Alone in the woods at night, Tel\u2019Annas shoots an arrow designed with a special arrangement of feathers into the sky. It whistles fiercely in the wind, and before the noise dies down, Zill shows up in front of her. Under the moonlight, she can see that he is no longer the little boy that she used to know; he has grown into a young man. Faint lines tracing the muscles on his chest are beginning to appear, and the innocence on his face has been replaced by aloofness and sternness, like the wind itself, not bound by anything.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou haven\u2019t come for a while,\u201d he says, though no trace of anger or disappointment can be detected on his face; he is happy enough that she is here this moment. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Tel\u2019Annas sighs. \u201cPreparing for the initiation ceremony is draining the life out of me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot excited to be an adult?\u201d<\/p>\n
Before today, Tel\u2019Annas would have laughed over Zill\u2019s tease, yet right now all she can think about is how all this might end soon. When she was a little girl, there was not much meaning behind this so-called \u201cduty\u201d and \u201cresponsibility\u201d to her. She could get away from problems as easy as she got away from the guards that tried to stop her from escaping the palace. <\/p>\n
But now Tel\u2019Annas looks away from Zill. There might be something much bigger to care for.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just tired, that\u2019s all.\u201d She reveals an apologetic smile.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know just the place to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zill lets Tel\u2019Annas hop onto his back and, for the hundredth time, carries her through the wind and across the forest. They arrive at a creek. The sound of water flowing through the rocks gradually calms Tel\u2019Annas down. She takes off her boots and treads silently, enjoying the pale light of the moon on her skin, the touch of the damp grass beneath her feet, and the company of Zill by her side.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs something on your mind?\u201d They grew up together; if Tel\u2019Annas is troubled, Zill\u2019s the first to notice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m\u2026just thinking that from now on I might visit you less,\u201d she answers honestly. \u201cI will have a ton of things to learn after the ceremony.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike managing the country\u2014preparing for the day when I take it over for my father.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cIs that what you want to do?\u201d He tilts his head towards her.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is my duty,\u201d she says while staring straight ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you are not happy with it.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not what I said,\u201d she grumbles. \u201cIt has nothing to do with whether I\u2019m happy or not, it\u2019s a responsibility that I have to fulfill as a princess, and one day, a queen.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you, Tel. You have the brightest smile, but only when you are here in the forest, relaxing, having fun.\u201d Zill sounds confused and does not notice the subtle twist of Tel\u2019Annas\u2019s eyebrows. \u201cWhy should you sacrifice yourself for the sake of others?\u201d<\/p>\n
She looks at him as if she cannot believe what he has said. \u201cBecause no one is alone in the world, Zill. We are all born with responsibility of some sort, some heavier, some lighter. Sure, you might be able to roam freely in the sky because you are born of wind. But I am born destined to be the leader of this country one day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are chained by your blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy people depend on me. And yes, this burden might be hard to bear, but once I see them living a good life, I will be more than grateful and honored to be their queen.\u201d<\/p>\n
They both stop at the same time and turn to face each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you take care of them, and what about yourself?\u201d There is frustration in Zill\u2019s voice. \u201cWhen you have lost your freedom, your happiness, even your life at your own discretion, who will be there to take care of you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Tel\u2019Annas feels the dampness gradually soak into her socks. She is getting tired of trying to make Zill understand her difficulties.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your decision. Don\u2019t live your own life for them, Tel, live it for you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t understand. I have to.\u201d<\/p>\n
As if struck by a final blow, Zill raises his arms in the air to show that he has given up. \u201cYou\u2019re right, I don’t. I don\u2019t understand your duty at all, and I don\u2019t understand why you have to be responsible for others when you can\u2019t even be responsible for yourself in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n
If she had had her bow and arrow, she might have shot Zill then. Tel\u2019Annas senses her face reddening in fury; yet at the same time, the anger burns her so hard that it makes her want to cry. <\/p>\n
He is such a fool.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won\u2019t try to change your mind, Zill, but I hope one day you\u2019ll come to see things my way.\u201d She bents to pull on her boots. \u201cAnd there\u2019s one thing you\u2019re absolutely wrong about: I was never happy because I was spending time resting in the forest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was happy because I was spending time with you,\u201d Tel\u2019Annas says before she stomps away in the direction of her home.\ufeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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