olivia, did her best to quiet her daughter's anxious nerves, but not even she could accomplish such a mighty task.

"I must confess, mima. I can't remember the last time I was so afraid. How can I live up to our people's expectations the way you did?" Her eyes turn soft at the endearing nickname; she holds the girl just a tiny bit closer.

In response to her question she chuckles. "I make it seem so easy, don't I?" A sheepish look overtakes her rosy face, but her eyes still thin humorously, the warm sun-lit currents of her ocean-strong gaze bore into the princess's.

"For them I was an outsider, and to a few, I still am. A peasant's daughter who rose from plowing through cow's shit in some gods' forsaken farm to become the queen consort of the richest city in all of Hylaria." If the nobles could hear the queen say such ill-mannered jargons they would probably faint in horror. "I've gained their trust, not through words but through actions, and one thing you must know about the people, your people, if you want to rule over them one day: don't mistake kindness for weakness."

At that she stops, the crowd continues their standing ovation as the sun bathes the palace with its warmth and golden light. "Don't fool yourself, you are my daughter, but you carry the blood of the first men. I survived being thrown to the sharks, but you, you will tame the sharks."

To her advice, Leona just chuckles. If her weakness was a drop of blood than comparing the people to sharks is one way to put it. Warm blue orbs meet her own as they near the Throne Room. The queen reaches for her growing belly, caressing the baby bump with a wistful smile, anytime now the new heir would be born. Leona prayed to Sol for a baby sister, but the most important thing is that, with Vaal's blessing, the baby would be born healthy and as strong as an adult griffin.

"Each one of these people are yours to care and protect. But always remember, you will don the crown and seat on that throne to serve them, not the other way around. They will be weary at first, they will grumble and maybe even hate you, but that is the way of all children. They will grow to love and respect you as they did me, as long as you do the same for them. Trust them to follow your example, everything you need to do is be yourself."

"Alright, I-I can do that."

The queen smiled. “You are a blessing to me, and always will be, no matter what might happen. Sol's gift given to a woman who was not worthy of such love and devotion.”

“Enough about that, mima.” Leona says as she embraces Queen Olivia warmly. “I hope to make you both proud. Well, you three.”

The queen gives a very unladylike chortle. “Don't you dare even entertain such ideas, my little lioness. Me and your father are already proud of you, always. I'm certain your sibling will be proud of his big sister as well.” Both princess and queen share looks of affection, the former bashfully scratches at her blushing cheek much to her mother's amusement.

At this moment they are not princess and queen, but just a mother and her daughter, walking.

“Come,” she says, patting the princess's shoulder and kissing the top of her head affectionately. “Time to become an adult. Time to take your place in the eyes of the great Sun.”

She is finally able to breath calmly now. This is just a preparation for something much bigger; one day she would be queen, like her mother, but that wouldn't happen for some time, so there is no reason for nervousness, yet.

Leona is going to become an example to be shadowed by her people, and looking at their sunny laughs and open adoration the fear that gripped her hear just few minutes ago evaporates.

The golden princess will be her people's champion, their brighter star.